NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 12 – The Project Management Institute (PMI) has refreshed its Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam to reflect changing workplace demands and the growing use of artificial intelligence.
The new exam, introduced in July 2026, places more emphasis on business alignment, strategic decision-making, stakeholder engagement, leadership, sustainability and project delivery in AI-enabled workplaces.
PMI Sub-Saharan Africa Managing Director George Asamani said the exam is regularly updated to reflect how project professionals work and the skills employers expect.
“We regularly refresh the exam to ensure it continues to reflect how project professionals work, the challenges they face, and the capabilities organisations expect from them. The 2026 refresh is part of that ongoing evolution,” Asamani said.
The changes come as technical skills become outdated faster, with PMI noting that about half could become obsolete within five years.
The new exam tests how candidates apply project management skills in real situations rather than simply recalling principles.
Candidates are expected to make decisions, manage competing priorities, engage stakeholders and keep projects focused on delivering value.
PMI research shows that organisations increasingly expect project managers to understand business priorities and take responsibility for project outcomes rather than focus only on scope, schedules and budgets.
“PMI research shows that 35% of CEOs identify a disconnect between planning and execution as their top barrier to reinvention, closely followed by the failure to continuously upgrade talent for the future at 34%,” Asamani said.
“Organisations need project professionals who can close that gap, people who understand what the business is trying to achieve and have the skills to turn those priorities into successful projects.”
Demand for project professionals is also expected to rise, with organisations globally projected to need up to 30 million more project professionals by 2035 as governments and businesses undertake infrastructure, technology and other transformation projects.
Asamani said Africa will need more workers with project delivery skills as its working-age population grows.
“By 2050, Africa is expected to account for 85% of the growth in the world’s working-age population. Our opportunity is not to compete with AI, but to ensure that this growing workforce has the skills to harness it,” he said.
Francis Olanrewaju Boluwaji, Founder and Managing Director of Hope For Hopeless People Foundation, who recently earned his PMP, said the new exam focused on practical situations.
“The refreshed exam was very practical. It tested how you would respond as a project manager. You couldn’t rely on rote answers; you had to think through the situation and decide what to do,” Boluwaji said.
He said the scenarios covered areas such as stakeholder engagement, leadership, value delivery, decision-making and adapting to change.Demand for the PMP certification has also increased, with the number of certifications granted rising by 36% year-on-year in the first five months of 2026.
Asamani said the changes reflect the need for project professionals to combine technical knowledge with judgment, leadership and adaptability.
However, existing PMP certification holders are not affected by the changes.
