PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) Exam Preparation

Week 1: Agile Principles and Mindset

Day 1: Agile Principles and Mindset

Agile Manifesto and 12 Agile Principles
Agile Mindset and Values
Empirical Process Control
Lean Thinking in Agile
Understanding the difference between Agile and Waterfall approaches

Day 2: Agile Methods and Approaches

Scrum, Kanban, XP, FDD, and Crystal methods
Agile hybrid models
Agile sizing and estimation techniques
Value-based analysis and decomposition
Agile discovery and incremental delivery
Prioritization and process analysis in Agile

Day 3: Agile Frameworks and Terminology

Agile frameworks, such as SAFe, LeSS, and Nexus
Agile terminology, such as Epics, User Stories, Sprints, Backlogs, and Retrospectives
Agile project chartering and contracting
Regulatory compliance in Agile
PMI’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

Day 4: Stakeholder Engagement and Team Performance

Assessing and incorporating community and stakeholder values
Stakeholder management and communication
Facilitation methods and knowledge sharing
Leadership and building Agile teams
Team motivation and physical/virtual co-location
Global, cultural, and team diversity

Day 5: Problem Detection and Resolution and Continuous Improvement

Self-assessment tools and participatory decision models
Principles of systems thinking and problem solving in Agile
Continuous improvement in product, process, and people
Agile KPIs and project accounting principles
Training, coaching, mentoring, and developmental mastery models

Week 2: Agile Methods and Approaches

Day 1: Introduction to Agile Methodologies

Definition of Agile methodologies
Comparison with traditional project management
Advantages and disadvantages of Agile methodologies
Overview of popular Agile methodologies, such as Scrum, Kanban, Lean, and XP

Day 2: Agile Project Lifecycle

Overview of Agile project lifecycle
Understanding of iterative and incremental development
Agile project phases, such as concept, inception, iteration, release, and closure
Characteristics of each Agile project phase

Day 3: Agile Project Roles and Responsibilities

Overview of Agile project roles, such as product owner, scrum master, and development team
Responsibilities of each Agile project role
Characteristics of self-organizing and cross-functional teams
Importance of team collaboration and communication

Day 4: Agile Planning Techniques and Practices

Overview of Agile planning techniques and practices, such as user stories, backlog grooming, and sprint planning
Techniques for prioritizing and estimating user stories
Best practices for creating and maintaining the product backlog
Techniques for creating and estimating sprint backlogs

Day 5: Applying Agile Methodologies in Practice

Case studies and examples of Agile methodologies in practice
Techniques for adapting Agile methodologies to fit specific project needs
Best practices for implementing Agile methodologies in organizations
Discussion on how Agile methodologies can benefit different industries and types of projects.

Week 3: Agile Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

Day 1:

Topic: Techniques for identifying and involving stakeholders in Agile projects

Definition of stakeholder engagement
Overview of the importance of stakeholder engagement in Agile projects
Techniques for identifying stakeholders in an Agile project, such as stakeholder maps and power-interest grids
Guidelines for conducting stakeholder analysis to determine stakeholder needs and requirements
Best practices for involving stakeholders in the project planning and execution process

Day 2:

Topic: Agile stakeholder communication strategies

Overview of Agile stakeholder communication strategies, such as information radiators, daily stand-up meetings, and sprint reviews
Techniques for developing effective stakeholder communication plans
Best practices for ensuring that stakeholder communication is timely, relevant, and meaningful
Guidelines for involving stakeholders in the communication process
Importance of transparency in Agile communication

Day 3:

Topic: Facilitation methods for effective Agile meetings

Overview of Agile meetings, such as Sprint Planning, Daily Stand-ups, Sprint Reviews, and Sprint Retrospectives
Techniques for facilitating effective Agile meetings, such as creating agendas, timeboxing, and active listening
Best practices for ensuring that Agile meetings are productive and collaborative
Guidelines for involving all team members in Agile meetings

Day 4:

Topic: Knowledge sharing and written communication in Agile

Overview of the importance of knowledge sharing in Agile projects
Techniques for sharing knowledge in Agile projects, such as pair programming, code reviews, and wikis
Best practices for effective written communication in Agile, such as user stories, acceptance criteria, and documentation
Guidelines for ensuring that knowledge sharing and written communication are effective and collaborative

Day 5:

Topic: Review of Agile Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

Recap of the previous topics covered in the week
Discussion and review of case studies related to Agile stakeholder engagement and communication
Q&A session for any remaining questions or concerns about Agile stakeholder engagement and communication

Week 4: Agile Team Performance and Leadership

Day 1: Agile Team Performance

Principles of building effective Agile teams
Techniques for managing Agile teams, such as self-organizing and self-managing teams
Strategies for fostering team collaboration and communication
Techniques for measuring and monitoring Agile team performance, such as team velocity and burndown charts

Day 2: Agile Team Motivation

Understanding the importance of team motivation in Agile projects
Techniques for fostering team motivation, such as autonomy, mastery, and purpose
Strategies for managing team conflicts in Agile projects
Techniques for managing remote Agile teams

Day 3: Agile Leadership

Principles of Agile leadership
Agile leadership styles, such as servant leadership and transformational leadership
Techniques for facilitating effective Agile meetings and workshops
Best practices for leading Agile teams through change and uncertainty

Day 4: Physical and Virtual Co-location in Agile Teams

Understanding the benefits and challenges of physical and virtual co-location in Agile teams
Techniques for managing physical and virtual co-location in Agile teams
Best practices for fostering team collaboration and communication in physical and virtual Agile teams
Tools and technologies for managing remote Agile teams

Day 5: Exam Preparation

Review of Agile team performance, motivation, leadership, and physical and virtual co-location in Agile teams
Practice exam questions and answers
Tips for exam preparation and test-taking strategies
Review of PMI-ACP exam format and requirements
Resources for continued learning and professional development in Agile project management

Week 5: Agile Continuous Improvement and PMI Code of Ethics

Day 1: Agile Problem Detection and Resolution

Definition of problem detection and resolution in Agile
Techniques for identifying and resolving problems in Agile projects
Best practices for continuous improvement in Agile projects

Day 2: Principles of Systems Thinking in Agile

Overview of systems thinking in Agile projects
Application of complex adaptive and chaos theory in Agile
Benefits of using systems thinking in Agile projects

Day 3: Prioritization and Incremental Delivery in Agile

Understanding the importance of prioritization in Agile
Techniques for prioritizing backlog items in Agile projects
Overview of incremental delivery in Agile and its benefits

Day 4: Agile Sizing and Estimation Techniques

Overview of Agile sizing and estimation techniques, such as Planning Poker and Story Points
Guidelines for effective Agile sizing and estimation
Best practices for using Agile sizing and estimation in project planning and execution

Day 5: Agile Project Accounting and Regulatory Compliance, and PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

Overview of Agile project accounting principles and practices
Guidelines for ensuring regulatory compliance in Agile projects
Understanding of PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct and its application in Agile projects
Best practices for ensuring ethical behavior in Agile projects