PMP Certification Training: PMP Exam Content Outline
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Summary
The PMP® Exam Content Outline (ECO) is the most important document for the PMP exam that nobody knows about. This is because all questions for the PMP exam must be developed based on the tasks described within the ECO and not the PMBOK® Guide. Therefore, not understanding the ECO, means that you are essentially flying blind into your PMP exam.
Join me and review the ECO together to prepare your exam success. At the end of this webinar you will know why the PMP exam is not based on the PMBOK® Guide but the ECO, how the ECO is structured and influences the exam, and how you can use the ECO to guide your studies to the max. More than that! At the end, Cornelius will give you a clear list of actions so that you can get the most out of the ECO within just a short time.
Until Next Time,
Cornelius Fichtner, PMP, CSM
President, OSP International LLC
Transcript
F00.10 PMP Exam Content Outline
[00:00] [Introduction]
Hello and welcome to the Project Management PrepCast™. I’m your instructor, Cornelius Fichtner. This lesson is recorded with a live audience on Facebook and YouTube, and we look at the most important document for your Project Management Professional (PMP)® Exam called the PMP® Exam Content Outline. And even though I just said the most important document for your PMP Exam, many people actually don’t know about it, and that’s what we are going to be changing today. Here is our agenda.
[00:48] Agenda
So first, we’re going to be talking a little bit about the history and the development of the ECO. Then, the biggest statement, the PMBOK® Guide is not the PMP Exam. If you only walk away from this webinar today, remembering that second bullet point there, then I have achieved my goal for what we are doing here today. Then, we’ll jump into the ECO itself. And at the end, as always, I want to make sure that you know well: What do you want me to do now, Cornelius? I have a couple of suggestions for take action, things you can do now with the ECO and the takeaways.
[01:36] PMP Exam Content Outline
If you don’t know what the PMP Exam Content Outline is, then let’s start with this here. So what is it? Well, it is a document that PMI has published, and it defines the syllabus of the PMP Exam by describing domains, tasks, and enablers. Basically, in this document, PMI describes what’s going to be on the PMP Exam. Here are all the things that you need to know for the PMP Exam. This is what you will be tested about. And that much said, this is now a very important statement here, and the statement is quite easily this: “The PMP Exam is not a test of the PMBOK® Guide.” Let me repeat that: “The PMP Exam is not a test of the PMBOK® Guide.” Instead, the questions on the PMP Exam are based on the Exam Content Outline, and the PMBOK® Guide is only a reference document that PMI uses to look at and say: Well, we have a question. C is correct. Why C is correct. Well, because the PMBOK® Guide says XYZ on page 263, okay? That’s how the PMBOK® Guide is used for the PMP Exam.
[03:11] PMP Question Development
Let me show this to you in a little bit of a flow here, right? So at the top there, we have the Exam Content Outline. Based on the Exam Content Outline, the questions are then developed. And, following that is quality assurance of the exam, and of the question that was developed, that has been added to the exam. And then, we have reference books there at the bottom. And I’m just now realizing that this was actually animated. So, here we go! So it starts with the Exam Content Outline. Based on that, questions are developed. There’s Q&A added to the exam. And then, only then will the reference books come into play, where the person who develops these questions actually has to go and open up one of the 10 reference books that PMI, it’s actually two, and say: Okay, I’m saying B is correct. B is correct because book one says so, and book seven says so, okay. There we are.
[04:24] The PMP Exam Content Outline [History]
So, here is a bit of history of the Exam Content Outline. It was first published in 2005. And the latest version was published in 2021, and it came into effect back then. It kind of looks like it’s getting smaller, doesn’t it? Yes. You can see there is all that in 2005, like six or seven lines of what’s in the Exam Content Outline. And now in 2021, we have but four. Well, is it getting smaller? No. In my opinion, there is such as a substantial difference between the one from 2015 and the one from 2021, that is actually twice as big. Yes! Even though on this slide here, it looks like 2021 is smaller than 2015. In my opinion, the PMP Exam has doubled in what you need to know. And we’ll take a look at that in just a moment. So, how is this PMP Exam Content Outline developed? Here we go.
