Last updated on March-2024 by Nilotpal Ray, PMP
How hard is the PMP Exam? The reason why candidates find the PMP Exam difficult...
When you are starting with your PMP exam preparation, it’s very natural for you to ask:
- Is the PMP Exam hard?
- How much do I need to score?
- What are the top reasons why candidates fail the exam?
These are very common FAQs for PMP aspirants in the early stages of their preparation and not having this information right off the bat when you are kick-starting your PMP journey can often feel a bit unfulfilling.
In this article, we will discuss all you need to know about how difficult is the PMP Certification Exam and the main why reasons aspirants find the PMP exam challenging.
So make sure you don’t skip any part of this article since we are going to discuss a lot of things which are will be critical for your PMP exam preparation journey.
Although PMI has never stated the actual passing score of the PMP exam officially (you may want to read this article where we discuss the details about the passing score of the PMP Exam) , There’s no denying the fact that the PMP exam remains one of the toughest exams in the project management industry. So, let’s discuss the top 4 reasons why candidates find the PMP Exam difficult.
1. What makes the PMP Exam hard? – Failing to understand the PMBOK way of project management
The main reason why candidates find this exam difficult is that, they fail to understand the PMBOK way of project management.
As an aspirant of the PMP Exam, the first thing you need to remember is that the PMBOKs (6TH & 7TH Edition) are the most important standards of the PMP exam and it is sacrosanct that whenever you are answering questions in the PMP exam, you need to follow the PMBOK principles and doctrines.
It does not matter how YOU think a project should be led or what YOU think should be the next step of a particular activity…you always have to abide by the PMBOK principles & frameworks.
For example, when we talk about which activity comes after ‘Estimate Activity Durations’ in Schedule Management, it should draw from the 49 processes of the PMBOK 6th edition, which you need to follow as per the sequence of Table 1.4 Pg. 25. (check out my tutorial video on YouTube to understand how you can memorize the 49-Process Chart of PMBOK-6 using logic and pattern)
Another point that you must remember is, that projects in the real world often skip steps or processes which are necessary as per PMBOK.
For example, maybe in your company, a project charter is never written and the project is funded right away…or maybe your company doesn’t give enough importance to stakeholder analysis or stakeholder engagement during the initial stages of a project. Similarly, some companies might not give enough importance to the validation of scope before closeout!
Another mistake that candidates often make is: that different companies lead projects differently and if you answer a question thinking that in my company, I would have done Step C after Step D, you may answer the question incorrectly.
Of course, the PMBOK methods & processes are not 100% mandatory in the real world. Nobody, can sue you or your company for doing a project without writing a project charter, right? Similarly, in terms of delivering the success criteria of a project, it’s not mandatory for you to update the lessons learned register. There are a ton of examples in the industry where projects are done without a properly documented charter and closed out without updating the lessons learned register.
What’s the problem with that?
The practical problem is, that when you do not write a project charter and get it approved or do not do a stakeholder analysis, you may end up with greater risks in the project at a later stage and you may face greater challenges across the project lifecycle.
The PMBOK advocates the best practices but it is not a mandate i.e. you can still go ahead and do the project your way or what you think is the best way to do a project.
But, if you follow the steps and the sequence of processes of the PMBOK, it will help you to deliver a project in a much more reliable and efficient way.
That’s what the PMP exam tests you on.
Hence, when you solve questions in your PMP exam, you should always approach it via the PMBOK way of managing projects.
So, whenever you answer a question in the PMP exam, you need to remember what PMBOK says about the particular process/method by which an activity has to be performed and then answer the question. Don’t use your own judgment or work experience here, please.
2. Lack of work experience of leading projects as a project manager
The second reason why candidates find the PMP exam hard is due to the lack of proper Project Management/project leading work experience.
The PMP exam needs hands-on project management experience. That’s why a considerable number of months (36 or 60 months, depending on the category that you’re applying for) needs to be booked into directing and managing projects in your PMP application. Check my article on PMP Exam Eligibility Requirements for more clarity on this topic.
