Hello!
Last week I was approved at the PMI-ACP exam!
I shared the experience in an article I published today in Linkedin:
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:ugcP...2CDEFAULT%2Cfalse%29
The content is copied bellow:
Hi!
The purpose of this article is to share my experience regarding the PMI-ACP certification. I hope that through it I can help other people interested in obtaining this important and comprehensive certification.
I truly believe that as important as reaching the destination it is even more vital to appreciate and enjoy the journey, in the best possible way! So, when I decided to obtain this certification at the beginning of 2022, my goal was to deepen my knowledge about agile project management, in addition to what I already had in practice with knowledge-based projects and the other certification that I have already owned, the PMP - Project Management Professional. And the results exceeded my original expectations, as my overall assessment was “above the target”.
Before starting the process, I researched other people's experience and checked the prerequisites for applying for the PMI-ACP certification, available on the PMI website (
www.pmi.org/certifications/agile-acp
) . Although I had already attended many lectures and classes on agile practices, I decided to look for a new course to meet the 21-hour requirement for training in agile practices.
After evaluating the options, I opted for the self-directed study. And it requires discipline and a lot of focus. It's you on your own, defining the path and study goals. It is worth mentioning that maintaining a constant pace was an additional challenge, and not always possible, because, as happens with many people, I had important personal unforeseen events and competition for new demands along the way.
As I needed flexibility, I chose Cornelius Fichtner's prep course, "The Agile PrepCast Elite" (
www.project-management-prepcast.com/pmi-...m/the-agile-prepcast
). It is an all-English and recorded course, quite robust, which offers content well beyond the 21 hours required. The course provides a worksheet with all available subjects, marked with "study recommendation" or "optional". Based on the topics and duration of each class, I set deadline goals, also considering that watching recorded content can be lonely and tedious. At the end of the study there is a test; if you pass it generates the conclusion certificate.
I also purchased the “Exam Simulator” from the Cornelius website at the same time. I believe it was a very good choice, but in retrospect it would have been more profitable to acquire it after completing the course, as there is a limited time to use the simulator.
Regarding the support material, I selected three books (in addition to some articles on the web, which I consulted eventually). The main and undoubtedly fundamental for diving into the agile universe was the “PMI-ACP Exam Prep”, by Mike Griffiths. The book is excellent, very didactic and well written, allowing for a pleasant reading, divided into the areas evaluated in the exam. At the end of each chapter there is a “Chapter Review”, with questions to be answered. I read it twice, and if I had to recommend a single must-read, it would be this book.
Additionally, I read the “Agile Practice Guide”, by PMI and the Agile Alliance, and “Gerenciamento Ágil de Projetos”, by Vitor L. Massari. They were good additions. The only book in Portuguese was that of Massari.
When it was time to schedule the test, I had to choose between two options: taking the exam at home (or at a convenient location) or at a Pearson Vue testing center. I researched the option to take the exam at home, but after reading some reports of technical difficulties with this modality, I decided to take the exam at a test center 60 km from my city. It was great since it is small, with no distractions that allowed me to stay focused.
I chose to take the exam in English, since practically all my study was in that language. There is no option to choose a second supporting language, as there was when I took the PMP certification exam.
The PMI-ACP certification exam lasts 180 minutes and comprises 120 questions. I used every available minute to review the questions I had flagged. I found the test quite challenging. As in the PMP exam, the vast majority of questions do not have an obvious answer. Thus, it is not enough just to memorize concepts, but to have a deep understanding of the universe and an agile mindset to answer situational questions.
I conclude by saying that the whole process was worth it!! I was prepared and confident for the exam, and today I am certainly a more complete professional, and undoubtedly a life-long learner.
I look forward to sharing more about this experience.
Sincerely,
Priscila Z Vendramini Mezzena
