This is what I have managed to research thus far, not sure how appropriate and credible this is but I got it from the PMhub site. Any comments??

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WHAT EXACTLY IS THE MAIN CHANGE?

In a nutshell, the big change is that starting August 31, 2011, instead of having six sections to the PMP^® exam (one for each of the five PMI Process Groups^®, plus one for Ethics & Social Responsibility), there will now only be five sections of the test (one for each of the Process Groups^®). Ethics & Social Responsibility questions will be interspersed throughout the other five sections, instead of in their own section.

WHY DOES THIS CHANGE MAKE THE TEST HARDER?

It’s much easier to answer ethics questions “in context,” meaning when you are able to look at the questions specifically as ethics questions. This is because when you know which questions are ethics questions (as with the exam currently) you are able to think to yourself, “OK, this is an ethics question, what are they asking for, based on the PMI Code of Ethics And Professional Conduct?”)

But after August 30^th, test-takers will no longer have that luxury. A question, for example, testing a PM on “what is the most ethical cost management decision here?” will be thrown in as just one of the many questions in the Planning, Executing Monitoring and Controlling, etc. sections of the test. So the same question will become harder for most test-takers under the new test format, because it will need to be evaluated more as a “pure question,” and not specifically as an ethics question.

HOW AND WHY DID THIS CHANGE COME ABOUT?

… PMI’s RDS STUDY

Recently, PMI conducted a Role Delineation Study (RDS) for the PMP® exam, with more than 3,000 of its members participating. The Institute does this from time-to-time to maintain the quality and veracity of all its exams. And as a result of this study, it was determined that “PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct is integrated into the work of project management…” and therefore “should be viewed as integrated into the day-to-day role of a project manager and important in each phase of the project lifecycle.”

Here is the direct statement about the RDS from PMI’s homepage: http://www.pmi.org/Certification/Project-Management-Professional-PMP/Updates-to-PMP-Certification-Exam/PMP-Role-Delineation-Study.aspx

Acting on this study, the PMP^® exam will be incorporating all Ethics and Social Responsibility questions into the corresponding Process Group^®-based sections. And many PMs have expressed that they view this as a good change, because it reflects the awareness that ethics and social responsibility are a part of all aspects of the PM’s role, not an area to be handled separately.

And of course ultimately this stems form the idea that PMs who are ethical and socially responsible in their decision-making can bring in their projects more successfully and with higher CustSat (customer satisfaction). As I emphasize with various examples throughout my book, making compromises to do things faster and cheaper is often counter-productive (in addition to unethical). This is because the cheapest or most expedient solution may seem good in the short term, but it is often very bad long-term.

Satisfying your clients in the long-term often translates to more success and increased profit, through repeat business and new business referrals (a ripple effect). And a reputation for making the best and most ethical decisions also helps PMs on an individual level – it can give you a competitive advantage in interviews and on the marketplace.