The Project Management Institute (PMI) is a global leader in the field of project management. PMI’s publication, “The Project Management Book of Knowledge” (PMBoK), is highly regarded across multiple industries and geographies as an eminent framework for project managers. The PMI maintains a training and certification program based on its core expertise, with designations offered for a number of different skill levels and specializations.
A recent offering from the PMI certification program is the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP).
Overview of PMI-ACP Certification
The PMI-ACP certification was created as a designation for professionals experienced in the agile methodologies and tools used for managing projects. Agile practices, which differ from conventional project management techniques in a number of ways, are often used in software development but can be found in a number of other industries, as well.
The PMI-ACP is a professional-level certification and comes with a number of qualifications, some of which are below:
- High school diploma or global equivalent
- 2,000 hours of experience working on project teams, gained over the last five years
- 1,500 hours of experience working on project teams using agile methodologies, gained over the last three years; this requirement is over and above the 2,000 hours of general project team experience
- 21 hours of training in agile methodologies
Candidates who fulfill these qualifications and have their applications approved through the PMI screening process may then take the PMI-ACP certification exam.
PMI-ACP Certification Exam Details
Candidates who have been approved to take the PMI-ACP exam have exactly one year in which to pass it and can take the exam up to three times during the eligibility period.
Individuals have three hours to complete the exam, which consists of 100 multiple-choice questions. The exam content is evenly based on two primary knowledge domains: Agile Tools and Techniques and Agile Knowledge and Skills. A more detailed breakdown of the subjects contained in these knowledge domains is available in the “PMI-ACP Examination Content Outline,” which is available on the PMI website.
Individuals can take the PMI-ACP exam at a Prometric testing center.
Renewing the PMI-ACP Certification
The PMI-ACP certification remains valid for three years, once earned. To maintain the designation, individuals must participate in PMI’s Continuing Certification Requirements (CCR) program and earn 30 Professional Development Units (PDUs) during each three-year certification period.
More information about which activities count towards PDUs can be found in the “PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Handbook,” available on the PMI website.
Sources:
PMI-ACP Exam Guidance, Project Management Institute, http://www.pmi.org/Certification/New-PMI-Agile-Certification/PMI-ACP-Exam-Prep.aspx
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP): Examination Content Outline, Project Management Institute, http://www.pmi.org/en/Certification/~/media/Files/PDF/Agile/PMI_Agile_Certification_Content_Outline.ashx
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), Project Management Institute, http://www.pmi.org/Certification/New-PMI-Agile-Certification.aspx
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Handbook, Project Management Institute, http://www.pmi.org/Certification/~/media/PDF/Certifications/PMI-ACP_Handbook.ashx
