1.1 PMI-ACP Certification & Exam Facts
Key Takeaways
- The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® is a vendor-neutral credential that validates knowledge across multiple agile methodologies including Scrum, Kanban, XP, Lean, and scaling frameworks.
- The exam has 120 items (100 scored and 20 unscored pretest items), uses several item formats, and provides 180 minutes of testing time.
- Candidates receive one scheduled 10-minute break after completing and submitting the first 60 questions; submitted questions cannot be revisited after the break.
- Eligibility requires a secondary diploma, 21 hours of formal agile training, and one of PMI's current experience or active-PMP pathways.
- Maintaining the PMI-ACP certification requires earning 30 Professional Development Units (PDUs) in agile topics every 3-year recertification cycle.
1.1 PMI-ACP Certification & Exam Facts
The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® credential is PMI's framework-neutral agile certification. The current examination is based on the November 2024 Exam Content Outline (ECO), revised by PMI in March 2026. It assesses whether a practitioner can apply agile principles and tools across four domains: Mindset, Leadership, Product, and Delivery.
Always check PMI's certification page and the current ECO before applying. Eligibility, delivery policies, available languages, and prices can change, and older preparation books may still describe the pre-November-2024 exam.
Current Official Exam Specifications
| Exam parameter | Current PMI specification |
|---|---|
| Total items | 120 |
| Scored / pretest | 100 scored and 20 unscored pretest items |
| Testing time | 180 minutes (3 hours) |
| Scheduled break | One 10-minute break after items 1-60 are completed and reviewed |
| Item formats | Multiple-choice, multiple-response, drag-and-drop-style items, and exhibits |
| Domain weights | Mindset 28%, Leadership 25%, Product 19%, Delivery 28% |
| Passing score | PMI does not publish a fixed percentage or raw-score cutoff |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or secure online-proctored delivery |
The 20 pretest items are randomly distributed and are not identified. They do not affect the score, but candidates cannot tell them apart from scored items, so every item should receive the same care.
PMI allocates 180 minutes to the examination itself. An optional tutorial before the exam and survey after it are outside that testing time. The official ECO does not say that all items have four options or one correct response; prepare for the item formats PMI actually lists.
Break and review rule
After completing and reviewing items 1-60, the exam offers one 10-minute break. Starting the break closes the first section: responses to items 1-60 cannot be revisited afterward. The candidate then completes items 61-120 with the remaining examination time. Review flagged items in the first section before starting the break.
Scoring
PMI uses psychometric scoring and does not publish a universal passing percentage. A claim such as “65%,” “70%,” or a fixed number correct is unofficial and should not drive preparation. The sound strategy is to seek consistent mastery in every domain and use practice results to identify weak tasks, not to aim at an invented cutoff.
Current Eligibility Requirements
Every candidate needs a secondary diploma (high school diploma, GED, or global equivalent) and 21 hours of formal training in agile practices, frameworks, and methodologies. The training must be completed before the application and supported by proof of completion.
A candidate must also satisfy one current professional-experience pathway:
| Professional agile experience pathway | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Standard | Two years of agile experience during the past five years |
| GAC degree | One year of agile experience plus a degree from a PMI Global Accreditation Center program |
| Third-party agile certification | One year of agile experience plus a current qualifying agile certification earned more than one year ago |
| Active PMP | An active Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification |
A third-party credential must demonstrate knowledge of agile approaches and principles. PMI states that qualifying Scrum, SAFe, or other agile credentials may provide 12 months of credit toward the two-year experience requirement when current and held for at least one year. Current PMI credential holders may also have previously recorded agile or hybrid experience counted when it falls within the applicable five-year window. Candidates should follow the application prompts and current ECO rather than translating experience into obsolete hour totals.
Application, Testing, and Retakes
Once PMI approves an application, the candidate pays the displayed exam price and schedules the appointment. PMI pricing can vary by membership status and region, so use the amount shown by PMI at purchase rather than a hard-coded dollar figure from an older guide.
The exam is available in person at a Pearson VUE testing center or through online proctoring where offered. Online candidates should run Pearson VUE's system test on the same device and network they will use, meet the current bandwidth and room requirements, and follow the proctor's instructions.
Within the one-year eligibility period, a candidate may attempt the exam up to three times. After three unsuccessful attempts, PMI requires a one-year wait from the date of the last attempt before reapplication. If the eligibility period expires without a pass, the candidate must reapply.
Maintaining the Certification
PMI-ACP holders must earn 30 Professional Development Units (PDUs) in each three-year certification cycle.
- At least 18 PDUs must be Education.
- No more than 12 PDUs may come from Giving Back to the Profession.
- At least 4 Education PDUs are required in each PMI Talent Triangle area: Ways of Working, Power Skills, and Business Acumen.
Renewal pricing is separate from PMI membership pricing and should be checked in the current renewal workflow. The durable exam facts are the 30-PDU total and three-year cycle; price claims should not be memorized.
A candidate is preparing to take the PMI-ACP examination. How is the 180-minute exam structured regarding total questions, scored items, and unscored pretest items?
A test taker reaches Question 60 on the PMI-ACP exam and decides to accept the scheduled 10-minute break. Which of the following correctly describes the review policy after the break?
Which combination matches PMI's current education and learning requirements for every PMI-ACP applicant?