TOPIC: New Examination Content Outline as per April 2015

I just saw that as per April 2015, the Examination Content Outline has changed and that several tasks have been added:

http://www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/Certifications/pmp-certification-exam-outline.ashx

After 11 January 2016, the exams will follow the new outline, instead of the old version from 2011. However, I am not really sure about what exactly the Examination Content Outline is, because in the Podcast, as well as most other documents I found, only the 47 Processes of the PMBOK are described. Who knows exactly what the relationship between the Examination Content Outline and the PMBOK is? How are the tasks in the Outline related to the Processes in the PMBOK? How will the addition of those tasks change the exam and do I need to prepare differently for the PMP Certification?

Hello Henning,

The Examination Content Outline is a completely independent document. There is no connection between the PMBOK Guide and the Exam Content Outline whatsoever.

PMI is following best practices in regards to doing the testing for their credentials. Every 5 years or so PMI performs a "Role Delineation Study" in which they identify all the tasks that we project managers actually do in our day to day jobs. And in doing so they will identify new tasks which many of us do. They also identify tasks that are "fading out".

These findings are then used to update the Exam Content Outline. In other words: The PMP Exam does NOT test your knowledge of the PMBOK Guide, instead, it tests your experience in doing all the tasks that the RDS has identified and that were added to the Exam Content Outline. It's all about the real work that we are involved in daily.

My initial and quick review of the coming PMP Exam updates has told me that the changes are going to be relatively minor. This means that the current version of The PM PrepCast only requires absolutely minor changes. You can probably use the current PrepCast after January even if we didn't make an update at all.

Right now we are, however, focusing on updating The Agile PrepCast because PMI has decided to update The PMI-ACP exam in July of this year - so it's more pressing. Once we have completed The Agile PrepCast update, then we will go ahead and re-analyze the new PMP Exam Content Outline and make the necessary changes to The PM PrepCast.

I'm planning to take the online course fro PMI-ACP. When will the content be updated?

Hello Cornelius,
I have bought PM PrepCast and using it to prepare for my PMP examination. When there is an update to PM PrepCast after your analysis of changes in Agile PrepCast, will I be getting the updated modules? Or do I need to buy them again?
When do you think(roughly), there will be an update in PM PrepCast?
Thanks and Regards,
Girish

Girish,

The short answer is this: You are preparing for the PMP exam and therefore you don't have to worry about it.

The long answer:

PMI is updating both the exam content outlines for the PMI-ACP Exam (on April 15) and also for the PMP Exam (on December 15). Here is what we are doing:

• PMI-ACP Exam: We are currently in the process of updating The Agile PrepCast and will not be ready with the complete update by April 15. Please see the status update on this page here: www.project-management-prepcast.com/free...d-the-agile-prepcast
• PMP Exam: Based on our current review we will only have to make very few changes to The PM PrepCast. We will turn our attention to this project after we are finished with updating The Agile PrepCast. Anyone taking their PMP exam BEFORE December 15, 2015 does not have to worry about it.

Thank you.

Hi Cornelius,

Thanks for the updates.

Regarding updating the agile prep cast, I have one request in this regard. Can you please maintain a list of the lessons deleted/added/updated in each module so that we can keep track of what should we revise or check again. This will help those who completed all/some modules to spot the updates easily.

Ahmed,

Good idea! I've added it to our list of items to add to the student workbook.

Hi

Thanks for replying. Only question left in my mind is that if I buy the course now and if the content is updated later, would I be able to access it as well?

As per prepcast terms & conditions, it seems like I would have to buy it again once it's updated??

Hi Corlenius,

PMI states that Last day to test under current version of PMP exam is 11 Jan 2016.

But you have mentioned it till Dec 15, 2015. So what is the actual time before which we need to take the PMP exam in the PMBOK 5 edition?

Regards
Ram

Ram,

You are absolutely correct, I am not quite sure where my brain was in all of this. Here are the correct dates:

• 11 January 2016: Last day to test under current version of PMP exam.
• 12 January 2016: First day to test under the new version of PMP exam.

Please see here for all the details: www.pmi.org/certification/exam-changes/pmp.aspx

Mustafa,

Good point! We consider what's coming on 11 January 2016 to be a "minor" upgrade, so everyone will be able to access the newly added videos as soon as they are published. No additional payment is necessary.

(A "major" -- not free -- upgrade is coming in 2017, when PMI releases the new PMBOK Guide. At that time we have to completely rework and re-record the PrepCast. But that's still some time in the future and will not concern you.)

Greetings,

The forum says
quote
1 November 2015: Last day to test under current version of PMP exam.
2 November 2015: First day to test under the new version of PMP exam.
Please see here for all the details: www.pmi.org/certification/exam-changes/pmp.aspx
unquote

but the above mentioned link says

"Update: The PMP exam update has moved to 11 January 2016 to allow all stakeholders adequate time to prepare for this change."

Kindly advice till when we can follow the current version of PMP

REgards
Thaha

Thaha,

PMI announced a new date only 48 hours ago:

• Original date: 1 November 2015
• New date: 11 January 2016

I have revised and updated all posts above and I have corrected all the dates.

Does anyone have a .pdf of the older, pre-June official Examination Content Outline?

We have the updated changes from the PMI site ( www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/Certifications/p...on-exam-outline.ashx ). But I am planning to take the exam before January 11th, so am looking for a version of that document withOUT the 8 new tasks.

Getting confused looking at the new Examination Content Outline against our Prepcast videos which reference the pre-June outline. For example, in the new Examination Content Outline within the Initiating Domain, task #2 is "Identify key deliverables based on the business requirements..." - but in our PrepCast videos task #2 is "Define the high-level scope...".

Would be handy to have the Examination Content Outline from prior to the new June changes.

Here you go:

PMP Examination Content Outline (Revised August 2011):

Thanks - that helps a *ton*! Powering thru the Exam Content Outline videos now... grrrrrr!