Is the PMBOK 7th Edition enough to pass the PMP exam, or do I still need the 6th Edition?

All answers to this question.

This is the most common point of confusion right now. The short answer: You need both, but for different reasons. The PMP exam is "platform-agnostic," meaning it’s not based on one single book. However, the 6th Edition is still the best resource for understanding the "Technical" side of project management (how to actually build a schedule or a budget). The 7th Edition provides the "Strategic" framework and the "Mindset" required for the situational questions. Most high-quality PMP courses now blend the two. Don't memorize the 49 processes anymore—understand the logic behind why a certain process follows another.

   Answered 2024-09-17 by Kimberly Adams

That's exactly what I'm struggling with! The 7th Edition feels very high-level and abstract. Do you find that the exam questions are still asking about specific outputs like the "Stakeholder Register" or "Basis of Estimates," or is it more about how you'd handle a conflict between two team members? It feels like the exam is shifting from a "How-to" manual to a "Leadership" test.

   Answered 2024-09-20 by David Clark

• David, you're right—it has definitely shifted toward leadership. Roughly 42% of the exam is the "People" domain, which is almost entirely situational. However, you still need the 6th Edition's "Process" knowledge to answer the other 50%. For example, you might get a question about a scope change; you need to know the process of Integrated Change Control (6th Ed) to decide the leadership action (7th Ed) of communicating that change to the sponsor. They work together.

     Commented 2024-09-21 by Edward Wright

The 7th Edition is much shorter, which is a relief! But don't throw away the 6th Edition's "Process Groups" yet. They are still the backbone of the "Process" domain on the exam

   Answered 2024-09-23 by Michelle Young

• Agreed. I treated the 7th Ed as the "Strategy" and the 6th Ed as the "Tactics." You can't win the war without both.

     Commented 2024-09-25 by Jason Reed