PMI ACP Training Pune (Agile Certified Practitioner)

ACP stands for Agile Certified Practitioner, the certification from PMI, USA for project managers across all industries. Those having ~8 months experience in agile are eligible to take the exam, though the training can be taken by anyone interested in Agile. The certification is valued across the world.

Here are a few key points about PMI ACP for your initial understanding. Details can be read via additional links provided in the Useful Links tab below

The ACP certification costs $495 and is valid for 3 years. You can renew the certification after that for $65 (from India). This is in addition to the training fee, but it needs to be paid later, once you have applied for the exam and your exam form is approved.
The ACP certification exam has 120 questions to be answered in 3 hours. All questions are situational, objective and 1 in 4 answers is correct. There are no negative marks.
ACP covers much more content than most other popular certifications such as ASM, PSM, CSM, CSPO. Refer the Course Outline below for details. What you learn here is much more than most of your peers would ever know about, givng you the advantage at the workplace. Further, you learn the practical aspects of doing agile, through hands-on learning
Though passing marks are not declared, you need to get around 70% in the practice exams shared, to have confidence to pass the exam. Generally 130 hours is needed for preparation after the training, but can vary based on experience and grasping speed
The 4 day training (10-6.00) covers all topics you need to know from an exam perspective and to lead Agile teams in your organization. Enough material will be given for preparation, as well as guidance on how to study.
There is no expiry date of the training - you can give the exam immediately or years later, but it should be within a year of submitting your exam application form.
Being PMI ACP Certified increases career growth opportunities taking you upward right from scrum master to managerial or coaching track. It also helps you do your agile projects better, more confidently and enhance project success
If you dont have sufficient experience (8 months in Agile), you can go for the training and subsequently appear for a certification such as PSM-1. You will get all the material required for preparing for the PSM-1 Certification, and support to prepare for the exam. Call us for more details.

About the Trainer:

Ashish Paranjpe has over 32 years experience across industries and domains. His goal is to provide you with the best PMI ACP training. . Here are 6 reasons why you are in safe hands:

1. With 5 Agile Certifications - PMI ACP, PSM, ICP ACP,ICP APM and SAFe SPC Ashish has a broader understanding of Agile in terms of multiple dimensions to help you get answers to your specific situation and needs
2. Ashish was one of the first few professionals in India to develop and deliver eLearning courses, way back in 1998. This experience helps him deliver online learning effectively. He has trained participants from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, China, UAE, US, UK, South Africa and many other locations, besides India
3. He has successfully conducted Agile & Scrum Training over past 10 years in India and overseas. This includes organizations such as Accenture, Deutsche Bank, Barclays, IBM, Oracle, Vodafone, Telstra, L and T Infotech, Tieto and many other mid & small sized organizations. He also has been serving as an Agile coach to development teams, over the past 8 years. He is currently guiding the agile transformation for 10 agile teams through a day to day involvement.
4. Ashish has been involved executing and managing projects since 1991, and also managing project managers. His exposure to Agile started way back in 2007, for a major engagement in US for Capgemini. Being hands-on helps him relate better to your projects.
5. Ashish is a freelancer through several training institutes for Agile training. This exposure has helped him ensure the best coverage on the subject. He has conducted more than 40 training programs during the past 12 months.
6. As a career coach cum trainer, he can provide valuable guidance, for you to succeed as a professional. Check out the services menu at the top of this page to find more information about the career coaching.

Participant Feedback:

by participants.

GetCoached.in's program is probably the only one that simulates the entire Agile journey, to help you get a practical dimension in your understanding.