[05:35] The PMP Exam Content Outline [Development]
So, it starts with research. PMI does what is known as a global practice analysis (GPA). And this GPA, PMI uses to determine any number of trends that they want to identify. Things that need to be addressed in the PMP Exam. Then from there, they do a job task analysis (JTA). And by doing that, they ensure that, you know, all those new trends that we have found is truly something that project managers do, and this job task analysis, by the way, that’s all done globally. They are basically looking at what is it that we project managers do? Do we work on this? Do we not work on that? For example, one thing that PMI has found that we now do is we not only do Waterfall projects. We also work quite a lot in Agile-related projects. But on the other hand, when it comes to legal stuff on our projects, we are not the legal experts. We don’t have to have a 100 percent understanding of all the legal intricacies. That’s what the lawyers are for. But we have to know enough and understand the whole business environment enough to assist the lawyers with helping us come up with appropriate legal documents, okay? And then, ECO is reworked. And the new ECO is published in the end.
[07:13] [Statement About Research]
All this research really ensures that the PMP exam tests you about the work that project managers actually do, right? You don’t want to be tested on something like from the 1940s what project managers did back then. You want to be tested on all the things that we do today.
[07:34] ECO Structure
Here is the structure of the Exam Content Outline. It has Domains, Tasks, and Enablers, okay? And Domain, PMI defines this as the high-level knowledge area essential to the practice of project management. The domains, as you will see in just a moment, are People, Process, and Business Environment. I’ll talk a bit more about that. Then within the Domain, there are Tasks. So, what are we as project managers responsible for within these areas? And then PMI also gives us these Enablers, which are just examples of the work that we do within each of the tasks. There is one question that has just come up that says, Calvin says: “Why enable?” It probably wants to ask “Why enablers?” Why are they called enablers? I’ll give you that answer in a little bit. Give me just a sec there, Calvin, okay?
[08:36] Three Domains
Moving on. These are the three domains. This is important for you to understand, okay? Because within the People domain, there are 14 tasks and you can expect 42% of the questions of the PMP Exam to come from the People domain. Things like leading a team, working with stakeholders, that’s part of the People domain. 42% of the questions come from there. Then Process, 17 tasks are from processes. Well, how do you do quality assurance? How do you do integration? And, all of that. And then 50% of the questions come from the process. And new, this is one of the things that PMI has added to the PMP Exam. It’s the whole Business Environment domain. Four tasks are from there, but only 8% of the questions are coming from there. And now, this question here from Mhr T. ITani: “But Agile is being asked more.” You’re absolutely correct. This is actually the one reason why I say: The PMP Exam now is twice as big as it was back in 2015 with the previous Exam Content Outline because, here we go.
[10:01] Predictive – Agile and Hybrid
The PMP Exam consists 50% of predictive and 50% of Agile and hybrid questions. So, in this current PMP Exam Content Outline, PMI added everything from Agile on top of it without removing anything. So, if you took the PMP Exam a few years ago, everything that you had to know back then is pretty much still on the exam. So that 100% is still there, okay. But that 100% is now only half of the exam. The other half is everything Agile and hybrid. So literally, 50% more of the exam. And that’s why I say: It’s twice as big, okay. So, with that much said, what does this mean? If I go back one slide here. So out of those 42, 50, and 8%, half of it will be about predictive, Waterfall, a plan driven-type projects and the other half will be Agile and hybrid, okay. So, keep that in mind that you must really be well-versed in Agile. You must understand predictive and plan-driven.
[11:30] Three Domains
Now then, let’s jump a little bit deeper. This is it for the, this is it for these here. Let me go just quickly bring up this question here from Sandeep: “Is the exam now based on PMBOK 6 of PMBOK 7?” Sandeep, go back to my opening statement. The PMP Exam is not based on the PMBOK® Guide. It is based on the document we’re reviewing today. It’s based on the Exam Content Outline, okay. And by the way, we are going to be discussing a more in-depth answer to that question in one of my future live streams. So, this is an upcoming topic that I will be discussing next time. But, your question as such is incorrect because the PMP Exam is based not on the PMBOK® Guide. It is based on the ECO, the Exam Content Outline, which we are looking at right now. So, 50%, 50-50. Now, let’s jump deeper into this. We looked at the three domains.
