The PMP or Project Management Professional is a certification for project managers in information technology and other industries. This professional designation is maintained by the Project Management Institute.
Source:pmi.org
The PMP exam tests knowledge on how to manage projects effectively, especially large ones. It also tests value-added experience in managing such projects, along with the membership of one of more than 500 professional development organizations that are members of PMI. The “certified” aspect means that it is not just about having an extensive understanding and experience in project management but also requires testing and proving your knowledge and ability before you get certified,
Project managers with the PMP certification earn at least 21 percent more than those without this designation. They are also 50 percent more likely to stay with their companies; they understand project management principles better; they show 36% less job turnover; 46% higher scores in team leadership; 35% higher scores in communication; 32% higher scores in responsibility; 31% higher score in problem-solving; and 23% higher scores in flexibility.
To get this prestigious certification, one must pass a four-hour multiple-choice test consisting 250 questions that cover five domains: initiating (15%); planning (21%); executing (20%); monitoring & controlling (25%), and closing (14%). If you want to calculate your score and see how the process goes click here.
Why is the pass rate for the PMP exam so low
Source:pmaspire.com
The PMP certification exam has a 51% pass rate. The average number of people who take the PMP exam for the first time each year is just above 200,000 (200,470 to be exact). Only about half of those that do take it each year pass on their first attempt. The most recent data from PMI suggests that there were roughly 290,000 people certified as Project Managers as of October 2012. That would mean that roughly half of all certified project managers have been able to pass the certification exam at least once which is not very promising when you consider how many times someone may need to retake a failed exam before they are successful.
The most recent data from PMI suggests that there were roughly 290,000 people certified as Project Managers as of October 2012. That would mean that roughly half of all certified project managers have been able to pass the certification exam at least once which is not very promising when you consider how many times someone may need to retake a failed exam before they are successful. However, it must be noted that PMI has only been tracking the number of certified project managers since 2006; prior to that there were simply too many variables involved to make such a count accurate.
Other reasons for the pass rate low
Source:schweser.com
Some have suggested that the high failure rate is simply a reflection of how difficult it is to take a test under test-like conditions, while others have argued that the high percentage of first-time test takers is itself sufficient cause for an apparent decline in overall pass rates. Others have suggested that as more and more people become aware of the value and validity of project management as a profession, these statistics will eventually normalize as those who are committed to achieving certification will persist long enough until they do so.
Pass rates have been declining steadily since the program’s inception, but this trend has begun to level off. In 2003 pass rates were over 70%, and while they did decline to about 45% in 2006, there has been a slow uptick since then. The most recent data from PMI suggests that pass rates were at 51% for 2012.
Just as important to note is that these statistics are simply averages across all four exam domains (Initiating, Planning, Executing and Monitoring & Controlling). Some people take the test with no prior project management experience or training; others fail despite years of prior experience because they don’t prepare themselves adequately for the exam. That said, it is still useful information when considering how difficult it may be to pass the test.
Combined pass rates for all four domains can be found on PMI’s website under the Certification tab. In general, the higher you score in any particular domain, the easier it will be to achieve a passing overall score (which means that someone who scores low in one area but very high in others may still fail while someone with higher average scores generally has a better chance of passing). Rates are calculated by dividing the number of Certified Members by the total number of examinees. This provides data that is useful when considering how difficult it is to pass each exam.
How does the PMP exam looks like
Source:elmhurst.edu
The exam has historically been broken down into four specific domains which are each further divided into Objectives for a total of forty-four objectives that are covered in-depth on this exam. Each objective is associated with a weighting factor, which is nothing more than an estimate of how much weight that objective carries when you consider all objectives together. Exam takers receive one mark for every correct answer and lose one-fourth of a mark for each incorrect answer leaving them with a raw score out of 1000 points. The passing score varies depending on the scaling factor used during any particular administration but typically hovers around the 575 to 585 point range (which means that roughly 2/3’s or 66% of all questions must be answered correctly)
Combined pass rates for all four domains can be found on PMI’s website under the Certification tab. In general, the higher you score in any particular domain, the easier it will be to achieve a passing overall score (which means that someone who scores low in one area but very high in others may still fail while someone with higher average scores generally has a better chance of passing). Rates are calculated by dividing the number of Certified Members by the total number of examinees. This provides data which is useful when considering how difficult it is to pass each exam.
