The New PMP Exam - What You Need To Know

Yes! As was announced, the new version of the Project Management Professional (PMP)? certification exam kicked in on 2 January 2021. This article will summarize what you need to know and do then answer some of frequently asked questions.

The Reason

A recently conducted research exposed a lot of things about the project management profession.

a)      Project Management skills are still in high demand globally. It is stipulated that employees will need to fill nearly 2.2 million new project-oriented roles each year through 2027 across several industries.

b)     The Project Management space has evolved and practitioners require diverse skills and approaches than ever before to enable them deliver value.

The Action

Considering this, PMI has redesigned the PMP exam process to test for knowledge and skills across three domains and how they are applied in both predictive, agile and hybrid environments.

1. PEOPLE – emphasizing the skills and activities associated with effectively leading a project team
2. PROCESS – reinforcing the technical aspects of managing a project
3. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT – highlighting the connection between projects and organization strategy

Features of the new PMP certification exam

• Exam will focus on the 3 domain areas of people, process and business environment.
• The new exam will now contain 180 questions as against 200 questions in the previous exam.
• Of the 180 questions received, 175 questions will be scored while 5 will be unscored
• Exam duration will now be 230 minutes as against 240 minutes in the past.
• During your exam, you will have two 10-minute breaks when taking a computer-based test. Note that you will not have any scheduled breaks if you are taking the paper-based exam.
• About half of the examination will represent predictive project management approaches and the other half will represent agile or hybrid approaches.
• Questions will come in different formats including multiple-choice, multiple responses, matching, hotspot and limited fill-in-the-blank.

 Examples of new question types

• Drag and drop questions

For questions on definitions and process order, the PMP may include items that leverage a drag and drop question. In this prototype, candidates will drag the process to match up to its respective process group.

Example: Match each process in Project Stakeholder Management with its associated Process Group. (Drag the correct process to the yellow destination. Note all process groups will not be used.)

• Hot spot questions

With the hot spot questions, candidates will be asked to interact with a digital graphic and use their calculations to estimate specific data points.

Example: Click the area where the cost will increase the most.

• Fill-in-the-blank

Candidates will be expected to interpret the situation presented and provide answers to questions by filling the incomplete sections as applicable

Example: Scenario about risk describing a specific issue. 

Based on the current risk register and the scenario described, which entry should the project manager edit? (enter the correct ID number in the text box).

Note:

To earn your PMP? certification, you need to meet the following requirements:

1.      Must have prior experience in managing projects

2.      Get 35 contact hours of formal training apart from personal study.

3.      Pass the PMP examination, a 180-question, multiple-choice exam.

Regardless of how advanced your project management experience or education might be, you should still prepare vigorously for the exam. Successful

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Which version of the PMBOK is the exam based on?

The new PMP exam is still base on the current version of the PMBOK Guide, 6th Edition. The 7th Edition of the PMBOK Guide has not been published yet. However, the exam outline has been updated and describes the new domain and tasks you are expected to cover.

Where can I take the PMP Exam?

The PMP exam like other PMI exams are offered at approved Pearson VUE Testing Centers worldwide. You can click here to locate a center closest to you. You can also take the PMP exam in the comfort of your home or office while being monitored by an online proctor through Pearson VUE.

Do you have questions? drop them in the comment section and I will address them.