Notes:

1. No other criterion besides the above are required for PMP certification. Be watchful not to be misguided by wrongful information publicized by some training organizations.
2. PM Education: Minimum 35 hours can be recognized with training certificate received from schools, in-company classes, REP or
non-REP organizations that offer PM training.
3. The PM experience refers to leading or directing project tasks in the past 8 years beginning the date of exam registration.

Examination
The examination is 4 hours long and computer-based and is comprised of 200 multiple-choice questions. The minimum percentage of questions answered correctly was 81% until Nov. 30, 2005 when PMI decided to lowered it to 61% which is evan lower than 69% when PMBoK ed. 2 was based for exam. The interpretation of this change is PMI has to be market driven and, perhaps most importantly to all exam takers, the fact that the difficulty of average questions tested is much higher than ever! This can be reflected from what PMI publicized on her website about the questions of the credential exam as follows:

"PMP Credential examination questions:

are developed and validated by global work groups of content experts;
are referenced to current resources from project management textbook sources;
are monitored through psychometric analysis;
satisfy the test specifications of a job analysis."

The allotted time to complete the examination is four hours and half. The examination is offered around the world and is given on a computer in most locations.

Certification Exam Preparation

The Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification Examination measures the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques that are utilized in the practice of project management. The examination specifications were established in 1997 after the Project Management Institute completed a job analysis study. The PMP Certification Examination is comprised of 200 four-option multiple-choice questions that are developed and validated by PMPs. The examination is reviewed and revised annually to satisfy the examination test specifications and to ensure that each question has a referenced source.

Examination questions are developed to test the candidate's knowledge of how project management skills are used in practice. Therefore no single source for the examination exists. The foundation document for project management training and/or education is A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). It is recommended that candidates also reference their professional experience, as many of the questions on the examination are situational. Therefore, the complete PMP examination training provided by JMAC Project Management Consultants, Inc. includes Project Management Fundamentals and PMP Exam Content Prep.

Important information regarding new PMP credential examination (excerpt from the original verse on PMI website):

The updated PMP credential examination will be released globally at 14.00 GMT on Friday, 30 September 2005. Corresponding to the release of this new exam are several modifications to the PMP exam format, testing policy and overall application process. (Please note: In order to fully prepare for the introduction and execution of the new exam, all changes to testing policy and application procedure will become effective 30 August 2005.) Since PMI hopes to make this upcoming transition as smooth as possible, please refer to the following information to answer any initial questions that you may have.

Maturing Profession = Evolving Eligibility Criteria
As the project management profession matures, the PMP credential must evolve concurrently as well. PMI must ensure that project management practitioners who obtain the PMP credential are well versed in the latest trends in project management and have met requirements that reflect the evolving profession. Market research indicates that employers want to hire project management practitioners who have experience leading and directing projects. To better meet this need, PMI is incorporating in the application process the tasks required to effectively lead and direct projects. Beginning 30 August 2005, candidates will be required to document experience in performing tasks within the domains as part of the application process. However, the hours required to meet the project management education and project management experience requirements for the PMP will remain the same.

Changes to the PMP Credentialing Process
PMI is strengthening the application process to build upon the credential’s rigor and make the process more customer-centric. Changes include:

•A new and improved online application. To be released with the introduction of the new examination, this easy-to-use system will enable users to view their status throughout the credentialing process.
•Collection of project contact information. Applicants will be required to provide contact information for each project that is submitted as part of the application. During the application evaluation review period and if an application is selected for audit, PMI will contact manager(s) indicated on the application to validate the documented experience.
•Evaluation period. All applications submitted will go through an enhanced review process.
•Instant audit notification. Applicants selected for audit will be notified electronically. Automated follow-up reminder notifications will be issued to candidates electronically throughout the audit process.
•One-year eligibility period. All candidates will be given one year to take the examination. This one-year eligibility period begins when a candidate's application is approved.
•Limit on the number of times candidates will be permitted to test. Candidates will have three opportunities to take and pass the PMP examination within their one-year eligibility period. If candidates do not succeed on the third attempt, candidates will have to wait one year from their third unsuccessful attempt before being permitted to test again.

The Revised PMP Credential Examination

The Revised PMP Credential Examination will Test Knowledge in the Following Six Domains

Initiating the Project……11%
Tasks

Conduct Project Selection Methods
Define Scope
Document Project Risks, Assumptions, and Constraints
Identify and Perform Stakeholder Analysis
Develop Project Charter
Obtain Project Charter Approval

Planning the Project……23%
Tasks

Define and Record Requirements, Constraints and Assumptions
Identify Project Team and Define Roles and Responsibilities
Create the WBS
Develop Change Management Plan
Identify Risks and Define Risk Strategies
Obtain Plan Approval
Conduct Kick-off Meeting

Executing the Project……27%
Tasks

Execute Tasks Defined in Project Plan
Ensure Common Understanding and Set Expectations
Implement the Procurement of Project Resources
Manage Resource Allocation
Implement Quality Management Plan
Implement Approved Changes
Implement Approved Actions and Workarounds
Improve Team Performance

Monitoring and Controlling the Project……21%
Tasks

Measure Project Performance
Verify and Manage Changes to the Project
Ensure Project Deliverables Conform to Quality Standards
Monitor all Risks

Closing the Project……9%
Tasks

Obtain Final Acceptance for the Project
Obtain Financial, Legal, and Administrative Closure
Release Project Resources
Identify, Document and Communicate Lessons Learned
Create and Distribute Final Project Report
Archive and Retain Project Records
Measure Customer Satisfaction

Professional and Social Responsibility……9%
Tasks

Ensure Individual Integrity
Contribute to the Project Management Knowledge Base
Enhance Personal Professional Competence
Promote Interaction Among Stakeholders
Total……100%

Additional information regarding the PMP exam:

25 pretest questions will be randomly placed throughout the new examination to gather statistical information on the performance of these questions in order to determine whether they may be used on future examinations. These 25 pretest items are included in the 200-question examination, but will not be included in the pass/fail determination; candidates will be scored on 175 questions.
Diagnostic score reports are now being given to all candidates to show their overall pass or fail status. Additionally, candidates are provided with an overall percentage of questions answered correctly for each Domain and Knowledge Area. To pass the PMP examination, candidates must answer a minimum of 106 of the 175 scored questions correctly i.e. approximately 61% hit rate. It is possible to fail one or more of the Domains, yet still pass the exam (the chart above demonstrates the total percentage of what each domain is worth on the new examination).