Author: Praveen Malik

Praveen Malik, PMP, has two-plus decades of experience as a project management instructor and consultant. He regularly conducts project management workshops in India and abroad and shares his project management thinking in his blog, PM by PM.

What is the Project Lifecycle?

Fun fact: Try typing “lifecycle” into Google and you will see results for “life cycle.” Over the years, people have started using the single word instead of two words, but its meaning can be best understood by looking at it as two separate words: “life cycle.” Although the term “life cycle” is used in many professions, its basic meaning remains the same. Merriam Webster defines “life cycle” as “a series of stages through which something (such as an individual, culture, or manufactured product) passes during its lifetime.” It essentially means how something passes through or changes from beginning to end. In project management, the project lifecycle signifies a series of stages or phases through which a project passes. Phase and stage are synonymous, but phase is the more commonly used term. For the sake of brevity and sticking to project management terminology, I will use lifecycle as a single word in the rest of the article. Project Lifecycle and Phases A project lifecycle can be simply understood as a collection of phases. A phase is a span of time wherein similar kind of project work is performed. An Example Let’s explore the concept through a small example. Assume that you are part of a large family that has people from all ages. The family wants to go on a vacation. Since you are an expert project manager and the other family members hold you in high regard, they have appointed you as the point person to make all the arrangements. Now, as easy as it may sound, we all know that going on a vacation with family members requires a lot of planning and work. Different family members have different whims and fancies, but you need to take care of everything. How would you manage this project? As a start, you might divide the thing into three different phases (or stages). These phases could be: Before holiday At holiday destination After holiday Each phase will involve a different set of activities. The first phase will include activities like finalizing the holiday destination, making an itinerary, deciding on the budget, making travel arrangements, and booking hotel(s). The second phase will include activities like following the itinerary, site-seeing, merrymaking, taking photographs, and controlling expenses. The third phase will include activities like travelling back with fond memories, sharing photographs on social media, thinking about what went right and what could have been done differently, and making promises for the next holiday. The end of third phase will result in completion of the project. What is a Project Phase? A project Phase is a span of time which culminates into one or more deliverables. Generally, the output of a phase becomes the input to the succeeding phase. In the above example, travel tickets from the first phase are used in the second phase. Ideally, phases should be sequential, but they can overlap as well. At the end of a phase, a review is done to ascertain that the phase is complete and the next can be initiated. Project Lifecycle in Organizational Projects In the above example, we divided the family vacation (whole project) into three phases, but there is no hard rule about how you might want to divide a project. Project lifecycle and the number of phases in a particular project depends on the nature of the project, industry, methodology used, and many more factors. Furthermore, every individual has their own thought process, so the number and names of phases may differ from project manager to project manager. Generically, a project can be divided into the following four phases: Define Design Construct Commission However, these are just generic phase names. Actual number and names of phases will change from industry to industry and organization to organization. You can find some example lifecycles and phases from different type of projects in the table below. Project Example Phases Building construction Feasibility study, Budgeting, Land acquisition, Architecture, Government approvals, Construction, Inspection, Handover Software development Collection of Requirements, Design, Development, Testing, Implementation New car development Market research, Define requirements, Design andTooling, Prototyping, Road testing, Launch Phases and Process Groups In any project, five types of activities are performed: Initiating Planning Executing Monitoring and controlling Closing This grouping of activities has a special significance in project management. They are called five process groups of project management. You can check this video on process groups for a quick overview. Many authors incorrectly term process groups as phases of a generic lifecycle. Although you can name your project phases anything, having same name for a phase and process group can create unnecessary confusion. A phase is different from a process group. The activities of five process groups are performed throughout the project in each phase. For example, execution means doing some work and creating some useful output. Executing activities is performed in all phases of a project. With the help of our vacation example, let’s understand this further. We had three phases in the project. In all three phases, we will perform some executing activities: Before holiday – Booking flight tickets, making hotel reservations, etc. At holiday destination – Local travel, sightseeing, taking photographs, etc. After holiday – creating photo albums, posting photos on social media, etc. What other process group activities occur in our vacation project? You can leave a comment below with some examples of Initiating, Planning, Monitoring and controlling, and Closing activities. For more information on activities involved different process groups, refer to the PMBOK Guide’s process chart. Importance of Project Lifecycle Project lifecycle is about dividing and grouping similar type project work into a phase. By doing this, you reduce risk and increase the probability of success. Revisiting the above example again, consider what would have happened if you straightaway went to the destination (second phase) without making any prior arrangements (phase 1). It would result in nothing but chaos. Here are some significant benefits of dividing a whole project into phases: Division of work into smaller chunks makes the planning easier. Checkpoints at the end of each phase ensure that project remains on track. Smaller deliverables at the end of each phase give customer satisfaction and improved predictability. Assignment and delegation of work becomes easier. Phases reduce the overall risk of a project. Conclusion Project lifecycle and phases are an important aspect of project management. The lifecycle and its constituent phases should chosen at the beginning of project. As you can see, a sound division of project work into manageable phases can lead to project success. What king of project lifecycle do you follow in your organization? Does your organization have a standard lifecycle that is used in all different projects? I would love to hear from you below.

