When will the new PMBOK take effect in the PMP?

Question

I am preparing for the PMP and I just heard that the PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge) version 5 was released. That was a shock as I am using the PMBOK version 4 to study for the exam.

Does anyone know if the new PMBOK will take immediate effect on the PMP exam (e.g. the PMP exam is now based on the PMBOK v5)? If this is not the case, then when will it take effect?

Answer 1

According to PMI's New Practitioner Community site, the new exam changes to the new PMBOK Guide on 31 July 2013.  There are many changes between versions 4 and 5, however the key ones are the addition of 7 new processes, removal of 2 processes, and the addition of a new knowledge area, Stakeholder Management. You can find more details about these changes here: http://wafimohtaseb.com/2012/02/18/15/.

As of this time, PMI has not changed any other qualifications for the exam, and as always, they do not discuss the passing grade which is scaled and dependent upon the individual exam questions you take.

As a result, if you have already studied for the exam, you are going to want to sit for the exam before the end of July if possible.

Answer 2

You're right about the PMBOK version 5. It was released the beginning of the month (in fact, it was released on January 1st, 2013).

According to PMI, the new PMBOK will be used for the PMP as of August 1st, 2013 (which is a Thursday). This means that the last day for you to take the exam is July 31st, 2013 (this is the last day where the PMBOK version 4 will be used for the PMP).

In any case, the difference between PMBOK version 5 and PMBOK version 4 is not substantial as the difference between PMBOK version 4 and PMBOK version 3.

Good luck on your PMP exam!