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    Agile Certification FAQs

    We hope that the following information will address your questions. If however, you still need assistance, please contact us at [email protected] for training related questions and [email protected] for certification related questions.

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      Instructors and Assisting Candidates

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      After the DASM or DASSM training workshop is complete, the instructor must email a roster of the attendees to [email protected]. An exam access link will be automatically generated and emailed directly to each participating student. Notifications cannot be generated to anyone but the student. Depending on when the roster is received, it can take up to a few business days following the training for the student to receive the exam link.

      The exam is administered online through Pearson VUE. The student will need to log in to PMI and access the link to the exam from the myPMI dashboard. The student must have a PMI ID with a valid mailing address and valid phone number. This is required information for any candidate to test through Pearson VUE. If the address and phone number are not completed, the student will not be able to take the exam.

      It is a non-proctored exam so the student may take it at any time of day (or night) when they are ready. They will have 30 days from the time they receive the exam link to take the exam, and they may retake it two more times within that 30-day period if they do not pass the first attempt. However, there will be a $150 exam retake fee. Students can pay this fee directly via their myPMI dashboard. Upon payment, they can access the link to retake the exam. They no longer need to email [email protected] to request a retake.

      Yes, candidates must first complete the affiliated Disciplined Agile® (DA) workshop before taking the desired certification exam. This is because the certification exam is designed to test your knowledge and understanding of DA concepts and their applications as featured in DA training workshops and text book, Choose Your Way of Working (WoW). To help you accomplish this, the workshops are tailored to specific experience requirements and knowledge on which candidates will be tested. In the workshops, you’ll learn that DA certifications combine a variety of agile methodologies and frameworks including, Scrum, Lean, SAFe®, and more. Additionally, you’ll discover new concepts and approaches unique to DA.

      Below are the steps students must take to access the DASM or DASSM exam following a training workshop:

      1. After the training workshop, participating students receive an email with instructions to access the exam.

      2. Log in to PMI and access the link to the exam from the myPMI dashboard. You must have a PMI ID with a valid mailing address and valid phone number. If these fields are not completed, you will not be eligible to take the exam.

      3. It is a non-proctored exam administered through Pearson VUE. You may take it at any time you are ready – day or night.

      4. You have 30 days from when you initially received the exam link to take the exam. You may retake it two more times within that 30-day period if you do not pass the first attempt. If you would like to take the exam again, go to your myPMI dashboard to pay the $150 retake fee. Upon payment, you can access the link to retake the exam.You have 30 days from when you initially received the exam link to take the exam.

      The exam fee for one exam attempt is included in the cost of the training workshop. Students have 30 days to take the exam online after completing the training. Certification is granted after you pass the exam.

      Students have 30 days from the time they receive the exam link to take the exam, and they may retake it two more times within that 30-day period if they do not pass the first attempt. If a student does not pass and would like to sit for the exam again, they should go to their myPMI dashboard to pay the $150 retake fee. Upon payment, they can access the link to retake the exam.

      Candidates can take the exam up to three times. If they have not passed after the third attempt, they must re-take the training course.

      The DASM and DASSM exams are administered through Pearson VUE. Each exam is an online, non-proctored test including 50 multiple-choice questions. The total exam appointment is 120 minutes—30 minutes for the introduction, tutorial, and survey and up to 90 minutes for completing the exam.

      PMI does not publish the passing score for any of their certifications.

      Students will have 30 days from the time they receive the exam link to take the exam. They may retake it two more times within that 30-day period if they do not pass the first attempt. However, there is a $150 exam retake fee. Students can pay this fee directly via their myPMI dashboard. Upon payment, you can access the link to retake the exam. They no longer need to email [email protected] to request a retake.

      Yes, a DASM or DASSM certification is good for one year. To renew the certification, you must earn 7 PDUs in agile topics and pay the $50 renewal fee.

