4 Must-Know Changes To The New PMP Exam

November 9, 2020 | Reskill Your Workforce | 2 min read

The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam is changing in January 2021. Be assured, at Skillsoft, we have mastered the new PMP Exam Content Outline and are ready to guide you and your team's preparation for the exam with up-to-date learning materials and support.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) is committed to offering a certification that truly reflects the rapidly changing role of the project manager. Technology innovation and changing business environments are forcing project managers to treat project goals like moving targets. Today's challenges require new approaches and improved tools.

PMI recognizes the profession is evolving. As a result, beginning in January 2021, the exam will too. PMI is taking the necessary steps to ensure the new exam stays valid and remains relevant...

What is in the new PMP certification exam?

The new PMP exam will be dramatically different than previous updates. Here's how:

  • PMI used independent consultants to evaluate the exam. The consultants focused on actual tasks performed by project managers rather than the PMBOK Guide.
  • The new exam will include 50% content from predictive project management approaches and 50% from agile or hybrid approaches based on findings from the study.
  • This exam will be principles-based as opposed to the previous process-based exam. This project management approach is less prescriptive and more focused on value delivery.

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Top 4 expected content changes you must know:

1. There will be three exam domains or high-level knowledge areas that are essential to the practice of project management. The domains are People, Process, and Business Environment.

2. The percentage of exam questions allotted to these domains will be 42%, 50%, and 8%, respectively

3. Each domain contains tasks or responsibilities that are common to today's project managers.

4. Each task contains one or more enablers that serve as examples of the actions that a project manager would take to accomplish the task.

Example:

Skillsoft's recommended course of study:

There is a common misunderstanding that the PMP exam is based exclusively on the PMBOK Guide. This exam will be based on ten books in this reference list from PMI. While these materials are helpful for preparation, the new exam may also include concepts and best practices from other sources that are not included in the reference list.

Skillsoft can help you focus on what is essential.

We have realigned our curriculum and provide training to support your success. We strongly recommend you begin your course of study 60-90 days prior to the exam.

The Skillsoft curriculum includes live instructor-led online Bootcamps, and experienced mentors available via interactive chat or e-mails. For more information click below-