PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Complete guide to passing the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) exam on your first attempt.
$435-$495
Not published
3 years (30 PDUs)
Global
Project Management Institute (PMI)
$101k-$171k
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Complete Overview
The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) is the Project Management Institute's framework agnostic agile certification, tested by a 120 question exam taken in 180 minutes. It is aimed at product owners, scrum masters, agile team leads, developers, project managers, agile coaches and product managers, and the exam fee is USD 435 for PMI members and USD 495 for everyone else. PMI rebuilt the certification around a new Examination Content Outline that replaced seven domains with four: Mindset at 28 percent, Leadership at 25 percent, Product at 19 percent and Delivery at 28 percent. Of the 120 items, 100 are scored and 20 are unscored pretest items distributed randomly and never identified. The exam includes multiple choice, multiple response, drag and drop items and exhibits. There is a single 10-minute break, which appears after you complete items 1 through 60 and review your answers, and once you start that break you cannot return to the earlier section. An optional tutorial and an optional survey bracket the exam and do not count against the 180 minutes. Eligibility requires a secondary diploma, 21 hours of formal training in agile practices, frameworks and methodologies, and one of four experience routes: two years of agile experience in the past five years, one year of agile experience plus a degree from a Global Accreditation Center programme, one year of agile experience plus an active third party agile certification held for more than a year, or an active PMP certification. PMI states the third route as a certification plus one year of agile experience, so an active Scrum or SAFe credential earned more than a year ago halves the experience PMI otherwise asks for. PMI grants a one year eligibility period once an application is approved, during which a candidate may attempt the exam up to three times, paying again for the second and third attempts. Failing three times means waiting one year from the last attempt before reapplying, although candidates may apply for a different PMI certification in the meantime. Applications are subject to random audit, and for an audited application the one year eligibility period starts only once the audit clears. The exam is delivered in person at Pearson VUE test centres, which PMI recommends, or online through OnVUE proctoring. Online proctored testing is not available to citizens of mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong regardless of location, and mainland China offers paper based testing only. The exam is offered in English plus Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Korean and Spanish. PMI does not publish a numeric passing score; its exams are criteria based, and the standard is the performance expected of a qualified agile practitioner. Once earned, the certification runs on a three year cycle and requires 30 professional development units per cycle plus a renewal fee.
Why Get PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Certified?
The exam is 120 questions in 180 minutes, of which 100 are scored and 20 are unscored pretest items
PMI membership cuts the exam fee from USD 495 to USD 435, a USD 60 saving on a single sitting
The March 2026 Exam Content Outline reduced seven domains to four, so the study surface is smaller than the older syllabus
An active PMP certification satisfies the agile experience requirement outright, with no separate hour count
A third party agile certification earned more than a year ago cuts the agile experience requirement from two years to one
Maintenance costs 30 PDUs every three years, half the 60 PDUs a PMP holder must earn
US Bureau of Labor Statistics data puts the May 2024 median wage for project management specialists at USD 100,750
Exam Format & Structure
Duration
180 minutes, plus one 10-minute break that does not count against the exam clock
Questions
120 items, of which 100 are scored and 20 are unscored pretest items
Passing Score
Not published as a number. PMI states that the passing score is determined by psychometric analysis against the criteria for a qualified agile practitioner
Question Types
- Multiple choice
- Multiple response
- Drag and drop
- Exhibit based items
Delivery Method
Pearson VUE test centre, which PMI recommends, or OnVUE online proctored testing
- The 10-minute break appears after you complete items 1 through 60 and review your answers, and the earlier section locks once the break starts
- The optional tutorial and post exam survey take 5 to 15 minutes and are outside the 180 minute clock
- Pretest items are distributed randomly and are never identified during the exam
- Online proctored testing is unavailable to citizens of mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong regardless of where they test; mainland China offers paper based testing only
- Paper based testing candidates receive a score report by email within six to eight weeks
How scoring works
Score scale
Not published as a numeric scale. PMI reports a pass or fail outcome based on 100 scored items out of 120
Score needed to pass
Not published. PMI states the passing score is determined by psychometric analysis
When results arrive
A preliminary score may appear at the end of a computer based session, with the official exam report on PMI's online certification results system no later than 10 business days after the exam date. Paper based testing results arrive by email in six to eight weeks
How the scale is built
PMI treats its exams as criteria based, meaning the exam determines who passes by whether the candidate met the criteria for a qualified person in the job role being tested, in this case an experienced agile practitioner. Each scored item samples proficiency in the criteria being assessed, and PMI aggregates that information into an overall proficiency judgement against the standard. The 20 pretest items are excluded from scoring.
