Complete Guide to PMP Exam Changes in 2015

PMI announced that there are some upcoming changes to the PMP Exam. Starting November 2015 there are certain PMP exam changes which students will need to be aware of. PMI recently made changes to the PMBOK. You can read about that in detail here. Below guide will provide a comprehensive insight into these upcoming PMP exam changes.

Although your study plan should not be affected it’s better to understand how it impacts the PMP exam. My previous blog post which describes the 10 best tips to pass the PMP exam on first attempt still provides all the necessary tips. And these would be applicable to these new format as well. Note: These changes are to the exam content and not to the current PMBOK v5.

PMP aspirants who are looking to get certified should consider the timeline at hand. If you think you can prepare and get certified soon, now is the time. The last date to take the PMP Exam under the current format is November 1st, 2015. So get going and get started. If you are looking for help on how to prepare your PMP application make use of the following resources. You should also read these best tips on how to avoid a PMI audit on your PMP application.

PMP Application Guide Resources

• Step-by-step PMP application process guide to avoid a PMI audit
• Project management experience description templates (20 samples + 1 pre-filled template)
• PMP glossary of terms
• PMP experience worksheet

You can take advantage of all these available PMP exam resources and the ongoing discounts. These resources will help you kick start your PMP journey. But importantly it will help you crack the PMP exam before November 2015.

PMP Exam Changes

Now let’s take a look at what are the upcoming PMP exam changes. We have tried to cover as many aspects as possible. And we intend to provide the most exhaustive list of items to understand these changes. If you come across any discrepancies please feel free to refer to PMI’s announcement.

Why?

PMI recently conducted a RDS (Role Delineation Study). And based on that there are updates to the project management professional role. The research was carried out on a large scale. PMP certified individuals were surveyed. And they were asked to validate the updates to domains, tasks, skills and knowledge areas. It covers PMPs from various industries and geographies. And hence the upcoming PMP exam changes.

Important Dates

1st November, 2015 – The last day to test under the current PMP exam format. The PMP exam changes happen after this date and all new exams and re-takes will be as per the new format.

Domain Questions % Comparison

The 5 domains (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, Closing) all still stay the same. The only changes are in the proportion of questions for each of the domain. The below percentages provide a glimpse of how the multiple choice questions would line up in the exam. As seen the only different is a 1% increase in Executing domain versus a 1% decrease in the Closing domain.

Tasks Changes: Per Domain

For each domain there are a certain number of new tasks that have been added. The task numbers are indicated below. Further in this post we list all the details about each of these tasks.

PMP Exam Changes: Tasks Details

The below summary provides insights into the tasks as per the PMP exam changes which go into effect.

Initiating Domain – 13% (3 New Tasks)

• Tasks
  • Task # 2: Identify key deliverables based on the business requirements, in order to manage customer expectations and direct the achievement of project goals.
  • Task # 7: Conduct benefit-analysis with stakeholders (including sponsors, customers, subject matter experts), in order to validate project alignment with organizational strategy and expected business value.
  • Task # 8: Inform stakeholders of the approved project charter, in order to ensure common understanding of the key deliverables, milestones, and their roles and responsibilities.
• Knowledge & Skills
  • Analysis Skills
  • Benefit Analysis techniques
  • Elements of a project charter
  • Estimation tools and techniques
  • Strategic management

Planning Domain – 24% (1 New Task)

• Tasks
  • Task # 13: Develop the stakeholder management plan by analyzing needs, interests, and potential impact, in order to effectively manage stakeholders’ expectations and engage them in project decisions.
• Knowledge & Skills
  • Change management planning
  • Cost management planning, including project budgeting tools and techniques
  • Communications planning
  • Contract types and selection criteria
  • Estimation tools and techniques
  • Human resource planning
  • Lean and efficiency principles
  • Procurement planning
  • Quality management planning
  • Requirements gathering techniques (e.g., planning sessions, brainstorming, and focus groups)
  • Regulatory and environment impacts assessment planning
  • Risk management planning
  • Scope deconstruction (e.g., WBS, scope backlog) tools and techniques
  • Scope management planning
  • Stakeholder management planning
  • Time management planning, including schedulig tool and techniques
  • Workflow diagramming techniques

