Project management is changing. Agile methodologies are becoming more common. To keep up with changing industry dynamics, PMP exams are updated every 3-5 years. They are based on PMI leadership which is conducted by subject matter specialists from top organizations all over the world.
It’s okay to use the PMP Course materials that you already own if you are studying for your exam. Make sure that they reflect the 2021 changes. All reliable sources have been updated for years. Although it is well-known that the Project Management Professional (PMP® exam was changed in January 2021).Â
PMP Exam Updates
Based on the PMI’s website announcements, the PMP exam was updated on Jan 2nd, 2021. The Project Management Certification exam-takers will now be able to attend the updated exam content outline.
PMI conducts an assessment every so often of the daily activities of project managers. These were previously Role Delineation Studies, or RDS. They talk about a Job Task Analysis this time. However, it is basically the same thing.
PMI, or more precisely, the agency that is contracted to do this work, will look at the day-to-day activities of project managers and then link these back to the qualification.
If they did, you would find that the PMP exam was still built on the methods of work we used back in the days when certification was first introduced.
PMI’s latest analysis has demonstrated, as expected, that project managers have evolved in their roles. PMI wants to emphasize Agile methods of working. This is why the exam has been updated.
What Is The Next Step In The PMP® Exam?
There are no future changes planned at the moment. The 2021 release of the PMBOK Guide Seventh Edition will not change what you need to study.
PMI updates the exam every few years to keep it relevant. It is possible that there will be future changes. You’re good to go for now.
To understand more about the PMP exam, the following video would be helpful:
What Has Changed Since The Last Update?
Five knowledge domains were available. The exam content outline changed to only include three knowledge domains. These are:
- People – This new domain focuses on the skills required to effectively lead a project team
- Processes – This is where all technical PM skills reside
- Business Environment – This domain connects the dots between strategy and projects. It’s something I’ve been talking about for quite some time, so it’s wonderful to see that the exam finally matches what we all know is important in our roles.
Modifications To The PMP Exam Questions And Duration
The PMP Exam contains 180 questions that need to be answered in 230 minutes to clear the exam. PMP Exam Questions will include multiple-choice, multiple answers, matching, hotspot and limited fill-in the blank types of questions.
The New PMP Exam will be taking place in three main domains –
1-People (42%)
2-Process (50%)
3-Business Environment (8%)
The new PMP exam content will include tasks in each domain, as well as the current PMP exam.Â
- Domain:This is the highest-level knowledge required for project management. The PMP exam contains five domains: initiating, planning and executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. The new PMP exam content will include three domains (people, process and business environment).
- TasksThese are the responsibilities that underlie each project manager in each domain. Based on the tasks assigned to each domain, the PMP exam evaluates each PMP exam candidate’s knowledge and experience.
- EnablersExamples of the work that is associated with the task are shown. It is important to note that enablers do not represent an exhaustive list. They are meant to provide a few examples to illustrate the scope of the task.
Here is the complete list of enablers that will be included in the new PMP exam:
- Value servant leadership (e.g. relate the principles of servant leadership to your team).
- Measuring training outcomes
- Keep your team together and transfer knowledge
- Use personality indicators to assess behavior
- Analyze personality traits and adapt to the emotional needs key stakeholders
- Look for opportunities to add value incrementally
- Assist the team in subdividing project tasks to determine the Minimum Viable Products
- Coordinate with other projects or other operations
- Recommendations for a project approach/methodology (i.e. predictive, agile or hybrid).
- Use iterative, incremental methods throughout the project’s lifecycle (e.g. lessons learned, stakeholder engagement and risk).
- Confirm your approach to knowledge transfers
- Classify compliance categories
- Assess potential risks to compliance
- Support compliance with methods
- Analyze the implications of noncompliance
- Determine the best approach and take necessary actions to meet compliance requirements (e.g. legal, risk).
- Measuring the degree to which the project conforms
- To track benefits, verify that the Measure system is in place
- To demonstrate the value, you should evaluate delivery options
- Based on changes in the external business environment, assess and prioritize the impact on project scope/backlog.
- Recommendations for scope/backlog modifications (e.g. schedule, cost changes)
- Continue to review the external business environment to determine if it has any impact on the project scope/backlog.
- Assist with organizational change
- Assess the organizational culture
- Assess the effects of organizational changes on projects and take necessary actions
- Assess the impact of the project upon the organization and take the necessary actions
The PMP exam will comprise approximately half the project management methods and half the agile or hybrid approaches.
You can see that the exam content is very different from the current outline. The knowledge domains represent the project lifecycle.
