PMI Agile: What Exactly is the PMI-ACP?

PMI-ACP Agile Certification Pilot

PMI-ACP Agile Certification Pilot was recently launched by the Project Management Institute. The exam covers agile methodologies which helps demonstrate a person’s knowledge and capabilities relating to Agile project management practices. There is very few information available on the internet related to the certification and so in this article we will try and cover some of the basic doubts that might arise in the mind of any PMI-ACP certification aspirant.

• Exam Fee:The pilot exam currently costs around $435 for PMI members and $495 for non-members.
• Eligibility: You would need to meet all of the below criteria in order to be eligible to appear for the exam,

1. You need to have at least Secondary degree, high school or equivalent
2. One year of Project Management experience with at least 2,000 hours of experience working with project teams.
3. 1,500 hours of experience spread over minimum of eight months working with project teams using agile methodologies.
4. Mandatory 21 hours Agile Project Management Training

• Exam Topic: The 3 hour long exam consists of 120 multiple-choice questions and is aimed at testing your knowledge and skills in the application of Agile project management techniques. The exam comprises of two parts,

1. Agile tools and techniques

2. Agile knowledge and skills.

• Benefit: By becoming a PMI-ACP you can,

1. Demonstrate to employers your level of professionalism in Agile practices of project management.
2. Increase your professional versatility.
3. Hold a certification that is more credible than existing entry-level, training or exam-only based offerings.

• Target Audience: The exam is mainly useful for people working in the following roles

1. Project Managers
2. Product Owners
3. Business Analysts
4. Developers
5. QA/Testers
6. IT Leaders
7. Project Stakeholders

• Tips for passing the exam: Some of the important topics one needs to cover to clear the exam with flying colors are:

1. XP practices, techniques & roles
2. Value Stream Mapping
3. Lean Portfolio Management
4. Estimations using story points and velocity
5. Understand information radiators, and focus on burn-down charts, their
   value and what do they represent.
6. Agile manifesto and principles
7. Pareto’s Law
8. Risk management and risk burn-down