Webinar: Upcoming PMBOK 8th Edition and Artificial Intelligence (AI) – A Comprehensive Introduction

 

In two articles written in early January, 2025, I’ve briefly outlined how Artificial Intelligence has been introduced into the new and upcoming PMBOK Guide, 8th edition. Currently, the PMBOK Guide, 8th Edition is in draft form and was made available for public comment in December, 2024.

Artificial Intelligence and its usage in project management are beginning to take shape. A number of small to large AI projects are being launched. It's not just by large organizations that will provide the AI “electricity” for everyone, similar to cloud computing.

Rather, as I’ve observed and experienced with various AI tools, mostly large language models (LLMs), AI will also be powered by smaller companies that have their own AI “electricity supply.” I’ve noted it in another recent article on the upcoming PMBOK guide, 8th edition and AI. 

In AI projects, project managers will play an important role. Many areas of project management such as schedule management, cost management, risk management, and resource management etc. can benefit from the support of AI.

The Project Management Body of Knowledge or the PMBOK Guide from the Project Management Institute is one of most widely used guides for project management. If you are a PMP, an aspiring PMP or a project management practitioner, this upcoming event on April 30, 2025, is a must-attend.

In the PMBOK Guide, you not only have Artificial Intelligence as a specific tool and technique (AI) but also related ones.

In my upcoming webinar, we are going to cover many aspects of PMBOK and will see the entry of AI into the guide. It’ll be a comprehensive introduction. This will be conducted by Master Projects for Unlimited Growth (MPUG). 

Join us in this webinar to know more on PMBOK Guide, 8th edition and its integration with AI related content.

The links are noted below. Registration is closed. 

Webinar: The New PMBOK Guide and Artificial Intelligence – A Comprehensive Introduction

• Date: April 30, 2025
• Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST/EDT, US
               09:30 PM - 10:30 PM, IST, India
• Duration: 1 hour (60 minutes)
• Registration: https://mpug.com/event/the-new-pmbok-guide-and-artificial-intelligence-an-introduction/

You will learn the followings:

• The Upcoming PMBOK Guide, 8th edition - What's New?
• PMBOK Guide, 8th Edition – Principles 
• PMBOK Guide, 8th Edition – Performance Domains
• PMBOK Guide, 8th Edition – Process Groups
• The New Process Map in the PMBOK
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• PMBOK and AI - How do they fit together?

It’ll have face-to-face question and answer (Q&A) session. 

Quick Note: The image at the top-left of this teaser was generated by an AI model using a recent photo of mine. The model created the image in the Ghibli style.

Join us for this webinar on the PMBOK Guide, 8th Edition and Artificial Intelligence. It's the first such webinar in the world.

References

[1] The New PMBOK Guide – 8th Edition, Project Management and Artificial Intelligence, by MPUG.com 

[2] Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, 8th edition draft, by Project Management Institute (PMI)

[3] Article: PMBOK8 – First View and Analysis: Process Groups, Performance Domains and Addition of Artificial Intelligence (AI), by ManagementYogi.com

[4] Article: PMBOK8 – First View and Analysis on Agile, Hybrid and More of Artificial Intelligence (AI), by ManagementYogi.com

PMBOK Guide 8th Edition – ManagementYogi’s First View and Analysis on Agile, Hybrid and More of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

 

The PMBOK® Guide, 8th edition, draft version has been made available on the Project Management Institute’s (PMI®) website. Like process group related processes and performance domains, the content for Agile has also seen changes. 

First and foremost, parts of the Agile Practice Guide (APG) have been directly included in the PMBOK Guide, 8th edition. The APG may remain as one of the reference sources. In some areas, it has good content and explanations with respect to certain situations.  

This post is in continuation of the earlier post on PMBOK Guide, 8th edition:

PMBOK, 8th edition:  Process Groups, Performance Domains and Artificial Intelligence

While the above linked post is more with respect to the guide part of the PMBOK Guide, this article is about both – the standard and the guide. 

Overall, the PMBOK guide (6th, 7th and 8th editions) can be seen as a human – with a head (the standard part), body (the guide part) and legs (the terms, definitions etc. on which the head and body stand). This is shown in the figure to our left. 

Again, do note that it’s a draft edition and hence the approved one will have additions, removals and modifications. A number of new contents can also be added. 

Now, let’s see the changes briefly with respect to Agile, Hybrid and related content. 

Development Approaches

The spectrum of development approaches remains the same in the PMBOK, 8th edition:

• Predictive:  It’s at one end of the spectrum. It’s used when requirement churn is low. 
• Adaptive: It’s at the other end of the spectrum. It’s used when requirement churn is high. 
• Hybrid: It sits in the middle and is a combination of predictive and adaptive.

