The Project Management Professional (PMP)® credential examination will be revised in 2011. This is based on updates to the professional role of a PMP® credential holder recently found by PMI’s Role Delineation Study (RDS).

When: The new examination is scheduled for release on 31 August 2011. This means that the last day to take the current PMP examination is 30 August 2011.

The exam will still be based on PMBOK Guide Version 4. However, PMI has adviced that about 30% of the PMP Exam questions will get changed to reflect the project manager’s role as defined by the recent Role Delieation Study.

Education and experience eligibility requirements for the PMP credential will not change, however.

What has changed in the PMP Exam?

Certain areas of the PMP exam will be tested in a different way because an existing domain was seen to be common across all content areas of the exam. Specifically, the Professional and Social Responsibility content area will now be tested in every domain rather than as a separate domain on the exam.

This means that questions from the Professional and Social Responsibility area will now be spread out in each knowledge area and process group. PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct should therefore be viewed as now integrated into the day-to-day role of a project manager, emphasizing its importance in each phase of the project lifecycle.

From 31-Aug-2011, the PMP Exam Question Distribution will now be revised as a result of this change. You can download the New PMP Exam Content Outline and Question Distribution here.

Domain % of Questions

Initiating 13%

Planning 24%

Executing 30%

Monitoring & Control 25%

Closing 8%

Total Scored Questions: 175

Total Unscored Questions (Pre Test Questions): 25

Total Questions: 200

Time Allocated: 4 Hours

Change to the PMP Passing Score?

There has been no notification from PMI regarding the PMP Passing score. So as far as I know, use this guideline on the Passing Score of PMP Exam in 2011 and beyond.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Changed PMP Exam

PMI has also released a FAQ, which details the changes in the PMP exam. I suggest that you download it and read it carefully.

Study for 35 PDUs

It is best that you study at a PMI R.E.P. during this change. You can check out the PMP Training Directory for PMP Training near you.

How to Study for this Changed PMP Exam

See PMP Sample Questions released by PMI. And also do as many Mock PMP Exam Questions as possible. Now you can also get 20 Free Questions on Quality Management just by subscribing to the PMP Newsletter.

Let me know if you have any other questions regarding the change to the PMP Exam on 31-August-2011.