How to Earn PMP PDUs in 2022 : A Step by Step Guide

I have been conducting PMP training for about 15 years. During training workshops, I get all kind of project management-related questions, but one of the most frequently asked questions is about PMP certification maintenance. Brief Background PMP certification is valid for three years, meaning that, after attaining the certification, you can call yourself a PMP-certified professional only for three years. After the three-year time period, the certification becomes void unless you do certain things to renew it for another three years. By doing things specified by PMI, you collect points that can be used to renew your certification. Specifically, these points are called PDUs (Professional Development Units) and a certification holder needs 60 PDUs in a three-year cycle for the certification renewal. I have written this article to describe what kind of things you can do to earn PMP PDUs and maintain your certification beyond three years. You will find this article useful if you are a PMP certificate holder or an aspirant. Other PMI credential holders or aspirants can also read this article since the PMI certification maintenance process is same. PMP Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) The CCR program or Continuing Certification Requirements for the PMP certification is designed in line with PMI’s triangle and is designed to equip project managers with the continuous development and changes experienced in the world of Project Management . According to the (CCR) Handbook, the CCR program is designed to ensure : The process for renewing your PMP or any other PMI certificate is quite straightforward. See how they differ for each PMI Certification below : All PMI certifications, including PMP, have three-year renewal cycles. PMP Certificate holders need 60 PDUs in three years to renew their certification. The PDU requirement for other certification holders is different, but the process of accruing PDUs is the same. You can claim one PDU by doing one hour of a project management activity. These activities, among many other things, including learning new things, teaching others, contributing to the knowledgebase, and volunteering for PMI. After collecting your PDUs, you should report them to PMI by using an online form. Once you have accumulated and reported 60 PDUs, you can apply for the certification renewal. How Can You Earn PDUs for PMP? You can collect PDUs under two broad categories: Let’s look at these categories in detail. Educational PDUs As per PMI’s mandate, you need to earn a minimum of 35 PDUs under the Education PDU category in a three-year cycle; however, there is no limit to the number of Education PDUs that you can earn. If you want, you can earn all sixty PDUs under this category. PMI research shows that employers are always on the lookout for professionals who are learning new things. They want project managers with an equal balance of technical, leadership and strategic, and business management skills. PMI calls these three types of skills, Ways of working, Power Skills, and Business Acument, the “PMI Talent Triangle.” It is depicted in the figure below. PMI requires a minimum of 8 PDUS in each of the 3 Talent categories and the remaining 11 in any area of the Talent Triangle. To renew your certification, you need to acquire Education PDUs for the three types of skills that are defined in the Talent Triangle by collecting a minimum of eight PDUs for each of these areas of study. There are many ways to earn Educational PDUs. Let’s look at some of them: 1.      Attend a Course or Training You can attend a formal instructor-led course or training to acquire new knowledge. These courses can be attended either online or in-person. You can claim one PDU for each instruction hour. Here are a few examples of the kind of courses that you can attend: 2.      Attend a Global or Local Project Management Event You can attend meetings, seminars, and other events that bring together folks from within the project management community. These events can be arranged by PMI, PMI chapters, or any other organization. They can include educational sessions from keynote and featured speakers. MPUG webinars are a great way to accrue PDUs under this category (as well as others!) 