Detailed Analysis of 2019 PMP Examination Content Outline
PMP Examination Content Outline (ECO) Comparison
| 2015 PMP ECO | 2019 PMP ECO | |
| Number of Domains | 5 | 3 |
| Number of Tasks | 42 | 35 |
| Number of Knowledge & Skills | 86 | |
| Number of Enablers | 133 | |
| Number of New Tasks | 15 | |
| Number of Removed Tasks | 9 |
New terminology and concepts in 2019 ECO
These concepts are new, and cannot be found in the 2015 ECO.
| Concept | Domain | Task |
| Empowerment (of Team Members & Stakeholders) | People | 4 |
| Training (of Team Members & Stakeholders) | People | 5 |
| Impediments, Obstacles, and Blockers (for Team) | People | 7 |
| Shared Understanding | People | 10 |
| Ground Rules (for Team) | People | 12 |
| Mentoring (of Stakeholders) | People | 13 |
| Urgency Required to Deliver Business Value | Process | 1 |
| Integrate Project Planning | Process | 9 |
| Project Artifacts | Process | 12 |
| Project Methodology/Methods and Practices | Process | 13 |
| Project Governance Structure | Process | 14 |
| Project Continuity | Process | 16 |
| Project Compliance | Business Environment | 1 |
| External Business Environment Changes | Business Environment | 3 |
| Organizational Change | Business Environment | 4 |
Tasks removed based on 2015 Examination Content Outline
The 2019 ECO has no reference to the main concepts described in these tasks:
| Task | Domain | Task |
| Project assessment to support feasibility within assumptions and constraints | Initiating | 1 |
| Identify deliverables based on business requirements to manage expectations and direct achievement of goals | Initiating | 2 |
| Development of project charter to ensure stakeholder agreement | Initiating | 5 |
| Obtain project charter approval to formalize project management authority and gain commitment and acceptance | Initiating | 6 |
| Inform stakeholders of approved project charter to ensure common understanding of deliverables, milestones and roles, responsibilities | Initiating | 8 |
| Present project management plan to stakeholders to obtain approval | Planning | 11 |
| Conduct kick-off meeting to inform, engage stakeholders and gain commitment | Planning | 12 |
| Implement approved actions to minimize risk impact and take advantage of opportunities | Executing | 5 |
| Obtain final acceptance of deliverables to confirm that scope was achieved | Closing | 1 |
New 2019 PMP ECO concepts in PMBOK6
Many of the new concepts are mentioned or referred to in PMBOK6 and/or the Agile Practice Guide.
Following is a listing of the best matching descriptions.
| Domain, Task | Concept | Reference | Details |
| People #4 | Empowerment | 3.4.5.1 Leadership styles (p.65) | Transformational leadership |
| People #4 | Empowerment | 4. Project Integration Management (p.73) | Use of visual management tools |
| People #4 | Empowerment | 9. Project Resource Management (p.309-310) 9.4 Develop Team (p.338) 9.4.2.4 Interpersonal and team skills (p.341) | Mentioned in Key Concepts, and Trends and Emerging Practices, as well as Develop Team, and Motivation |
| People #4 | Empowerment | 11. Project Risk Management (p.399) | Mentioned in Trends and Emerging Practices under Project resilience |
| People #5 | Training | 9.1.3.1 Resource Management Plan | Mentioned in Roles and Responsibilities |
| People #5 | Training | 9.4 Develop Team (9.4.2.6 and 9.4.3.1) | Throughout, and specifically mentioned in Tools & Techniques and Performance Assessments |
| People #5 | Training | 10.1.2.3 Communication Technology (p.370) | Mentioned under Ease of use |
| People #7 | Impediments, Obstacles, Blockers | Agile Practice Guide | Various mentions of Impediments, Obstacles, Blockers |
| People #7 | Impediments, Obstacles, Blockers | 10.2 Manage Communications (p.381) | Overcoming Obstacles is mentioned under Facilitation |
| People #12 | Ground Rules | 9.1.3.2 Team Charter (9.1 Plan Resource Management) (p.320) | Mentioned under Team Charter |
| People #12 | Ground Rules | 9.5.2.1 Interpersonal and Team Skills (9.5 Manage Team) (p.348) | Mentioned under Conflict Management |
