PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Exam Guide
If you’re reading this article, chances are good that you’re already considering or at least curious about the PM certifications and wondering if the investment of time and money is worth it. There are several certification options for agile software development. These will help you distinguish yourself from other aspiring adopters. The PMI-ACP is an entry-level certification that covers the benefits of agile techniques and provides a foundation for the transition to more advanced competencies.
Why Take The PMI-ACP Exam?
For instance, did you know that more than 66% of organizations have adopted agile methods to help them improve their organizational performance? Moreover, around 37% of organizations are even transitioning to agile development practices in order to accelerate software releases and reduce time to market. That is to say, at this rate, it can be hard to get noticed if you have limited knowledge of agile development. This is where the PMI-ACP certification will come in handy. Likewise, the PMI-ACP helps organizations by validating an individual’s knowledge and skills with agile principles, methods, tools, and techniques.
Passing the exam will not only validate your knowledge about agile project management principles and practices but also enhance your skills and capabilities to perform tasks such as product development, software development, and implementation. The PMI-ACP certification will show your employers and clients that you can deliver high-quality results on time and within budget. Meanwhile, you can use this certification as proof that you possess current, in-depth knowledge of the principles of agile software development.
Overview of the PMI-ACP Exam
PMI-ACP (Agile Certified Practitioner) is a certification from PMI which gives recognition to agile project managers. Passing this exam aims the holder to be able to demonstrate their knowledge in the agile field and hence help them prove their competency through practical experience.
The PMI-ACP certification has been gaining popularity among IT and business professionals due to its adaptability. Agile methodologies are an essential part of projects and have significant application in fields like technology, software development, project management, marketing, analytics, and much more. For example, project managers who can efficiently take advantage of agile frameworks stand to benefit considerably from the methodology. Organizations who embrace agile practices will experience higher quality within their product or service portfolio, increased speed of delivery, improved customer satisfaction, and reduced time to market.
Know The PMI-ACP Exam Requirements
There are a few things you should know and have in practice to clear the PMI-ACP exam. Firstly, a candidate should have secondary education. Secondly, 21 hours of training to enhance knowledge in agile practices is necessary. Besides, 12 months of general project experience is a must during the last 5 years while working in the relevant field.
Get To Know The PMI-ACP Exam Patterns
The PMI-ACP exam is a 120 question multiple-choice test, which you take on a computer. There are 100 scored questions and 20 unscored questions. Passing will earn you the certification.
Is The PMI-ACP Exam Hard?
The PMI-ACP exam is not as difficult as the PMP exam. While the exam does not require any technical skills, it does require a specified knowledge of the topics.
What Is The Cost?
The exam fee is $435 for PMI members and $495 for non-members. PMI membership is about $129 per year.
How To Apply For PMI-ACP Exam?
Scheduling the exam can be done online. Start off by visiting the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) website to start the registration process. You will need to submit proof of your work. In addition, you will also need proof of education experience, as well as your PMP or PgMP certification in order to apply for the exam.
How Long Is The Exam?
Taken on average over a 3 hour period, the exam is simple, requiring test-takers to answer each question within an average of 1.5 minutes per question.
Exam Outline
Agile Principles and Mindset – 16%, Value-driven Delivery – 20%, Stakeholder Engagement – 17%, Adaptive Planning – 12%, Problem Detection and Resolution – 10%, Continuous Improvement (Product, Process, People) – 9%.
Exam Language
The exam is in the following languages: English, Japanese, Spanish, and Korean.
The PMI-ACP Exam Practices and Mock Tests
Taking practice tests and training courses is one of the best ways to prepare for the PMI-ACP exam. They do exactly what the name says: they help you practice taking the actual exam. Practice tests are useful for a few reasons. Firstly, they let you access real exam questions that are similar to the ones on the exam. In addition, these tests will help you find where your knowledge gaps are. They’ll help you study more efficiently by pointing out areas you need. It is also a great idea to partner up with another student or join a community.
PMI-ACP Exam Career Benefits
To clarify, the PMI-ACP certification is your ticket to greater job opportunities and the ultimate validity that you have the technical know-how required to execute agile project management success. The certification is a valuable certification because it demonstrates that you have the skills and experience to manage a project. All test takers must be able to demonstrate their hard-earned project management skills through content testing. As well as be able to prove they have five years of experience in a similar role.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have got an idea of what does PMI-ACP exam looks like and how to achieve the certification. As you see it’s a lot of hard work. I do hope that a lot of agile professionals out there will follow the above steps – obviously not all at once – and eventually, take the exam. It is a challenging task for sure but it is not impossible if you follow some prerequisites, guidelines, and rules. As a result, these are all very necessary in gaining knowledge.
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