As of today, December 31, 2023, we have officially retired Exam 5, which consisted entirely of ITTO (Inputs, Tools, Techniques, and Outputs) based questions. This decision aligns our simulator more closely with the current format of the PMP exam administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
Rationale Behind the Retirement of Exam 5:
All year long, we highlighted PMI's shift towards a more scenario-based question format in the PMP exam, moving away from direct ITTO questions. This transition by PMI prompted us to label Exam 5 as "optional" for some time. Now, we have taken the final step of retiring it altogether.
The removal of Exam 5 has reduced the total number of questions in our simulator from 2,281 to 2,071. However, it’s crucial to understand that this is merely a numerical change. The real value of these 210 questions in preparing you for the current PMP exam format was minimal, if not entirely zero. This means that their removal does not diminish the quality or effectiveness of your exam preparation with our simulator deluxe. On the contrary, it enhances its relevance and alignment with the actual PMP exam.
Impact on Students:
Here's what you can expect following this update:
1. Simplified Simulator Experience: The "Premium Exams" section of the simulator now displays Exams 1-4. Exam 5, dedicated to ITTO questions, has been removed. This change streamlines your study process, focusing on the most relevant content for the current PMP exam.
2. Updated Statistics: The simulator’s statistics have been adjusted to reflect this change. For example:
- Total questions in Simulator: 2,071 (100%)
- Answered by you: 220 (1%)
- Unanswered by you: 1,851 (99%)
These figures now exclude the ITTO questions, providing a more accurate representation of your progress relative to the current exam format.
3. Access to Previous ITTO Exam Reports: In line with our goal to focus solely on relevant preparation materials, access to exam reports for previously taken ITTO exams will no longer be available. You can still see that you took an ITTO exam and the report itself is clickable, but will show an error message when clicked. This decision was made intentionally to discourage reliance on ITTO-based questions, which are now considered irrelevant for effective exam preparation.
Background Context:
It's important to revisit the rationale behind initially including ITTO-based questions. Previuosly, understanding ITTOs in various project management scenarios was deemed beneficial, despite their step-by-step removal from the PMP exam format. Additionally, some students found comfort in practicing these questions, as it helped reduce exam-related anxiety and stress. However, as the PMP exam evolved, it became evident that retaining these questions in our simulator was no longer beneficial.
Moving Forward:
Our commitment remains steadfast in providing you with the most current and effective tools for your PMP exam preparation. The retirement of Exam 5 is a testament to our dedication to this goal. We encourage you to utilize the updated simulator to its fullest potential, focusing your efforts on the types of questions that you will encounter in the actual PMP exam.
We appreciate your understanding and support during this transition. Should you have any questions or need further clarification, please reply below and we'll answer your quesitons right here.
Wishing you a fantastic 2024, with your PMP exam success as the highlight!