| People #12 | Ground Rules | 13.3 Manage Stakeholder Engagement (p.528) | 13.3.2.4 Ground Rules |
| People #13 | Mentoring of Stakeholders | 10.2.2.3 Communication Skills (10.2 Manage Communications) (p.384) | Mentioned under Feedback |
| Process #9 | Integrate Project Planning | 4.2 Develop Project Management Plan (p.82-89) | By definition a Project Integration Management process |
| Process #12 | Project Artifacts | 4.6 Perform Integrated Change Control (p.558-559) | Various mentions throughout referring to project (management) documents |
| Process #13 | Project Methodology/ Methods and Practices | 2.3.1 Processes, Policies, and Procedures (p.40) | Project methods, project management methods |
| Process #13 | Project Methodology/ Methods and Practices | 3.4.2 Technical Project Management Skills (p.58) | Tailor traditional and agile methods for project |
| Process #13 | Project Methodology/ Methods and Practices | 5. Project Scope Management (p.133) | Agile methods mentioned under Considerations for Agile/Adaptive Environments |
| Process #13 | Project Methodology/ Methods and Practices | 8. Project Quality Management (p.276) | Agile methods mentioned under Considerations for Agile/Adaptive Environments |
| Process #13 | Project Methodology/ Methods and Practices | 13. Project Stakeholder Management (p.506) | Agile methods mentioned under Considerations for Agile/Adaptive Environments |
| Process #13 | Project Methodology/ Methods and Practices | Agile Practice Guide | Various mentions of Methodology, Method(s), and Practice(s) throughout |
| Process #14 | Project Governance Structure | 4.1.1.4 Organizational Process Assets (4.1 Develop Project Charter) (p.79) | Project governance framework |
| Process #14 | Project Governance Structure | The Standard for Project Management (1.3 Linking Organizational Governance and Project Governance) (p.545) | “types of governance including organizational governance; organizational project management (OPM) governance; and portfolio, program, and project governance” |
| B.E. #1 | Project Compliance | 2.4.4.3 Project Management Office (p.48) | Mentioned under Controlling PMO |
| B.E. #1 | Project Compliance | 8. Project Quality Management (p.276) | Mentioned under Tailoring Considerations |
| B.E. #1 | Project Compliance | 12. Project Procurement Management (p.461) | Mentioned under Key Concepts for Project Procurement Management and Expert Judgment in 12.1.2.1, 12.2.2.1, and 12.3.2.1 |
| B.E. #3 | External Business Environment Changes | 1.2.2 The Importance of Project Management (p.10-11) | Mentioned in last paragraph, also referring to 4.2 Develop Project Management Plan (p.83): “The project management plan should be robust enough to respond to an everchanging project environment.” |
| B.E. #4 | Organizational Change | 4. Project Integration Management (p.73) | Mentioned in Trends and Emerging Practices |
Discussion of items that cannot be found in PMBOK6
Empowerment of Stakeholders: All references in above table are about empowering Team Members … but so are the enablers mentioned in the 2019 PMP ECO.
Shared Understanding: There are various mentions of common/mutual understanding in PMBOK. Shared Understanding is only mentioned in The Standard for Project Management (p.562), in the context of success criteria during initiating. The enablers mentioned in the 2019 PMP ECO are related to consensus building after misunderstanding.
Urgency Required to Deliver Business Value: The enablers clearly indicate that this is related to selecting the right project life cycle and development cycle, which is explained in 1.2.4.1 Project and Development Life Cycles (p.18-19). However, the word Urgency is not used in this context.
Project Governance Structure: Although the term is used in PMBOK, the fact that this is a task in the ECO makes it the responsibility of the project manager.
Project Continuity: The enablers relate continuity to knowledge transfer within the project team.
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