PMP® Exam is changing 2 January 2021

by | May 5, 2019 | Education, Training | 0 comments

1 January 2021 will be the last day to take the current version of the exam

Starting 2 January 2021, the PMP exam will reflect the new exam content.

A few things to keep in mind, depending on how far you are on your path to the PMP:

  • Schedule your exam early. This will allow you to select the date and location that will work best with your schedule. Most people reserve their exam date 3 months in advance.
  • Pay for your exam promptly. You can only schedule your exam after you’ve paid for it. Allow yourself enough time. Make sure you are able to follow the PMP timeline:

Once you open the application, you have 90 days to complete and submit it.

You have one year from the date of your application approval to pass the exam. Sometimes, more than one attempt is necessary so be sure to leave enough time to re-take the exam before your eligibility expires (one year after your application is approved).

What is changing?

Project management professionals need more diverse skills and approaches than ever before. The PMP is evolving just like the profession – and the new exam will focus on three new domains:

  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

Content that spans the value spectrum, including predictive, agile and hybrid approaches, will be included across the three exam domains. The best way to understand what is included in the exam is to review the updated Exam Content Outline.

Expect to see:

More approaches to delivering outcomes. The exam will cover both predictive (approximately 50%) and agile/hybrid (approximately 50%) approaches to project management.

Domains aligned to real-life practices. The number of domains will be reduced from five to three.

Why is the PMP exam changing?

Every 3 – 5 years, PMI conducts research to understand how the profession has progressed, the impact of emerging trends, and how the responsibilities of project managers have changed. The last research was conducted in 2015 and resulted in the current PMP® Exam Content Outline .  The NEW PMP® Exam Content Outline provides the framework of what you can expect on the PMP Exam after 30 June 2020.