How Difficult Is PMP Certification?

What makes PMP certification so valuable? It is decided by the relevance, demand, and trends in the market. What makes PMP so popular? Because PMP  is considered as the gold standard of project management certifications and applies to project management in general. Therefore PMP commands the same reverence in any industry.

Did you know?

• PMP made into the 10 Highest-Paying IT Certifications for Tech Pros.
• PMP can help you land a salary increase of up to 20 percent.
• The midpoint salary of $115,500 based on their 2019 technology salary guide.
• According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), at least one-third of project managers have a PMP certification.
• According to the 10 Most Difficult IT Certifications, PMP was placed at number 2

As much as being the most sought out and lucrative certification, PMP is one of the more difficult project management exams.  It is certainly not a cakewalk and calls for an intensive effort in preparation to clear the exam in your first attempt.

Is PMP that difficult? Let's help you to understand more about it and find out means and ways to face the challenge.

First, the basics.

The PMP exam covers the basic principles of the 5 Project Management Process Groups. Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing.  It is based on the content in PMI’s PMBOK (Product Management Body of Knowledge) Guide.  Please note that PMBOK is one of the reference materials for the PMP certification exam. You need to spend time on other study materials to better prepare yourself.  For your information, the reference for the current PMP exam is the sixth edition of the PMBOK, published in 2017.

The PMP exam covers the following five domains. The focus on the domains is not equally spread and going by the details presented below, the emphasis on some domains is higher than others in the exam.

• Initiating — 13%
• Planning — 24%
• Executing — 31%
• Monitoring and Controlling — 25%
• Closing — 7%

Challenging Course Outline

The difficulty of the PMP exam lies in your ability to become acquainted with the concepts and course of study.  While the domains cover the fundamentals of project management, there are 10 knowledge areas considered the core of project management. For a detailed breakdown of the domain, please check the PMP exam content outline. 

Complicated Exam Structure - Pretest Question

Next comes the exam. The PMP exam is multiple choice and consists of 200 questions. Not all the 200 questions are counted. Only 175 out of the 200 are graded. The balance 25 are “pretest questions” which will not be counted for scoring. The pretest questions are another challenge.

Does the Pretest Question affect exam performance? Yes, it does affect the  following way:

The answer is YES PMP® candidates are affected by the pretest questions in the following way:

• The 25 questions are spread across the 200 questions and you will not know which is the “pretest question”.
• You might spend too much on a “pretest question” for which there is no score.
• If the pretest question happens to be difficult, it might adversely impact the morale and confidence in your overall performance.

So, that’s a known risk.

Next is the time limit. You will have only 4 hours to answer all the 200 questions.

The PMP exam evaluation

Unlike in the past, PMP does not reveal the score. The exam outcome is presented with a pass or fail grade along with the performance rating of the domains and overall exam.

Do you know how the questions are graded? PMI uses “sound psychometric analysis” to calculate the passing figure. For each question, a point is awarded, and the subject matter experts selected by PMI will decide the number of right answers to pass the PMP exam. The difficulty with regard to the lack of the ‘pass mark’, candidates do not know how much to score in the practice tests to feel confident about cracking the PMP exam. The understanding from the SMEs across the globe is that 80% in the preparatory exams have consistently been good enough to appear for the final exam.

How to clear the PMP exam in your first attempt?

By now, you would have gained some insights about the difficulty with regard to PMP exam. Don't feel discouraged as this article aims to highlight the pain points and possible difficulties while dealing with preparation for the PMP exam.

You can pass the PMP exam on your first try. It needs dedication and devoted study. Enroll in a PMP preparatory course that will help to refresh all the major topics, and attempt as many practice tests and mock exams, till you gain the confidence. Study and practice (preparatory tests) are the keys to success in your PMP exam, and certainly, you will pass in your first attempt.

For more information about PMP Certification Training courses worldwide, please visit us at https://www.icertglobal.com or call now on +1-713-287-1213 / 1214 or e-mail us at info {at} icertglobal {dot} com.

For more information about our PMP (Project Management Professional) exam prep certification training courses, visit us at https://www.icertglobal.com/

Download Free PMP® Exam Practice Test with 200 PMP® Questions. 
Full-length PMP sample test with 200 PMP exam prep questions.