3.      Attend an Online Course You can enroll in one of many Talent Triangle-related online courses that are offered by various companies and groups. Here are a few examples of such PDU-oriented courses. MPUG’s course listing can be found here. 4.      Read up Self-directed learning activities that help in acquiring new project management knowledge can be used to claim PDUs. You can read books or literature related to project management to accrue PDUs under this head. 5.      Informal Learning You can earn PDUs by engaging in structured professional discussions with others, for example mentoring or “lunch and learn” sessions. Consider participating in MPUG’s online group forums. Giving Back to the Profession PDUs Giving back to the profession is a great way, to not only earn PDUs but also to expand your knowledge and skills while growing both personally and professionally. Although it is not mandatory to acquire PDUs under this category, you can avail this opportunity to contribute your bit to the profession. Earn up to 25 PDUs under this category if you like. Some ways to earn PDUSs under this category are: 1.      Work as a Practitioner This is the easiest way of garnering PDUs. You can claim PDUs for your professional work wherein you apply your project management knowledge and skills in a practical setting. 2.      Create Content This is another easy way to accrue PDUs. You can share your project management knowledge by writing articles, holding webinars, or shooting videos. As a matter of fact, over the years, I have claimed a number of PDUs by contributing to the MPUG.com knowledgebase. Links are mine, but MPUG’s recent Call for Content posting provides a good starting place. Writer guidelines are here. 3.      Give a Presentation You can claim PDUs for formal project management-related presentations in your organization or speaking at a PMI chapter event or a conference. 4.      Share Knowledge You can claim PDUs by mentoring and teaching others. This way others can benefit from your knowledge and experience. 5.      Volunteer PMI is a non-profit organization. You can garner PDUs by doing voluntary work for PMI. Start Earning! PMP is one of the most difficult certifications to pass. Many aspirants believe that since it is difficult to acquire, it must be difficult to maintain. However, that belief is far from the truth. PMI issues the certificate for three years, and three years is a long time to accumulate 60 PDUs if you ask me. There are numerous ways to garner PDUs and get recertified. I’ve never found it difficult to acquire the required PDUs. However, each individual is different. Which one do you think is the easiest method for accumulating PDUs? I would love to hear your thoughts below

Advanced Task Types – Everything You Need to Know

Project Management Institute (PMI)® Professional Development Units (PDUs):This Webinar is eligible for 1 PMI® PDU in the Technical category of the Talent Triangle. Event Description:MS Project is a very intuitive tool. It just takes a few minutes to install and you can start using it in a breeze. You can do amazing things with it.However, sometimes it starts giving unexpected results. It does things as if it has a mind of its own. It becomes extremely frustrating, especially for the beginners, because it does a few calculations in the background and changes the schedule data on its own. Learning Objectives:By the end of this session participants will be able to– Learn about the basics of MS Project Task Types.– Gain a practical perspective on Task Types.– Use different Task Types in their project(s). Presenter: Praveen Malik, PMP, has two-plus decades of experience as a project management instructor and consultant. He regularly conducts project management workshops in India and abroad and shares his project management thinking in his blog, PM by PM. Have you watched this webinar recording? Tell MPUG viewers what you think! [WPCR_INSERT]

