Agile Training and Certification - PMI-ACP

For the past year and a half, while working with Myplanet Digital, I've been learning more and more about agile product development. Earlier this year I decided to pursue some training and certification in agile methods and techniques.

Last August I took some training and obtained the Certified Scrummaster (CSM) certification, available from the Scrum Alliance. I decided that this time I wanted to do something more general, and after looking at a few options decided on the Project Management Institute's Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification.

The course required 21 training hours in agile related material. I was pretty sure that the CSM training would count, but it was only 14 hours. I searched around and found a PMI-ACP exam prep course from MindEdge Online.

I was a bit nervous about potential accessibility bariers that I may find with the course, so I contacted MindEdge Online in advance of registering. MindEdge's customer service was incredibly helpful, and put me in touch with the individual in charge of the accessibility of their programs. As I worked through the course I did find a few interfaces which needed improvement, and as I made recommendations the development team made several changes to improve the accessibility of the interface. I could tell from the beginning that MindEdge's team had been paying attention to accessibility.

Last month I wrote and passed the PMI-ACP exam, 120 multiple choice questions. I was permitted a reader / recorder to read me the questions and to record my answers. I was also permitted extra time to complete the exam, however, I completed in less than the standard time limit.

Overall the course and exam were helpful tools to give me an incentive to focus on learning generally about agile methods and techniques, and did cause me to become familiar with concepts that I had not before encountered. I enjoyed the mixed media format of the course, which included readings, quizs, and snippets from video lectures.