PMI-RMP Exam Format | PMI-RMP Course Contents | PMI-RMP Course Outline | PMI-RMP Exam Syllabus | PMI-RMP Exam Objectives

The Project Management Institute (PMI)® offers a professional credential for project risk managers, known as the PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)®. PMIs professional credentialing examination development processes stand apart from other project management certification examination development practices. PMI aligns its process with certification industry best practices, such as those found in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing.
A key component of this process is that organizations wishing to offer valid and reliable professional
credentialing examinations are directed to use a role delineation study (RDS) as the basis for the creation
of the examination. This process uses knowledge and task-driven guidelines to assess practitioner
competence, and determine the level of salience, criticality, and frequency of each of the knowledge,
tasks, and skills required to perform to the industry-wide standard in the role of a project risk manager.
The role delineation study ensures the validity of an examination. Validation assures the outcome of
the exam is in fact measuring and evaluating appropriately the specific knowledge and skills required to
function as a project risk management professional. Thus, the role delineation study guarantees that each
examination validly measures all elements of the project risk management profession in terms of real
settings.

PMI-RMP® credential holders can be confident that their professional credential has been developed
according to best practices of test development and based upon input from the practitioners who
establish those standards. Please see Appendix A for a detailed description of the process.
The PMI-RMP examination is a vital part of the activities leading to earning a professional
credential; thus, it is imperative that the PMI-RMP examination reflect accurately the practices of the
project risk management professional. All the questions on the examination have been written and
extensively reviewed by qualified PMI-RMP credential holders and are supported by current project risk
management published references. These questions are mapped against the PMI-RMP Examination
Content Outline to ensure that an appropriate number of questions are in place for a valid examination.
PMI retained Professional Examination Service (PES) to develop the global PMI-RMP Examination
Content Outline. Since 1941, PES has provided a full range of assessment and advisory services to
organizations across a broad range of professions, in support of professional licensure and certification,
training, and continuing professional education. PES is dedicated to promoting the public welfare
through credentialing as a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization.
Finally, while the PMI-RMP Examination Content Outline, the Practice Standard for Project Risk
Management and PMBOK® Guide have commonalities, it is important to note that those involved in the
study described previously were not bound by the Practice Standard for Risk Management and/or
PMBOK® Guide. They were charged with defining the roles of individuals assessing and identifying
project risks, mitigating threats and capitalizing on opportunities, and using their experience and
pertinent resources to help in this task. Although many of the domains, tasks, knowledge, and skills outlined by the PMI-RMP Examination Content Outline are also covered by the Practice Standard for Project Risk Management and PMBOK®
Guide, there are some that are unique to the PMI-RMP Examination Content Outline. Candidates
studying for the examination will certainly want to include the current edition of the Practice Standard
for Project Risk Management and PMBOK® Guide as two of their references, and would be well advised
to read other current titles on project risk management.



Risk Strategy and Planning 19–20%

Stakeholder Engagement 19–20%

Risk Process Facilitation 25–28%

Risk Monitoring and Reporting 19–20%

Perform Specialized Risk Analyses 14–16%

Total 100%



Tasks Risk Strategy and Planning (19–20%)

Task 1 Develop risk assessment processes and tools that quantify stakeholder risk
tolerances in order to assess and determine risk thresholds for the project
and set criteria for risk levels.
Task 2 Update risk policies and procedures using information such as lessons
learned from projects and outputs of risk audits in order to improve risk
management effectiveness.
Task 3 Develop and recommend project risk strategy based on project objectives in
order to establish the outline for the risk management plan.
Task 4 Produce risk management plan for the project on the basis of inputs such as
project information, external factors, stakeholder inputs, and industry policies
and procedures in order to define, fund, and staff effective risk management
processes for the project that align with other project plans.
Task 5 Establish evaluation criteria for risk management processes based on project
baselines and objectives in order to measure effectiveness of the project risk
process.