- Any score shown at the conclusion of a session is preliminary until PMI notifies you that the result is official
- PMI emails you when the official exam report is available online
- There is no penalty for a wrong answer, so leave nothing blank
- Pretest items are randomly distributed and never identified
- PMI does not release pass rates for the PMI-ACP
Pacing and time budget
120 questions in 180 minutes gives you 90 seconds per item on average per question.
| At this point | You should have answered |
|---|---|
| 45 min | 30 |
| 90 min | 60 |
| 135 min | 90 |
| 180 min | 120 |
- The 10-minute break sits after item 60, so the 90 minute checkpoint is the natural halfway marker
- Do not accept the break until you have finished reviewing items 1 to 60, because that section locks once the break begins
- The break time does not come out of the 180 minutes
- Drag and drop and exhibit items take longer than plain multiple choice, so bank time on straightforward items early
- The optional tutorial and survey take 5 to 15 minutes each and sit outside the exam clock, so neither costs you answering time
Where the marks are
| Topic | Weight | Why it scores |
|---|---|---|
| Mindset domain | 28% | Roughly 28 of the 100 scored items. It carries seven tasks, more than any other domain, and includes the complexity models PMI names explicitly: Cynefin, the Stacey Matrix and complex adaptive systems. Candidates who can classify a scenario and state the risks of that classification score well across the whole domain. |
| Delivery domain | 28% | Also about 28 of the 100 scored items and also seven tasks. Metrics selection, waste elimination through value stream mapping, risk and impediment prioritisation, and flow optimisation with work in progress limits recur throughout. Practical delivery experience translates into marks here faster than in any other domain. |
| Leadership domain | 25% | About 25 of the 100 scored items across six tasks. Questions turn on distinguishing training from coaching from mentoring, applying emotional intelligence, running root cause analysis and identifying the level of a conflict. These are scenario items where the wrong answer is usually the one that removes the team's agency. |
| Product domain | 19% | About 19 of the 100 scored items across four tasks, the smallest slice of the exam. It concentrates on backlog refinement, collective sizing, increment goals, work visualisation and defining value, so a product owner can clear it quickly while others should cap their time here. |
| Tools and techniques catalogue | Spans all four domains | The Exam Content Outline lists tools across nine groups: agile analysis and design, estimation, communications, metrics, planning and monitoring, process improvement, product quality, risk management and value based prioritisation. Items in every domain reference these by name, so learning the catalogue pays back across the full 100 scored items. |
The numbers
120 items, 100 scored and 20 unscored pretest
Exam length
Source: PMI-ACP Examination Content Outline, March 2026 revision
180 minutes plus one 10-minute break
Exam time
Source: PMI-ACP Examination Content Outline, March 2026 revision
Mindset 28%, Leadership 25%, Product 19%, Delivery 28%
Domain weights
Source: PMI-ACP Examination Content Outline, March 2026 revision
USD 435 member, USD 495 non-member
Exam fee
Source: PMI, Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification page
86% of PMI-ACPs qualified for new opportunities and 84% gained recognition for career advancement
Reported career outcome
Source: PMI, Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification page
30 PDUs per three year cycle
Maintenance requirement
Source: PMI, Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification page
If you fail
Wait before retaking
No fixed waiting period between attempts inside the one year eligibility period. After three failed attempts, one year from the date of the last exam
Attempt limit
Three attempts within the one year eligibility period
Retake fee
Repayment of exam fees applies to the second and third attempts. PMI does not publish a separate PMI-ACP reexamination price on its certification page, so check the amount in your PMI account
The one year eligibility period starts when the application is approved, or when an audited application clears its audit. Candidates who fail three times may apply for any other PMI certification during the one year wait. If the eligibility period expires without a pass, the candidate must reapply for the certification. Rescheduling within 30 days of an appointment costs USD 70 plus taxes, and a no-show forfeits the entire exam fee.
