Secondary diploma
RequiredA high school diploma, GED or international equivalent.
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Exam Guide
Validates knowledge of agile mindset, leadership, product and delivery practices across Scrum, Kanban, Lean and hybrid approaches.
PMI-ACP tests how you apply agile values and practices to team, product and delivery situations across several frameworks. Learn the four domains and the tools list in the outline, then practise long scenario questions until you choose PMI’s preferred agile response.
Understand the exam
Syllabus
IMindset28%
- Task 1Experiment early
- Task 2Embrace agile mindset
- Task 3Promote collaborative team environment
- Task 4Build transparency
- Task 5Foster psychological safety
- Task 6Shorten feedback loops
- Task 7Embrace change
Example scenario: A new team keeps arguing in retrospectives and quiet members stop speaking. What would you change first?
IILeadership25%
- Task 1Empower teams
- Task 2Facilitate problem resolution
- Task 3Promote knowledge sharing
- Task 4Promote agile mindset principles and practices
- Task 5Promote shared vision and purpose
- Task 6Facilitate conflict management
Example scenario: Two senior developers disagree about the architecture and the team has stalled for a week. How should you respond?
IIIProduct19%
- Task 1Refine product backlog
- Task 2Manage increments
- Task 3Visualize work
- Task 4Manage value delivery
Example scenario: A stakeholder wants a low-value feature moved to the top of the backlog. How would you decide its order?
IVDelivery28%
- Task 1Seek early feedback
- Task 2Manage agile metrics
- Task 3Manage impediments and risk
- Task 4Recognize and eliminate waste
- Task 5Perform continuous improvements
- Task 6Actively engage customers
- Task 7Optimize flow
Example scenario: A cumulative flow diagram shows the testing band widening every week. What does that suggest, and what would you do?
PMI-ACP Exam Content Outline · March 2026 revision
Format
- Questions
- 120
- Duration
- 3h
- Delivery
- Test centre or online
- Languages
- English, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish
Question types
Read a scenario and choose the one best answer from the options.
CertUp example
A team’s sprint review shows the product owner has never seen the feature before. Stakeholders now ask for large changes. What practice would have helped most?
Show answer
Showing small increments to stakeholders throughout the sprint. Early and frequent feedback surfaces changes while they are still cheap.
Read a scenario and select every correct answer, where the question states how many to choose.
CertUp example
Which TWO actions best reduce work in progress on a Kanban board?
Show answer
Set a limit for each column and respect it, and finish items already in progress before pulling new ones. Both stop work piling up between stages.
Drag items from one list onto matching targets, such as matching each situation to the technique that suits it.
CertUp example
Drag each situation to the technique that fits it.
Show answer
The repeated defect goes to root cause analysis; disagreement on importance goes to backlog prioritisation with stakeholders; the sizing disagreement goes to collaborative estimation such as planning poker; the shared dependency goes to inter-team coordination such as a scrum of scrums.
Study a chart, board or other exhibit, then answer the question about it.
CertUp example
A burndown chart shows the remaining work staying flat for the first half of the sprint and then dropping sharply near the end. What does this suggest?
Show answer
Work is being completed in large batches late in the sprint. A flat line followed by a late drop shows items finishing together rather than steadily.
Eligibility and booking
Apply on pmi.org with your training and experience. Once approved, you have one year to pass and up to three attempts.
Make a study plan
Complete the 21 hours, apply, then spend most of your time on scenario questions across all frameworks, not only Scrum.
Most candidates spend 50–100 hours. Plan for the low end if you already use Kanban, Lean and XP as well as Scrum; add time if your agile experience is mostly in one framework.
- 1Understand the examRead the syllabus and format, check you’re eligible and pick a target date.4 h
- 3Learn the core conceptsWork through one main course or book, topic by topic.41 h
- 4Practice with mock examsTake timed practice tests and review every mistake.21 h
- 5Prepare for exam dayBook the exam and check the ID and delivery rules.4 h
Learn the core concepts
Choose one course that gives you the 21 hours and follows the current outline. Use the Agile Practice Guide to check how PMI describes agile practices.
Best valuePMI-ACP Exam Prep 28 PDU CourseBest with practice examsPMI-ACP Exam Prep Course + Simulator Bundle
Best official coursePMI-ACP Exam Prep CoursePractice with mock exams
Use more than one question source, and include long scenario and exhibit questions. Review every wrong answer against the outline.
See all 7 PMI-ACP practice tests →
Are you ready?
- You can explain each domain task and when to use the main tools in the outline.
- You score consistently well on full practice exams from more than one source.
- You can answer a set of exhibit questions without rereading the chart several times.
Prepare for exam day
Schedule with Pearson VUE once PMI approves your application. PMI recommends a test centre; online proctoring is also available.
Before travelling to the test centre
Before testing from home
- Bring a current government-issued photo ID with a name that exactly matches your PMI application.
- You can take the 10-minute break after question 60. Any other break comes out of your exam time.
- Run the system test and allow extra time for the check-in process.
- Test in a private room with a clear desk and have your photo ID ready.
- Once you start the break you cannot return to questions 1 to 60.
- An optional tutorial and survey before and after the exam do not count toward the 3 hours.
- If you do not pass, you can retake within your eligibility year, up to three attempts in total.
Advice from exam takers
Expect exhibit question sets.
Recent pass and fail reports describe a backlog, burndown chart or iteration table followed by several linked questions, such as calculating velocity or recommending an action. Several had not seen this format in practice banks.
Answer the way PMI describes agile.
A candidate who passed on a third attempt says the change that worked was setting aside their own team’s habits and choosing the servant-leadership answer.
Use more than one question bank.
Candidates who passed describe working through questions from several sources, such as Andrew Ramdayal’s course and simulator plus another bank. Some found PMI Study Hall thin for PMI-ACP.