The Conundrum of Task Types in MS Project

Let’s consider the following situation: Your project has been running behind schedule for the past few weeks. You have done everything in your power to rectify the situation and bring the project back on track, but alas, your efforts have fallen short. Your customer is quite peeved at you, and you just do not know how to handle the situation. Finally, you decide you can bring the project back on track by adding few more resources. You convince your manager to assign these extra resources to the project, and since the project and the customer is very important for your organization, your manager agrees . However, he asks you to show him a revised schedule before proceeding. You’re hoping you can revise the schedule in short time. You quickly open the current schedule in MS Project (MSP) and start adding resources to the tasks expecting that MSP will automatically reduce the assigned durations. But, MS Project starts to change the schedule in its own way. You are quite bewildered because MSP doesn’t reduce the duration. In fact, it changes nothing. You probably keep working on the MSP schedule for some more time without making any headway. After a few hours, you may start to become frustrated. You wanted to show the revised schedule to your manager as soon as possible, but the way MS Project is acting, you are not sure how long it will take. What now?! Scenarios like these likely happen because of the way MS Project defines its tasks. In this article, I’d like to go into the three types of MSP tasks and their practical utility. Task Types in MS Project MSP allows you to define a task in one of the following three ways. Fixed Units Fixed Duration Fixed Work Additionally, it allows you to make tasks “Effort Driven,” as needed. In MSP, work and effort are synonymous, and by default, MSP defines a task as a Fixed Unit. Let’s look at the definition of these terms: Units signify the number of resources assigned to a task. They are usually represented as a number or percentage. Duration is the length of time required to complete an activity. It is usually represented in hours or days. Work is the effort spent on an activity or task. It is usually represented in person hours or person days. The relationship between the above terms can be defined with the following formula: Work = Duration * Units. For example, if two people are working or a job for three days, then the work becomes six (person) days. You can look at my previous article to understand how to setup or change task types in MSP. Fixed Units This type of task is used when you have limited resources for a task or when adding extra resources to a task will not be beneficial. For example, only one developer can be assigned to creating a particular piece of code. You cannot decrease the development time by adding extra developers. This piece of code will take four days to complete if the developer works full time on it, but if this developer is assigned to work 50% on the task, it will take him eight days to complete the task. Fixed Work Fixed work is a type of task used when you have done the effort estimation of a task and resources can be interchangeably used for it. For example, by assigning extra testers you can reduce the duration of system testing a software module. Let’s assume that you have estimated an effort of 20 person days to complete system testing. This work can be completed in one of the following ways: Assigning 5 resources for 4 days Assigning 4 resources for 5 days Assigning 2 resources for 10 days Etc. Fixed Duration A fixed duration task is used when you have been given a time constraint by the client or senior management. It doesn’t matter how many resources you use, but you have to finish the task by a certain predefined deadline. For example, releasing a software module before the New Year. Recalculation Examples for Different Task Types Let’s revisit the relationship formula, which is Work = Duration * Units. MSP uses this formula to automatically rejig the tasks. The following table shows how MSP recalculates the schedule, when you change something. Let’s consider a task that is planned to be completed in three days by two people. Units = 2 Duration = 3 days By applying the relationship formula, we get: Work = 6 person days The following table provides a quick overview of MSP calculations for a Fixed Work task: And this table provides a quick overview of MSP calculations for a Fixed Units task: You can also make changes in Fixed Duration tasks. Here’s an overview of MSP calculations for that type: Conclusion There are three different task types in MS Project. Each of the tree different task types in MS Project is important in its own way. You should choose your task type carefully while creating MSP schedule lest it give you problems later. When you need to make changes, look at the task type before changing the parameters of it. Otherwise, you may accidentally change something which may be difficult to undo. Which type of task do you generally use in your MSP schedule and why? I would love to hear your comments below, and if you’d like to learn more, check my webinar, MS Project Task Types: A Practical Perspective.