Knowledge of:

 Continuous process improvement as applied to risk management

 Knowledge management techniques for organizing and providing access to project risk information

 Metrics for measuring effectiveness of project risk process

 Risk attitude concepts

 Risk Breakdown Structure (RBS)

 Risk tolerance concepts

 Barriers to effective risk management

 Project risk management inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs

 Project risk contingency and management reserve

 Research and analysis techniques

 Basic strategy development methodologies



Tasks Stakeholder Engagement (19–20%)

Task 1 Promote a common understanding of the value of risk management by using
interpersonal skills in order to foster an appropriate level of shared
accountability, responsibility, and risk ownership.

Task 2 Train, coach, and educate stakeholders in risk principles and processes in
order to create shared understanding of principles and processes, and foster
engagement in risk management.

Task 3 Coach project team members in implementing risk processes in order to
ensure the consistent application of risk processes.

Task 4 Assess stakeholder risk tolerance using processes and tools such as
interviewing stakeholders and reviewing historical stakeholder behaviors in
order to identify project risk thresholds.

Task 5 Identify stakeholder risk attitudes and cognitive biases using stakeholder
analysis techniques in order to manage stakeholder expectations and
responses throughout the life of the project.

Task 6 Engage stakeholders on risk prioritization process based on stakeholder risk
tolerance and other relevant criteria, in order to optimize consensus
regarding priorities.

Task 7 Provide risk-related recommendations to stakeholders regarding risk strategy
and planning, risk process facilitation, risk reporting, and specialized risk
tasks by using effective communication techniques in order to support
effective risk-based decision making.

Task 8 Promote risk ownership by proactively communicating roles and
responsibilities and engaging project team members in the development of
risk responses in order to improve risk response execution.

Task 9 Liaise with stakeholders of other projects by using effective communication
techniques and sharing information on project risk performance in order to
inform them of implications for their projects.

Knowledge of:

 Information resources, both internal (for example, OPA) and external (for example, EEF)

 Project performance information

 Stakeholder sensitivity analysis models

 Training and coaching techniques

 Types of stakeholder risk attitudes (including but not limited risk seeking, risk tolerant, and risk averse)

 Group decision making

 Group creativity (including but not limited to brainstorming, nominal group technique, Delphi technique, idea/mind mapping, and affinity diagram)

Skills in:

 Assessing stakeholder risk tolerance (appetite and attitude)

 Collaborating with stakeholders

 Managing teams in multicultural environments

 Influencing change



Tasks Risk Process Facilitation (25–28%)

Task 1 Apply risk assessment processes and tools in order to quantify stakeholder
risk tolerances and determine risk levels.

Task 2 Facilitate risk identification using a variety of techniques in order to enable
the project team and stakeholders to understand and determine the risk
exposure of the project.

Task 3 Facilitate the project teams evaluation of the identified risks attributes using
qualitative and quantitative tools and techniques in order to prioritize the
risks for response planning.

Task 4 Facilitate the development of an aligned risk response strategy and related
risk actions by risk owners from the information gathered during risk analysis
in order to ensure timely and defined action when required.

Task 5 Facilitate the formulation of project contingency reserve based on the risk
exposure of the project in order to have the capability and resources to
respond to realized risks.

Task 6 Provide risk data to cost and schedule analysts/estimators to ensure that
project risk is properly reflected in cost and schedule estimates for the
project.

Task 7 Use scenarios to validate potential risk responses and evaluate key
dependencies and requirements in order to enhance the likelihood of project
success.

Knowledge of:

 Basic risk identification tools and techniques for both threats and
opportunities (including but not limited to brainstorming, checklists,
prompt lists, assumptions and constraints analysis, interviews,
questionnaires, cause and effect analysis, SWOT analysis, document
review, affinity diagrams, and lessons-learned review from similar
projects)

 Basic qualitative risk analysis tools and techniques (including but not
limited to probability-impact matrices, risk scoring, Risk Breakdown
Structure analysis, root cause analysis, Pareto prioritization analysis, and
risk metric trend analysis)

 Basic quantitative risk analysis tools and techniques (including but not limited to Monte Carlo analysis, decision trees, FMEA/FMECA/Fault Tree
analysis, and sensitivity analysis)

 Heuristics and other dynamic sources of cognitive biases and their associated effects on risk perception and behavior

 Risk response strategy types

 Contingency management tools and techniques

 Risk monitoring and control techniques

 Group decision making

 Group creativity (including but not limited to brainstorming, nominal group technique, Delphi technique, idea/mind mapping, and affinity diagram)

Skills in:

 Using analytical software tools for project risk management

 Managing teams in multicultural environments

 Estimating probability and impact of identified risks



Task 1 Document and periodically update project risk information using standard
tools (including but not limited to risk register, risk database) and techniques
in order to maintain a single, current repository of all project risk information.