Exam Domains & Topics
The largest domain alongside Delivery, covering seven tasks. It tests experimenting early, embracing the agile mindset, promoting a collaborative team environment, building transparency, fostering psychological safety, shortening feedback loops and embracing change. Complexity models such as Cynefin, the Stacey Matrix and complex adaptive systems appear here, along with agile suitability tools and inter-team coordination approaches.
Key Topics to Master:
- Building an increment to validate a solution or market need
- Applying complexity theory with Cynefin, the Stacey Matrix and complex adaptive systems
- Interpreting the output of agile suitability tools
- Team vision, working agreements and high performing teams
- Information radiators and feedback loops
- Psychological safety and a no blame culture
- Inter-team coordination such as scrum of scrums and team of teams
Six tasks covering how an agile practitioner leads without command authority. It tests empowering teams through trust, motivation, coaching and collective ownership, facilitating problem resolution with root cause techniques, promoting knowledge sharing through retrospectives and communities of practice, promoting agile principles and practices, establishing a shared vision and purpose, and facilitating conflict management.
Key Topics to Master:
- Distinguishing training, coaching and mentoring
- Emotional intelligence and reading non-verbal cues
- Root cause analysis and Ishikawa diagrams
- Communities of practice and lessons learned
- Aligning the product to vision and organisational goals
- Identifying the root cause and level of a conflict
- Interpreting self-assessment tool output
The smallest domain, with four tasks focused on the product side of agile work. It tests refining the product backlog through clarification, prioritisation, decomposition and collective sizing, managing increments so they align with business priorities and demonstrate value early, visualising work, and managing value delivery by defining what value means and confirming that targeted results are achieved.
Key Topics to Master:
- Backlog clarification, prioritisation and decomposition
- Collective sizing with story points, T-shirt sizing and planning poker
- Increment goals aligned to business priorities
- Demonstrating increments for early feedback
- Work visualisation techniques and data upkeep
- Defining value including sustainability, security, privacy and compliance
- Measuring delivered value against targeted results
Tied with Mindset as the largest domain, covering seven tasks. It tests seeking early feedback, managing agile metrics, managing impediments and risk, recognising and eliminating waste, performing continuous improvement, actively engaging customers and optimising flow. Metrics knowledge sits here: velocity, throughput, cycle time, lead time, defect rates, work in progress and cumulative flow.
Key Topics to Master:
- Delivering work in small increments and collecting stakeholder feedback
- Choosing and radiating metrics for a given audience
- Proactive risk and impediment identification and prioritisation
- Visualising end-to-end value flow to expose waste
- Implementing and evaluating improvement actions
- Validating deliverables against acceptance criteria
- Limiting work in progress and shielding the team from interruptions
Recommended Study Plan
- 1Download the PMI-ACP Examination Content Outline and confirm you are studying the four domain version
- 2Check which of the four experience routes you qualify under, including the PMP route
- 3Gather evidence of 21 hours of formal agile training with certificates of completion
- 4Decide whether PMI membership is worth it, since it cuts the exam fee from USD 495 to USD 435
- 5Read the domain weights and write them on the front of your notes: Mindset 28, Leadership 25, Product 19, Delivery 28
- 1Submit the PMI-ACP application and record training hours and any third party agile certification
- 2Prepare for a possible audit by keeping training certificates and contact details for experience references
- 3Read the Agile Practice Guide cover to cover once
- 4Build a one page summary of Scrum, Kanban, Lean and XP roles, events and artefacts
- 5Note that the one year eligibility period starts on approval, or on clearing an audit
- 1Study experimenting early and building increments to validate solution or market need
- 2Learn Cynefin, the Stacey Matrix and complex adaptive systems and when each classification applies
- 3Practise interpreting agile suitability tool output for a given scenario