Ten Best Microsoft Project Tips for Beginners

  Please note – An unexpected connection issue occurred at the beginning of the session. Please skip from 1:50 to 5:19 minutes.   Project Management Institute (PMI)® Professional Development Units (PDUs): This Webinar is eligible for 1 PMI® PDU in the Technical category of the Talent Triangle.   Event Description: Nowadays, most software is easy to use. MS Project is one of the most user friendly software out there. Unlike other scheduling software, you don’t need a user manual to use the main features of MS Project. However, you would not be able to exploit the power of MS Project if you do not know what’s happening behind the scenes. MS Project will give unexpected results if you do not enter your data properly. In this session, you will learn about a step by step approach to create a proper project schedule. It will help you understand the intricacies of MS Project in a simple and easy manner. It is designed for MS Project beginners but intermediate users will also find it useful.   Presenter Info: Praveen Malik, PMP, has two-plus decades of experience as a project management instructor and consultant. He regularly conducts project management workshops in India and abroad and shares his project management thinking in his blog, PM by PM.   Have you watched this webinar recording? Tell MPUG viewers what you think! [WPCR_INSERT]  

Microsoft Project: Do You Ever Find It’s Doing Its Own Thing?

Nowadays, most software is easy to use, and MS Project is one of the most user friendly out there. Unlike many other scheduling tools, you don’t need a user manual to begin utilizing the main features of MS Project. However, when get a little further into using MS Project to manage your first project, it has the potential to throw you off guard. In fact, I’ve found that the software can do its own juggling behind the scenes. As a beginner, you may be left wondering what’s happened. It’s true, MS Project is an easy to use software, but to exploit its potential power, you need to understand how it handles data behind the scenes. Otherwise, it can give you unexpected results. I cover what I consider the best ten tips for beginners in my on-demand webinar, Ten Best Microsoft Project Tips for Beginners. In this session, you will learn step by step how to create a proper project schedule. The webinar is designed for MS Project beginners, but I believe intermediate users will also find it useful. Comment below if you’ve ever run into a situation where you feel MS Project is doing its own thing, and watch my on-demand webinar to look at the intricacies of MS Project in a simple and easy manner. This Webinar is eligible for 1 PMI® PDUs in the Technical category of the Talent Triangle.  

How Much Time Is Required for PMP Exam Preparation?

