The Secret to PMI-ACP TRAINING COURSE Revealed

Organizations that use the Agile methodology and are responsive to the dynamics of the market are more capable of completing the maximum number of projects successfully in comparison to their slower-moving counterparts. The ratio is usually observed to be 75 per cent in comparison to the 56 per cent of projects completed by organizations that have not adopted the Agile methodology. These figures are as shown in PMI’s (Project Management Institute) 2015 Pulse of the Profession® report.

To ensure that your talents are high in demand, all you require is experience in using agile approaches, have excellent skills in collaboration, the ability to embrace complexity and should thrive on rapid response times. But, how do you prove these skills? This is where you require a Certification that will formally recognize your knowledge of agile principles and your skill with agile techniques. This is where the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® training and certification comes into the picture.

By acquiring the PMI- ACP certification you will shine even brighter to your employers and stakeholders while your peers and colleagues will look up to you.

The PMI-ACP comprises of various approaches of Agile – Scrum, Kanban, Lean being the major ones. It also covers the different aspects of extreme programming (XP) and test-driven development (TDD.) These tools and techniques will help increase your versatility, wherever your projects or job requirements may take you.

What is PMI-ACP?

PMI-ACP or Agile Certified Practitioner conducted by the Professional Management Institute (PMI) is one of the world’s most respected, accepted and sought after advanced professional certification. The course takes you through the Agile Manifesto and Principles, the framework and its terminologies. It mainly focuses on developing Osmotic communication skills, learning Iteration and release planning, cumulative flow diagram along with agile modelling.

It is often considered to be a bridge between the PMP (Project Management Professional) Certification and the CSM (Certified Scrum Master) Certification. PMI-ACP helps you understand the Scrum better and apply the tools and techniques taught in the Certified Scrum Master training.

Now, you must be wondering how is PMI-ACP different from PRINCE2 ACP?

Difference between PMI-ACP and PRINCE2 ACP

Agile Certified Professional (ACP) is offered by the Project Management Institute and is based on Agile as a whole. It includes the different Agile flavours and not just the Scrum framework. It also covers Kanban, Lean, extreme programming (XP) and test-driven development (TDD).

PRINCE2 Agile: Projects IN Controlled Environments certification is focused on the Agile processes only.

How will you benefit from PMI-ACP?

1. Stand out amongst your peers:

As an Agile Certified Professional, you are trained and thus aware of the principles and practices that can help transform the team’s performance. During the training, you will learn to combine the best Agile methodologies to ensure that the project you deliver is par excellence.

As a certified professional, you will learn to respond quickly and practically and this empowers you with a competitive edge to stay ahead of his peers and show-off your skills. Organizations are always seeking the most skilled and knowledgeable employee who is quick and smart, with the PMI-ACP training will equip you with these skills that will help take your career to greater heights.

2. Increased Adoption of Agile:

Organizations have observed that adopting Agile methodologies has led them on the journey of success. The trend of adopting the agile methodology is soon gaining momentum and many organizations are benefitting from it. Thus, more organizations are implementing it and making it popular. This has led to a rise in the demand for Certified Agile Professionals.

3. Increase in Demand for Agile Professionals:

While several companies are adopting the Agile Methodology leading to the increase in demand for Project Managers, the supply, however, seems negligible and companies are finding it challenging to find the right talent who possess the knowledge and certification to complement their knowledge of the Agile methodology.

PMI started the Agile certification in 2012 after observing the surge in companies adopting this methodology, the agile principles had become a popular choice that also led to an increase in employment opportunities.

4. Agile methodologies are better than Traditional Waterfall Approach:

The application and feasibility of applying a methodology differ from organization to organisation. While the waterfall approach may suit a company, the same approach may not seem practical for another. However, according to research, the organizations are looking forward to adopting other methodologies as well and in this race Agile, seems to be in the forefront. According to a survey conducted by Actuation Consulting, there are 65.8% of Waterfall users who associate Agile and are elated to note their increase in profits. Only 13.2% of users still believe that a pure Waterfall will lead to increased profits.

In another survey conducted by the State of Agile annually, 73% of the respondents believed that Agile helped them to complete their projects faster, while 33% felt that Agile had helped accelerate their time to market and another 92% said that it improved their ability to manage priorities. 87% of the Agile Certified Practitioners stated that the training has helped increase their productivity. About 23% of the respondents agree that Agile did help them to align IT and Business better.

The increase in popularity of Agile has stirred an uproar among the Waterfall users and according to reports, they are turning towards Agile. Thus, more users are clubbing the Agile methodologies with the Waterfall approach.

5. Strong Career Opportunities:

The Agile environment has been like a wave that is creating strong career opportunities for IT Project Managers, Testers and QA professionals, who can move into specialist positions such as ‘Agile Mentor’ or ‘Agile Scrum Master’, ‘Technical Business Analyst’ and ‘Agile Coach’. Several organisations around the world are looking for professionals with strong knowledge in Agile as certification is proof that one has theoretical knowledge of how to deal with challenging projects. This certification not only makes it easier to find a job that suits you but also moves to authoritative positions.

