PMBOK Guide 5: What's New?

Harwinder

The draft review of PMBOK Guide 5 ends on Mar 20, 2012. Have you had a chance to review it? What are your observations? What has changed from version 4?

Harwinder

PMBOK Guide 5 (Draft version) has:

• 10 Knowledge Areas

• 47 Processes

• 614 ITTOs (19% more than v4)

• Adaptive methodologies, such as Agile finally found a mention in the Guide

• Project Communications Management has been split into:

  • Project Communications Management
  • Project Stakeholder Management (new Knowledge Area)

Many are arguing that PMBOK is primarily for waterfall project management, and there's a need for an AgileBOK now.

Ashutosh

Hi Harwinder,

I happened to find this interesting video by PMstudy on youtube :

Harwinder

Hi @Ashutosh

I was one of the reviewers of PMBOK 5 and I believe my name is now included in the guide (as a contributor), though I'm yet to get my hands on the released version and confirm it with my own eyes

If you want to know my personal opinion, the 5th edition is as confusing as the previous versions. I felt somewhat frustrated while reviewing it. It could be written in a much more simpler and unambiguous way. I gave them many suggestions during the review, but they accepted only a few.

It could be intentional too ... otherwise who would pay $2000 to PM Study

I have been engaged with PMP since 2005 (though I certified in 2007) and have seen 3 exam changes so far. Whenever the exam is changed, it's a boom time for all PMP education providers, publishers, etc. The "scare factor" works in their favor. There is also a huge spike in web traffic to Deep Fried Brain Project. People rush to take the exam before it changes due to that scare factor.

PMI invariably screws things up and most bravehearts who take the exam immediately after the change, end up being the scape goat. Read the following post as an example:

https://www.deepfriedbrainproject.com/2011/10/we-failed-you-sorry-pmp-exam-2011.html

So yeah, as others have suggested earlier (on other threads), it's better (safer) to take the exam before the change.

Hope that helps.

Good luck.