      While there is no prerequisite for the DASM course, we do recommend optional pre-work to get the most value out of the training, testing, and overall experience, including:

      • Familiarity with common agile concepts and terminology
      • Review Choose Your WoW’s key areas that address learning objectives
      • Take notes during the training workshop and review the workbook
      • Organize a virtual study group to confirm understanding of processes, application, and concepts addressed in training

      The DASSM course has the following prerequisites:

      • Two years of experience working in an agile team, ideally in a leadership role such as Disciplined Agile scrum master, scrum master, product owner, or architecture owner.
      • Understanding of the fundamentals of the DA tool kit by having done one or more of the following:
        • Taken the Disciplined Agile Scrum Master (DASM) course
        • Taken The Basics of Disciplined Agile online course
        • Read section 1, or more, of Choose Your WoW

      The DASSM exam will require more extensive study and in-depth understanding of the concepts from the DASSM workshop and the Choose Your WoW book.

      The Disciplined Agile Lean Scrum Master (DALSM) courseware is no longer available and all DALSM courses have been canceled or transitioned to DASM workshops. 

      Recent DALSM workshop attendees had until 2 January 2021 to take or retake the exam. If an attendee did not pass the exam before that date, they can no longer take it.

      Recent DALSM workshop attendees had until 2 January 2021 to take or retake the exam. If an attendee did not pass the exam before that date, they can no longer take it.

      The Disciplined Agile Lean Scrum Master (DALSM) courseware is no longer available for purchase. Any student that has purchased a digital key can still access the content on the PMI Choice Platform for up to a year from the date of purchase. Digital keys purchased by instructors will not expire once redeemed.

      If your eligibility period expires and you have not passed the examination, you must re-take the training course at an additional cost.

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      Current DA™ Certification Holders

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      We are transitioning your current active DA certifications to the new Agile Certifications. When you log into your myPMI account, you will see your new certifications as they become available and you will receive new Credly certification badges accordingly. Here’s what to expect with your certifications, and when to expect your new badges:

      • Current Certified Disciplined Agilest (CDA) will automatically become Disciplined Agile Scrum Masters (DASM), effective December 2020.
      • Current Certified Disciplined Agile Practitioners (CDAP) will automatically become Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Masters (DASSM), effective December 2020.
      • Current Disciplined Agile Lean Scrum Masters (DALSM) will automatically become Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Masters (DASSM), effective December 2020. DASSM has the same two year experience requirement that DALSM had.
      • Current Certified Disciplined Agile Instructors (CDAI) will automatically be accepted in the Authorized Training Partner program. We will deploy Instructor badges to all CDAIs affiliated with a Disciplined Agile Partner or PMI Authorized Training Partner in December 2020.
      • Current Certified Disciplined Agile Coaches (CDAC) will have the opportunity to migrate to the new Disciplined Agile Coach certification. If you hold the CDAC certification, your myPMI profile will not include this certification until the product is available in market in Q1 2021. We’ll give you more instructions on how to migrate your CDAC to a DA Coach soon.

      Current DA certifications will transition to the new agile certifications beginning in December 2020. DASM and DASSM certification holders will see their new certifications in their myPMI account and they will receive an e-mail from Credly to accept the appropriate certification badge. The remaining certifications will transition based on the rollout plan in Q1 2021.

      When you log into your myPMI account, you will see your new certifications as they become available and you will receive new Credly certification badges accordingly. To obtain a DASM or DASSM badge, you will receive an email from Credly prompting you to accept your certification badge. Badge notification emails are sent from [email protected]. If you are expecting a badge notification email and haven't received it, please check your junk or spam folder. Instructions to accept a Credly badge can be found here.

      DA Coach and DA Value Stream Consultant certifications and badges will be available when the training workshops and certification exams launch in Q1 2021.

      Yes, the new Agile certifications from PMI are the most comprehensive, best-in- class offerings that represent the gold standard in agile certifications. PMI now has a product portfolio that can support professionals using predictive, agile, and hybrid project approaches. These Agile Certifications offer better career opportunities, more opportunities for growth and better compensation.

      The Disciplined Agilest designation has been retired. In July 2020, a limited-time email/coupon to become a PMI member was sent to eligible DA members. Access to DA resources will be granted through your PMI Membership.

      We are still finalizing the migration path Certified Disciplined Agile Coach to become Disciplined Agile Coaches. The Certified Disciplined Agile Coach training will launch in Q2 2021 and we will share more information then.