6. Increased Productivity:

Numerous surveys conducted clearly state that the organizations that implement Agile methodologies are often much more productive in comparison to companies using other methodologies. The various benefits include terms of accelerated time to market, managing changing priorities, taking lesser time to complete, completing the project within the budget and time frame. Several companies adopt the Agile methodologies as it has proved itself when it comes to bringing down the cost and increasing efficiency.

Agile methodologies also help boost team performance and create an amicable environment for joint decision making, learning and resolving impending issues within the team. This further helps to increase the productivity of the team as well as each and every member of the team.

7. Certification is an Instant Validation:

Imagine you go for an interview where you inform them that you have extremely good knowledge of the Agile Practices. First thing, you will be asked is that if you have any certification to validate it. Therefore, the PMI-ACP certification is important. Being certified is synonymous to the proof that has the knowledge and dedication to improve the standards as well as the performance of projects using Agile methodologies.

The PMI-ACP Certification trains Project Managers to efficiently plan and execute a project. This is precisely why organizations trust a certified Agile professional. This certification instantaneously gives you an edge over other Project Managers when recruiters are looking for a professional. The certification automatically increases the chances of having a successful career.

8. Better Remuneration:

According to a survey conducted by the Project Management Institute, the average salary for project management professionals in the United States, Switzerland, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands is more than $100,000. The average salary of a certified PMI-ACP® is around $123,000 per annum. A PMI Certified Professional can earn up to 28% more than the non-certified professionals.

9. Rising Trend of Project Management:

The demand for Project Management Professionals continues to show an upward trend and is ranked as one of the Top 10 IT skills. The Agile Manifesto continues to be one of the most desired skills in the IT sector.

What are the pre-requisites of the PMI-ACP?

• 2,000 hours of project experience working with teams. This requirement is fulfilled if you are a current PMP or PgMP
• In addition to the experience, you need 1,500 hours working on agile project teams or with agile methodologies.
• 21 contact hours of training in agile practices

PMI-ACP Application and Examination Process

Recording your General and Agile project

As per the PMI guidelines, you require a minimum of 2,000 hours (12 months) of unique, non-overlapping experience accrued within the last five years. According to this, each month you worked on multiple, overlapping projects (projects that ran simultaneously) counts as one month toward the total requirement. For example, if Project 1 runs from January to April and Project 2 runs from March to July, the total experience will be calculated as 7 months. However, the details of Project 1 and 2 need to be mentioned separately.

The Agile Project is calculated in a similar manner. However, you need to use the Agile Project Experience Worksheet in the application to record your agile project experience. This includes time spent working on agile teams. Record each project you worked on individually. Here, you need a minimum of 1,500 hours (eight months) of unique, non-overlapping experience accrued within the last three years.

After going through the entire process of application and registration, you can apply for the PMI-ACP Exams.

Preparing for PMI-ACP Exam

Agile Certified Practitioner or the ACP Exam Preparation is extremely important to gain the certification. To understand how to prepare better for the examination, we have divided the process into two parts:

A. Materials required

B. Approach

A. Materials required

1. 1. PMI-ACP Handbook

The PMI-ACP Handbook provides all the details of the Exam process. It includes the exam policies as well as the procedures to understand the process step by step.

1. 2. Preparing for the PMI-ACP Exam

PMI-ACP is an extremely professional examination. Hence, you cannot just take the examination within a couple of days. This course needs some time as a lot of preparation goes into it. You need to plan and set aside a minimum of 10-12 weeks where you can spend an hour or two each day preparing for the PMI-ACP exam.

1. 3. PMI-ACP Books and Study Plan

Once you have managed to set aside some decent amount of time for preparation, you need to schedule and plan your studies but before that, you need to purchase the required books. When you become a PMI member, you have access to several professionals from across the globe. With their guidance, you can decide if the books are enough for preparation or you need to enrol for the Agile Certified Practitioner training.

1. 4. PMI-ACP Training

The PMI-ACP training is a better option as the organization will take care of your study schedule as well as the education material.

You can take a self-study course online on your personal computer or any of your portable devices. There is no need to go to an institute in particular and waste your precious time in travelling; you can access the classes in the comfort of your living room or bedroom.

1. 5. PMI-ACP Exam Sample Questions

A large number of free PMI-ACP sample questions are available from a variety of resources on the internet. Your study plan should include answering as many practice questions as possible and taking several complete 120-question practice exams. This type of preparation will allow you to evaluate your study progress and prepare you for the format of the real thing.

B. Approach

Your approach towards your preparation is extremely important for success in your endeavours. Below is a step by step approach that you can follow for the best results:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Understand the eligibility criteria, exam content and references
                  2. Review the PMI-ACP Handbook and make a high-level plan to target what you want to achieve
                  3. Use the PMI-ACP Examination Content Outline as a guide to your study
                  4. Review the current PMI-ACP reference list
                  5. Enrol in a formal study course offered by Registered Education Providers
                  6. Take mock tests or attempt practice papers
                  7. Repeat your mock tests till you get the desired percentage for your last two tests

Exam Format

• The certification exam comprises of 120 multiple-choice questions
• 3 hours’ time allotted for completion
• To maintain your PMI-ACP, earn 30 professional development units (PDUs) in agile topics every three years

Conclusion

If you are a Project Manager and looking to upgrade your skills, then enrol for the PMI-ACP Certification Training Course from Graspskills to upgrade your skills and get the certification to validate your expertise acquired through this training.

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