Get Ready – PMP Exam Will Change On 2 January 2021
PMI was set to have the new exam change happen on July 1 2020 but it never happened because of COVID-19. They have moved the date but the content change is still the same. You now have until 2 January 2021 until the new exam changes.
PMI has announced a postponement of the new exam.
- The PMI will extend access to the current PMP exam until 31 December 2020.
- They will reschedule the launch of the new exam to 2 January 2021, to give candidates additional time and further access to training resources, to help them prepare and sit for the exam confidently.
- PMI and Pearson VUE now offers online testing options for the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification exam. Read more
- The PMI will automatically extend exam eligibility, for all candidates, to 18 January 2021.
- PMI will waive all fees for rescheduling exams. This includes offering refunds for candidates who have recently had to reschedule.
The main PMI COVID-19 update page covers the broader work PMI is doing.
What is Changing?
The exam will focus on three new domains instead of 5 domains
- People (42%) – involve the skills and activities required to lead a project team effectively.
- Process (50%) – focuses on the technical aspects of managing a project.
- Business environment (8%) – specifies the connection between projects and organization strategy.
Based on the PMI website the exam will make a better assessment using three functions named domain, tasks, and enablers. A domain is a high-level knowledge that is essential to the practice of PMP. The exam assesses the knowledge level and experience of each PMP candidate based on tasks under each domain. Enablers show what work needs to be completed based on the given task. An illustration is shown below to help users understand the format of the exam.
About half of the examination will represent predictive project management approaches and the other half will represent agile or hybrid approaches. Predictive, agile, and hybrid approaches will be found throughout the three-domain areas listed above and are not isolated to any particular domain or task.
What leads to the changes in 2020?
In the last 3-5 years, the project manager role has changed. The last round of research conducted in 2015 was compared with and resulted in current changes. PMP training is evolving and new measures need to be taken into consideration to test student’s knowledge and understanding.
Be sure to note these dates have changed! When will the exam change take in effect?
So, there are 2 important dates to remember at this moment:
30 December 2020 – The last day to take the current PMP exam
2 January 2021 – The first day to take the new PMP exam
How to prepare for the changes?
The new PMP exam will be harder according to experts because the new topics and methods that have been added contain twice as much content. You should continue to study without changing anything if you are taking the exam before December 3rd, 2020. If you don’t pass on your first attempt there is a 2 week wait period between 1st and 2nd attempt. There is a 1-week wait before the 2nd and 3rd attempts to pass the test. You should not take the exam any later than December 3rd. After that, you will be taking the new exam, not the current exam.
You should study using updated material provided by your instructor if you are taking the exam on January 2 2021 or after. Study an agile practice guide because half the questions would be concerning this topic. Download the new PMP Exam Content Outline and read it cover to cover so you understand the topics you will be asked about on the new exam.
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