Executing Domain – 31% (2 New Tasks)

• Tasks
  • Task # 6: Manage the flow of information by following the communications plan, in order to keep stakeholders engaged and informed.
  • Task # 7: Maintain stakeholder relationships by following the stakeholder management plan, in order to receive continued support and manage expectations.
• Knowledge & Skills
  • Continuous improvement processes
  • Contract management techniques
  • Elements of a statement of work
  • Interdependencies among project elements
  • Project budgeting tools and techniques
  • Quality standard tools
  • Vendor management techniques

Monitoring & Controlling Domain – 25% (2 New Tasks)

• Tasks
  • Task # 6: Capture, analyze, and manage lessons learned using lessons learned management techniques, in order to enable continuous improvement.
  • Task # 7: Monitor procurement activities according to the procurement plan, in order to verify compliance with project objectives.
• Knowledge & Skills
  • Performance measurement and tracking techniques (e.g., EV, CPM, PERT, Trend Analysis)
  • Process analysis techniques (e.g., LEAN, Kanban, Six Sigma)
  • Project control limits (e.g., threshold, tolerance)
  • Project finance principles
  • Project monitoring tools and techniques
  • Project quality best practices and standards (e.g., ISO, BS, CMMI, IEEE)
  • Quality measurement tools (e.g., statistical sampling, control charts, flow-charting, inspection, assessment)
  • Risk identification and analysis techniques
  • Risk response techniques
  • Quality validation and verification techniques

Closing Domain – 7% (No New Tasks)

• Tasks: No new tasks
• Knowledge & Skills
  • Archiving practices and statutes
  • Compliance (statute/organization)
  • Contract closure requirements
  • Close-out procedures
  • Feedback techniques
  • Performance measurement techniques (KPI and key success factors)
  • Project review techniques
  • Transition planning technique

PMP Exam Changes: Cross cutting knowledge & skills

The upcoming PMP exam changes also revamps the cross cutting knowledge and skills which span across multiple domains. The updated list is provided below.

• Active listening
• Applicable laws and regulations
• Benefits realization
• Brainstorming techniques
• Business acumen
• Change management techniques
• Coaching, mentoring, training, and motivational techniques
• Communication channels; tools, techniques and methods
• Configuration management
• Conflict resolution
• Customer satisfaction metrics
• Data gathering techniques
• Decision making
• Delegation techniques
• Diversity and cultural sensitivity
• Emotional intelligence
• Expert judgement technique
• Facilitation
• Generational sensitivity and diversity
• Information management tools, techniques, and methods
• Interpersonal skills
• Knowledge management
• Leadership tools, techniques and skills
• Lessons learned: management techniques
• Meeting management techniques
• Negotiating and influencing techniques and skills
• Organizational and operational awareness
• Peer review process
• Presentation tools and techniques
• Prioritization/time management
• Problem-solving tools and techniques
• Project finance principles
• Quality assuarance and control techniques
• Relationship management
• Risk assessment techniques
• Situational awareness
• Stakeholder management techniques
• Team building techniques
• Virtual/remote team management

These upcoming PMP exam changes go into effect in November 2015. So if you are planning to take the exam and get certified before that you better not wait. You can make use of all the available resources on our website listed below.

• PMP Exam Study Notes – Chapter wise fast track notes + 100 Sample Qs and explanations
• 2000 PMP Exam Questions (Detailed Answers | Answer Keys | PMBOK References)
• Best PMP Questions – 600Qs (Set1) with answer keys and detailed explanations
• PMP Cost Management Math Questions – 101Qs with answer key + free PMP Formula/Acronyms cheat sheet
• 400 PMP Exam Prep Questions based on Rita Mulcahy PMP Exam Prep book – With answer keys and detailed explanations
• Best PMP ITTO Cheat Sheet
• PMP Cheat Sheet – PMP formulas, PMP acronyms and important values
• PMP Experience Descriptions – 20 Samples and 1 actual example template

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