[12:32] Sample Task/Enablers
Now, let’s take a look at one of these tasks, okay. So, within the PMP Exam Content Outline, we have the domain of People. And within that People domain, we have the task “Lead a Team.” This is one of the major things that we do as project managers --- we lead a team in order to have a successful project at the end, okay. So that first bullet there, that is the task. We have to know about leading a team and PMI will ask you in the PMP Exam about your job of leading a team. And if you then set a clear vision and mission, that enables you to lead a team. If you support diversity and inclusion, that enables you to lead a team. So these sub-bullets, these are the enablers that we heard about previously there, right? So, this is what Calvin asked earlier: Why do we call these enablers? Well, if you value servant leadership, that enables you to lead a team. If you determine an appropriate leadership style, that enables you to lead a team, and so on. I think you get the idea here, right? So you have the Domain at the very top. The domain is People. Within the People domain, we have to lead a team and by applying all these enablers, that enables you and me to lead a team. Alright, let’s take a moment and let’s take a look at a sample exam question. Here we go.
[14:26] Question 1
And those of you who are joining me live here on Facebook and YouTube, please feel free to type in your answer in a little bit here. Question: You have just been assigned an upcoming Agile project. As part of pre-project work, you review all of the organization’s policies and procedures regarding compliance. You realize that only some of them may be applicable to your project. So what should you do first? Is it A, switch to project management approach from Agile to traditional? Is it B, incorporate all compliance polices and procedures in the implementation strategy? Is it C, ensure that compliance activities are included in the project schedule baseline? Or is it D, classify the compliance categories to determine the expenditure of project resources? I’m going to give you about 10 seconds or so. Those of you who are joining me live, please type in A, B, C, or D and those who are watching this recorded, type it into your head. Okay! I’m getting a few answers here. I’m getting B’s. I’m getting D’s. I’m getting C’s. More B’s here coming up. We have a C-D coming. One person says, it’s both C and D. We have D, and so on. So we got a little bit of everything that is happening there. So what is the correct answer?
[16:19] Question 1: Answer
The correct answer is actually D. In this situation, you should classify the compliance categories to determine the expenditure of project resources. Many of you are now going to go: Cornelius, that is a totally unfair question. This is such as an obscure topic. What are you talking about? I have never heard of compliance categories. What on earth is that? And why would the PMP Exam have such as question? This is an unfair question. This is not a good question. You should never have asked this. If this question is in your Simulator, then you have a bad Simulator, and so on. I’m getting all of these kinds of responses to the questions that we have in our Simulator. Well, I have to tell you that you are wrong because this question is 100% based on the Exam Content Outline, okay.
[17:23] Domain III – Business Environment 9%
Here we go. This is actually part of the new domain --- Business Environment, Task 1 ther: Plan and manage project compliance. This is what this question tests you on. Do you understand how to plan and manage compliance on your project? And the enabler that we are focusing on here is: Do you know how to classify compliance categories, okay? So, if your training for the PMP Exam included this, then you would be golden. You would be probably one of the people who chose D. But, if you have never heard of this, if you have never been asked about this, then you may not be able to answer this question correctly.