Do note that the development approach is completely different from the project life cycle. Many confuse the two. The below three are distinct and separate in the PMBOK Guide, 8th edition. 

1. Project Life,
2. Development Approach, and
3. Scheduling Approach. 

Nevertheless, additional content has been put into various development approaches. 

Predictive

This approach is mainly plan-driven. While going for the fully predictive approach (remember it’s a spectrum), one can follow the Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs (ITTOs) of the earlier mentioned 40 processes.

In the PMBOK 6th edition, there are 49 processes. You can watch it here. If you have understood the processes clearly in PMBOK6, it won't be very hard for you in PMBOK8. However, the most important part is the sequencing, flow of project management activities and understanding of the key ITTOs. 

Now, considering PMBOK7 and PMBOK8, there have been big changes in the performance domains, which are governed by a set of principles. As noted in my earlier articles on PMBOK Guide, 7th edition (Part – 1 and Part - 2), the following one is still valid.

Principles guide the behavior. Performance domains are broad areas of focus to demonstrate that behavior.

In addition, there have been changes in the ITTOs. Completely new T&Ts are added for the first time. For example, new T&Ts have been added such as:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) 
• Machine Learning (ML), which is part of AI
• Natural Language Processing (NLP)

The advantage with AI is that it can use vast amounts of project data/information, past data such as historical information, and can also take current, real-time data to make informed decisions, or can augment your ability to make decisions. 

In addition, schedule optimization, resource optimization (supply and demand), schedule compression, detecting overallocations etc. can make use of Artificial Intelligence.

Adaptive (Agile)

Agile is both iterative and incremental. It’s a change-driven approach. 

As you go through the PMBOK, 8th edition, you will find a number of tools and techniques (T&Ts) to manage Agile project. These are explicitly mentioned in the ITTO tables of the processes, which was not the case earlier. Examples are:

• Daily Coordination Meetings,
• Retrospective Meetings,
• Project Canvas (yes, can be used in Agile too!).
  [In fact, the concept is used in Lean approaches.]
• Backlog Management, 
• Backlog Refinement, among others

Coming to the inputs and outputs (I&Os), a number of them are newly introduced, such as:

• Backlog,
• Skill Matrix (in my view, can be used in all approaches), 
• User Stories, among others.

Hybrid (Adaptive and Predictive)

This is a combination approach using both predictive and adaptive, but is used across industry verticals. In one of my earlier articles in 2024, I noted the following:

As per PMI report, Hybrid usage (31.5%) is more than Agile (24.6%) among project professionals.

Now, the PMBOK, 8th edition (with the standard) outlines four popular hybrid-agile methods:

• Agile Development Followed by a Predictive Rollout
• A Combined Agile and Predictive Approach Used Simultaneously
• A Largely Predictive Approach with Agile Components
• A Largely Agile Approach with a Predictive Component

Launched in 2021, the Certified Hybrid-Agile Master Professional (CHAMP) course provides a large number of hybrid models. The certifications is hands-on, practical and in-depth following all three: Hybrid-Scrum, Hybrid-Kanban and Hybrid-Scrumban. 

CHAMP is the only such hands-on, hybrid-agile certification in the world.

Conclusion

As the PMBOK Guide changes and brings in new content, of course, there will be an impact on the future Project Management Professional (PMP) exam. It takes time to build on the new exam, which is effectively based on the exam content outline (ECO).

I’d also strongly recommend that you take the PMP exam as soon as you can, if you’ve prepared on the earlier editions of the PMBOK guide and APG. That way you don’t have to go through an entire set of new content. 

References

[1] Article - PMBOK, 8th edition:  Process Groups, Performance Domains and Artificial Intelligence (AI), by Satya Narayan Dash

[2] Certified Hybrid-Agile Master Professional (CHAMP) course - Unique hands-on, practical certification, by Management Yogi

[3] PMP Live Lessons – Guaranteed Pass or Your Full Money-Back, by Satya Narayan Dash

[4] PMP 35 Contact Hours Online Course, Full Money-Back Guarantee, by Satya Narayan Dash

[5] Book, I Want To Be A PMP – The plain and simple way, Second Edition, by Satya Narayan Dash

PMBOK Guide 8th Edition – ManagementYogi’s First View and Analysis on the Process Groups, Performance Domains and Addition of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

 

The PMBOK® Guide, 8th edition is currently available on the Project Management Institute’s (PMI®) website. It’s a draft version. There has been a complete overhaul when you compare the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide 8th edition with the 7th edition or the 6th edition. Nevertheless, commonalities remain. One fresh introduction has been with respect to Artificial Intelligence (AI).  