Task 2 Coordinate with project manager using communication techniques in order to
integrate risk management throughout the project.

Task 3 Create periodic standard and custom reports using risk-related metrics as
specified in the risk management plan in order to communicate risk
management activities and status.

Task 4 Monitor risk response metrics by analyzing risk response performance
information, and present to key stakeholders in order to ensure resolution of
risk and develop additional risk response strategies to address residual and
secondary risks.

Task 5 Analyze risk process performance against established metrics in order to
drive risk process improvements.

Task 6 Update the project risk management plan using relevant internal and external
inputs in order to keep the plan current.

Task 7 Capture risk lessons learned through comprehensive review of the project
risk management plan, risk register, risk audits, risk process performance
reports, and other associated reports in order to incorporate into future risk
planning.

Knowledge of:

 Continuous process improvement and quality management as applied to risk management

 Knowledge management techniques for organizing and providing access to project risk information

 Alternative formats for project risk reports (for example, Top Risk List, Risks Transitioned to Issues, Response Plans Behind Schedule, Risk Triggers, and Risk Outcomes)

 Requirements for risk register data fields

 Risk statement construction

 Risk response activity construction

 Risk response metrics

 Risk process performance metrics

 Risk assessment analysis metrics

 Risk management reserves



Tasks Perform Specialized Risk Analyses (14–16%)

Task 1 Evaluate the attributes of identified risks using advanced quantitative tools
and specialized qualitative techniques in order to estimate overall risk
exposure of the project.

Task 2 Analyze risk data produced during the project using statistical analyses and
expert judgment in order to determine strengths and weaknesses of risk
strategy and processes and recommend process improvements when
indicated.

Task 3 Perform specialized risk analysis using advanced tools and techniques in
order to support stakeholder decision making for the project.

Knowledge of:

 Advanced risk identification tools and techniques for both threats and
opportunities (including but not limited to force field analysis, scenario
planning, futures thinking, visualization, Delphi groups, and nominal
group technique)

 Advanced quantitative risk analysis tools and techniques (including but
not limited to, integrated cost/schedule analysis, advanced Monte Carlo
analysis, system dynamics, bowtie analysis, analytical hierarchy process,
risk-based earned value analysis, risk-based critical chain analysis, and
multi-factor regression analysis, modeling techniques, advanced risk
metric analysis [including statistical process control])

 Tools and techniques for identifying and analyzing overall project risk
(including but not limited to risk efficiency index, risk tolerance analysis,
risk reserve analysis, risk metric trend analysis, risk taxonomy, risk
connectivity analysis, Monte Carlo analysis against overall project
objectives, project risk surveys, and correlation analysis)

 Basic and advanced statistics

 Estimation tools and techniques to support risk decision making
(including but not limited to prioritization, cost-benefit analysis,
analogous, parametric, and bottom-up)

 Advanced theory of heuristics and other sources of cognitive bias

 Variance/Earned Value Analysis



Knowledge of:

 Project risk management processes, frameworks, and theory (in line with
the PMI Practice Standard for Project Risk Management)

 Basic project management theory, methodologies, and practice (as
described in the PMBOK® Guide)

 Risk principles and guidelines as described in ISO31000

 Communication tools, techniques, models, and channels

 Facilitation tools and techniques

 Negotiation tools and techniques

 Leadership theory as it relates to risk management

 Organizational theory as it relates to risk management

 Risk taxonomy

 PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

Skills in:

 Effective oral, graphical, and written presentation

 Tailoring information to all levels of stakeholders

 Conducting effective interviews

 Gathering, managing, analyzing, and validating data

 Problem solving

 Active listening

 Conflict resolution

 Expressing complex and abstract information

 Influencing without authority

 Coaching and mentoring