Introduction
The Project Management Institute (PMI)® is making some important changes to the Project Management Professional (PMP)® exam, and there are a few things you should know before you take it. In fact, there are four primary changes happening with this update, each of which will affect your approach to the test.
PMP certification is one of the most important certifications for project managers. If you are planning to take the PMP certification exam in 2019, then you need to know about the changes introduced in PMBOK® 7. The new version of the PMI’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) has been released and will be effective from 2020 onwards.The latest version of the PMBOK® Guide contains a number of significant changes, which may impact your preparation for the exam.
Fewer but more in-depth questions
With the change in exam format comes a change in question type. The number of questions on each exam section will be reduced from 200 to 150, but the length and level of detail will increase. PMBOK® 7 expects that candidates should have a thorough understanding of the material before taking an exam and so it has made this new version more challenging by adding more complex questions.
The new exam will also include:
- A broader range of topics from multiple domains;
- More detailed analysis and problem solving than before;
- A greater emphasis on critical thinking skills;
- More emphasis on real-world application rather than just memorization
New processes and process groups
PMI has introduced several changes to the processes and process groups in the new version of the PMBOK® Guide. The following is a summary of what you need to know about these changes:
- Processes have been streamlined, and some have been removed entirely.
- New processes and process groups have been created to reflect recent industry trends and best practices, including Agile and DevOps methodologies, Lean Six Sigma techniques (LSS), Project Management Office (PMO) functions and project governance activities such as cost management, quality assurance, risk management and stakeholder engagement.
- To accommodate these changes, exam questions will focus more heavily on “what” you do rather than “how” you do it—meaning that there could be fewer follow-up questions asking what tools or techniques would be used for certain situations or how many hours should be allocated for particular activities over others; instead there will likely be more straightforward questions based strictly on facts such as who performs each task or where they are located geographically within an organization structure chart (which may look different from previous editions). This means that if you’re taking either exam—or both!—you’ll need to familiarize yourself with all 35 processes before you sit down for either one because half the battle preparing for these tests is knowing exactly which ones apply specifically at any given time since all six sections include material related specifically toward project objectives being sought out by clients looking for services provided by supplier companies seeking bids from contractors.”
Updated focus on risk management and agile
- Risk management is now a separate process group from the previous iteration of the PMBOK® Guide.
- Agile, while still considered a knowledge area, no longer has its own section within the framework. Instead, it’s been folded into other process groups such as scope management and project integration management.
Some terminology will change
PMBOK® 7 will use the word “project” instead of “program.”
For example, under the Project Management Knowledge Area, you used to find a section called Program Management. This section has been renamed Project Management and now includes information on how to manage different types of projects. The main difference is that it’s not limited to just one type of project: now you can see how to manage a program or project with a portfolio approach in mind.
In addition, PMBOK® 7 will use the word “project” instead of “project management.” That means there are no longer separate sections for each knowledge area; they’ve all been merged into one large chapter on managing projects (with subtopics such as scope management and quality management).
Make sure you understand the exam changes before applying for a PMP course.
The PMP exam has changed and now includes a section on the new PMBOK® 7. This is a significant change that all candidates need to be aware of before applying for their PMP certification course online or taking an online bootcamp to prepare for the exam.
What is PMBOK® 7?
The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) is a project management standard published by the Project Management Institute (PMI). The most recent version, PMBOK® 7, was released in 2017 and it’s currently the only version available. It describes what skills are needed to effectively manage IT projects and other types of modern-day business projects. It also provides detailed information about how these skills should be applied through various processes that make up a typical project management life cycle.
Finally, it lays out some best practices for managing change within organizations so as not to disrupt production schedules at crucial times during large scale implementation efforts on which billions depend worldwide every day when critical systems need upgrading or replacement due to security concerns or obsolescence issues arising from old hardware components being no longer manufactured anymore due to lacklustre performance capabilities compared against newer models available today…..
Conclusion
All in all, the new changes to the PMP exam are quite significant. The number of questions is reduced from 200 to 170, but this may not prove easier for test-takers since many of these questions will be more complex and require deeper knowledge than before. There are also big differences in terms of what processes you must know inside out compared with which ones you can safely bend a bit when quizzed about them on your exam day. By familiarizing yourself with the changes ahead of time, you can ensure that you’re well prepared for whatever comes your way—and even if it seems a little overwhelming right now, trust us: we’ve got your back!