Hence, whenever you answer a question in the PMP exam you have to be in the project manager/senior project manager’s shoes.
You cannot go ahead and answer a question just as a student, intern, apprentice or project support officer.
Mind that, if you are a less experienced project manager and do not have enough experience across those five processes groups and knowledge areas, then maybe the PMP exam is not the right choice for you.
Instead, you can go for the CAPM exam which is suited for entry-level project managers.
It is not uncommon that candidates to provide wrong information while filling out their PMP exam application.
They mention that they have ‘done’ projects and they have ‘led’ projects from initiation to closeout, wherein the actual situation is they have just been a team member or might just have shadowed/piggy-backed a project manager.
Mind that you can game the application by writing polished professional-looking essays, your application may get approved as well by luck, BUT you will not be able to game the exam.
The exam is very smart and in classic PMP-style questions, the wrong choices will be disguised and worded so delicately that you will end up choosing the wrong answer if you haven’t done projects in the real world or you haven’t read the PMBOK thoroughly.
To summarise, a good practical project management experience is always helpful in writing the PMP exam. It doesn’t mean that you need to be a ‘Project Management Maestro’ when you are applying for the PMP exam, but you should have led & directed projects yourself.
Even if you were in a project as a ‘project coordinator’ or a ‘project engineer’, your involvement in all the stages of the project should have been at par with the level of a project manager.
If you have performed the roles & responsibilities of a PM even not being in the role of a PM yourself, whenever you approach a question in the PMP exam, you can at least think as a project manager and that’ll help you to choose the correct answer whenever you’re stuck with two answer choices.
3. Lack of Project Manager Way of Thinking
The third reason why aspirants find the PMP exam difficult is by not thinking or analyzing like a project manager but responding like a project engineer or a project executive while answering questions in the PMP exam.
The PMP exam will continuously evaluate your aptitude as a project manager. Often you will come across questions where you’ll be stuck between 2 very close answer choices and it is at this time you really need to think like a project manager, rather than a project executive, project engineer or a project coordinator.
Let’s understand the difference between thinking like a Project Engineer and a Project Manager through an example: Let’s consider a typical scenario where you are a Project Manager and two of your team members are having a conflict between themselves and then they come to you for a resolution, what will you do as a project manager?
There can be two options:
Option 1: you escalate it to your project sponsor and seek directions from him on how to resolve the conflict
Option 2: you use your conflict management techniques like team building, open conversations, or root cause analysis to help these two persons talk among themselves and arrive at a resolution.
Now if you’re a project associate or a project executive, maybe you choose Option 1. Because, in that scenario, you will have a project manager in your team and you can escalate it to get it resolved through the project manager.
However, if you are a project manager and you face this situation, then you are expected to resolve it more proactively and more holistically as per your understanding of conflict management techniques and using the tools and techniques that you have learned.
Hence, always remember to think & respond like a project manager while answering questions in your PMP exam.
4. Inability to handle scenario based question solving
The fourth and the final reason why aspirants find the PMP Exam difficult is not being able to solve a scenario-based question properly and getting confused between similar choices.
Situational or scenario-based questions form about 90% of the PMP exam question style. Here the question gives you a project situation and tells you to make the best choice as a Project Manager. These questions are usually not quite straightforward with quite close answer choices.
It is important for you to read these questions carefully and understand the crux of the question because the PMP exam will often provide extra information in these questions, to divert your attention and make you fall into the trap of choosing the wrong option. It is imperative to cut through the clutter and focus on the case in point while answering such questions.
In order to answer these questions correctly. It is essential to have a very strong reason to accept or reject an option. So whenever you encounter such kinds of questions, where you see that the options are very close, you have to be very analytical and very critical while selecting an option.
If you want to know more about how to solve scenario-based questions in the PMP Exam, check out my tutorial video on YouTube below:
Hope you enjoyed reading the article. If you are preparing for your PMP Exam, don’t forget to check out my Udemy Courses and Live PMP Masterclass Sessions as below:
The last one is the best if you are struggling to learn EVM during your PMP and CAPM preparation.
Cheers and I will talk to you soon!
Ray
