PMP exam has not become easier rather to pass the exam you actually need beyond 61% which also includes minimum score in each process group, psychometric analysis etc. PMI has improved the quality of PM material with PMBOK 5 and of course the new changes which applies from 11th Jan 2015. If you see from tree view, PMP exam is tougher and its grading is even more complex these days. PMI is doing lots of research and is incorporating changes which should actually make PMP exam credibility high.

So the point here is, why is PMP exam seems to be becoming easier, holding PMP certification is becoming optional in many industries and when you see this forum you will realize lesser people here when compared to 3 years or before.

Let’s analyze this what may be happing (this is my personnel thoughts, subjected to experts comments/addition too):

1. Majority of countries today is moving from “developing” to “developed” and they are adopting global best practices when it comes to industry standards. Same applies to level of higher education which is almost becoming common and global. So, what people used to read to pass PMP exam some 5-10 years before is now covered in college courses and all internal training of any MNC company. So, today when you prepare for PMP exam and read its book, you find nothing very new and hence it’s easy to pass such exam. E.g. when computer was introduced in most of the countries in 1980’s it was most difficult to understand and use, but today, no youngster requires any training to use computers.
2. Another aspect is the cost of PMP exam from contact hours, purchasing books, paid mock tests etc. If your company funds you for PMP exam, they have to pay huge say around USD 3500 per person. What does USD 3500 gives to a company? Just a certificate, right? Ofcourse yes, since project management best practices are already part of adopted process. In reality cost-benefit ratio is not good here. For US, USD 3500 is still fine, what about the countries supplying highest labor to global industries? They are India, China and many more, USD 3500 here is too huge, in India this price is close to annual salary of a person in many industry. Why should a company fund a person to get a certification which cost that huge?
3. Today, we are living in an intelligent age. Bring an idea, and see how it spreads in just 6 months. Examples are search engine, social networking websites, online shops etc. Exam like PMP also suffers from global competitions when it comes to purchasing books and paid mock tests. Today, you have thousands of options (many free) to get PMP preparation materials and mock tests. Just google what you need, and you get 100 of options including tips, quick notes, PMP exam types questions etc. Today if you plan to open PMP REP or anything similar, its return on investment is very less since publically available materials is very high and no one can give anything very different. This is troubling 3^rd parties to get into PMP exam teaching/training mode reducing long term members/clients to PMI.
4. Demand and supply are time dependent, today global industry is adopting process like Agile and Scrum. Today suppliers are many and hence what is important is quick delivery, low cost and quick support resolution. The Project Management methodology is now old, costly and it’s too big and complex. This require changes in the days to come which should make it simple and process which has quick turnaround. This is another aspect where you see many industry adopting Agile and other similar certifications than PMP.
5. Lastly, as a PMP certified professional question yourself – Do you really see any big difference in the way you work before you did this certification? Ofcourse when people look at you like a certified processional now, there is a difference for sure, but I am not bothered on this aspect and on salary increase etc. You work on the same project, same process, same methods, follow the same boss instructions etc even when you are PMP certified, right? So, what really did PMP certification changed in your working style? This is the question which needs answer and as a teacher, I know over 100’s of people who are working in the same way and nothing has changed in them and their working style.
6. To end up, its global world and survival requires marketing skills. Although PMI may have designed PMP course so that people learn and adopt best practices, but in reality this global competitive world has made its motive restricted to passing the exam. Read books, quick guide, take tons of mock test and in 99% of the cases people pass this exam.

Saket, PMP

ITS VERY TRICKY AND HARD , WHO SAID SO IT'S SIMPLE??

PLEASE ASK THEM HOW THEY STUDIED SO IT WILL HELP OTHERS TO PLAN FOR EXAM PREPARATION !!