As informed with multiple posts in this site, the Risk Management Professional Exam (RMP) exam has changed this year (2022). The change happened a couple of months before. This is primarily due to the introduction of the new ECO, new standards and guides and other references.
You can read the above posts to know about the changes with respect to the respective courses and book.
Now, at a high-level, the following are the top changes considering the entire RMP exam.
Top 11 Changes – New PMI-RMP Exam
Change – 1: Introduction of a NEW ECO
The new ECO comes with a new set of domains. The domains are:
Domain I: Risk Strategy and Planning
Domain II: Risk Identification
Domain III: Risk Analysis
Domain IV: Risk Response
Domain V: Monitor and Close Risks
The ECO sets the blueprint of the exam and informs the percentage of questions coming from each domain.
However, to understand the ECO, you need to study it thoroughly with all the tasks and enablers. Every domain has a number of tasks and every task has a number of enablers. You need to understand them to know what kind of questions are expected in the RMP exam.
Change – 2: Introduction of NEW Exam Pattern
The exam pattern is now changed. Earlier the RMP exam had 170 questions. Now, the RMP exam will have:
115 Questions (mostly situational questions).
100 Questions will be scored.
15 Questions will be unscored.
Change – 3: Change in Exam Duration
This is actually part of the Change – 2, but considering the drastic reduction in questions and duration, the exam is actually less physically demanding. Earlier it was 3.5 hours (210 minutes) for 170 questions, which translate to 74 seconds for every question.
Now:
The exam duration is of 2.5 hours (or 150 minutes).
For every question, you will get more time (78 seconds approx.).
With 78 seconds for every question, the new exam is actually giving you more time to answer the questions compared to the previous exam. Hence, you have a better chance to score.
Change – 4: Introduction of the Foundational Standard for Risk Management in Portfolios, Programs and Projects.
The Standard for Risk Management in Portfolios, Programs and Projects was released in 2019, but was not explicitly listed for the RMP exam. Now it’s listed as one of the references. This is also called the Foundational Standard for Risk Management in my book and courses.
In fact, this standard is the first in the list of references and in my view, it’s the MAIN source of reference.
Change – 5: Introduction of NEW PMBOK Guide, 7th edition.
The PMBOK7 is now a reference source for preparing the RMP Exam. The latest edition of the PMBOK guide was released in 2021 and listed as the second reference. This edition comes with 12 new project management principles (includes a dedicated risk principle), 8 performance domains and a large number of models, methods and artifacts (MMAs). It also has tailoring considerations.
For the RMP exam, of course the main focus will be Risk Management and how to understand and apply Risk Management in the context of this new guide.
Change – 6: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, what happens to it?
This is a very important aspect as the PMBOK Guide, 6th edition is not listed as one of RMP exam references! However, it will still be a reference, primarily for two reasons:
The first reference source for the new RMP Exam is the (Foundational) Standard for Risk Management in Portfolios, Programs and Projects. It directly and explicitly refers to the PMBOK Guide 6th edition. The reference is quite detailed considering the 5 process groups (PG), 10 knowledge areas (KA).
In the Foundational Standard for Risk Management, there is also a dedicated mapping table to the 49 processes of PMBOK6 across the PGs and KAs.There are seven processes for Risk Management Framework in the Foundational Risk Management Standard - the main reference source. And exactly seven of those risk management processes are elaborated in the PMBOK6, with details on the inputs, tools and techniques and outputs.
The link between the Foundational Standard for Risk Management and the PMBOK guide 6th edition is so strong that you can’t read the foundational standard properly at all, without understanding what PMBOK6 contains!
Hence, in my view, though not listed as a reference, the PMBOK Guide 6th edition is a must-read for your new RMP Exam. However, your reading should be specific to Risk Management and generic to a few other important knowledge areas.
Change – 7: Practice Standard for Project Risk Management, what happens to it?
It’ll still be a reference, though not explicitly listed! Do note that this standard is specifically for projects and hence, directly applies to the RMP exam, though not listed. You have a large amount of information available in this guide, which is not available in either of the PMBOK guides or the Foundational Standard.
However, this guide has outdated processes such as Control Risks, and also other outdated concepts. These have to be changed as you refer to any preparatory course or material.
My suggestion would be that you browse through this guide quickly to have mastery over your preparation. This guide noted a number of import items for the processes of Risk Management such as:
Critical Success Factors are clearly explained, not just bullet line items!
A number of risk related terms such as Risk Meta Language, Non-Risk items are explained.
Informs how to document the artifacts and communicate which form a large part of the ECO
A number of tools and techniques with advantages, disadvantages are noted.
Change request management for risk response actions such as conditional and unconditional ones are clearly noted. These are not available anywhere.
Change – 8: Online Proctored Testing now available for the RMP Exam.
The new RMP exam is now offered in the online proctored mode, like other exams such as Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), Agile Certified Practitioners (ACP) etc.
This is a good change and may help a number of exam takers. Do note that you are allowed one break in the new RMP exam for the online proctored mode.
Change – 9: Introduction of Agile (and Hybrid) for all the Domains.
Now you have to know the Agile concepts in Risk Management. There are a large number of Agile concepts to be used in Risk Management. Many are not aware of this. The ECO informs that Agile concepts will permeate throughout the domains of risk management.
Change – 10: Introduction of other new areas such as Servant Leadership, Governance, Enterprise Risk Management.
These new areas you need to know as well. These are informed in the new ECO. Servant Leadership has overlapping areas with Agile Management.
Change – 11: NEW questions styles in the exam.
Earlier the exam had only multi-choice questions, i.e., out of multiple choices, only one choice will be correct.
Now the exam also has multi-response questions, i.e., out of many choices, more than one choice will be correct.
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That’s it! The above top 11 changes are the most important ones that you need to know.
When you prepare for your RMP exam, keep these new changes in mind. It'll help you better prepare for the exam. The ECO has nuances, which is only understandable with the right material and content. Otherwise, you may find it to be confusing. In addition, I’ve noted the other new references.
Also, there are additional suggested books (not published by PMI), which you have to read for your exam.
The fully updated book of I Want To Be A RMP, the fully updated courses of RMP Live Lessons – Guaranteed Pass and RMP 30 Contact Hours Online have all the needed changes to prepare and enable you for the RMP exam.
RMP Live Lessons - Guaranteed Pass:
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