The New PMBOK® Guide — 7th Edition — Release in August 2021
he PMBOK® Guide — one cannot know anything but the PMBOK® when preparing for the PMP exam. It is an important learning resource, an influential document, and an extensive guide to the collection of standards, procedures, best practices in planning and executing projects successfully.
PMI announced the release of the PMBOK® Guide 7th edition in August 2021, after its initial exposure draft in January 2020 for the review of the project management community.
Top 20 FAQ — PMBOK® Guide — Seventh Edition
1.What is the objective behind coming up with new PMBOK ® Guide (Seventh edition)?
The technological developments and associated market demand have almost forced the approach of getting work done with greater impact on project management as well as other disciplines. The outcome of various surveys, suggestions, recommendations from project managers across the globe with varied industrial verticals, PMI® reached the conclusion that, there is definite scope for improvement in the content and structure to reflect current ways of working. It includes identifying an appropriate delivery approach of project management which includes “Predictive, Adaptive or Hybrid” in order to generate the right value. Hence the need to update the PMBOK® Guide to be pertinent and meeting the needs and expectations of Stakeholders.
2.When is the PMBOK® Guide 7th Edition expected to be released?
The PMBOK® Guide — Seventh Edition will be available on 1 August 2021.
3.Where can I get the copy of PMBOK® guide seventh edition?
One will be able to purchase PMI books, standards, and guides through PMI partner, Independent Publishers Group (IPG), and other resellers like Amazon and Eurospan
4.How much 7th edition will cost?
The list price of the PMBOK® Guide — Seventh Edition is US$99. As regular practice, PMI members will be able to access a digital version of the PMBOK® Guide — Seventh Edition for free and if they want to purchase a print copy can get it at discounted rate.
5.What is the discount for PMI member?
Members in North America get 50% discount via IPG and members outside of North America receive a 40% discount (via Eurospan).
6.Is it going to get published in different languages? Which languages?
The PMBOK® Guide — Seventh Edition, (including The Standard for Project Management), will be published in English and translated into the following languages: Arabic, Chinese (simplified), French, German, Italian, Korean, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. The translated versions are expected to be available on 1st August 2021.
7.Does the release of the PMBOK® Guide — Seventh Edition will have impact on the Project Management Professional (PMP®) certification exam?
PMP Exam Key Changes from 2nd of January 2021
The current PMP® exam, which is launched from 2nd of January 2021, will continue to use the PMBOK® Guide — Sixth Edition as one of several references. The new exam has been planned for well in advance with multiple considerations and is not dependent to the release of the PMBOK® Guide — Seventh Edition. PMBOK® guide is not a tool for PMP exam but a good reference content towards preparations. As a part of continuous improvement, in future, whenever there will be changes in PMP exam with reference to PMBOK® guide seventh edition, it will be published well in advance and will be available at pmi.org/certifications.
8.Does the PMBOK® Guide Seventh edition is organized in a different method?
The goal of the PMBOK® Guide seventh edition, is having the content more user-friendly and applicable to project managers who are implementing “Predictive, Adaptive (agile) and Hybrid” approaches. Other key features as follows:-
1.Emphasis on project outcomes in addition to deliverables.
2.Unlike sixth edition, Process groups and ‘Input- Tools, Techniques — Outputs’ will not be direct contents as a part of the guide but are referred to a great extent to PMI’s digital offerings
3.Higher focus on ‘Tailoring’ part of project management
9.Process group and Knowledge areas are still relevant or not?
Process groups are definitely relevant in seventh edition covered under the section of ‘models, methods and artifacts’ & ‘knowledge areas’ are described under different performance domains. (Refer to Q.16)
10.Where can one find the inputs, tools and techniques, and outputs (ITTO)?
Detailed information on ITTO can be found on PMI standards and PMBOK® guide Seventh Edition has detailed out the range of tools in a section called “Models, Methods, and Artifacts”.
11.Does the content from previous editions is no more valid with respect to seventh edition of PMBOK® Guide?
Majority of concepts and key learnings from sixth edition will definitely be reflected in seventh edition. It is suggested for the existing project managers to use the learnings from previous edition with tailoring needs with respect to added conceptual inputs from seventh edition.
12.Does the seventh edition is aligned to other international frameworks like PRINCE2, IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) and disciplined agile?
Yes, different approaches fit within the principles of the draft standard as well as performance domains from the guide. But the draft standard and the guide do not prescribe any specific approach.
13.What is the difference between ‘Standard & Guide’?
The Standard for Project Management is the document that carries the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) designation. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) provides a framework for applying the standard.
14.Does agile principles are included in the PMBOK® Guide — Seventh edition?
As explained above, project management practitioners are suggested to identify the appropriate delivery approach “Predictive, Adaptive or Hybrid” to deliver value and successfully complete the project to the stakeholder satisfaction, PMBOK® Guide — Seventh Edition remains relevant, providing elasticity to support the practitioner in managing the project and deliver value-based outputs irrespective of the development approach. The Standard for Project Management will contain 12 principles of project management, although not specifically agile principles considered universal regardless of approach.
15.How does PMBOK® guide seventh edition is organized to include “Process groups, ITTO, Knowledge areas and agile, hybrid based approaches?
PMBOK® guide seventh edition is broadly organized based on “Eight (8) Performance Domains and Twelve (12) Project Delivery Principles”. Other key features are “Tailoring and Models — Methods — Artifacts”.
16.What are Eight Performance Domains?
1.Team
2.Stakeholders
3.Life cycle
4.Planning
5.Navigating Uncertainty and Ambiguity
6.Delivery
7.Performance
8.Project work
17.What are Twelve Project Delivery Principles?
1. Be a diligent, respectful and caring steward
2. Build a culture of accountability and respect
3. Engage stakeholders to understand their interest and needs
4. Focus on value
5. Recognize and respond to system’s interaction
6. Motivate, Influence, Coach, and Learn
7. Tailor the delivery approach based on context
8. Build quality into processes and results
9. Address complexity using knowledge, experience and learning
10. Address opportunities and threats
11. Be adaptive and resilient
12. Enable change to achieve the envisioned future state
18.What are the Authorized Training Partner Program’s licensed PMP® Exam prep materials based on?
It is based on the (ECO) PMP® Exam Content Outline. If the Exam Content Outline (ECO) changes, Authorized Training Partners will have access to updated course materials.
19.Does the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM®) certification exam also will be updated to incorporate the concepts from the PMBOK® Guide — Seventh Edition?
CAPM® exam also will eventually be updated in future along with its ECO and PMBOK® guide seventh edition. Its schedule is not yet released. Once a launch date for a new CAPM® exam is available, it will be published to the community well in advance of changes taking place.
20.When should one take the PMP® exam, now? or wait until the PMBOK® Guide — Seventh Edition is published?
It is recommended that PMP® aspirants should refer to the current Exam Content Outline (ECO) for up-to-date information about preparing for certifications and appear for the exam as soon as they feel ready.
Conclusion — PMP Certification Training and PMBOK® 7th Edition
The resource is an important reference for most PMP certification training providers in preparing their study materials. The PMBOK® Guide is an all-in-one resource for project management learners and course creators.
The PMI has ensured that the Seventh edition would reflect a more real-world approach to project management and PMP training course that will reward the profession by being inclusive of the expected/unexpected industry changes in the coming years.