7 Key Reasons why GetCoached.in is one of the best PMI ACP training institutes:

1. 32 years Industry experienced trainer discusses examples in your domain and suggests solutions to your project situations
2. Provides recording of the live classroom training to help you revise better
3. Comprehensive course = lesser books to read. Increase confidence on your ACP prep<
4. Experiential (hands-on) learning through a variety of simulated games/activities for nearly 50% of the training
5. Training content includes the ACP, ASM, PSPO, PSM and CSM (Certified Scrum Master) scope - get the best of ALL certifications in one!
6. Pre & Post training support by the same trainer - not by a call center
7. All this at an affordable fee (one of the lowest you can find) + EMI option

Fees:

INR 15,000 per participant (includes tax) or US$ 180

Option to pay in EMIs ( 5 cheques of Rs.3200/- each) over 5 months. Note: This is only for in-person physical classroom attendees

This fee is inclusive of Service Tax /GST. Fees are non refundable. However, participants can request (atleast 48 hours in advance), to make one switch to the next batch (subject to availability) at no additional cost. This switch can be done mid-course as well, though not advisable. Date changes done in less than 48 hours prior to start of the training or switching batches multiple times will incur a charge of Rs. 1000/- for each batch switch

Payment Modes: Branch/ATM Cheque drop, Cheque or cash handover, Google Pay or PAYTM to 9822603367, UPI to ashishparanjpe@kotak or Online banking fund transfer (details below).

Kotak Mahindra Bank Current Account Number: 6912179452
Name: Ashish Shivajee Paranjpe HUF
Branch: Aundh, Pune.
NEFT/IFSC Code: KKBK0000726 (Four zeros seven two six)

International Participants: Pay using PayPal or Credit / Debit Card:

India Participants: Pay using Credit / Debit Card:

Pay Via PayU

Cashback: 10% Cash Back for Early Enrolment!

How it works: If you make the full payment 2 weeks prior to training via NEFT/IMPS/UPI/Google Pay (or deposit the cheque in bank dropbox), you get a benefit of 10% which equals Rs. 1500 cash back on day 4 of the training, deposited into your account. Cashback option not applicable for EMI option and payments via PayTM, PayUMoney or PayPal

Contact +91-9822603367 to confirm your seat or write an emailto [email protected] to send the screenshot of the payment done.

Training Package Includes:

4 full days of online and classroom training delivered by ACP® Certified Trainer having ~33 years experience.
ACP Training Certificate for 28 Contact Hours (popularly called as 28 PDUs)
*Hard copy(by courier) and soft copy of all the training content
Recordings of the training, for later reference while studying
3 mock tests with answers (soft copy)
30 additional free mock exams (via links provided)
A booklet entitled "Cracking the PMI ACP®" that helps you prepare for the exam
Up to 10 post program interactions over email or phone, within 6 months of the training
A collection of of Agile training videos, presentations and additional documentation that help you learn more on the subject
A comprehensive guide on how to fill the exam form, alongwith a sample filled-in form
Smart Agile Templates & Checklists for making your agile implementation more efficient and effective
*"Library" Access to the study book: PMI ACP Exam Prep - Second Edition by Mike Griffiths

Bonus: A study kit for those interested in giving an entry level exam, called as Professional Scrum Master (PSM-1) and Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO-1) from scrum.org. This includes the study guide, mock test links and additional tips to prepare and pass the exam. The PMI ACP training already covers the syllabus for these exams

Note: Items marked with * above will be available only for participants attending in person. For other participants, the hard copy (item #3) can be couriered on request later.

ACP Training Agenda:

Note: The Course will include learning games, hands-on activities, scenario based discussions and quizzes.

1. Introduction

Agenda for the Workshop
Pre-requisites for PMI-ACP Exam
About the Exam Format

2. Agile Basics

Agile Overview
Agile frameworks and terminology
Agile Manifesto values and principles
Agile Domains, Knowledge, Skills, Tools and Techniques
Variations in Agile methods and approaches
Agile Team space
Agile Tools
Project charter for an Agile project

3. Agile Requirements Analysis and Design

Product Vision and roadmap
User stories and backlog
Story maps
Progressive elaboration
Wireframes
Personas
Agile modeling

