BIG changes are underway at PMI!!  Here is the TLDR version:

1. PMBOK 8th Edition has been released

2. The 'PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct' has been updated 

3. The PMP Exam will change in July of 2026

Watch short video HERE

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)―Eighth Edition and The Standard for Project Management represents the most data-driven and community-informed update in the guide’s history.

🔍 𝗔 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹, 𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁

The PMBOK 8th edition was built through four research phases involving thousands of practitioners worldwide:
- Qualitative sessions across seven countries.
- 3,400 responses to a survey about PMBOK 7.
- 9,000 public comments on the draft Guide during the first open consultation
- And 3,900 additional comments on the Standard second open consultation.

It is the most community-driven PMBOK ever produced.


1️⃣ 𝗣𝗠𝗕𝗢𝗞 𝟴 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗠𝗕𝗢𝗞 𝟳 - absolutely not a "rollback".

PMBOK 8 keeps the principles and performance domains foundation of 7 but simplifies and clarifies them to make them more actionable and avoid the somewhat confusing overlap of some of them. There is also a higher focus on value, sustainability, AI, and quality integration. It recognizes Project Success as when Value exceeds Effort and Expense.

2️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁-𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱

The five well-known process groups and 49 processes, were never gone but they had been debundled from PMBOK 7 and published separately. In 8, they are streamlined and embedded as flexible, non-prescriptive anchors that work across the continuum between predictive and Agile, and support the Performance Domains, making the articulation clearer.
Inputs, Outputs, and Tools & Techniques now appear as non prescriptive items in alphabetical order, covering various approaches and referenced across the Guide.

🌍 𝗣𝗠𝗕𝗢𝗞 𝟴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 (𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀), 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 (𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀), 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 (𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀) 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆.

In summary PMBOK 8th Edition, focuses on value, sustainability, AI, and quality integration. It is built on previous versions, but it's not a rollback. Instead, it clarifies and simplifies concepts to make them more actionable, with an emphasis on project success defined as value exceeding effort and expense.

Get PMBOK 8th Edition HERE

This update was effective on November 17, 2025.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is a foundational document that guides the behavior and decision-making of project management professionals worldwide. As the profession evolves in response to technological, social, and regulatory changes, so too must its ethical standards. On 17 November 2025, PMI released a significant update to its Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, marking the most comprehensive revision in over a decade.

Overview of the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

The PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is designed to instill confidence in the project management profession by articulating the ethical expectations for PMI members, certification holders, applicants, and volunteers. The Code is structured around four core values—Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, and Honesty—which serve as the foundation for both aspirational and mandatory standards of conduct. These standards are intended to guide practitioners in making ethical decisions, particularly in complex or ambiguous situations where legal requirements may be insufficient.

The 2025 update reflects PMI’s commitment to ensuring that its ethical framework remains relevant and effective in addressing contemporary challenges. The revision process involved extensive consultation with global stakeholders, benchmarking against emerging trends, and a deliberate effort to provide clearer, more actionable guidance for real-world application.

Here’s a summary of the recent PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct updates:

🔑 Core Values (Unchanged but Reframed)

• Responsibility, Respect, Fairness, Honesty remain the foundation.
• Language has been modernized to emphasize inclusivity, global applicability, and clarity in expectations.

📌 Key Updates

• Expanded Guidance on Responsibility

  • Stronger emphasis on sustainability, social impact, and accountability for project outcomes.
  • Explicit call to consider long‑term effects on communities and the environment.

• Respect Modernized

  • Clearer expectations around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
  • Guidance on avoiding bias and fostering psychological safety in teams.

• Fairness Strengthened

  • More detail on conflicts of interest, transparency in decision‑making, and equitable treatment of stakeholders.
  • Explicit prohibition of favoritism and misuse of authority.

• Honesty Clarified

  • Reinforced obligation to provide accurate information and avoid misleading statements.
  • New emphasis on truthfulness in digital communication and AI‑assisted work.

📖 Structural Changes

• Simplified format: shorter, more direct statements for easier application.
• Practical examples added to illustrate ethical dilemmas in modern project contexts (remote work, digital tools, AI).
• Updated terminology to align with PMI’s global standards and evolving workplace norms.

💡 Expert Commentary

• Why the changes?
  • To reflect shifts in project environments: globalization, digital transformation, and DEI priorities.
  • To ensure project managers are equipped to handle ethical challenges in hybrid and tech‑driven settings.
• Implications:
  • Greater accountability for social and environmental impact.
  • Clearer guardrails for fairness and transparency in complex stakeholder landscapes.
  • Reinforced trust in project management as a profession.

👉 In short: PMI kept the four values intact but sharpened them for today’s realities—adding sustainability, DEI, digital integrity, and practical examples to make the Code more actionable.