Top 10 Agile Project Management Certifications (2024)

As a project manager, understanding the project management knowledge areas and gaining vital project management skills are essential for project success. Agile project management certification makes this feasible.

With the Agile certification, project managers gain insight into using the various Agile approaches to execute multiple projects successfully. Reading project management books alone is not enough.

This article will show you the best Agile certifications in project management and how you can benefit from them.

Let’s get started.

What is an Agile Project Management Certification?

Before understanding Agile project management certification, you need to know what Agile project management is and how it differs from traditional project management approaches.

Agile project management is an effective project management framework that supports managing projects through team collaboration and customer feedback and breaking down complex tasks into smaller sprint cycles.

With the Agile approach, the project team can get relevant feedback on milestones, enabling the Agile team to make relevant adjustments to the project to fit in with its evolving needs.

Agile project management was initially developed for the software development industry. Now, its use is widespread across various industries and organizations.

An Agile project management certification is a legitimate and formal validation of an individual’s skills, expertise, and abilities to effectively manage projects in an Agile environment.

Certified Agile project managers will execute projects more effectively primarily because of the additional knowledge gained. You can regard a certified Agile project manager as a senior project manager.

Why Do You Need an Agile Project Management Certification

As a project manager, constant improvement and enhancement of your skills, knowledge, and ability are paramount to your success as a manager.

Acquiring a better understanding of how you can apply Agile manifesto and techniques and how Agile frameworks will enhance your productivity level as a project manager.

You can gain all these benefits by acquiring an Agile certification. Applying for certification in Agile management displays your commitment and dedication to Agile methodology.

By going through the Agile certification process, you get exposure to training to gain more knowledge of various Agile techniques and how to apply them in executing Agile projects.

With this training, you will improve your skill level and abilities, and managing projects will be easier and more productive.

1. Enhance Your Agile Project Management Skills

Managing an Agile project requires some knowledge of the Agile concepts to execute the project successfully.

These concepts include Agile coach responsibilities, Agile Scrum ceremonies and artifacts, and Agile values, as mentioned in the Agile manifesto.

Two options are available for project managers to gain useful insight into these concepts. The first scan is managing Agile projects, which means the manager is learning on the job. Another option is for the project manager to enroll in a dedicated certification program.

If the project manager decides to learn on the job, getting an organization to employ a manager with little or no knowledge about popular Agile methods may be difficult. The manager may not get the opportunity to learn on the job because of this barrier.

Learning on the job is more tasking than when a manager enrolls in a dedicated Agile certification program. Additionally, learning on the job consumes time, effort, and energy because the manager has to do many things simultaneously.

Another downside to learning on the job is that you will spend more time than required to understand the Agile methods and concepts fully.

Enrolling in a dedicated certification program gives you a higher chance of learning and understanding vital Agile concepts quickly than if you were learning on the job. You learn how to harness the key benefits of Agile for your project's success.

Learning these Agile concepts helps to enhance your project management skills and business acumen. They enable you to manage projects in an Agile environment effectively.

2. Shows Your Dedication to the Role

Obtaining certification in Agile management shows your genuine dedication to Agile methodology.

Through the training you undergo in the certification program, you enhance your skills, knowledge, and abilities as a project manager and return as a firebrand project manager.

You will gain insights into how Agile techniques work and how to apply them in managing a project successfully. Your involvement and participation in the certification give employees the impression that you are dedicated to mastering Agile.

3. Helps You Easily Deal with Agile Projects

An Agile project management professional faces various project management challenges when trying to bring a project to successful completion.

Irrespective of the various issues, the manager is expected to prevail on all counts. These challenges may range from implementing Agile principles to simply conducting Agile ceremonies.

For a project manager to effectively prevail over these challenges, accurate knowledge is required. You can acquire this knowledge by enrolling in an Agile management course.

Agile training courses allow learning effective strategies to solve problems and tackle challenges the right way.

These training courses help you prepare for unexpected constraints and equip you to recognize and solve problems before they get out of hand, saving time and resources.

Top Agile Project Management Certifications in 2022

1. PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) by the Project Management Institute

Best Agile Project Management Certification with Very High Entry Requirements

The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification is one of the best project management certifications considering an individual’s knowledge and skill in Agile principles and techniques.

Dedicated agilists who sought to deal with Agile approaches like Extreme Programming (XP), Scrum, and Kanban created this PMI-ACP course.

The project management institute established an effective unit to measure an individual’s professional development called the PUDs (professional development units).

Training

Topics that the PMI Agile certified practitioner (PMI-ACP) certification covers include:

• Continuous improvement
• Agile principles and mindset
• Agile Estimating
• Team performance
• Value-driven delivery

Certification Prerequisite

Before you become a certified Agile project manager, you must meet these perquisites:

• A second degree
• 21 contact training hours in Agile practices
• General project experience of a year within the last five years
• Agile project experience of eighth months within the last three years

Examination

There are 120 multiple choice questions in this agile certification exam. You have 3 hours to complete the exam. After passing the examination, the PMI awards you an agile certificate.

Pricing

The tuition for the PMI-ACP certification course costs $435 for members of the project management institute, while for non-members, it costs $495.