[18:17] Use ECO to Determine
So, now that you know that all of the questions on the exam, all of the knowledge that we need for the exam is based on the ECO, here are the two things that I want you to do with the Exam Content Outline: You have to read it. We’ll get back to that at the end, don’t worry. It’s one of my recommendations for you. You have to read it in order to understand what topics could I be asked about on the exam? Things like compliance categories as we have just seen in this sample question. And then you can also use it to determine where do I need additional training? Okay! So what I want you to do is I want you to take out your highlighters, right. So, get yourself a copy of the ECO.[19:13] Review and Highlight ECO Tasks
I have a link in the back at the end, and print it. And I literally want you to take a green, yellow, and red highlighter, and I want you to go green-yellow-red. Obviously, green in the Exam Content Outline, that’s everything that you say: I know about this. I’m golden. I understand this. I’ve heard about this. It was in my training. Yellow ones: Yeah, I have heard about it. There was something in the training. I may not be a hundred percent solid on it. But, I think I’m okay. Maybe, I need a little bit more about it. Read something on it. Maybe find an article about it or something like that. And then red: I have no idea what’s being talked about here. For example, before the new Exam Content Outline was published, that enabler we just looked at, classify compliance categories, that was new to me as well. So we as project managers, we don’t have the full spectrum. But as we go for the PMP Exam, you need to have the full spectrum. That’s why I’m saying: Print this. Highlight things. Make sure that in the end, everything is turning green for you here. Wait! That was the wrong button that I pushed. There we go, okay. So this is what I want you to do. And, than you very much, KKidd1108: “Great tip!” Yes, it is indeed a great tip. There is one more thing that you can do with the Exam Content Outline.
[20:53] Use ECO to Determine
So, we just talked about the fact that you use the Exam Content Outline to determine what could you be asked about on the exam, where you need additional training, you know, take out the highlighters, and then last but not least, you can also use it to determine whether you even qualify for the PMP Exam. I said last but not least. First and most importantly is probably the right thing to say. Do I qualify for the PMP Exam? This is also something that you need to have, that you can do with the Exam Content Outline. It takes about half an hour to explain how that is done. So, please do look for a separate webinar on YouTube and Facebook about that. We have question coming in where Calvin asks: “Why are there no books published based on the ECO framework? …Are organized around the old PMBOK 6, 10 chapters structure?” This is historical, I would think, Calvin. So, in the past until last year, okay, the PMP Exam had a strong focus on processes, and process-driven approaches. Agile was only added starting last year. The ECO completely changed the way from the five domains that are very similar t the old PMBOK® Guide domains to these three new domains. So, it will take some time, but overall, you know, people are shifting away from this process-focus to the more principles-driven, conceptual-driven. The focus on understanding what the ECO is actually asking about. Our training is also shifting. We are also shifting from this approach of teaching process-oriented to more ECO-oriented training. That’s what this here is all about. Okay, let’s open up the ECO a little bit more together, right? So, these are the three things that you can do with this. What else will you learn in the Exam Content Outline?
[23:17] PMP Info in ECO
The Exam Content Outline also talks about the eligibility requirements. So, you need 35 hours of training and 36 months of experience. It talks about how to record your experience and training on the application. For example, one thing that many people have a hard time understanding is those 36 months that I have to show I was a project manager, well, I had two projects that were at the same time, right, that gives me two months. No, it isn’t. It’s got to be unique and non-overlapping. So, wait, there you go. If these are two projects and they are kind of overlapping like this, it doesn’t count as two months. They have to be like this, separate. So, one project ends, new project starts. You can have five projects running at the same time. A day worked on your project is still a day. It doesn’t, you know, suddenly turn into five days of work, okay. Then next, education options: How do you get training? And one of the big things to understand: PMI is hiding this more and more on their website. One of the big things to understand is you do not have to necessarily take the official PMI training. PMI accepts training from multiple sources. I believe there are five sources. And one of those sources is companies like my own, which deliver, you know, self-study, on-demand distance learning where you can download things to your phone. Where’s my phone? My phone is not even here. So, you can have a podcast on your phone and watch your training in that way. It talks about the certification fees. It gives you exam information, and also about retaking the exam. Calvin asks: “Why are two tasks very similar? Lead a team versus building a team?” They’re actually quite different, Calvin. Leading a team means guiding the team through the process of managing the project, getting the work done. Pointing them into the right direction and telling them, this is where we are heading. This is where we are going. This is our goal. Whereas, building a team means, you know what? I noticed that you don’t have 100% of the skills to actually do the work. So, we are sending you to training, okay. So that’s basically, on a very high level the difference between building a team and leading a team. Right! So, here we go. These are all the items that you will find in the PMP Exam Content Outline.
