Exam Topics

The candidates pursuing the PMI PgMP certification need to go through five topics included in the qualifying test. These objectives and their percentage share in the exam content are elaborated below:

• Benefits Management (11%)

  The third subject area includes the tasks, such as developing the plan for realizing the benefits and measurement criteria; identifying and capturing synergies in addition to efficiencies; developing a plan for sustainment; monitoring metrics. Other topics are verifying that the issues, such as the closure, integration, and transition of constituent projects, satisfy or exceed the realization criteria for the benefits; maintaining a register for the benefits and recording program progress; analyzing and updating the plans for the benefits realization in addition to sustainment targeting risk identification, uncertainty, risk mitigation, as well as risk opportunity. The final task focuses on developing a plan for the transition to operations.

• Strategic Management of Projects (15%)

  The initial topic focuses on various tasks, including performing an initial assessment of the program by defining its objectives, requirements, as well as risks. Other tasks include establishing a top-notch road map, defining a top-rated roadmap or framework, defining the mission statement of the program, and evaluating the capability of the organization. Some more tasks include identifying the benefits of a specific program to an organization and estimating the program’s top financial benefits as well as those that are non-financial. It also covers evaluating the program objectives based on regulatory as well as legal constraints, sustainability, social impacts, political climate, cultural considerations, and ethical concerns, among other tasks.

• Governance (14%)

  The fifth part involves a number of tasks that the individuals must be proficient in. They include developing standards in addition to structure for managing the program/project; selecting a model structure for governance, including policies, standards, and procedures; obtaining authorization(s) as well as approval(s) through reviews for stage gate; evaluating KPIs; developing and/or utilizing the PMIS and integrating varied processes as required. Other tasks concern regularly evaluating new and existing risks that have an impact on the strategic objectives; establishing escalation policies & procedures; developing and/or adding to a knowledge repository that contains lessons learned related to the project as well as processes in addition to documentation. The domain also covers the skills of the individuals in identifying and applying lessons learned and monitoring the environment of the business and requirements for program functionality & benefits realization. The last task addresses developing and supporting the integration of a management plan for a particular program.

• Program Lifecycle (44%)

  The second domain of the PMI PgMP exam comes with the following tasks: developing a program charter, translating strategic objectives, developing a top-rated milestone plan, and developing a matrix for accountability. Other subtopics covered are defining criteria for standard measurement, conducting kick-off for a program with the major stakeholders, developing a detailed statement about program scope, developing program WBS, and establishing the plan for program management. The students will also be required to undertake the additional tasks, including optimizing the plan for program management, defining PMIS (Project Management Information System), and identifying & managing unresolved issues about the project. In addition, the test takers should be capable of developing the plan for transition/closure/integration, developing KPIs, monitoring key programs for human resources, chartering and initiating constituent projects, among others.

• Stakeholder Management (16%)

  When it comes to the fourth section, the learners have to develop mastery in identifying the stakeholders (including sponsors) and creating the matrix for them; performing stakeholder analysis; negotiating stakeholder support, including that of sponsors; generating and maintaining the program’s visibility as well as confirming stakeholder support; defining and maintaining communications targeted at varied stakeholders, including sponsors. Other tasks covered include evaluating risks that the stakeholders/sponsors have identified; incorporating them in the plan for the program’s risk management & development; fostering relationships with key participants.

Recommended Books for The PgMP Exam

Start your prep process with the useful books and study guides to cover all exam concepts tested in the PgMP exam. They are the following:

• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).

  The ‘Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)’ is PMI’s publication and is an essential resource for effective project management in any industry. The guide consists of ‘The Standard for Project Management.’ The standard is the foundation upon which the vast body of knowledge builds, and the handbook serves to capture and summarize that knowledge.

  The ‘PMBOK® Guide – Sixth Edition’ and ‘Agile Practice Guide’ complement each other. These two publications are a powerful tool for project delivery professionals, as they give you the right approach to follow for a specific project.Purchasing the English version of ‘PMBOK® Guide (Sixth Edition)’ offers you a free complimentary copy of the Agile Practice Guide.

• The ‘PgMP Program Management Professional All-in-One Exam Guide’ by Joseph Phillips..

  It is an excellent resource for candidates preparing to take the PgMP exam. The book is written by a real expert in this field and a PM consultant recognized worldwide J.Phillips. Thus, the book covers all ins and outs of the process including preparation stage, the exam itself, and the phase of passing it. The ‘PgMP Program Management Professional All-in-One Exam Guide’ is considered to be a real study guide that helps you ace this multiple-choice exam with flying colors. To add more, this guide is a good starting point before moving on to the ‘Standard for Organizational Project Management’ and ‘Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).’

• The Standard for Organizational Project Management.

  The ‘Standard for Organizational Project Management’ is the detailed guide for people and organizations that want to develop their program management practices. The book is based on principles, making it widely useful for many organizations, regardless of the project delivery strategy. This book has clear, detailed, and relevant information on acceptable program practices. It’s a worthwhile book for professionals who work with programs. Managers and stakeholders of project, program, and portfolio will find it very useful. The book is available in Kindle edition or in paperback format and can be found on the vendor’s official website or you can check the Amazon.com website as well.

Reference: https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/certifications/pgmp-exam-content-outline.pdf?rev=67166f23d2794860865edbaeff922a59&sc_lang_temp=en

Exam Details

After completing the first evaluation (a panel review), you can proceed with registering for the second evaluation, which is a written exam. The qualifying test for the PMI PgMP certification contains 170 multiple-choice questions, including 20 unscored items. The unscored question won’t affect the final score. The students are given 4 hours for passing their exam. The test is administered in the English language at the authorized Pearson VUE centers. You can check the available canter located near you on its official website.

The cost of the PgMP certification exam is $800 for the PMI members and $1000 for those without any membership arrangement. For a retake, a candidate will be paying $600 if he or she is a member and $800 if he or she is not a member. Retaking the test is possible only twice within one year.

Exam Details

The PMI PgMP certification exam is made up of 170 multiple-choice questions. There are 20 pretest questions among these 170 that do not affect the final score and are used in the test for validation purposes. However, the pretest questions are placed randomly across the exam content and the individuals will not be able to identify them. The students will have a total of four hours to answer all the questions. The test can be taken only in English on the basis of the authorized centers. The cost of the exam for the PMI members is $800, while the non-members will have to pay $1000.