- 4Study team vision, working agreements and the stages of forming a high performing team
- 5Answer 40 practice questions restricted to the Mindset domain
- 1Study transparency practices including information radiators and team feedback loops
- 2Study psychological safety, no blame culture and dialogue over debate
- 3Study shortening feedback loops with design thinking and lean startup techniques
- 4Study embracing change, growth mindset and generalising specialists
- 5Learn the factors that decide inter-team coordination approaches such as scrum of scrums
- 1Study empowering teams: trust, motivation, coaching, mentoring and collective ownership
- 2Learn where training ends, coaching begins and mentoring differs from both
- 3Study emotional intelligence techniques for empathy, conflict and positive influence
- 4Practise reading non-verbal cues in scenario questions
- 5Study root cause analysis and Ishikawa diagrams for problem resolution
- 1Study knowledge sharing: lessons learned, retrospectives and communities of practice
- 2Study how to create awareness of agile values and recognise agile behaviour
- 3Study shared vision and purpose and keeping the product aligned to organisational goals
- 4Study conflict management including identifying the level of a conflict
- 5Answer 40 practice questions restricted to the Leadership domain
- 1Study backlog refinement: clarifying, prioritising with stakeholders and decomposing items
- 2Practise relative sizing with story points, T-shirt sizing, affinity estimating and planning poker
- 3Study increment goals, demonstrating increments and measuring value delivery
- 4Study value definition including sustainability, security, privacy, regulatory and compliance criteria
- 5Study work visualisation and the process for keeping the data current
- 1Study seeking early feedback and evaluating customer satisfaction
- 2Learn the metrics list: velocity, throughput, cycle time, lead time, defect rates, work in progress
- 3Practise choosing which metric suits which audience and how to radiate it
- 4Study risk adjusted backlogs, risk burn down graphs and risk based spikes
- 5Study impediment prioritisation and monitoring
- 1Study value stream mapping and visualising end-to-end flow to expose waste
- 2Study Kaizen, the Five Whys, intraspectives and process tailoring
- 3Study customer engagement and validating deliverables against acceptance criteria
- 4Study flow optimisation, work in progress limits and shielding the team from interruptions
- 5Answer 40 practice questions restricted to the Delivery domain
- 1Review the tools and techniques list in the Exam Content Outline section by section
- 2Study value based prioritisation: ROI, NPV, IRR, MVP, MMF, MoSCoW and Kano analysis
- 3Study product quality practices: definition of done, continuous integration and exploratory testing
- 4Study planning and monitoring artefacts: burn down and burn up charts and cumulative flow diagrams
- 5Sit a full 120 question mock under a 180 minute clock
- 1Sit two more full length mocks and score them by domain
- 2Rebuild notes for any domain scoring below your average
- 3Rehearse the exam structure by stopping at item 60 and taking a 10 minute break
- 4Rework every missed question and write why the correct option was better, not just what it was
- 5Book the exam slot, allowing 48 hours of margin before any date you might need to change
- 1Confirm your name in PMI matches the government issued photo ID you will present exactly
- 2If testing online, run the OnVUE system test and clear a private room
- 3Review only your own notes and the Exam Content Outline domain descriptions
- 4Re-read the four domain weights and allocate mental time accordingly
- 5Plan your PDU strategy for the first renewal cycle, which needs 30 PDUs over three years
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Best Study Resources
PMI-ACP Examination Content Outline
Official documentThe definitive scope document. It lists the four domains with their percentages, every task and enabler, the tools and techniques list, the eligibility table, exam structure and the retake policy.
Free
PMI Certification Handbook
Official documentCovers the application and audit process, the one year eligibility period, scheduling and cancellation fees, identification requirements at check-in, exam translations and the complaints process.
Free
Agile Practice Guide
PublicationPMI's framework neutral guide to agility and value delivery across teams and enterprise initiatives. It is the reference PMI names on the PMI-ACP page and covers suitability, lifecycle selection and team practices.
