Why PMI-ACP Certification Is Essential for Agile Project Managers

The most well-known and acknowledged Agile project management certification in the world is the PMI-ACP.

It is provided by the Project Management Institute, which bills itself as “the world’s leading not-for-profit professional membership association for the project, program, and portfolio management profession. Professionals and recruiters value the PMI-ACP® certification because it demonstrates the holder has a strong foundation in Agile project management skills.

PMI’s Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® program provides students with the methods and skills required for agile management. These strategies have been successful in the corporate world.

The degree is widely recognized and will undoubtedly give you a head start in the job market. Agile concepts,  agile mindset, flexible planning, and agile technical knowledge are some of the soft skills covered in this course. The comprehensive program offers people the opportunity to take on a worthwhile challenge.

There are already more than 700,000 members and certified individuals throughout 260 chapters worldwide. Regarding project manager certification, PMI is a reputable organization since, as part of the certification process, candidates must not only pass the exam but also have at least 2,000 hours of project experience.  Additionally, PMI-ACP-certified project managers are sought after by organizations.

Global PMI Standards

The foundation standards, practice standards, frameworks, and practice guides make up the three divisions of the PMI’s worldwide standards. The categories highlight how expansive project management is. The profession is still evolving and expanding, so the PMI-ACP program is likewise changing every year.

For better project management knowledge is built on a foundation of foundational standards. It stands for the four project management disciplines projects, programs, portfolios, and organizational project management.

The PMBOK® Guide and other foundation standards’ methodologies, procedures, and tools can all be found in practice standards, which act as guidelines for their application. 

Project risk management, earned value management, project configuration management, work breakdown structures, scheduling, project estimation, and other areas all have separate practice standards.

They provide detailed information and guidance to help project managers implement PMI standards. PMI-ACP training courses can also benefit from these guides. Practical guides include business analysis for professionals, implementing organizational project management, managing complexity, and managing change in organizations.

How to Become a Certified PMI-ACP

The PMI-ACP is a fantastic option for you if you work on agile teams or your company is using agile practices. Your PMI-ACP demonstrates your practical experience and expertise working with an agile team.

1. Complete the requirements: You must first meet the prerequisites to receive your certification. There are several requirements for the PMI-ACP certification, including acquiring a secondary education, such as a high school diploma, an associate’s degree, or its equivalent internationally. Completed 21 contact hours of instruction in agile methodologies; the PMI-ACP Exam Prep Course will satisfy this requirement. Completed a general project for at least 2,000 hours or 12 months over the last five years. Over the last three years, accumulated at least 1,500 hours, or eight months, of project experience using Agile methodologies or on Agile project teams.
2. Appear for the test: The 120 multiple-choice questions on the PMI-ACP exam are divided into seven categories and you have three hours to answer them.
   1. Value creation (20%)
   1. Stakeholder engagement (17%)
   1. Agile concepts and approaches (16%)
   1. Team performance (16%)
   1. Planned adaptation (12%)
   1. Problem identification and resolution (10%)
   1. Continuous improvement (9%)
3. Renew your PMI-ACP certificate: Your PMI-ACP certificate is valid for three years. The organization now requires ongoing certification requirements (CCR), such as the acquisition of 30 Professional Development Units (Plus), to maintain certification. At least 18 Plus rely on education to develop technical, managerial, strategic, and business skills. At most 12 Zeus can come from professional volunteer work. If you miss your renewal deadline, which is three years from the test date, the institution will suspend your certification for one year. If you do not meet the requirements within this time, your certificate will expire, and you will have to reapply.

Importance of PMI ACP training

The PMI-ACP® is not for Agile newcomers, as you can see from the list of prerequisites above. It is built upon years of training and expertise in agile project management. Therefore, the ideal applicant will already be managing projects using Agile methodology or have experience with Agile projects. The importance of PMI ACP training is as follows:

• Better product quality: The agile process is based on quick feedback and ongoing development. This is made feasible by the iterative methodology, which divides the overall product plan into stages. After each phase, pieces of it are released, and then feedback is swiftly collected and incorporated. The final product’s quality is raised as a result of this process.
• Agile has been in great demand in recent years, and certifications enable companies to assess a project manager’s familiarity with agile principles, practices, and technologies.  The PMI created the certification for project managers who apply agile techniques to their projects or for PMs who work for companies that use agile project management techniques.
• Advances industry acclaim: The expectations of a project manager evolve as industries, cultures, and demographics do. You don’t need to worry about anything because the PMI-ACP® Certification is regarded as proof of your professional success on a global scale. Being certified by PMI-ACP® allows you to work anywhere in the world. It displays the level of competence and skill in agile project management, which will grab the employer’s attention right away. More than 40k current credential holders can be found worldwide, and given this amount, there is clear competition for the top positions.
• For better project management: A large defect in the final product could result in significant losses; therefore, rolling it out all at once as opposed to incrementally can increase risks.  Agile’s methodology lessens this risk by reducing the likelihood of mistakes during the final rollout. Employing an Agile-certified practitioner makes sense because planning the entire process takes knowledge and experience. Hence, it helps in better project management.
• Coverage: The PMI-ACP is not restricted to a single approach, like other Agile certifications. Instead, it includes a variety of agile methodologies (such as Scrum, Kanban, XP, FDD, Crystal, DSDM, etc.).
• Aids in teaching you critical abilities: Your resume becomes more appealing to employers as a result. More importantly, PMI-ACP certification gives you the knowledge and abilities you need to succeed in the workplace. The PMI-ACP certification has strict requirements. As a result, passing this exam with a lot of preparation is easier. Several hard and soft skills must be learned to acquire PMI-ACP certificates. Additionally, it exposes you to cutting-edge trends and agile project management best practices. Project management tasks can teach you new tips and tactics as well.
• Improved team morale: excellent teamwork and collaboration are the cornerstones of successful agile management. The ongoing movement of the project’s various phases means that collaboration considerably boosts team morale. It will be possible for various teams to work together to solve issues and recognize achievements. Teams rarely interact with one another in a typical setting; however, the Agile technique fixes this issue. Each squad is purposefully kept small so that inter-team harmony can be fostered.
• Flexibility and predictability are increased since the agile methodology is built to reduce risks, which increases the likelihood that the product will succeed. Phased development allows for effectively identifying and correcting flaws and programming faults. Testing the finalized product is optional before it is released. Testing can also occur in stages, boosting the project’s capacity to foresee its successes and failures.
• Customer satisfaction: Successful Agile projects require high levels of transparency. Customers are allowed to express any worries, problems, or ideas about the product, which naturally prioritizes them. Businesses see higher income, improved branding, and increased customer loyalty when customers feel acknowledged and valued. Product backlogs are continuously updated, and urgent problems are fixed right away. As a result, customers start to develop a dependable, long-term relationship with the business.
• Helps to increase income: Those with superior skills make more money than those with mediocre skills. Similarly to this, you can request higher compensation if you hold more certificates, such as PMI-ACP. Therefore, earning such certification may prove vital if you wish to be more financially solid in your work.
• Opportunities for Employment: Having this certification will also increase your employability. Companies may even be chasing you because of your outstanding qualifications in better project management and other relevant sectors. It might present opportunities for you to progress professionally.