A short answer to the question stated in this article’s title is that it can take between eight to twelve weeks to prepare for the PMP Exam. Before elaborating, I’d like to address a completely different question. That is, how much time is required for preparation for running a marathon? Assuming that you are a novice runner, you may need five hours of preparation time per week in the initial weeks, but later an increase to about twenty hours per week. Of course, these time estimates will vary from individual to individual based on fitness level, prior experience, and many other factors. I am not a marathon coach; my expertise lies in PMP preparation. So, why am I talking about marathon? Simply to illustrate a point. I am suggesting that one must persevere in order to achieve something that you have not done before. Passing the PMP Exam is like running a marathon. Like a marathon runner, everyone’s circumstances are different. The time required for the PMP Exam preparation is different for each individual. What may work for someone else may not work for you. However, like every endeavor, passing the PMP Exam universally requires sound planning and hard work. In truth, I have written this article to address two topics: what all you should study for passing the PMP Exam and how you should prepare your personal preparation schedule. The Scope of PMP Exam Preparation You should at least use the following sources when studying for the PMP Exam. 1. Study material from your 35-contact hours of training You should begin your preparation by taking a 35-contact hour training course. The contact hour training is a mandatory requirement when apply to take the PMP Exam. The training will not only give you initial momentum and motivation, but should also help you to understand the nitty-gritty of PMBOK Guide concepts. It is paramount that the study material provided by the training becomes your first source of study. Many aspirants start with the PMBOK Guide (see the next point) and become frustrated with the preparation as it a difficult book to read. 2. The PMBOK Guide Many aspirants think that studying the PMBOK Guide will be enough for them to pass the PMP Exam. In my previous article, I wrote about the popular misconception that the PMP Exam is based on the PMBOK Guide. Although the guide is one of the essential items to study, it’s important to go beyond the PMBOK Guide. 3. One reference book based on the PMBOK Guide The majority of the PMP Exam is based content written in the PMBOK Guide, so it should be your primary source of study for the exam, but as we’ve said, the guide does not cover everything. You will want to buy at least one other reference book covering things that are part of the PMP Exam curriculum, but which are not described in the PMBOK Guide. 4. A test simulator for practicing sample exam questions There is an old adage that says practice makes perfect. The PMP Exam is one of the most difficult exams in the world. As part of your preparation, you should practice doing a number of sample questions. Depending on your proficiency within the field of project management and your knowledge of the PMBOK Guide concepts, you might need to practice anywhere between 1500-2000 questions. In addition to the above steps, refer to the Internet for additional reference and practice. You likely know that you’ll need to study a lot to the pass the exam. We have now described what all needs to be studied. The next step is to find out how much time to plan for your studies. Time Required for the PMP Study A formal PMP Exam preparation schedule is essential for passing the PMP certification test on your first attempt. Since we have broken down the whole scope into four major study components, I believe it will be easy to create a personalized study schedule. A study schedule can be prepared by sequentially following the below written steps while studying for the PMP Exam. These steps provide broad guidelines for the exam preparation. Tweak them as per your convenience and expertise. Depending on the size of a chapter, you will need anywhere between one and two hours to finish the training material. In addition, you would need about three to four hours for the PMBOK Guide and reference book study. Lastly, you would need about one to two hours each for practicing some end-of-chapter sample test. In my estimation, you would need to set aside about seven to nine hours for completing a chapter. This is an indicative duration and might change depending on many factors like your current skill level, length of the chapter, etc. On a higher side, you may need 120 hours to finish all 13 chapters. To wrap up, I suggest doing three to four full length mock tests as part of the final preparation. This might take you another 20-30 hours. Overall, it is safe to plan for 150 hours for exam preparation. PMP Preparation Schedule I suggested that you might need 150 hours for the PMP Exam preparation in the previous section, but this is not a definitive figure. Some people who have good project management experience and are already familiar with the PMP Exam study material may not require as much time. On the other hand, some other aspirants may need as many as 200 hours. Your situation is unique to you, so only you can estimate how many hours you would need. You may not know until we get started. Either way, let’s translate these number of hours into number of days. The number of days is obviously dependent on the total number of hours required for the study and number of hours you can devote each day for studying. Assuming you need a total of 150 hours, and you can devote three hours per day for studying, you will need 50 days for the PMP Exam preparation. Fifty days is approximately seven weeks, but including contingencies, let’s round it off to approximately eight. With a time estimate for the preparation, prepare a simple schedule by writing the steps described in the previous section against each day of your study period. Here is an example. Conclusion I have seen aspirants cracking the exam in less than two weeks, but I don’t recommend it. It is best to take ample time to finish your studies before taking the exam. Between eight to twelve weeks is a reasonable time frame for most people. A formal PMP study schedule is important for passing the exam. If you want to pass the exam in your first attempt, you should start your preparation by creating a proper schedule. Before wrapping up, I would like to talk about two related things. Firstly, I have heard that some aspirants are worried about the impending PMP Exam change.  PMP Exam is going to change on January 2, 2021. There is no reason to be worried because there is still enough time to pass the exam before the change. Secondly, I have not recommended any pmp training or books in this article because everyone’s situation is unique. What may be suitable for one may not suitable for another. So, go ahead and choose your study materials, finalize your PMP Exam preparation schedule, and get going. I wish you all the luck! What are your thoughts about a formal PMP Exam schedule? How much time do YOU think is needed to crack the exam? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below. Learn how an MPUG Membership helps individuals and teams become better project managers and Microsoft Project users through Microsoft Project Training. Join MPUG to attend live training webinars, access 500+ hours of on-demand sessions, receive certificates of completion and earn the Project Management Institute (PMI)® Professional Development Units (PDUs) that you need. Watch an MPUG training webinar for free and improve your Microsoft Project skills in less than 1 hour.