Free for PMI members
PMI Study Hall for PMI-ACP
Practice platformPMI's own practice environment for PMI-ACP, with question banks and mock exams built against the current Exam Content Outline. PMI notes it is available to supplement exam preparation.
Paid, priced in the PMI store
PMI Authorized PMI-ACP Exam Prep Course
Training courseSatisfies the 21 hour formal training requirement on its own. Authorized Training Partners are required to use PMI's instructor and student materials, so content matches the outline.
Paid, self paced or instructor led
Manifesto for Enterprise Agility
ReferencePMI states that the PMI-ACP reflects the values and principles of Enterprise Agility and links this manifesto from the certification page. It explains the framing behind the Mindset and Leadership domains.
Free
PMI exam accommodations page
Official referencePMI offers free modifications to the exam experience for disabilities, medical conditions and other needs. The request must be made before scheduling, and an already scheduled exam has to be cancelled first.
Free
Pearson VUE OnVUE readiness check
System testRuns the network, camera and microphone checks required for online proctored delivery. PMI directs candidates here before booking an online seat, and the check-in process is described as extensive.
Free
PMI Continuing Certification Requirements
Official referenceExplains the 30 PDUs per three year cycle for PMI-ACP holders, what counts as a PDU, and the reporting process in the Continuing Certification Renewal System.
Free
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Studying the seven domain syllabus
The current Examination Content Outline has four domains: Mindset, Leadership, Product and Delivery. Any material listing Agile Principles and Mindset, Value-driven Delivery, Stakeholder Engagement, Team Performance, Adaptive Planning, Problem Detection and Continuous Improvement is out of date.
Spending equal time on all four domains
Mindset and Delivery are 28 percent each and Leadership is 25 percent, so 81 percent of the exam sits outside Product. Product at 19 percent deserves proportionally less study time.
Applying without documented training hours
PMI requires 21 hours of formal agile training with proof of course completion, and the application is subject to random audit. Keep certificates before you submit.
Assuming a Scrum certification alone qualifies you
PMI lists it as a route requiring the certification plus one year of agile experience, not the certification on its own. The credential must be active and earned more than one year ago, and you still need that year of experience.
Taking the 10-minute break at the wrong moment
The break appears only after you complete items 1 through 60 and review your answers, and once it starts the earlier section locks. Finish your review of the first 60 items before you accept the break.
Rescheduling inside the 30 day window
Rescheduling or cancelling within 30 days of the appointment costs USD 70 plus taxes, and inside 48 hours you cannot change it at all and forfeit the whole exam fee. Book only once your date is firm.
Answering from your own team's framework
The PMI-ACP is framework agnostic and tests Scrum, Kanban, Lean, SAFe and XP concepts against a common set of values. Answer with the outline's task language rather than what your employer calls the practice.
Skipping the complexity models
The Mindset domain names Cynefin, the Stacey Matrix and complex adaptive systems explicitly, and asks candidates to classify scenarios and identify the risks of each classification. Rote definitions are not enough.
Treating metrics as trivia
The Delivery domain requires choosing metrics for a given audience, radiating them, analysing them and using them for decisions. Learn what velocity, throughput, cycle time and lead time each answer, not just their formulas.
Burning all three attempts in one eligibility year
Three failures inside the one year eligibility period force a one year wait from the last attempt before reapplying. Sit only when your mock scores are stable across all four domains.
Exam Day Tips
- 1
Bring a valid, current government issued photo ID with English or Roman characters, a clear photograph and your signature
- 2
Check that the name on your ID matches your scheduling notification exactly, because there are no exceptions to that policy
- 3
If your ID lacks a photograph or a signature, bring a second unexpired ID that supplies the missing element and your printed name
- 4
Bring your PMI Eligibility ID to a test centre, where you sign in and present it along with your identification
- 5
Allow extra time for OnVUE check-in if testing online, since PMI describes the process as extensive
- 6
Plan roughly 90 seconds per item to cover 120 items in 180 minutes
- 7
Finish reviewing items 1 through 60 before you accept the 10-minute break, because that section locks afterwards
- 8
Skip the optional tutorial only if you have used the OnVUE or Pearson VUE interface before, since it costs no exam time
- 9
Answer every item, since PMI scores 100 of the 120 and there is no advantage to leaving anything blank
- 10
Treat any score shown at the end of the session as preliminary until PMI confirms the result is official
Career Paths & Salary Ranges
Scrum master or agile team lead
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of USD 100,750 for project management specialists in May 2024. The Mindset and Leadership domains map directly onto this role, which is 53 percent of the exam.
