According to PMI the PMBoK Guide Sixth edition is published in September 2017 and the PMP Exam changes in 2018.
PMBoK 6th Edition and PMP Exam Changes in 2018
The sixth edition of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK® Guide) has arrived …is it time to panic?
How important is it to write the PMP exam based on the PMBOK Guide Fifth edition?
Approximately every five years, PMI is publishing a new version of the famous PMBoK® Guide. The current one – PMI PMBoK Guide Fifth Edition – was published in 2013. PMI PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition is available NOW !
PMI PMBoK® Sixth Edition is released to the public in September 2017. Traditionally, there is a six- to nine-month grandfathering period when the exams will continue to be focused on the fifth edition. This equates to the exam probably not changing until mid-2018! There is ample opportunity to thoroughly prepare for the exam. We will provide updated course materials in due time.
It’s more evolutionary than revolutionary
Each version of the PMBoK® Guide builds on the one before. It is more evolutionary than revolutionary. The fifth edition enhanced the use of consistent process wording and added one additional knowledge area. As a result of the addition of stakeholder management, there were a number of “inputs and outputs” created—and others had to be remapped.
The other nine knowledge areas remained mostly unchanged. The preliminary chapters marginally evolved but, for the most part, remain much like the fourth edition. The overall look and feel is the same, and the formal approach to project management thankfully remains in place.
Any learning that has been achieved while taking courses based on the fifth edition will remain valid; some minor changes (“Control Risk” will now be called “Monitor Risk”), but these will be easily absorbed.
Agile comes to the PMBOK® Guide
New to the Sixth Edition, each knowledge area will contain a section entitled Approaches for Agile, Iterative and Adaptive Environments, describing how these practices integrate in project settings.
Detail on agile and other adaptive and iterative approaches will also be included in an appendix.
Other content enhancements include:
- More emphasis on strategic and business knowledge, including discussion of project management business documents.
- Information on the PMI Talent Triangle™ and the essential skills for success in today’s market.
When will The PMP® Exam change?
The PMP® Exam is largely based on the content found in the PMBOK® Guide. The exam changeover from version 5 to 6 is scheduled as follows:
- PMP Exam update to PMBOK® Guide 6 will happen in Q1 of 2018 (possibly as early as January 2018). However there will probably be a grandfathering period of six to nine months allowing to still take exams based on the fifth edition.
What are the major changes that will happen?
1) There will be 49 processes from 47.
2) Three new processes will be added and one process will be deleted.
New processes:
- “Manage Project Knowledge”
- “Control Resources”
- “Implement Risk Responses”
Deleted process:
- Close Procurements process has been removed. Its functionality has been consolidated into the “Close Project or Phase” Process
3) Two Knowledge Areas will be renamed:
- From Project Human Resource Management to “Project Resource Management”
- From Project Time Management to “Project Schedule Management”
4) Some Processes will be renamed:
- From Perform Quality Assurance to “Manage Quality”
- From Plan Human Resource Management to “Plan Resource Management”
- From Acquire Project Team to “Acquire Resources”
- From Control Communications to “Monitor Communications”
- From Control Risks to “Monitor Risks“
- From Plan Stakeholder Management to “Plan Stakeholder Engagement”
- From Control Stakeholder Engagement to “Monitor Stakeholder Engagement”
5) Chapters Re-alignment
There will be chapters re-alignment in Front End (Chapters 1 to 3). The information in Chapter 1 to 3 will be combined into 2 chapters and a new Chapter 3 will be devoted to “The Role of the Project Manager” where many aspects of the Project Manager’s role will be specifically mapped to the PMI Talent Triangle.
6) There will be Process Tailoring which means analyzing the project to determine how much emphasis to put on each process (based on the scope & size of the project).
7) There will be various notations throughout the new PMBOK® Guide differentiating between processes which are “Ongoing” (continuously executing) vs. “Non-ongoing processes.” This concept will be emphasized for the first time in new PMBOK® Guide Sixth Edition.
8) The Project Scope vs Product Scope concept will also be emphasized for the first time in new PMBOK® Guide 6th Edition.
9) The Earned Value tool kit supported by the PMBOK® Guide will now include “Earned Schedule Management”.
10) There will be distinction between “Communication” (as in communicating between two people) and “Communications” (artifacts, such as published emails).
11) The new strategy, “Escalate Responses” provides for a PM escalating a risk to the appropriate party so that the risk is no longer his/her responsibility. Once escalated, the PM will now have the option of either:
A) Removing the risk from the project’s risk register if desired, or
B) Keeping it in the risk register, but classifying it as “Escalated/Assigned To.”
12) The new Lessons Learned Register is now part of the set of ITTOs. Project Managers will now be encouraged to update on a frequent basis (not just at the end of the project). Updates can be done at any time throughout the project, especially at the end of project phases (similar to the “Retrospective” in Agile).
13) The PMBOK® Guide itself is taking on more of a voluntary instead of mandatory tone in some areas. For instance, for Requirements Collection, they might now say something to the effect that, “Here is a list of possible choices of tools. Choose any of these that best might fit your current project.”
14) ITTO Bundling
There will be simplification of Inputs and Outputs in ITTO table. Tools & Techniques will be grouped under common headings.
15) New Appendix Information
- Summary of Key Concepts
- Summary of Tailoring Considerations
- Summary of Tools & Techniques
- Adaptive & Iterative Approaches
Which version of the GUIDE should I use to study?
