Project Management Professional (PMP) Exam Guide

The Project Management Professional Exam (PMP exam) is one of the top 10 project management certifications to advance your career. Getting a certification is a great way to enhance your skills. Even though the certification requires some work and time, the exam is definitely worth the effort as it validates that you are a real professional. Here is our guide on passing the exam and the answers to FAQs about it.

Overview of the Project Management Professional Exam

The Project Management Professional Certification is an examination held by Project Management Institute (PMI). Project managers who meet certain education and experience criteria may take the exam to receive a professional designation. The PMP exam is the gold standard in project management. It can serve as proof of PM talents and experience. What’s important, the certification is accepted worldwide.

The exam got its new version on 2 January 2021. It evolved to meet the modern-day requirements of the profession. The most essential element of the change was the updated structure. Initially, the exam had 5 sections. However, the new version focuses on 3 domains.

PMP Requirements

It is important to keep in mind that there are specific requirements you need to comply with to be eligible for the certification. First of all, you need to have real-world project management experience. Then, you need to have either a four-year degree, 36 months leading projects and 35 hours of project management education/training or CAMP certification or a high school diploma/an associate’s degree, 60 months leading projects and 35 hours of project management education/training or CAMP certification.

Is the PMP Exam Hard?

Yes, it is. The exam is considered to be one of the most difficult certification exams.  So it makes sense to devote some time to the preparations and studies.

What Is The Cost Of  The PMP?

The exam fee is $405 for PMI members and $555 for non-members. PMI membership is about $129 per year.

How To Apply For The PMP Exam?

Firstly, you need to confirm you are eligible. Secondly, prepare the information on where you’ve worked, your role and responsibilities and the duration of the projects. Additionally, gather the info on the training you’ve completed, e.g. institutions attended, courses completed and qualifying hours. After the application is reviewed you’ll need to pay the fee. When approved, you’ll be able to schedule your exam time on the site nearby or take the exam online.

How Long Is The Exam?

You’ll have 230 minutes to complete 180 questions.

PMP Content Outline

The examination covers three domains: People (42%), Process (50%) and Business Environment (8%). An important note: about half of the exam represents predictive PM approaches, while the other half represents agile or hybrid approaches.

The Exam Languages

You can take your exam in English. The exam is also available in the following languages

  • Arabic;
  • Brazilian Portuguese;
  • Bahasa Indonesian;
  • French;
  • German;
  • Hebrew;
  • Italian;
  • Japanese;
  • Korean;
  • Polish;
  • Russian;
  • Simplified Chinese;
  • Spanish;
  • Traditional Chinese;
  • Turkish.

Career Benefits

According to the PMI Salary Survey, the project managers with the PMP certificate earn 23 % more. What’s more, the certification demonstrates you have specific skills the employers seek. Therefore, earning the certification increases your prospects to get an excellent job. Organizations hiring PMP certified employees make sure that they are working with the best in the industry.

How To Prepare For The PMP Exam?

You may get acquainted with the prototype questions. The exam content outline helps to understand what to expect. Thus, you may see what the exam includes. It is helpful to create your personal studying schedule and follow it consistently. Exam simulators will help you to measure the progress and detect the weak points. Above all, find your way to maintain a positive focus.

By the way, a specialized task management tool can make it easier to prepare. Using Kanbanchi is a simple way to create a course of action. The app keeps all the tasks organized and visually represents everything that should be done. For instance, with Kanbanchi you may develop a critical path of milestones for study. The Gantt chart depicts them in the timeline and you don’t miss anything.

Below you may find a screenshot of the Kanbanchi board. Feel free to use the “My PMP Exam” board, just copy it to your Google Drive.

pmp-exam

Prepare to the PMP with Kanbanchi

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