PMP Exam Changes in 2022: Are You Ready?

It is said that “change is the only constant.” The PMP exam is no exception. In fact, it changes roughly once every two years, and we are seeing a change coming up in about six months. PMI will start conducting the exam based on a new pattern as of January 2, 2021. The PMP exam change has created quite a stir in the certification community. Many aspirants are confused about the changes. You, too, may have heard about the change and may be looking for answers. In the following article, I’ll cover some of the most frequently asked questions to help you understand more about what is coming. Let’s take a detailed look at what all is changing in January of 2021. Frequently Asked Questions about the PMP Exam Change 1. When will the exam change? The last date for taking the current version of the PMP exam is December 31, 2020. From January 2, 2021 on, PMI will administer a new version of the exam. The exam was supposed to change on July 1, 2020, but PMI postponed it by six months because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, this is the second time PMI has postponed the exam. Earlier the exam change was scheduled for December 16, 2019, but due to some administrative delays, PMI postponed it then also. 2. What is the last date for taking the current version of the exam? The last date for taking the exam in its current form is December 31, 2020. 3. What is first date for taking the new version of the exam? The new version of the exam will begin on January 2, 2021. 4. What is going to change? The PMP exam is based on the Exam Content Outline (ECO). The ECO is akin to a syllabus for the PMP exam. PMI usually revises the ECO once every three to five years. It is done to keep up with the current trends of project management and also to maintain standardization of the PMP exam. The ECO for the current version of the exam was published in 2015. The new version of the exam will be based on the ECO released in May of 2019. The current version of the exam is based on five project management domains. Refer to the following table for the names of these domains and proportion of the exam questions that come from each. The new version of the exam will be entirely different. It will focus on just three domains. 5. Is there a new edition of the PMBOK Guide? No. The PMBOK Guide 6th edition is remaining the same. PMI has been planning to release the 7th edition of the PMBOK Guide in late 2020, but no firm date has been announced. The current version and the new version of the exam will not be impacted by the changes in the PMBOK Guide. Furthermore, there is a popular misconception that the PMP exam is based on the PMBOK Guide. It is not. The PMBOK Guide is just one of the reference books used in preparation for the exam. It covers most of the things that are listed in the ECO. 6. Why is PMI changing the exam? Every three to five years, PMI conducts research to understand how the project management profession has progressed. This research is defined as a Role Delineation Study (RDS). It seeks to reveal the impact of emerging trends in project management. It also determines how the responsibilities of project managers have changed over the years. The ECO for the PMP exam is based on the RDS. The last RDS was done in the year 2015, which resulted in the current version of the ECO. PMI conducted another RDS in 2019, and came out with a new ECO as mentioned earlier. From January 2, 2021, new ECO will become the basis for the PMP exam. 7. Should I take the exam now or after the change? It is advised that aspiring PMP Certified project managers should take the exam before the end of this year, as there is going to be a substantial change in the exam pattern. The new pattern is likely to be much harder as there is a significant difference between the current ECO and new ECO. Here is an excerpt from the new ECO: About half of the examination will represent predictive project management approaches and the other half will represent agile or hybrid approaches. Predictive, agile, and hybrid approaches will be found throughout the three domain areas listed above and are not isolated to any particular domain or task. PMP cost notwithstanding, the certification can give you a potential boost in salary. According to PMI’s global salary survey, PMP Certified Project Managers earn 22% higher on average than their non-PMP counterparts. Conclusion The new PMP exam ushers in a level of uncertainty, simply because it is based on new information and a new format. Most agree it is going to be much more difficult. If you are considering when to take the exam, I would recommend you try to complete it this year to avoid unpleasant surprises. Even if you have not started preparation for the PMP exam, you can do so now. There is still plenty of time to study for the exam. Many will need 8-12 weeks for the exam preparation, so being preparation now and plan to take the exam a month or two before December 2020. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. When are you planning to take the exam? In your opinion, how much time is needed to prepare for it?