You can give your comments by visiting this page within the timewindow: 

https://publiccomment.pmi.org/ 

If you are a Project Management Professional (PMP®) from my sessions and/or have used my courses and books on project management, portfolio management, risk management, agile management among others, I’d strongly suggest that you go through it and give your review comments. PMI has been a pioneer in the field of project-program-portfolio management for decades and has made enormous contributions towards it.

Do note that it’s a draft edition and hence the approved one will have additions, removals and modifications. A number of new contents can also be added.

Now, let’s see the changes briefly on the Process Groups and Performance Domains. 

Process Groups (PG)

The Process Groups (PGs) have made a comeback in the PMBOK 8th edition, draft version. Yes, indeed! In the PMBOK 7th edition, it was completely removed with the exception of a few lines in one of the Models-Methods-Artifacts (MMA) sections. 

In fact, a note in the PMBOK8 draft is as follows:

“This eighth edition reintroduces the ITTOs and process descriptions within the organization structure of the project management performance domains.”

I agree with this approach and idea. It gives aspiring Project Management Professional (PMPs) to know what project management actually is, with more clarity, rather than high content in abstract. For a newcomer and even with experienced PMs, it’ll be much more useful. 

The process groups in the PMBOK, 8th edition, remain the same:

• Initiating
• Planning
• Closing
• Monitoring and Controlling
• Closing

However, the number, name, content, and sequencing of the processes are different. If you have used my PMP Course, you’d quickly capture and write down the processes on your own in a sequence.

A New Process Map

Following are the processes across the PGs in PMBOK Guide, 8th edition.

• Initiating = 2 processes 
• Planning = 19 processes 
• Executing = 9 processes
• Monitoring and Controlling = 9 processes
• Closing = 1 process

In total, there are now 40 processes:

= Initiating (2) + Planning (19) + Executing (9) + Monitoring and Controlling (9) + Closing (1)

= 2 + 19 + 9 + 9 + 1

= 40

Earlier, in the PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, there were 49 processes:

= Initiating (2) + Planning (24) + Executing (10) + Monitoring and Controlling (12) + Closing (1)

= 2 + 24 + 10 + 12 + 1

= 49

In my sessions, books and courses, I explain the importance of the processes and how they interact. It’s a must-know for anyone aspiring to be a PMP. The sequencing of processes should be on your finger-tips to really know and understand project management. 

In addition, if you understand the process map and the flow as well as interactions of the processes, it’s much easier to understand the PMBOK Guide. 

Performance Domains (PD)

Performance Domains (PDs) are completely changed in the PMBOK Guide, 8th edition. Earlier in the PMBOK Guide, 7th edition there were PDs such as Stakeholders, Team, Development Approach and Life Cycle (DALC), Uncertainty, Measurement, among others.

The PMBOK8 resembles more like the PMBOK, 6th edition. I agree with this approach, as real-world project managers need to know what actually happens on ground. PMBOK6, in fact, was more suitable in this regard.

The knowledge areas (KAs) in the PMBOK6, 6th edition final approved version, were:

1. Integration Management
2. Scope Management
3. Schedule Management
4. Cost Management
5. Quality Management
6. Resource Management
7. Communication Management
8. Risk Management
9. Procurement Management
10. Stakeholder Management

The performance domains (PDs) in the PMBOK Guide, 8th edition draft version, are:

1. Governance
2. Scope
3. Schedule
4. Finance
5. Stakeholders
6. Resources
7. Risk

Do note that the two top changes are:

1. It’s not called a knowledge area, but a performance domain.

2. There is no “management” word involved in the PDs, but simply the name of the PD. For example, inplace of Schedule Management, it’s simply called Schedule.

What Happened to Quality, Communication and Procurement?

The first thing (again if you have followed my courses and books or sessions), you’d have noticed are the following:

• Integration Management is not there.
• Quality Management is not there.
• Communication Management is also not part of the list.
• Procurement Management, too, is not part of the list.

So, what happened to them?

Again, as I went through, these are the changes:

• Integration Management is now Governance PD.
• Quality Management content (significant aspects) has been moved into Scope PD.
• Communication Management is moved into Stakeholders PD.
• Procurement Management content (some aspects) has been moved into Schedule PD.

For the performance domain, you also have these additions:

• Key Concepts
• Processes
• Tailoring considerations (in many places). 

I find these to be very important and useful. 

Also, in every performance domain, you’ll have:

• Interactions with other domains: For example, how Governance PD interacts with Scope, Risk, Resources PDs, among others.
• Check Results (Outcomes): This is another important aspect. You need to know when the respective PD will be considered to be successful.

Knowledge Areas and Performance Domains are two different concepts. You can read these two articles to learn more.

