PK0-004 vs. PK0-005: What’s New?
Progress, it seems, is inevitable, especially in technology and information technology. A month hardly passes without some new piece of software or hardware changing what’s possible in networking, storage, AI, or some other tech. For people in project management, that can be a real nightmare – project management certifications can only do so much to prepare you for projects that depend on specialized technology that might be obsolete next month.
Fortunately, CompTIA just continues to keep its Project+ certification up-to-date and relevant. In November 2022, CompTIA updated the Project+ exam from PK0-004 to PK0-005. Now, the Project+ is better focused on helping project managers understand the landscape of technology and how the work they do affects and is affected by it. Project managers and IT professionals alike will benefit from reading on and learning what’s new and whether the Project+ is worth it for them.
Build a Strong Foundation With CompTIA Training
If you’re new to IT or need to diversify your existing skillset, CompTIA is a great starting point. Because CompTIA certifications are vendor-neutral, you can broadly apply the knowledge and skills they validate regardless of what products or services your organization uses.
CBT Nuggets online CompTIA training can help you learn the fundamentals of areas such as networking, security, and the cloud. Once you’ve got the basics down, you can branch out to more specific vendors or specialized career paths. Our CompTIA training will help you build the foundation for a successful IT career.
Not a CBT Nuggets subscriber? Sign up for a 7-day free trial to get a feel of what it’s like to learn IT with us. Explore all of our CompTIA training and start learning skills that can boost your career no matter what stage you’re at!
Related: 5 Project Management Certs that Can Advance Your Career in 2023.
What is CompTIA Project+?
Project+ is a vendor-neutral project management certification from one of the world’s largest professional organizations of IT professionals: CompTIA. CompTIA takes great pride in being vendor-agnostic, which is something of an oddity in the IT certification world. While most certification vendors test someone’s familiarity with one piece of technology or one specific approach or methodology, CompTIA is interested in certifying individuals who can “plug and play” into different environments, settings, and technologies.
Project+ is CompTIA’s project management certification. And although Project+ is focused on how to manage technology-related projects, it’s not itself strictly focused on technology. It’s a certification that’s intended for non-technical professionals who need to understand technology well enough to navigate projects and personnel working in IT without getting bogged down in technical details.
Vendor-agnostic and performance-based, the Project+ is arguably one of the best project management certifications for project managers who value flexibility and having a broad range of skills. Most project management certifications are restrictively focused on one specific methodology or system, usually, one that comes with baggage like esoteric vocabulary and highly specific processes. But the Project+ is about the commonalities of those methodologies and what’s universally true of projects in the IT/technology world.
What’s the Current Version of Project+ Exam?
As of this writing, the current version of the CompTIA Project+ certification exam is PK0-005. PK0-005 became the official Project+ exam on November 8, 2022. The older version of the Project+ exam is PK0-004.
PK0-004 retires on May 9, 2023. Depending on when you’re reading this, you can still take the old version of the Project+ exam. But after May 9, you must take PK0-005 in order to earn the Project+. CompTIA has not announced when PK0-005 will retire, but their exams tend to be valid for three (3) years.
What are the Differences Between PK0-005 and PK0-004 Exams?
According to CompTIA, 70% of the new PK0-005 tests on the same learning objectives as the older PK0-004. Only 30% of PK0-005 is brand-new material. But that’s not to say that 70% of the PK0-005 exam is identical to the PK0-004, just the knowledge it tests for.
Although a lot has changed on the exams, CompTIA remains focused on a high literacy of IT topics for PMs.
Compare the PK0-004 exam objectives to the PK0-005:
PK0-004 |
| PK0-005 | |
Project Basics | 36% | Project Management Concepts | 33% |
Project Constraints | 17% | Project Life Cycle Phases | 30% |
Communication and Change Management | 26% | Tools and Documentation | 19% |
Project Tools and Documentation | 21% | Basics of IT and Governance | 18% |
As you can see, CompTIA has restructured the Project+ exam quite a lot. Despite the changes to the exam, the core of Project+ remains the same:
The basics of thinking about projects
Limitations and constraints of completing projects
The importance of communication itself, and having multiple ways to communicate
Managing change throughout a project
Tools that are available to PMs
How to document progress and projects
Managing projects in the IT/IS world
CompTIA recognizes that being an effective manager isn’t just about understanding the technologies and processes that your projects depend on, but the thousand other factors that result in your projects getting completed on time. PK0-005 remains focused on management techniques and concepts while viewing many of those through an IT lens.
How to Prepare for PK0-005 Exam
The best way to get ready for the new PK0-005 is with CBT Nuggets trainer Simona Millham’s new Project+ course. Simona developed her PK0-005 course for project managers and IT professionals alike. She doesn’t just explain the new exam and its learning objectives, she gives you practical exercises that provide a thorough understanding of IT project management principles.
Who Should Take the Project+ PK0-005 Exam?
Obviously, the best audience for the Project+ and the new PK0-005 are project managers and project coordinators whose projects and assignments are anchored in technology in one way or another. Quality assurance analysts and business analysts will learn how to incorporate IT concepts into their analysis while understanding the role IT plays in your organizations. Systems administrators and IT professionals who would like to take a greater role in planning and management should also plan to take the PK0-005.
Can You Still Take the PK0-004 Exam?
Depending on when you’re reading this, you can still take PK0-004 to earn Project+. You can take PK0-004 until May 9, 2023. So if you’ve been preparing for the Project+ with PK0-004 materials, you might want to hurry and take that version. But if you’ve already purchased an exam voucher, that applies to any version of the Project+, so you’d be best off preparing for PK0-005 with Simona’s CBT Nuggets online course.
Final Thoughts
Project+ from CompTIA has always been a well-regarded certification, but ever since PK0-004’s release, chatter on the internet suggested that the exam itself was confusing and poorly constructed. The good news is that early reports from the IT community are pointing to the PK0-005 being a much better exam.
Newly updated and full of different ways to tackle projects, there’s no better time to take Simona’s PK0-005 online course and earn your Project+.
delivered to your inbox.
By submitting this form you agree to receive marketing emails from CBT Nuggets and that you have read, understood and are able to consent to our privacy policy.