In the past, the classic approaches to software design and development were linear and sequential, such as the “Waterfall†model. With the increase in demand for technology and resources, Agile Methodologies became “Bread & Butter” for Project Mangers and their organizations.  The principle Agile methods adapt to change, and focus on customer service and allowing changes to be made easily.  Agile is based on rolling wave planning; iterative and incremental delivery; rapid and flexible response to change; and open communication between teams, stakeholders and customers. There are many agile approaches that adhere to these tenets, such as Scrum, XP, Lean and Test-driven Development (TDD), Crystal, Dynamic Systems Development Method (DSDM Atern), and Feature Driven Development (FDD).
With increasing positive customer feedback for Agile development, Project managers are embracing Agile principles and practices as a technique for successfully managing projects. As a result of this, the Project Management Institute (PMI) developed a certification to assess the knowledge and skills of project managers. Individuals who have 1500 hours working on Agile methodologies along with 2000 hours of project management within the last two years can sit for this certification. With the growing demand for professionals with this certification, it is a way for career minded individuals to add value to their personal brand. After getting certified, individual have to renew the certification every three years with 30 PDUs (professional development units).
PMI’s Agile Certification tests various areas like Value Driven Delivery, Stakeholder Engagement, Boosting Team Performance, Adaptive Planning, Problem Detection and Resolution, and Continuous Improvement. A certified professional is a master of the Agile frameworks, Value systems and he / she will have clarity on the roles and responsibilities of the Product owner, Team members and the technique of planning, developing, and delivering incremental parts of a larger project or product.
References:
http://www.agilemanifesto.org/principles.html
http://www.allaboutagile.com/pmi-agile-certification%E2%80%A6-the-pmi-agile-project-professional/
http://www.dennisstevens.com/2011/02/25/pmi-agile-certification/