• PMBOK 7th edition: Principles, Performance Domains and Artifacts - How They Plug and Play Together (1)
• PMBOK 7th edition: Principles, Performance Domains and Artifacts - How They Plug and Play Together (2)

Introduction of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

A key and important addition in the PMBOK Guide, 8th edition is the direct addition of rapidly evolving Artificial Intelligence (AI) related content. For example, in Schedule PD, there is a section on AI and ML (machine-learning) based schedule optimization. 

PMBOK8, in fact, has a dedicated section on it – X3: Artificial Intelligence.

Among others, this section covers AI in project management context, strategies for AI adoption, and above all, usage of AI in various PDs such as Governance, Risk, Schedule, Stakeholders.

Conclusion

If you are a keen learner of project, program and portfolio (PPP) management, I’d strongly recommend that you go through the new draft for the PMBOK Guide, 8th edition. 

References

[1] PMP Live Lessons – Guaranteed Pass or Your Full Money-Back, by Satya Narayan Dash

[2] PMP 35 Contact Hours Online Course, Full Money-Back Guarantee, by Satya Narayan Dash

[3] Book, I Want To Be A PMP – The plain and simple way, Second Edition, by Satya Narayan Dash

[4] PMBOK Guide 8th Edition – ManagementYogi’s First View and Analysis on Agile, Hybrid and More of Artificial Intelligence (AI), by Satya Narayan Dash

PMP Success Story: A Dream Come True with The Book, I Want To Be A PMP

By Masood Ahmed, PMP

Introduction 

I first heard about the Project Management Professional (PMP)® from my senior IT colleagues. I learned the importance as well as the usages in the real-world with this certification. Post that, I decided to go ahead and pursue the PMP certification.

But for nearly one year, I have been facing a lot of personal and family challenges as well as health issues. I’m still facing some of these challenges, but fortunately, I was able to continue studying daily.

One of the decisions I made was to definitely achieve this goal in my life within three months. It took me more time than that. But today, at the end of my journey, I’ve been successfully certified as a PMP.  

Own Study

To appear for the PMP exam, you need to have mandatory 35 contact hours in project management. But when I completed my PMP virtual training session for these contact hours from Simplilearn.com, I was afraid about the certification. My understanding was little. I was not sure how to study for the exam and clear the exam on my first attempt.

So I started discussing this difficulty with my senior friends and family members. One of my good friends (Mr. Shams Ul Huq) suggested that that I discuss with Satya Sir on this problem. He informed me that I will definitely get good guidance. 

As I continued my discussion with Shams, he suggested that I to go through the PMBOK® Guide, but I was not sure how to study this vast guide. Hence, I purchased the Book, I Want To Be A PMP, 2nd edition. 

During my preparation, I studied the PMBOK Guide but I did not know how to proceed with the ITTO exercises. The book helped in that regard.

Book Review - I Want To Be A PMP

This eBook, I Want To Be PMP, genuinely prepared me for the difficult concepts to understand. 

Such concepts are explained easily and there are very easy ways to remember the entire set of processes of the PMBOK Guide.

I studied this book two times before my PMP exams. I also attended all the mock questions of this book. 

I suggest that future candidates refer to this book, along with the PMBOK guide.

In my experience, nearly 80% of the exam questions will be on Agile and Hybrid-Agile. Hence, I request all the students of PMP to prepare these aspects very well, which are covered in this book.

PMP Exam Experience

As I wrote in the beginning, I’ve been facing a lot of challenges, including my health. But I never gave up. I spent four-hours daily, irrespective of my daily workload.

First, I scheduled the exam for March, 2023, but I unfortunately failed in the PMP exam. I was very down and spoke with my parents, who motivated me a lot to not to worry. They asked me to try once more and give my best. Satya Sir also told the same.

Based on these encouragements, I went for my second attempt and booked for the PMP exam on June 7, 2023. Yes, Alhamdulillah, I passed my PMP exam with a very good score. It was “Above Target” as you can see below. When I informed Satya Sir the same day, he also told me the same. 

The final congratulation message: “Above Target score…, Congratulations on being a PMP…” from PMI was heartening to see.

Suggestions for PMP Aspirants

Do’s

• Study smart instead of only studying hard. Both are needed to clear the exam.
• Go through a proper PMP 35 Contact Hours course, which will set the foundation for you, not just another course which will strike fear in you.

Don’ts

• Please don’t be overconfident. But be truly confident based on your preparation.
• Never give-up on your dream. It’ll come true one day.

Conclusion

At the end of my journey, I would suggest that you take the PMP training and guidance from Satya Sir. I came to know much later, but finally succeeded in being a PMP. 

I also want to inform you to carefully study his book, I WANT TO BE A PMP. 

Brief Profile:

Masood Ahmed, PMP.

Senior Functional Consultant – Program management. I have total 12 years of experience. 

