On December 31, ‘08, PMI will release four new standards – The PMBOK® Fourth Edition, The OPM3® Second Edition, The Standard for Program Management Second Edition and the Standard for Portfolio Management Second Edition. The main goal in releasing four the standards simultaneously was to ensure they were in harmony with the other. While the new standards are being released this month, they will not become the basis of certification testing until mid ‘09 Specifically, the PMBOK® Fourth Edition will become the basis for the PMP® exam on July 1, 09, the CAPM® exam on August 1, 09 and the PMI-SP(sm) and PMI-RMP(sm) exams on September 1, 09. The Standard for Program Management Second Edition along with the PMBOK® Fourth Edition will become the basis for the PgMP® exam on September 1, 09.


Since Terminus encourages certification candidates take an exam prep course only a week before their examination, these new standards will not be integrated into course material until June ‘09 for the PMP® prep course and August ‘09 for the PgMP® prep course.

However, since every candidate is encouraged to read the associated standard for the certification they seek, every candidate testing after the cut-over date should order the new standard(s) as soon as possible. To order directly from the PMI, visit their marketplace.

Terminus began preparing its PgMP® course material in June ‘08. Since that time, we have reviewed a plethora of books and study guides targeted for the PgMP® credential. Without a doubt, the most realistic sample questions have been delivered to the market by J. LeRoy Ward and Ginger Levin. Their PgMP® Exam Practice Test & Study Guide has become recommended reading by Terminus PgMP® Coaches since its discovery in October ‘08. As reported back to us by our PgMP® candidates (all whom have passed the exam-by the way), The Ward/Levin study guide provided the closest samples to the actual PMI exam. While it is recommended to get as many sample questions as possible when preparing for the PgMP® exam, every candidate should also consider a PgMP® preparation course. A targeted preparation course greatly improves you chances of passing the exam. If you are interested in attending a course offered by Terminus, please visit http://www.terminus.net/services/training/

Our 10th PgMP® candidate has passed the very challenging four-hour, 170 question exam developed by the Project Management Institute. The PMI launched the PgMP® credential on October 1, 2008 for the general public. In its 1st year, the PMI had credentialed less than 125 program managers. The slow start may be partly related to the unfamiliarity of the credential, the $1,500 the PMI charges for the exam or the shear difficulty of the exam. To prepare PgMP® candidates for the exam, Terminus chooses to coach the candidates instead of reading slides to a highly-educated audience. This approach places most of the preparation for the exam on candidate themselves and thus drives up their memory retention. If you are interested in attending a PMP® or PgMP® class by Terminus, please check out our schedule.

On January 19, 2009 with the launch of our online, instructor-led exam prep course for PMI’s PgMP® and PMP® certifications we are taking our services global. With travel dollars getting tighter, the launch of a online course that is facilitated by a live instructor is great news for many project managers seeking the PMP® or PgMP® certification. To learn more about Terminus’ online and classroom training offerings please the site.