For those you out there thinking of taking the PMP^® exam this year, it’s worth remembering that a new version of the exam will be issued on August 31st 2011. So if you’re planning on taking the PMP^® exam on or after that date, you will be doing a significantly different exam! Why is this? Every 5-7 years the Project Management Institute (PMI)^® reviews the PMP^® credential to ensure it is up to date with the current needs and trends of project management practices. After collecting information from more than 3,000 certified PMP^®’s, PMI^® have produced an updated version of the exam. In this blog post I’ll run through some of the major changes in the PMP^® exam and in doing so answer some of the commonly asked questions we’ve being getting here at Velopi.com.

Following the latest update to the PMP^® exam, approximately 30% of the exam will change. If you already hold PMP^® certification, fear not! The new changes will not affect your current credential. According to the PMI^®, the eligibility criteria and application process for the PMP^® exam will also remain unchanged. Only the multiple-choice examination content of the exam will be amended.

One of the major updates involves the Professional and Social Responsibility content area (Domain 6). This will now be tested in every domain rather than as a separate domain. Or to quote the PMI^®, “PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is now integrated into the day-to-day role of a project manager, emphasizing its importance in each phase of the project lifecycle.”

Candidates should, however, continue to study the Project Management Institutes, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK^® Guide) – Fourth Edition, Project Management Institute, Inc., 2008. The update to the exam will not affect the study guide. A new version of the PMBOK^® Guide is scheduled to be released sometime in 2012.

Participants in Velopi’s training courses who may be affected by the exam changes will be fully briefed by a certified PMP^® tutor. You can read more about this topic on the PMI^® website.

PMBOK, PMP, PgMP, CAPM, PMI-SP and PMI-RMP are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.