Book  for PMP exam:

• Book for PMP Exam Prep: "I Want To Be A PMP"

PMP 35 Contact Hours Online Course:

• PMP 35 Contact Hours Online: Full Money Back Guarantee

PMP LIVE LESSONS - Guaranteed Pass:

• PMP LIVE LESSONS: Guaranteed Pass or Your Money Back
• PMP LIVE LESSONS Success Stories

You may also like:

• PMP Success Stories of 2020s
• PMP Success Stories of 2010s

Ten Myths and Facts – Contingency Reserve and Management Reserve

 

Management Reserve and Contingency Reserve are two widely used reserves in Project Management, Program Management. It can also be used in Portfolio Management and Agile Management, though the way there are used will be somewhat different. However, there are many misconceptions about these two reserves. In this article we will see what those myths are and check upon the facts. 

These explained in my courses such as:

• PMP Live Lessons, Guaranteed Pass or Your Full Money Back
• ACP Live Lessons, Guaranteed Pass or Your Full Money Back
• RMP Live Lessons, Guaranteed Pass or Your Full Money Back

The needed content is also available as part of the PMP 35 Contact Hours, RMP 30 Contact Hours, ACP 21 Contact Hours and CAPM 23 Contact Hours courses. 

Note: First go through the myths on your own and try to answer yourself. That way you will get a better value from this article.

Hope you are tried to do the exercise on your own first! I'll also suggest that you go through this article to learn more:

Article - Contingency Reserve and Management Reserve

Now, let's see the myths and facts. 

Myth – 1: Addition of contingency reserve to activity cost estimates (or activity duration estimates) will create a rubber baseline. 

Fact: Contingency reserve can be at the activity level or work package level etc. If it’s at the activity level, then it need not be at the work package level. The reserves from lower level estimates will get rolled up to the work package level. Hence, there is no chance of having a rubber baseline. 

As you can see in the above block representation, the contingency reserve can be at the activity level, or work package level. Otherwise, you can have an overall contingency reserve at the project level.

Myth – 2: Contingency reserve is not applicable for the project schedule, it’s only for the budget.

Fact: It’s applicable for both project schedule and project budget. You can have contingency reserve calculation while determining the duration estimates of tasks or cost estimates of tasks. 

Refer to the previous diagram to see overall contingency reserve.

Myth – 3: Any reserve can be tracked with a reserve burndown chart.

Fact: Usually, contingency reserve is tracked at the project level, but management reserve is not. The reason is simple. Project Managers know and manage the contingency reserve as it’s part of the performance measurement baseline. 

So, the reserve burndown chart that one creates and manages at a project level is with respect to the contingency reserve, not for management reserve.

Myth – 4: If the reserve is unused, then it can be part of project profit! 

Fact: This is another big myth propounded. But you can’t take the unused reserve as part of the profit. It’s meaningless because you have added the reserve for unforeseen circumstances. 

• Threats – if the reserve is unused then, it has to be removed or given back. 
• Opportunities – if the reserve increases because you exploited the opportunity, then yes, for this you can consider it to be a profit.

Re-read the previous line! In risk management, both threats and opportunities are considered, but the way they are treated will be different. 

Myth – 5: Reserves have little to no role to play in S-curve interpretation. 

Fact: In fact, it’s the other way around. You should be worried when the reserve starts getting depleted while doing your S-curve analysis. The Budget at Completion (BAC) in earned value calculation should include the contingency reserve (CR).

Sometimes the estimate at completion (EAC) can go beyond the available contingency reserve and may eat-up the management reserve (MR).

                                                                

As shown in the above S-curve, the trend for Actual Cost (AC) curve is upward and it may consume not only the contingency reserve, but also the management reserve for the project.

Myth – 6: Slack or float can be a replacement for contingency reserve.

Fact: Slack and reserve are two completely different concepts. Many confuse the two. 

Total slack is about how much time you can delay a task without delaying the project end date. Free slack, simply put, is how much you can delay a task without delaying any successor task. 

Reserve or allowance on the other hand protects you against the delay in the current activity, not next activity’s start date! 

Myth – 7: Contingency reserve and contingency response planning are one and the same thing. 

Fact: Contingency as we know is the reserve for known risks, but unknown amount of rework. It’s for risks which are accepted or known risks with active risk response strategies. 

Contingency planning, on the other hand, consists of two plans: Contingency Plan and Fallback Plan. Simply put, these two plans are Plan A and Plan B, respectively that we use in our day-to-day risk management. 

Myth – 8: Agile projects don’t have all these reserves available.

Fact: In Agile projects, too, you may require contingency and management reserves. Consider an Agile project with mandatory regulatory requirements and one of the needs to meet the budgetary regulations with earned value calculations. In such a case, you need to have the reserves. 

Myth – 9: Management Reserve is a budget category, and not applicable for Schedules.

