How to give an Online PMP Exam in this Covid-19 situation?

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused havoc in the life of students/candidates all over the world who wanted to clear a professional course this year. While the online training infrastructure was already in place in most of the reputed educational institutes, some of them struggled to get the pieces right at the start.

The issues like lack of powerful internet connection, lack of real-time guidance of tutors, and unavailability of the required study material in the market also affected the learning process of the students. Like other professional courses, the candidates of the PMP (Project Management Professional) course also had to go through a similar ordeal.

However, the immediate steps were taken by PMI (Project Management Institute), the regulatory body of the PMP course to reschedule the exam brought some relief and revived the hopes of the aspiring project management professionals.

Here’s some important news for both PMP aspirants and those who had already scheduled their PMP exam this year:

  • The PMI has allowed the candidates to access the PMP exam by 31st December 2020 and the new PMP exam will now be launched after 2nd January 2021.
  • Therefore, there is enough time for you to prepare for the PMP exam. Also, you need not worry if you were planning to take this exam next year as you have got enough time to prepare for the next PMP exam.
  • Candidates who had already scheduled their exam but could not take it due to restrictions in local premises, health issues, or delays in training can reschedule their exam as their eligibility was extended up to 18th January 2021.
  • No penalty fees will be charged by PMI for rescheduling the exam and if you have paid any fees in advance you can claim a refund as well.
  • Moreover, the PMI has also introduced the OPT (Online Proctored Testing) for the candidates who wish to take this exam from the safety of their home or office premises.

What is Online Proctored Testing?

  • OPT or Online Proctored Testing is a platform that has been launched by PMI. This platform allows the candidates to take the exams like PMP, CAPM, PBA, and ACP online without stepping outside their home.
  • The spread of the Covid-19 virus will not hamper your professional goals as you can now complete your certification in the same year with the help of this secure platform.
  • The online exam will not compromise on the quality of the exam as the same set of questions will be asked and even a proctor will be appointed to monitor the exam live.
  • You can schedule the exam during both day and night as per your convenience as 24/7 options will be provided for your convenience.
  • Moreover, you can also take a center-based test if you do not want to take an online test.
  • These are some things that you need to ensure to be able to take this exam without any hurdles:
  • You will have to schedule your exam irrespective of whether you are seeking an online or center-based test immediately as the seats are filling-in fast due to limited availability of the seats.
  • A candidate will be eligible to give this exam only if he/she owns a computer and a webcam in their home/office. A powerful internet connection will also be required to complete the test without any technical issues.
  • The premise that you choose for the exam should be quiet so that no one can disturb you while attempting the questions. You will also get a break of 10 minutes halfway during the test.

Important note:

While scheduling the exams via your online account, you will find both the center-based and online test option. You can choose either one of them as per your requirements but if the center-based option doesn’t show the availability of seats then it might be due to the closure of testing centers in your location.

How to take an online PMP exam?

  • To be able to take the online PMP exam, you must first cancel your current exam date. After that, you can choose a new date by selecting the OPT option.
  • Before 1st October 2020, no fees will be charged for rescheduling the exam. Therefore, remember to reschedule your exam date before that.
  • Also, since the exam will be monitored by a proctor, you will not be able to take this test right away. You must schedule your exam time well in advance even if the flexibility of 24/7 timing is offered by PMI.
  • The candidates living in Mainland China, North Korea, Sudan, Iran, and Cuba will not be eligible to take the online PMP exam as of now. Therefore, even if they see the option of OPT while scheduling the exam, they will not be able to find any available seats.
  • The candidates will have to pay their exam fees in advance before applying for the online test. They can check the status of their application by singing in the PMI.org portal after which they can proceed to schedule their online test via Pearson VUE.

For more information about this online exam and procedure to apply for this online test, you can visit this page.