PMI releases new editions of the PMBOK Guide every few years to keep the content current, practical, and valuable. The content reflects how project management is practiced today, not how it was practiced a decade ago. This article highlights the key changes between the PMBOK Guide 7th and 8th editions and addresses the most common questions surrounding the update.
Most changes can be grouped into 5 main categories:
1. Key term and concept updates
2. Principles refinement
3. Project management performance domains
4. Reintroduction of Process Groups as Focus Areas
5. AI in Project Management
In PMBOK 8, a project is defined as a temporary initiative in a unique context undertaken to create value, whereas in PMBOK 7, a project is defined as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.
In PMBOK 8, project management is defined as the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet or exceed the intended value, whereas in PMBOK 7, it is defined as the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.
The distinctions indicate an evolution in project management thinking. PMBOK 7 centers around delivering outputs and meeting predetermined project requirements, whereas PMBOK 8 emphasizes delivering value within its unique context. This shift aligns with broader trends in adaptive, outcome-oriented project management approaches.
Program management in PMBOK 8 focuses on aligning and executing related projects and program activities to deliver value, strategic alignment, and benefits that cannot be achieved through individual management. In contrast, PMBOK 7 emphasizes applying knowledge, skills, and principles to achieve program objectives and gain benefits and control not available when managing program components separately.
This evolution aligns with the broader changes in project and program management where the focus is increasingly shifting from merely delivering specific outputs to providing strategic value and measurable benefits.
PMBOK 8 consolidates the 12 principles from the 7th edition into 6 clear, actionable, and easy-to-remember principles. The principles have been refined to be more actionable, and consolidated to minimize overlap, duplication, and confusion.
Adopt a Holistic View. This principle involves understanding and managing projects by considering all components and their interdependencies as part of a larger system.
Focus on Value. A focus on value aims to maximize the return on project investments for the customer, performing organization, and/or other stakeholders. This effort involves delivering the required functionality and quality by optimizing workflows with acceptable risk exposure, using minimal necessary resources, and avoiding unnecessary rework and other types of waste.
Embed Quality. Embedding quality includes the ability to satisfy customers and stakeholders’ stated or implied needs as a matter of course, at or above target levels of efficiency
Be an Accountable Leader. Accountable leadership is about being responsible and taking ownership of the project’s target business objectives, as well as the actions taken and the decisions made
Integrate Sustainability. The principle of Integrate Sustainability within all project areas involves meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This principle may involve adopting technology responsibly to foster a better future, while systematically identifying and mitigating any adverse impacts on the organization, community, and environment.
Build an Empowered Culture. To develop an empowered project culture, the project environment should promote mutual trust among stakeholders and the project team members. There should be full clarity on individual roles, responsibilities, team agreements, and guiding processes.
PMBOK 8 refines the 7th edition’s 8 performance domains into 7, making them more practical, less abstract, and easier to apply while preserving the outcome-based focus.
Specifically, the new domains represent key areas of practice:
1. Governance
2. Scope
3. Schedule
4. Finance
5. Stakeholders
6. Resources
7. Risk
These domains replace the more abstract, outcome-based domains introduced in PMBOK® 7 while preserving a strong focus on delivering intended outcomes and value.
Additionally, approximately 40 processes have been embedded within the performance domains. These processes, including Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs (ITTOs), are no longer prescriptive steps. Instead, they serve as optional references to aid tailoring efforts, improve consistency, and provide practical guidance while maintaining flexibility. This balances structured guidance with adaptability for diverse project approaches.
The five traditional Process Groups- Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing are reintroduced as Focus Areas. While these were historically structured as formal categories of project management processes, in the 8th Edition, they reflect more flexible and adaptable approaches. Projects now often satisfy these concepts using combinations of formal processes, informal practices, and/or flexible policies.
PMBOK® Guide 8th Edition explicitly incorporates guidance on artificial intelligence (AI) in project management, reflecting how AI is being used in the profession today. AI can support project management tasks in many ways. The more complex the task, the more human intervention is required to result in high-quality outcomes. In that sense, a good strategy is classifying tasks according to complexity and the need for human supervision.
The PMP® exam is primarily based on PMI’s Exam Content Outline (ECO), which details the domains and tasks covered in the exam. While the PMBOK® Guide remains one of the resources to help prepare for the certification, the exam draws concepts from a variety of resources including PMI guides, standards, and practice methodologies.
The Eighth Edition builds on the ideas from the Seventh Edition but doesn’t completely replace it. The Seventh Edition focused on principles and delivering value, while the Eighth Edition updates and expands this to include practical guidance and simplified concepts. Both editions are useful, and you can use them together based on what you need for your project work.
No. PMI does not change exams immediately after releasing a new PMBOK® edition. Any exam updates are announced in advance, allowing candidates enough time to prepare.
These common misconceptions about the PMBOK® Guide can cause PMP candidates to take an inefficient approach to their studies. Partnering with an Authorized Training Partner (ATP) helps you avoid costly mistakes by providing expert guidance. An ATP’s role is to streamline your exam preparation and ensure you focus on the materials that best prepare you for success.
We support you along every step of the certification journey with the end goal of passing your PMP exam with confidence.