Fact: This is another myth, which is widely circulated. While management reserve is usually a budget category, you can also have it for schedule. In fact, the definition of Management Reserve as per the PMI-PMBOK guide is this:

An amount of the project budget or project schedule held outside of the performance measurement baseline for management control purposes that is reserved for unforeseen work that is within the project scope.

Can you see that the management reserve can also be part of project schedule (not just budget)?

Myth – 10: Contingency Reserve and Contingency are one and the same thing.

Fact: Contingency is an event or occurrence that could affect something, e.g., a task, a work package or the execution of the project. Contingency reserve, on the other hand, is the time or money allocated for known-unknown risks. However, contingencies can be accounted for with reserves.

There are many other myths, which circulate on these two reserves. What are the other myths you think are not correct for contingency reserve and management reserve?

If you have any questions, suggestions or feedback, do share your comments in the comment section of this article.

References:

1. PMP Live Lessons, Guaranteed Pass or Your Full Money Back, by Satya Narayan Dash

2. ACP Live Lessons, Guaranteed Pass or Your Full Money Back, by Satya Narayan Dash

3. RMP Live Lessons, Guaranteed Pass or Your Full Money Back, by Satya Narayan Dash

ACP Success Story: If You Have Prepared Well for Your PMP Exam, The ACP Exam Will Be A Cakewalk

 By Sandip Kumar Nath, ACP, PMP

Introduction
During my PMP certification preparation, I have already done a good amount of study in Agile concepts. So, I was already in a mindset to get an Agile certification. I’ve been a certified PMP since June, 2021.

Before taking any decision, I had reached out to my mentor, Satya Sir and shared my thoughts.  His first advice to me was to take a break, enjoy the moment of my PMP success, and then go for PMI-ACP. He also informed me that other Agile certificates will explain only about a specific Agile methodology whereas ACP will help me to understand Agile concept as a whole. 

So, I have set my mind to go for PMI-ACP certification to understand Agile deeper and better.

ACP 21 Contact Hours
Every action item should have an owner and estimated time (ETA) associated with it. After completing my 21-hour training, the first thing I did was to fill the ACP exam form and submit.

A week later my application was approved and on the same day I paid the exam fee and scheduled a target date. I targeted for exactly 12 weeks.  

Now my actual preparation has started.

Resources Used
You can use any material you feel comfortable and available to you. But refer to the Agile Practice guide read at least once. This book is very basic and doesn't elaborate much on agile specific methods but gives good clarity on the differences between Traditional Project Management and Agile Project Management.

My primary resources were these: 

• Book: I Want to be a PMP, 2nd Edition, by Satya Narayan Dash 
• Book: Essential Scrum by Kenneth Rubin and Latest Scrum Guide

As I am a PMP, it helped me a lot in my preparation for the ACP exam. I have again gone back and studied the book, I Want to be a PMP by Satya Sir, but this time I have read only the topics which were relevant for Agile concepts.

As mentioned earlier, I passed PMP on 19th June 2021. And I felt 70% of the questions asked in the PMP exam were based on agile concepts. My personal experience in PMI-ACP was, if you have prepared really well for your PMP exam, your ACP exam will be a cakewalk. I was mentally prepared that I will not get any direct questions and the same happened in the real exam.

You can read my PMP Success Story here:
PMP Success Story: Focus, Consistent Practice and Self-Belief Will Make You A PMP

Own Study
I had a simple plan and as per this plan, I wanted to put around 400 to 450 hours of study. It includes the Books, Blogs, Articles, available Questions and Answers. There were enough. So, I had planned for 4-5 hours per day for the next 12 weeks.

In addition, I followed this free course from scrum alliance.
Name of the course: Introduction to Scrum (https://scrumalliance.learnupon.com/store/804338-introduction-to-scrum) and PM Prepcast Simulator

My preparation was smooth and I faced no difficulty in preparing or submitting the application form.  

ACP Exam Experience
My exam was scheduled center based on 10th March 2023 but Pearson canceled it. So, I again booked the slot in Pearson Shivaji Nagar Branch, Bangalore on 19th April 2023, 8am.

I had taken my PMP exam from home but this time I have decided to take my ACP exam from Pearson. Though I did not face difficulties by taking the exam from home last time, I still encourage you all to go to the center and give the exam.

Both taking the ACP exam from home and center have their pros and cons. For example, while taking the exam from home: 

• You have your own known and comfortable environment; at the same time, you must make sure that you have a reliable internet connection.
• Ensure to find a quiet place so that you can concentrate on the exam.

If you are taking the ACP exam from center:

• Please do not carry anything except a valid ID (Aadhar ID is not accepted).

I reached around 7:20am to the center and after all formality I hope I have started my exam around 8 am.