      The renewal cycle for all of the new agile certifications (DASM, DASSM, DAC and DAVSC) is one year and seven PDUs. It costs $50.00 per year to renew each of the new agile certifications. For DASM and DASSM, active PMI members can renew at the reduced price of $20 per year.

      The expiration date for your certification will remain the same. The expiration date for original certification will carry forward to your new designation.

      Like the legacy DA certifications, the new DA certifications require seven (7) PDUs in agile topics per year. The PMI-ACP continues to require 30 PDUs in agile topics per 3-year cycle.

      The new Agile Certification Journey is a suite of agile-focused certifications and instructor-led and on-demand training workshops from Disciplined Agile, as well as knowledge and community resources designed for practitioners who want to further specialize and differentiate their skills. The Agile certifications allow professionals to tailor their way of working (WoW) to their unique situation – from a comprehensive introduction to leading agile and lean approaches like Scrum, Kanban, SAFe® and well known as the gold standard in Project Management, these new certifications are best-in-class offerings that represent the gold standard in agile certifications.

      Those who wish to become certified to teach Disciplined Agile training workshops need to be certified in the class they want to teach and complete a one-day instructor class. This is in addition to having at least the Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM) certification.

      PMI will begin accepting applications to be a certified instructor very soon. We will communicate when the application is open and ready to accept.

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      New Agile Certification Journey

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      The new Agile Certification Journey is a suite of agile-focused certifications and instructor-led and on-demand training workshops from Disciplined Agile, as well as knowledge and community resources designed for practitioners who want to further specialize and differentiate their skills. These offerings enable practicing and aspiring agile practitioners to choose the best combination of learning and validation opportunities to enhance their knowledge, participate more effectively on agile teams, lead teams, tailor processes to optimize team performance, and coach at the enterprise level. We created the Agile Certification Journey to incorporate Disciplined Agile into our portfolio of certifications and to provide practitioners with options and opportunities to dive deeper into agile approaches, regardless of where they are in their career paths.

      Professionals can pursue the Disciplined Agile Scrum Master certification if they complete the required training.

      Professionals can pursue the Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master certification if they meet the work experience eligibility requirements and complete the required training.

      Professionals can pursue the Disciplined Agile Coach certification exam if they meet the work experience eligibility requirements, complete the required training, and hold their Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master certification.

      Professionals can take the Disciplined Agile Value Stream Consultant certification exam as long as they meet the work experience eligibility requirements, complete the required training and hold their Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master certification.

      • The Disciplined Agile Scrum Master training workshop and exam are now available.
      • The Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master training workshop and exam are now available.
      • The Disciplined Agile Coach training workshop and exam will launch in Q2 2021.
      • The Disciplined Agile Value Stream Consultant training workshop and exam will launch in Q2 2021.

      The new PMP exam will include agile content, making the certification suited for the project manager who demonstrates broad knowledge across project approaches. However, the suite of certifications included in the Agile Certification Journey specifically depicts certification offerings for individuals interested in taking an agile specialty path. A PMP who wishes to specialize in agile techniques can further develop professionally by pursuing one of the agile certifications. As the Agile Certification Journey has offerings for every experience level, it’s possible for a professional to begin agile specialization track at any point in their career.

      The PMP exam will cover a variety of hybrid and agile approaches, assuring candidates have a sufficient understanding of these approaches, but it will not cover Disciplined Agile-related questions. However, content related to Disciplined Agile and FLEX will be taught in the Disciplined Agile instructor-led and on-demand trainings and included in the corresponding certification exams.

      The PMI-ACP certification is one of the agile certifications included in the Agile Certification Journey. Until now, the PMI-ACP certification was our only agile certification, but now it fits into a wider range of agile certifications to provide practitioners with options and opportunities to dive deeper into agile approaches, regardless of where they are in their career paths.

      The PMI-ACP is best suited for the experienced agile team member. The Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master is an ideal certification for those with the PMI-ACP certification who want to move into more complex initiatives and leadership roles.

