Are you confused about PMP vs PMI-ACP certification about which one to choose? You have come to the right place, here your doubts will be cleared and you will get a clear idea of both certifications. PMP (Project Management Professional) and ACP (Agile Certified Practitioner) are two of the most popular and widely accepted project management certifications.
PMP establishes your credentials as a professional capable of working in and managing various types of projects, whereas PMI-ACP establishes your credentials as a professional capable of adapting and implementing agile technologies across an organization’s various projects.
Both are globally recognized certifications that can be used in a variety of industries and projects. Both of these certification courses have one thing in common: they are both offered by PMI (Project Management Institute), a highly regarded and well-known organization in the field of project management and related fields.
Eligibility for PMI-PMP vs. PMI-ACP
Though both PMP vs PMI-ACP certifications is offered by the same institute, PMI, their eligibility criteria do not match.
If you have a diploma, you must have 7500 hours of team-leading experience or 5 years of working experience on various projects to become a PMP professional. If you have a degree, you will need three years of experience or 4500 hours of team leadership experience.
Apart from that, you must complete 35 hours of contact training from any PMI-approved institute.
PMI-PMP vs. PMI-ACP
To become an Agile Certified Practitioner, you must have 2000 hours of experience working on various projects (a PMP certification will suffice for this condition), 1500 hours of experience working on agile projects and methodologies, and a 21-hour contact training program related to agile practices.
This means that if you lack extensive project management experience but have worked in agile teams, you can enroll in an ACP course. Similarly, if you have never worked in an agile team, you should start with the PMP course.
Exam Pattern: PMI-PMP vs. PMI-ACP
The ACP exam consists of 120 multiple-choice questions (MCQs). Twenty of these questions are pre-test questions, and their marks are not included in the final score. You will have one hour to respond to all of these questions.
PMP consists of 200 multiple-choice questions, 25 of which are pre-test questions. You’ll have four hours to answer all of these questions.
The ACP exam can be either paper-based or online, depending on the institution where you are enrolled, whereas the PMP exam is only available online.
Job Roles: PMI-PMP vs. PMI ACP
A candidate who has completed the PMI-ACP certification course’s primary role is to implement an agile methodology in the project development process. Apart from that, he must eliminate steps that do not add value to the project in order to implement lean management principles in an organization. Furthermore, he must optimize the organization’s use of agile tools and methodologies. In addition, he must improve an organization’s adaptability to agile technologies, which will ultimately improve productivity and customer satisfaction.
A PMI-PMP-certified candidate must ensure that the strategies are effectively implemented in various projects while balancing the various project constraints.
Types of Management
He must also resolve system dependencies by monitoring and working on system integration, as well as coordinating with various teams within the organization. To improve productivity and result in various processes, he must understand and implement various types of management.
The PMP certification focuses on the traditional waterfall methodology, which works best when a project’s requirements and constraints are fixed. As a result, it works best for simple and straightforward projects. ACP certification, on the other hand, focuses on modern agile technology, which works best for complex and dynamic projects that may face changes in requirements, scope, and constraints at various stages of the project.
What Are the Course Content Differences Between PMP and PMI-ACP?
PMP certification consists of a comprehensive exam that covers all five process groups of a project’s lifecycle as well as the nine knowledge areas. Check out the PMP exam syllabus to learn more about the PMP certification course. The exam is comprehensive, as evidenced by the exam time and the number of questions required. The PMI-ACP certification focuses mainly on the PMBOK Guide. The course, according to the outline, consists of seven domain areas required to pass the Agile Certified Practitioner exam. In addition, PMI-ACP candidates must learn about Agile Tools and Technologies in order to pass the PMI-ACP exam. You can learn more by reviewing the PMI-ACP syllabus.
PMI-ACP vs. PMI-PMP – What Certification Should I Pursue?
It is natural for anyone to be perplexed when deciding on these certifications. You can, however, choose both of these certifications to add credibility and value to your resume.
Even if you are not interested in agile methodology, PMP certification will benefit you because it validates your skills in managing various types of projects. It trains you to be an expert in procurement, communication of requirements, risk mitigation, and understanding the critical balance of scope, budget, time, and other constraints.
ACP certification
ACP certification, on the other hand, introduces you to various agile approaches such as Kanban, Lean, TDD, Scrum, and so on. It validates your credentials as a specialized agile practitioner capable of using and implementing various agile approaches.
Agile is undeniably in high demand these days, so you should not overlook ACP as one of the most sought-after agile certifications in the world.
Furthermore, as long as you enroll in one certification at a time, you do not need to maintain a gap between PMI-PMP and PMI-ACP certifications. PMP certification will benefit you throughout your career, regardless of industry or job role, whereas ACP certification is appropriate for those who want to lead projects and take full responsibility for a project.
Conclusion
Considering all of the contrasting points on PMP vs PMI-ACP certification, it is reasonable to conclude that certification choice is dependent on the career plan and the track he/she is applying for. As part of these certifications, you will learn invaluable concepts such as interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, time management, risk management, and much more with PMP and PMI ACP boot camps. So it’s only fair to say that what one wants to get into can help determine which certification to pursue. If you’re still confused, read the PMP vs PMI-ACP certification comparison again and visit Eduhubspot for more details. You’ll get it and can choose which one is best for you.