 
ACP Exam Taking Strategy

I followed the below ones while taking the exam.

• My first and foremost strategy was to make myself as calm as possible. 
• I was mentally prepared that this exam will NOT be easy with a positive note that I WILL PASS.
• I always read the question first so that I will NOT miss key words like NOT, LEAST, MOST, EXCEPT, ALL, ALWAYS, NEVER etc. This is crucial, otherwise I will choose the wrong answer. 
• Then I read the scenario or the problem statement to understand which context the question was asked. 
• Final step to read all given answers choices and choose the correct option(s). 
• Time management was a big factor.  My plan was to take 60 min per 40 questions.

Type of Questions Faced in the ACP Exam
Below is my experience with the types of questions faced. 

• I had NO direct questions, NO key words. All questions were scenario-based.
• Around 80% of questions were one or two liners. Very few questions had three to four sentences or more. 
• I faced NO mathematical questions. Hence, I did not use calculator.
• For your exam, you need to be very clear about roles/responsibilities of Stakeholders (Internal and External).
• Many ACP exam questions were from Agile events, Stakeholders, Agile Team. These will be related to ACP Exam Domains.

During the exam, there will be some interruptions due to candidate movements and mouse click sounds! But I used the headset given me which helped a lot. This you can’t use at home if you opt to take an exam from home.   

In addition, as per exam rule you have to report 30 minutes before your scheduled time. So, it is always better if you reach a little early.

Suggestions for ACP Aspirants
Dos

• Fix the exam date ASAP. Until you do not have the exam date, you will NOT be able to plan and execute your preparation.
• Focus is the key. Focus on your study plan, focus on the topic you are studying now, focus while answering questions. 
• Try to understand each topic you read and make your own notes while reading. 
• During the exam usually, you can eliminate two answers easily but if you have difficulty in choosing between two, re-read the QUESTION first.
• If the above step is not working for you, re-read the problem statement which has a lot of distractions and unnecessary information, considering the real question.

Don’ts 

• During the exam, never think about the previous question(s) you already answered or the performance of your previous section. 
• Avoid brain dump if possible. Please do not take unnecessary tension before the exam and brain dump will NOT help you in the exam.

Conclusion
It's a pleasure and privilege to write my experience and share with you readers. I believe, it will help you in your endeavor to be a PMI-ACP.

Wish you all the best for your ACP exam.

Brief Profile: Sandip Kumar Nath, PMP, ACP
Senior Manager – Delivery, Datamatics.
 

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PMP Live Lessons Success Story: Tomorrow is Hope, Today is Real, Go For it Today and Be A PMP with PMP Live Lessons

By Adinarayana Murthy Bhuvanagiri, PMP

 

Introduction
I began my career in marketing and finance domains and moved my career later into the Information Technology industry. I started looking for PMP to have better career prospects and a better future. More importantly, I wanted to master the project management domain, rather than being a political expert playing politics in an organization and hanging on to a job.

I asked myself what I can do to master this topic, get a better prospect and get respect and recognition for my expertise. This led me to the PMP certification, the most well-known, influential and respected PM certification.

But easier said than done!

I knew it would be a challenging exam, and I had to prepare for it. I started my PMP journey a few years before and joined the classroom session of Satya Narayan Dash. It was completed in four days, but I took a long break due to personal commitments. But I did not give up hope.

Going for the PMP and Cracking It
I’ve been getting emails frequently (Management Yogi’s mailing list) on new management articles, new courses and above all, the Success Stories.  I would always pinch myself on it as it motivated me a lot. I again started what I could not complete earlier and started my PMP journey in May, 2022 and cleared the Exam in January, 2023.

I am proud to say that I am a PMP certified and formally qualified management guy with one of the world’s most well-known certifications. My overall score was Above Target (AT) with two ATs in three performance domains. That was very heartening.

PMP Coaching Experience
As mentioned earlier, my first coaching 35 hours of learning was from Satya’s classes. It was good, in fact, very good. And I loved it.

The project management language was new to me, so it was not initially very exciting. I merely attended as many were going for it. But when I started paying attention to it, the real learning started, and it was all fun, with the needed seriousness.

I started enjoying the session and learned a lot in the process. I learned, if we give our all, we learn the most.

After the session, I purchased the PMP Exam Prep Book, I Want to Be A PMP, 2nd Edition, written by Mr. Satya Narayan Dash. I went through the book and the 60+ videos, which came as part of the e-Book.

Later on, I purchased PMP Live Lessons Video Course, again by Satya Narayan Dash in May 2022, where my actual and final preparation started.

Own Study
After subscribing to the PMP Live Lessons, I started reading the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, 6th edition.

The PMBOK guide is like a novel, not exam preparatory material. But I’d recommend that you read the guide.