      No, requirements for the PMI-ACP are not changing. Candidates must have eight months of agile team experience, 12 months of general experience in any approach or framework, and 21 contact hours of training in agile topics in order to be eligible for the PMI-ACP certification. As is the case now, PMI-ACP candidates can take their certification exams at Pearson VUE test centers or via the online proctored testing solution. Click here to find tips for preparing for the PMI-ACP exam, including the Exam Content outline, handbook, and recommended reference list.

      In the Agile Certification Journey, there’s still opportunity for those with the PMI-ACP certification to further specialize in agile. For example, the Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master is an ideal certification for those with the PMI-ACP certification who want to move into more complex initiatives and leadership roles.

      The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) is for the experienced agile team member. This certification formally recognizes your knowledge of agile principles and your skill with agile techniques. The PMI-ACP spans many approaches to agile such as Scrum, Kanban, Lean, extreme programming (XP) and test-driven development (TDD.) So it will increase your versatility, wherever your projects may take you.

      Choosing which agile certification to pursue depends on the professional’s experience and interests.

      The suite of certifications included in the Agile Certification Journey provides an exciting new pathway for deepening agile experience. Here’s what to expect:

      • The Disciplined Agilest designation has been retired. In July 2020, a limited-time email/coupon to become a PMI member was sent to eligible DA members. Access to DA resources will be granted through your PMI Membership.
      • Current Certified Disciplined Agilests (CDA) will automatically become Disciplined Agile Scrum Masters (DASM), effective December 2020.
      • Current Certified Disciplined Agile Practitioners (CDAP) will automatically become Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Masters (DASSM), effective December 2020.
      • Current Disciplined Agile Lean Scrum Masters (DALSMs) will automatically become Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Masters (DASSM). DASSM has the same two year experience requirement that DALSM had.
      • Current Certified Disciplined Agile Coaches (CDACs) will have the opportunity to migrate to the new Disciplined Agile Coach (DAC) certification when the product is available in market in Q1 2021.
      • Current Certified Disciplined Agile Instructors (CDAIs) will automatically be accepted into the Authorized Training Partner program as certified instructors that are approved to teach Disciplined Agile training workshops. Those who wish to become certified to teach Disciplined Agile training workshops will now need to be certified in the class they want to teach and complete a one-day instructor class, in addition to having at least their Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master certification. For example, existing DALSM, CDAI, and CDAP will be certified to teach DASM.

      The pricing for the instructor-led or on-demand training workshops is set by the individual training providers and may vary. Their pricing, however, covers the cost of both the training workshop and the exam. Once individuals have completed the training, they will receive a link to schedule their exam through Pearson VUE within 30 days of completing the workshop. It is an online, non-proctored exam that can be taken at the student’s convenience.

      No, individuals must complete the instructor-led or on-demand training workshop in order to take the exam. Once they complete the workshop, they will receive an email with instructions to access the exam from the myPMI dashboard.

      In the coming months, the Disciplined Agile training workshops and exams will be translated into Simplified Chinese, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, and Japanese.

      When individuals pay to take a training workshop, the price includes the exam fee, but only covers one exam attempt. If a professional fails their first attempt, they may retake the exam for US$150. Students can pay this fee directly via their myPMI dashboard. Upon payment, they can access the link to retake the exam.

      Yes. Currently, the Disciplined Agile certifications require professionals to earn 7 PDUs per year. The PDU requirement for the PMI-ACP will remain the same as it stands today: 30 PDUs every three years.

      Yes. While taking a Disciplined Agile training workshop, professionals may count those training hours as PDUs toward their PMP, PgMP, or PMI-ACP PDU requirements. This means they can earn PDUs while also working toward earning a Disciplined Agile certification.

      Please send questions to [email protected].

      Currently, partners in the new Authorized Training Partner program and Limited DA ATPs can teach the DASM and DASSM workshops. DA Coach and DA Value Stream Consultant workshops will be available in Q2 2021.

      Although the content is broader than Scrum alone, our research with practitioners and hiring managers indicated these roles (Scrum Master and Senior Scrum Master) appear frequently as job titles and are commonly used titles to describe similar roles, tasks and skill sets -- hence we chose to retain the phrase.

      Yes, Lean is still part of the course and exam content.

      This does not impact the 7 Disciplined Agile life cycles, nor does it change Disciplined Agile itself.