4. Value-based prioritization of the backlog items

Return on investment (ROI)
Net present value (NPV)
Internal rate of return (IRR)
Customer-valued prioritization
Minimally marketable feature (MMF)
Relative prioritization or ranking

5. Agile Estimation

Relative sizing/story points
Wide band Delphi
Planning poker
Affinity estimating
Ideal time
Probe technique

6. Iteration Planning, Monitoring and Adapting

Adaptive Planning
Iteration and release planning
Time boxing
Burn down/up charts
Task and Kanban boards
Information radiator
WIP limits
Daily stand-ups
Review
Retrospectives

7. Product Quality

Frequent verification and validation
Test first development
Acceptance test-driven development
Conditions of Satisfaction / Acceptance Tests
Definition of Done
Agile continuous integration
Technical Debt

8. Risk management

Risk-adjusted backlog
Risk burn down graphs
Agile risk-based spike

9. Agile Metrics

Velocity
Agile cycle time
Earned value management (EVM) for agile projects
Escaped defects

10. Agile Value stream analysis

Flow charts
Process analysis
Value stream mapping
Cumulative flow diagrams
Spaghetti Diagrams
Process tailoring
Failure modes and alternatives

11. Behavioral skills required in Agile

Emotional intelligence
Collaboration
Adaptive leadership
Negotiation skills
Conflict resolution
Servant leadership

12. Agile Knowledge and Skills (Level-1)

Active listening
Assessing and incorporating community and stakeholder values
Brainstorming techniques
Building empowered teams
Coaching and mentoring within teams
Communications management
Feedback techniques for product
Incremental delivery
Agile Knowledge sharing
Agile Leadership tools and techniques
Agile Problem-solving strategies, tools, and techniques
Project and quality standards for Agile projects
Stakeholder management
Agile Team motivation
Time, budget, and cost estimation
Value-based decomposition

13. Agile Knowledge and Skills (Level-2)

Building high-performance teams
Agile Business case development
Collocation (geographic proximity)/distributed teams
Agile Continuous improvement processes
Agile Facilitation methods
Agile Participatory decision models (e.g., input-based, shared collaboration, command)
PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

14. Agile Knowledge and Skills (Level-3)

Agile contracting methods
Agile project accounting principles
Applying new Agile practices
Compliance (organization)
Control limits for Agile projects
Globalization, culture, and team diversity
Agile Innovation games
Principles of systems thinking (e.g., complex adaptive, chaos)
Regulatory compliance
Variance and trend analysis
Vendor management

Useful Links:

ACP Overview from PMI.org: About the exam, eligibility criteria and more
ACP Handbook: A guide to the exam, the scope & everything you need to know about ACP
ACP Exam Content Outline: A more detailed look at the exam composition and topics
ACP FAQs: Answers to most of your Questions
(enables step away go off for breakfast,
ACP Reference Books: A list of recommended books for Agile ACP Certification Study
ACP vs CSM: A comparison between Agile Certified Practitioner and Certified Scrum Master, which helps you determine which onego for.
ACP Blog: Edward Chung's blog on the PMI ACP exam
What’s New with PMI-ACP:Updates on the new PMI ACP certification

Mode of Delivery:

in Person Face to Face(at Hotel Orchard, Deccan Pune), or Online via Zoom Link with video and audio based conversations

Dates:

21-29 Nov @ Pune

Time:

10 am to 6 pm IST with periodic breaks

Batch size: 12-15 participants, so as to ensure maximum interaction and query resolution.

Call +91-9822603367 to know more about the specifics of how the physical classroom or online training sessions will take place

What should I go for: PMI ACP or CSM (Certified Scrum Master)?

With so many people talking about Agile and Scrum Certifications, you would be wondering which one to take. Here is a quick guide for you to decide which certification you may want to take. The choice is yours

1. PMI ACP requires 8 months experience in Agile kind of projects, whereas CSM does not require any prior background. This ensures that the ACP participants in the training know what we are talking about - whereas in a CSM Training, you will get individuals that have never done Agile before. However, If you don't have any experience and yet want to get a quick certification relating to Agile / Scrum, CSM is what you may want to go for.