USD 100,750 median
Agile team developer
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of USD 133,080 for software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers in May 2024. PMI lists developer among the roles the certification benefits, and the Delivery domain covers continuous integration and test driven practices.
USD 133,080 median
Agile coach or capability lead
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of USD 127,090 for training and development managers in May 2024. The Leadership domain covers coaching, mentoring, knowledge sharing and communities of practice, which is the core of this work.
USD 127,090 median
Product owner or business analyst
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of USD 101,190 for management analysts in May 2024. The Product domain covers backlog refinement, increment goals, work visualisation and value definition, which is the product owner's daily work.
USD 101,190 median
Engineering or IT delivery manager
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of USD 171,200 for computer and information systems managers in May 2024. Flow optimisation, work in progress limits, metrics selection and inter-team coordination are the parts of the outline this role uses most.
USD 171,200 median
Prerequisites & Requirements
- A secondary school diploma, GED or global equivalent such as GCSEs or a Secondary School Certificate
- 21 hours of formal training in agile practices, frameworks and methodologies, completed before submitting the application, with proof of course completion
- One of four experience routes: two years of agile experience in the past five years; one year of agile experience plus a degree from a Global Accreditation Center accredited programme; one year of agile experience plus an active third party agile certification earned more than one year ago; or an active PMP certification
- Training hours must come from sources that align to the Exam Content Outline, include experiential exercises, balance subject matter with practice exams, and provide an end of course assessment and certificate
- Existing PMI certification holders have their agile and hybrid experience from the past five years counted automatically in the application
- The application is subject to random audit, which requires supporting documentation before the eligibility period begins
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times can I retake the PMI-ACP exam?
Up to three attempts within your one year eligibility period. If you do not pass on the first attempt you may sit twice more, with repayment of fees for the second and third attempts. After three failures you must wait one year from the date of your last exam before reapplying for the PMI-ACP, although you may apply for a different PMI certification during that year.
What happens if my eligibility period expires?
You must reapply for the certification from the start if you want to try again. The one year eligibility period begins when your application is approved, or when you clear an audit if your application was selected. Nothing carries over into a new application except your documented training and experience.
How much does the PMI-ACP cost?
USD 435 for PMI members and USD 495 for non-members. The exam fee is only charged after your application is accepted and you are ready to schedule. PMI notes that prices may vary by membership status and regional location, and that membership rates apply only to candidates who joined before paying for the certification.
Is there a discounted retake fee?
PMI's Certification Handbook states that repayment of fees applies to the second and third attempts. PMI does not publish a separate reexamination price on the PMI-ACP certification page, so confirm the amount in your PMI account before rebooking rather than relying on third party figures.
What is the passing score?
PMI does not publish one. The handbook explains that PMI exams are criteria based: the standard is the criteria for a qualified agile practitioner, and the passing score is set by psychometric analysis rather than a fixed percentage. Of the 120 items, only 100 are scored, and the 20 pretest items are not identified.
When do I get my result?
A score shown at the end of a computer based session is preliminary until PMI confirms it is official. If you receive a preliminary exam report, the official exam report appears on PMI's online certification results system no later than 10 business days after your exam date, and PMI emails you when it is available. Paper based testing candidates receive a report within six to eight weeks.
Can I take the exam online?
Yes, through OnVUE online proctored testing, although PMI recommends an in person Pearson VUE test centre. Online delivery requires a system test in advance, a private space and a valid photo ID, and PMI describes the check-in process as extensive. Online proctored testing is not available to citizens of mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong regardless of where they are located.
What identification do I need?
