Agile Methodology and Importance of PMI-ACP®

What is Agile Methodology?

Agile development process emerged as an alternative to traditional plan-driven Waterfall model of project management methodology In the middle of the 1990’s.

• Plan-driven approach works well for small projects with limited scope of work and few variables.
• As the IT industry evolves, projects are growing more complex and it is difficult to get the complete requirements from business at the very beginning. This is where Agile methodology comes in.

Agile Methodology is based on:

• Iterative and incremental development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional teams.
• It promotes adaptive planning, evolutionary development and delivery and a time-boxed iterative approach
• Encourages rapid and flexible response to change.

Agile is now increasingly embraced as the development process of choice for project managers. Gartner estimates that 80% of all software development projects will utilize Agile methods by the end of 2014.

Agile Certification from PMI®:

PMI®  is now offering a new Agile certification — the Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP).

• If you’re a project manager with Agile experience, the ACP will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge of how Agile is applied and practiced.
• This certification is designed to verify project managers’ mastery of Agile principals and processes, validating their existing expertise to companies looking to adopt the Agile methodology.

Eligibility Requirements for PMI-ACP®:

Is PMI-ACP® Certification for you?

Industries are rapidly employing Agile to become more effective. Here are a few reasons why you should opt for this certification:

• You already use Agile practices in your projects
• Your organization is planning to adopt an Agile approach
• You wish to become a more versatile Project Manager
• You need to adapt more quickly to basic business needs
• You would like to take a more value and people-driven approach to projects
• You want to advance your career as a Project Manager

PMI-ACP® Exam Structure:

Questions:

The PMI-ACP® exam is comprised of 120 multiple-choice questions — 20 of which are pre-test questions that do not affect the score. Exam questions are divided evenly — 50% Agile tools and techniques and 50% knowledge and skills. Agile tools and techniques covered include the following:

• Communications
• Planning, monitoring and adapting
• Agile estimation
• Agile analysis and design
• Product quality
• Soft skill negotiation
• Value-based prioritization
• Risk management
• Metrics
• Value stream analysis

Test format:

Computer-based testing is the standard method for PMI® certification exams, although paper-based testing is available in certain situations.

Time allotted for the exam: Three hours.

PMI-ACP® Exam Fee Structure:

As you can see PMI-ACP® is the next step for project managers in the evolving field of project management. Stay tuned for the upcoming post on the importance of PMI-ACP® Certification in the industry.

Got a question for us? Mention it in the comments section and we will get back to you. 

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How Valuable is PMI-ACP to your career?

PMI-ACP is a registered mark of Project Management Institute, Inc. Edureka is a Global PMI® REP: ID 4021