A Simple Step by step Process to become PMI ACP Certified

If you are someone who already has a PMI Certification, this article may sound redundant to you. You are free to skip this one and move on to the next one in the series but I would recommend you spend a few mins to refresh your memory. 

The prerequisite here is the decision that you want to take up the PMI ACP certification…

Step 1: Attend the Mandatory PMI ACP Training

• It is mandatory to have 21 hours of Agile project management training.
• You can attend classroom training or complete 21 hours through e-learning offered by various education providers.
• While submitting the application kit for PMI-ACP exam, the details of this training are to be furnished.
• It is better to get this training through registered education provider (REP) of PMI.

Step 2 (Optional): Sign up for PMI Membership 

• PMI membership is not mandatory for the PMI-ACP certification, but recommended. 
• By becoming a member you can get yourself a copy of the latest version of PMBOK as well as discounts on PMI books and Certification Fees.

Step 3: Submit the PMI ACP Exam Application 

• You need to fill up an online application form which includes details about your education, project management experience as well as the Training you have attended 
• Once you fill up the details and submit the application, PMI will give you an acknowledgement for the same 
• PMI would send you an Eligibility letter within 1-2 weeks of the submission
• This letter is valid for 1 year from the date of issue which means you have 1 year to finish the remaining steps

Step 4: Prepare for the Exam 

• This is the step that would require the most amount of time
• There are numerous great resources available to help you prepare for the PMI ACP Exam including this blog 
• Rita’s book has fantastic reviews or reach me via email (anandvijayakumar007@gmail.com) for guidance 

Step 5: Pay the Exam Fee to PMI 

• Using the eligibility letter you need to login to PMIs portal and then input your credit card information to pay the exam fee
• The fee (as of this writing) is US$ 435 for a PMI Member and US$ 495 for a Non-Member. 
• Once you make the payment, you will receive a receipt

Step 6: Contact your local Prometric Centre and fix up the Exam Date 

• Once you are done with your prep and are confident that you will be able to take up the exam, contact your nearest prometric centre and fix the exam date

Step 7 (Optional): Attend Revision Classes 

• Some of the PMI ACP Training centers also give you an option to attend a Revision class to brush up your knowledge
• Some are free for past students while some are paid. It is up to you to choose whether you want a revision class

Step 8: Take at least 3-5 Full Length Mock Exams

• Mock Exams are a great way to test out if we are ready for the real deal 
• Treat Mock Exams like they were the real thing and don't get up in the middle or refer to study material
• Make sure to understand the rationale behind the answers for the Q’s you got wrong 

Step 9: Crack the Exam 

• Don't get stressed out before the Exam. You will have a full 3 hours to answer 120 questions which will be more than sufficient for the exam
• Questions will test your knowledge of the topics as well how you would react in a hypothetical situation

Step 10: Celebrate with your family and loved ones and don't forget to share your experience comments with the readers of this blog once you are successfully PMI ACP Certified. 

Prev Article: About the PMI ACP Exam

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PMI ACP Certification Home Page 

About the PMI ACP Certification

Certifications are widely used by individuals to demonstrate and show-off their expertise in any particular field. With fierce competition in the job markets, the go-to first level filtering criteria for most jobs is to choose candidates who have the relevant certifications. The field of Software Project Management has always recognized (and continues to value) the PMP Credential but with the industry evolving and moving toward a more Agile development methodology, the field of Project Management needs to Evolve as well. Agile Methodologies like Scrum have become very popular and have started offering their own certifications. Being the pioneer in the field of project management, PMI jumped on the agile bandwagon and introduced its own certification to credit project managers who are practicing Agile thereby creating the “Agile Certified Practitioner”

Why this Article/Series? 

Many years ago when I prepared & passed the PMP Certification exam, I wrote a series of articles on the certification including Exam Prep, Tips & Tricks etc. This helped me understand the concepts that were required to be understood in order to crack the certification examination in my first attempt. I have been helping out this blog’s readers over the last 5-6 years in preparing and passing the PMP as well as PMI-RMP certifications. 

As I am trying to crack the next certification on my to-do list, I thought why not help out others who are preparing for the certification as well. Hence this series. 

Why are PMI’s Certifications Valued so much? 

Much of the Aura around PMI’s certification is twofold – The strict entry criteria that need to be satisfied including years of relevant experience as well as a very complex examination that will further filter out candidates who do not have the expertise in the subject matter. 

Many of the Agile certifications in the market expect the candidate to attend a 3-4 day training and then sit for a medium-complexity examination before awarding them the certification. As a result the distinction between someone who is a newcomer to the field of agile project management and someone who has spent years managing agile projects is kind of blurred. The PMI ACP certification would help you stand-out as an experienced practitioner with solid real world experience. 

What makes the PMI ACP Exam different from other certifications?

Most people are under the misconception that Scrum is the only agile project management methodology. The Scrum Master certifications that test your knowledge of Scrum alone is very popular these days. However, when PMI came up with the course contents or syllabus, they wanted to cover agile project management in general without affiliation to any one particular technique. So, you will learn about Scrum, eXtreme Programming, Lean, Kanban and a few other agile techniques over the course of this series. 

Exam Tip: Thinking that years of Scrum experience and knowledge of Scrum is enough to pass the ACP Exam is one of the main reasons why people fail the ACP Exam. 

Why Take the PMI-ACP Exam?

Simple – To gain the PMI ACP Credential, isn’t it? 

What are the Eligibility Criteria for the PMI ACP Credential?

According to PMI’s official web page for the certification the pre-requisites are as follows: 

1. 1. 2000 hours or more of experience in general project management 
2. 2. 1500 hours or more of experience working on Agile Projects 
3. 3. 21 contact hours of Agile Training

Note: The 1500 hours of Agile experience is over and above the 2000 hours of regular project management experience. 

You can check out PMI’s official page for PMI ACP exam if you need more information. 

Examination Pattern

The PMP exam has 120 multiple-choice questions with four answers to each question. Total exam duration is three hours. Just like the PMP Exam, Twenty of the 120 exam questions are not counted toward your final score. As exam takers, there is now way for us to find out what those 20 questions are. So, answer all 120 as if your life depends on it… 

Each correct answer fetches you one mark and there is no negative marking for incorrect answers. As it is an online exam, results will be shown right after you finish the exam. 

Exam Tip: The PMI ACP Exam is not a test of your ability to memorise a guide like the PMBOK. The syllabus is vast and most questions in the exam are situational in nature. Even if you buy the best ACP Exam prep guide and memorise it cover to cover, you wouldn't be able to answer the questions unless you understand the agile principles and apply the same in your projects. 

I hope you find this series of articles useful in your preparation for the PMI ACP Examination.

Good Luck. 

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