[26:19] Take Action
As always, during my webinars, I want to make sure that you know where to go next. Here are my recommendations for your taking action today. So, I want you to download the Exam Content Outline. As I said in the opening: This is the most important document for the PMP Exam that many people actually do not know that it exist, and how important it truly is. I want to change that with you today. Then I want you to read pages 2 to 15 of that document, and just so you know, yeah, that’s pretty much the whole document, right. So, you don’t necessarily have to read page one. It’s kind of the history and how it was developed and all that, but pages 2 to 15, that’s the rest of the document. Very important that you read it because on the one hand, you get to learn all about the syllabus, what’s on the exam, and you will also get to see all those, all those items here, the PMP Info on the Exam Content Outline. So, that’s important for you to read that document. And, I want you to take a red, green, and yellow highlighter, and I want you to highlight everything that you already know about in green, things that you go: Yeah, well, not too sure in yellow, and everything that you say: I have never heard of this, ‘I need training’ in red. Download the Exam Content Outline at www.pm-prepcast.com/pmpoutline. That’s just a redirect that takes you to PMI’s official document. But PMI has a tendency to change their website regularly. So, I have this redirect link. If PMI changes it 10 years from now, hopefully, this link will still work. Alright! So much for the takeaways that we have here. Calvin asks: “Why do parts of the PMBOK® Guide map…” or “Which parts of the PMBOK® Guide with the ECO?” Actually, none of them do. Again, the PMP Exam is not a test of your understanding of the PMBOK® Guide. The PMP Exam is a test of the ECO. The PMBOK® Guide is just one of the many documents that will help you learn about all those topics for the PMP Exam. The best thing, as always, is to look for a solid training provider, who will deliver to you a PMP training that is 35 hours minimum in duration, and that covers the spectrum of topics that you need to know. PMI makes a big point about the fact that the people who develop the PMP Exam, and the people who develop the PMBOK® Guide are independent. There is no collusion between them to make sure that this match. Because the PMBOK® Guide is not the test, or is not the basis for the PMP Exam. Alright! That’s it for our take action.
[30:01] [Closing]
In closing, I would like to give you the takeaways. The PMBOK® Guide is not the PMP Exam. If you take anything away from today, that’s the number one thing I want you to take away from it. Don’t ask why is the PMP Exam, why is the PMBOK® Guide? How about the PMBOK® Guide and the PMP Exam? All those questions are incorrect. You have to understand that the ECO, the Exam Content Outline is what defines and designs the PMP Exam. The PMBOK® Guide is an important document, but it is not the PMP Exam. So, read the ECO, read the Exam Content Outline. Understand the Exam Content Outline, and use it to ensure two things by reading pages 2 to 15. You use the highlighters to ensure that your training is complete. Everything ought to be green. And, you want to make sure that you read, I think it’s about pages 12 to 15, okay, and you want to know about that. Getting a few questions here that talk about Agile: “How hybrid and Agile development approach change domain 1 in ECO?” PMI clearly states that 50% of the exam will be about hybrid and Agile. And, they also clearly state that it’s throughout. So, you will be asked questions about the People domain, the Process domain, and the Business Environment domain, where you have to understand how does Agile do things differently with People, Process, and Business Environment than plan-driven, okay. Then next question: “What about the Agile Practice Guide?” Yes, the Agile Practice Guide is an important document. Not the focus of today’s discussion here. That’s why I haven’t mentioned it at all. I will, however, talk about the Agile Practice Guide when we review the PMBOK® Guide in a separate webinar. That’s when I’ll be talking about that. And, we have this one here. Mhr asks: “Is there a way to map the ECO tasks to chapters to the PMBOK® Guide?” No, there isn’t because they were developed by separate teams who did not work together to make sure that this is together. PMI wants to clearly make the difference that the PMBOK® Guide and the PMP Exam are not the same. ECO drives the PMP Exam. The PMBOK® Guide is a guide to help you understand principles, domains, concept, processes, approaches of how project management is done for most projects most of the time. Alright! And that’s it from today, from today, that’s it for today! Thank you very much, everybody, for joining me in today’s webinar about the Exam Content Outline. And, until next time.
[End of transcript]