A valid, current, non-expired government issued ID with English or Roman characters or an official English translation, a clear photograph and your signature. If you test in the country that issued the ID, local language and local characters are accepted; if you test outside that country, only Roman character IDs are accepted. If your ID lacks a photograph or a signature, bring a second unexpired ID supplying the missing element with your printed name.
What happens if my name does not match?
You are not admitted. All identification presented at check-in must match your name exactly as it appears on the scheduling notification, and PMI states there are no exceptions. Documents must also be undamaged. Request a name update through PMI before scheduling, supplying the details exactly as they appear on the ID you plan to present.
Can I bring materials into the exam?
No outside materials are permitted. The exam is closed book at both Pearson VUE test centres and under OnVUE proctoring, and online candidates must clear their workspace as part of the check-in process. Note that potential exam misconduct can be reported to PMI's Exam Integrity team by anyone, including other candidates.
Are accommodations available?
Yes, and PMI provides them free of charge for disabilities, medical conditions or other needs. Request the accommodation as early as possible, because an already scheduled exam has to be cancelled before an accommodation request can be processed, and PMI states there are no exceptions to that sequence.
What does it cost to reschedule or cancel?
Nothing if you act more than 30 days before the appointment. Within 30 days of the appointment, rescheduling or cancelling costs USD 70 plus taxes, charged by the exam delivery vendor. Within 48 hours you cannot reschedule at all, and failing to appear forfeits the entire exam fee. The 30 day period excludes the day of the appointment itself.
What is the audit process?
PMI selects a percentage of applications for audit at random, notifying you by email before you pay the certification fee. You then upload supporting documentation such as evidence of training and experience. With complete documentation the audit takes about five to seven business days. Your one year eligibility period starts only once the audit is passed, and failing or refusing an audit triggers a one year suspension with no refund.
How do I renew the PMI-ACP?
Earn 30 professional development units in each three year cycle and pay the certification renewal fee, which PMI notes is independent of the membership renewal fee. A PDU is one hour spent learning, teaching, presenting, reading, volunteering or creating content. PDUs are reported in PMI's Continuing Certification Renewal System.
How does the PMI-ACP compare to the PMP?
The PMP is PMI's general project management certification and costs USD 405 for members or USD 655 for non-members, against USD 435 and USD 495 for the PMI-ACP. The PMP requires 35 hours of project management training and 60 PDUs per three year cycle, while the PMI-ACP requires 21 hours of agile training and 30 PDUs. An active PMP also satisfies the PMI-ACP agile experience requirement on its own, so holding the PMP shortens the ACP application.
Is the PMI-ACP tied to one agile framework?
No. PMI describes it as an agnostic, experience based, ISO accredited exam, and the Exam Content Outline references Scrum, Kanban, Lean, SAFe and XP practices without privileging any one of them. The tools and techniques list spans relative sizing, Kanban boards, value stream mapping, risk adjusted backlogs and value based prioritisation methods such as MoSCoW and Kano analysis.
What changed in the current exam version?
PMI ran a global practice analysis and job task analysis that rebuilt the certification around four domains instead of seven, expanded the audience to product development roles, realigned the professional experience requirements and introduced credit for prior learning. PMI retained Alpine Testing Solutions to calibrate the outline. The published outline carries a March 2026 revision date.
How many items are actually scored?
One hundred of the 120. The remaining 20 are pretest items used to validate future questions, they do not affect your score, and they are placed randomly throughout the exam without being identified. Treat every item as scored, because you cannot tell which is which.
What is the PMI-ACP pass rate?
PMI does not publish pass rates for the PMI-ACP or for any of its certification exams. The certification page reports outcome statistics instead, stating that 86 percent of PMI-ACP holders qualified for new opportunities and 84 percent gained recognition for career advancement.
Can I complain about the exam or the process?
Yes, through PMI's certification complaints process. Complaints must be reported within 30 days of the incident, in writing, by email, and must name the policy or procedure that was not followed, describe how it was not followed and supply supporting evidence. The same 30 day written deadline applies to certification appeals, which go to a separate PMI Certification Appeals address.
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