Learn from the students who have successfully passed the PMI-ACP exams. Get to know their experiences, how they prepare for the exam and some of the tips and tricks they shared for us.

1. The PMI-ACP Lessons Learned
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2. 2
Learn from the students who have successfully
passed the PMI-ACP exams. Get to know their
experiences, how they prepare for the exam and
some of the tips and tricks they shared for us.

3. 3
Lessons Learned from
Michael Mondie PMP, PMI-ACP
The study plan:
1. Watch the ACP PrepCast. This takes dedication, there are a lot of hours in the
PrepCast, much more than I remember for the PMP exam I took in 2011
2. Read PMI-ACP Exam Prep by Mike Griffiths after the PrepCast
3. Completed the 50 question sample exam included Prepcast Study Guide
4. Read the exam tips in the student guide and inputs from others in the back
5. I bought a dry erase board and use to memorize key terms for. For each I made up a
word or series of letters that meant something to me and could be used to recall phrases.
below are mine, you should make your own.
6. Review the SCRUMDAN guide ( Google and you will find)
7. Read Code of Ethics
The day of the exam:
1. Reviewed my dry erase board items above (also brain dumped this at the exam)
2. Review Roles for each AGILE method

4. 4
My takeaway is that there seemed to be much more to
learn or prepare for the PMP exam possibly due to a lack of
an ACP PMBOK. So you have to read information from
several sources and study more methods than probably are
needed.
It took me about 1hr and 15min to do the exam. I used my
brain dump often during that exam, sometimes they were
directly useful and other times it helped with those
questions structured like …”which one is the best…..”.
I was not feeling confident with the first 10 questions so I
marked and moved on, I then got into a groove and came
back to marked questions later…this helped.

5. 5
Lessons Learned from
Alan Richardson PMP, PMI-ACP
Many thanks to the ACP PrepCast team! I used their
very affordable materials in combination with Andy
Crowe's exam prep book and passed first time.
Actually the contrast between the two tools is
revealing. Andy Crowe covers a lot of what you will
need for the exam - and that's all. The Agile PrepCast
goes into a lot more detail, and has real education
value. Risk Management is a good example: Crowe
gives a paragraph on the principle - probably all you'll
ever see on the exam.
The Agile PrepCast demonstrates risk burndown and
other techniques.

6. 6
Lessons Learned from
Martin Gagne, PMP, PMI-ACP
I spent like 2 months of studying on that exam. What I did is very simple:
- I took the training offered by my local PMI Chapter in Montreal (3 days of training in a
row)
- I read 2 times entirely the prep book ACP Exam Prep Plus Desk Reference from GR8PM
- I bought and followed the training offered by Cornelius Fichtner
- I have learned very much the agile manifesto values and principles
- I have learned the Declaration of interdependance
- DO NOT learn by heart the grid suggested in the Prep Book. Understand it, be
comfortable with it, that is enough
I did all the exercises of the Prep Book and did the 2 full exam (average of 83% on each
exam)
I did all the exercises of Cornelius
The day of my exam, I spent 2 hours flipping pages of the book of Mike Cohn : "User
Stories Applied For Agile Software Development". I got like 15 questions on user stories
and this help me very much for the exam. Be sure to have covered everything in the
Prep Book before flipping pages of Mike Cohn's book. I read only topics that I needed
more information.

7. 7
The exam was very much easier than the PMP.
But again, you need to master everything
because your brain will guide you through the
right answer. I did the entire 120 question in less
than 140 minutes. Many question need your
logical only. Read carefully. Very often, the right
answer was really obvious in comparison with
other choices.
Good luck with you study. Study seriously and
you will make it at the first try.
I got this result:
Agile tools and techniques : moderately proficient
Agile knowledge and skills : proficient

8. 8
Read more and learn from the PMPs
who studied and passed the PMI-ACP at
https://www.project-management-
prepcast.com/index.php/kunena/pmi-
acp-exam-lessons-learned