2. We haven't seen anyone yet who has failed in the CSM exam. Whether you are good at Scrum or not, you are going to be a CSM if you complete the 2 day program. For this reason, anyone stating that they are certified as a CSM is not telling much - all it says that you had time and money to go to a 2 day program and get the certification. Being a CSM does not by itself make you stand apart from others except that you got familiar with the way Scrum works. It will not ensure that you have the qualities of being a Scrum Master overnight!

3. The Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) from PMI requires you to understand the concepts, study for about a month or two before you can be ready to give the exam. By passing the ACP examination, you become one of the few in your city that have this certification as an edge over the others

4. The ACP course is a superset of the other certifications. It covers all that you would cover in the CSM training, plus other methodologies like XP, Lean, Kanban and some more. So, by doing an ACP, rest assured that you will also cover the CSM topics, and much more

5. The ACP course covers it from all perspectives - the Agile Coach, Product Owner, Scrum Master and Team. CSM will be primarily aimed at the scrum master role

6. If you are focused on seeking knowledge on Agile methodologies and certification is not presently important, even in that case, PMI ACP is better, as the PMI ACP Training from GetCoached.in costs approximately 30% of the CSM course fee. For those giving the exam, they will need to spend additionally a fee of 495 USD towards the certification exam

7. While CSM is the entry level certification, you need to take the second level (CSP) to differentiate yourself from the crowd. That requires additional years of working and 70 SEUs (like PDUs) of training too. Do note that the fees for PMI ACP Training + Certification will be atleast 25% lower than the CSM + CSP fees put together.

Summing up, the PMI ACP Training gives you more knowledge, higher credibility at a lower cost.

Q. What is ACP?

A. ACP Stands for Agile Certified Practitioner. This is the agile certification issued by the Project Management Institute, USA, the same body that issues the PMP (Project Management Professional) Certification. This is not to be confused with CSM or "Scrum Master Certification" though it covers scrum and other methodologies in depth

Q. What is the eligibility criteria for ACP Certification?

A. The PMI ACP Handbook (see the Useful Links tab above) provides a detailed information on this. In brief, you need 1500 hours (~ 8 months) of Agile Projects related experience (from the past 3 years), plus 2000 hours (slightly over 1 year) of general project experience (in the past 5 years) outside of this 1500 hours. If you are already a PMP in good standing, this second criteria is not required. The 1500 hours could be in any agile methodology, as long as your application form indicates that your method was iterative and incremental. It could be a combination of methods as well (XP, Scrum, Kanban) or your own customised version. PMI does not need any official/project document from your organization to support this application.

Q. In a nutshell, what does ACP cover?

A. ACP covers all the approaches that are popularly used - Scrum, XP, Lean, Kanban, FDD, DSDM, AUP and more. It covers scaled agile concepts, as also DevOps. ACP is going deep in each of these, while covering the common aspects of all. Its helps you be in a position to select from these multiple approaches, since it is likely that one specific method (say Scrum) may not suit all project needs

Q. Do you guarantee that I will pass the ACP?

A. Actually, no one can guarantee that, but what the trainer does guarantee is that he will cover the entire scope of the ACP course, answer all your queries, ensure that you have understood all the topics. Beyond that, whether you pass or not will depend on your extent of studies, how you use your experience for the answers, your speed of reading, your level of practice, especially for numerical questions, and last but not the least, time management. So far, the track record has been that 0 participants have failed, after getting the trainer's go ahead

Q. What is the option if I do not have the hours required to be eligible?

A. You can take the training now, get opportunities to work in Agile projects based on this training, gain your experience and then apply for the exam. Alternatively, if you have done projects that are not agile but say waterfall, then you can consider Project Management Professional Certification (PMP). CLICK HERE to visit the GetCoached.in/PMP Training page for its details.