There is no need to read the PMBOK Guide, 7th edition. In fact, I didn’t face a single question from the PMBOK Guide, 7th edition in my PMP exam, though I’ve learned it from Satya’s Management Review Sessions.

I’d read two to three hours early in the morning. It’s around 4:30 AM to 7 or 7:30 AM. Before going to bed, I’d again glance at what I’ve read in the morning. This is like a revision for my earlier 2-3 hours of learning.

Along with the must-have PMP Live Lessons – Guaranteed Pass, I’d strongly recommend these two:

• PMBOK Guide, 6th edition and Agile Practice Guide, by Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Book: I Want To Be A PMP, 2nd Edition, by Satya Narayan Dash

The best thing about the Live Lessons videos is that you can watch them as many times as you want. I want to mention one important aspect: the length of Live Lessons video is two to ten/twelve minutes maximum. Hence, you won’t be bored for sure. It keeps the pace of learning.

During my preparation, my main obstacle was time, as I was the critical resource only after my onsite manager. It created a lot of obstacles as I’ve a lot of workload. But keep your commitment, and don’t give up.

Review – PMP LIVE LESSONS
The primary reason I purchased PMP Live Lessons is to have a sound understanding of Agile and Hybrid methods, along with traditional ones. It provided me with that.

I’ve gone through the videos, and I can definitely say one thing: Whatever video I watched and re-watched is worth every minute I spent. 

Every lesson in this course is equipped with a set of Smart Cards and several practice questions with answers. I’ve gone through them and it was very helpful for me. The explanation of why an answer is correct is also quite beneficial.

As you go through and complete the lessons in the course and go through the Smart Cards, you can quickly know how much you’ve understood on the subject you have completed. There are also references to the PMBOK Guide.

Satya’s Management Review Sessions
I joined Satya’s Management Review Sessions from October 2022. Several participants also join this session, particularly those who have subscribed to his video courses. It was very helpful. Even today, I join these sessions.

These talks are a really good approach; you can ask questions directly face-to-face. This happens every week and is led by Satya. These sessions provide a lot of support for aspirants, and it’s of high value.
You can clear all your doubts and it helps a lot to improve your knowledge wherever you are lacking.

PMP Exam Experience
I went for the Online Proctored Mode for my PMP exam. My strategy was simple, and it was to take all 180 questions in the prescribed 210 minutes (3 hours 50 minutes). But the problem was sitting that long, even with breaks.

As a professional working manager, I rarely sit that long as I have to address issues or solve problems frequently. I’ve practiced five to six full-length questions to prepare for this purpose and sit for longer durations.

The following are the types of questions I faced in the exam:

• A number of questions were on Agile and Hybrid-Agile management.
• A large number of questions were from Procurement Management, and Resource Management.
• A number of questions were also from Schedule Management.
• Most of the questions were situational.
• I didn’t receive a single mathematical question, which surprised me.

As you go through the exam, watch the clock continuously. Time flies.

I could not get enough sleep before the exam. All the Q&As were running through my mind. In fact, before the exam, I was thinking about how soon the night would be over, and I’ll sit in the PMP exam! It worked for me with a final satisfactory score.

Suggestions for PMP Aspirants
Dos:

• Believe in yourself. You surely can do it with the right material.
• Give your 100%, prepare for PMP preparation.
• With the right material and practice, you can confidently give the PMP Exam.

Don’ts:

• Don’t give up once you have started your PMP preparation.
• Revise and rethink what you have learned earlier, and where you can apply your learning.
• Don’t be irregular at all in your preparation. Regular preparation is the right and best way to clear the exam.

Conclusion
Finally, I want to share a small story.

I visited a car showroom to enquire about a newly launched car. The salesperson informed me about a waiting period of six months. I took the car details and the brochure and came back home.

One day the salesman called me and asked about my car purchase. I said the waiting time was too long, so I dropped the idea. The salesman replied: “Sir, if you had booked the order on your first visit, by this time, the car would have been delivered to you!”.

That made me think about PMP certification and the session I attended years before for my 35 contact hours. And I postponed it again and again!  

I realized if I kept on postponing, I’ll never be a PMP and would never have success in the exam. Then and there, I searched for Satya’s mobile number, called him immediately and informed him that this time I wanted to be a PMP without any delay at all.

So, if you plan to be a PMP, start it today. Do it today and start now.  We don’t know about tomorrow. Tomorrow is hope, and today is real.

I wish you all the best in your journey and hope this success story helps you become a PMP. Good luck!

Brief Profile
Name: Adinarayana Murthy Bhuvanagiri, PMP, SAP Certified PM
Role: Working at Wipro Technologies, as an offshore Project Manager. I’ve over a decade and half of experience in various corporations, primarily in software, finance and marketing domains.

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