To successfully maintain the PMI Agile certified practitioner certification, you must earn 30 professional development units (PUDs) in specified Agile topics every three years.

2. PRINCE2 Agile Project Management Certification by Prince2

Best Agile Project Management Certification for Learning PRINCE2

The PRINCE2 Agile Project Management Certification combines Project IN Controlled Environments 2 (PRINCE2) and Agile project management.

These certification courses are designed to effectively teach professionals how to manage projects using the PRINCE2 methodology while working in an Agile environment.

Training

Important topics covered in the certification course include:

• PRINCE2 Overview
• Themes and processing in Agile settings,
• Kanban, Scrum, and Lean start-up,
• PRINCE2 Agile case study and activities.

PRINCE2 certifications fall into two main levels or categories:

• PRINCE2 Agile Foundation: At this level, you will be exposed to the fundamentals of the PRINCE2 methods, covering the Agile techniques and frameworks.
• PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner: At this point, you will learn how to effectively combine project structure, control, and governance with Agile techniques and methodologies.

Certification Prerequisite

Here are some required certification prerequisites you are expected to have to be a certified professional in this course.

• PRINCE2 Foundation (or higher)
• Project Management Qualification (PMQ)
• Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
• PRINCE2 Agile Foundation
• International Project Management Association (IPMA) Levels A, B, C, and D

Examination

In the PRINCE2 Agile Foundation certification exam, you must answer 50 objective-type questions within 1 hour. The open book exam consists of fifty questions and a time limit of 150 minutes.

Pricing

For the online package, PRINCE2 Agile Practitioner is $1,555. For onsite or physical classes, it costs $1,860.

3. Certified Scrum Master (SCM) by Scrum Alliance

Best Agile Project Management Certification for Scrum Team Leaders or Individuals who Desires to Manage a Scrum Team

The Certified Scrum Master Certification is one of the best Agile project management certifications for Scrum team leaders, individuals, and business analysts who desire to manage a Scrum team.

This Scrum master certification course will expose you to course materials and other relevant sources that inform you about the entire Scrum framework. You will learn about artifacts, events, different project team roles, and how to build a product backlog and develop user stories.

Among various benefits, you can derive from this certification course is the fact that this Agile course helps you become qualified to manage a Scrum team effectively.

Training

To become a certified Scrum Master, you must attend onsite or physical classes; the training will occur in a classroom setting.

The training exercise covers Agile and Scrum framework, artifacts, value and events, and Scrum team roles.

Certification Prerequisite

This certification course requires no prerequisite for an individual to participate in the training exercise and to get certified as a Scrum master.

Examination

You will be required to take an open book exam at the end of the training exercise. The examination contains 50 multiple choice questions. These questions are expected to be answered within a time limit of 1 hour.

Pricing

To participate in the Certified Scrum Master certification course, you must pay tuition between $1000-$14000.

4. Certified SAFe Agilist (Scaled Agile)

Best Entry-Level Scaled Agile Certification

Scaling Agile development in an organization becomes easy and possible with the Certified SAFe Agilist certification course.

The Certified SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) Agilist is a foundational level certification designed to teach individuals how to implement the Scaled Agile frameworks effectively.

Training

Everyone participating in the Certified SAFe Agilist certification course is expected to attend a 2-day leading SAFe training course.

Certain domains include:

• Business agility,
• Lean portfolio management,
• Program increment planning,
• The Scaled Agile framework fundamentals.

Certification Prerequisite

The certification prerequisite for the Certified SAFe Agilist certification course are:

• Experience in the Scrum framework
• Five years experience in testing, business analysis, software development, and product or project management processes.

Examination

The certification examination is a closed book exam containing 45 questions and a 90-minute time limit.

Pricing

The Certified SAFe Agilist certification course tuition starts at $725.

5. Professional Scrum Master Certifications (PSM) by Scrum.org

Best Agile Project Management Certification with Flexible Learning And Examination Requirements for Scrum Masters

The Professional Scrum Master (PSM) Certifications is one of the best Scrum master training programs that offer different grades of Scrum training and certifications. Ken Schwaber founded this course in 2009 after leaving the Scrum Alliance.

This Agile certification places particular emphasis on Scrum. You will learn how to apply the Scrum framework to develop your team, manage your products, and evolve your team or organization according to the best Agile practices.

Training

Here are the three levels of certifications that the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) offers:

• Professional Scrum Master I: At the first level of certification training, the purpose of the training is to validate an individual’s knowledge of the Scrum framework and its proper application.
• Professional Scrum Master II: At the second level of the certification training, you will learn how to use the Scrum framework for real-world situations effectively.
• Professional Scrum Master III: The third level of the certification training is for those who have finished and successfully passed the Professional Scrum Master I and II assessment and intend to go further in the certification course to master the entire Scrum approach.

The Professional Scrum Master certification includes the following topics:

• Portfolio planning
• Mentoring teams
• Scrum framework
• Continuous improvement and delivery

Certification Prerequisite

The Professional Scrum Master Certification has no formal prerequisites required.

Examination

The three levels of the Professional Scrum Master Certification have different examination structures.

• Professional Scrum Master I: The examination contains 80 questions with a 60 minutes time limit.
• Professional Scrum Master II: The examination contains 30 questions with a 90 minutes time limit.
• Professional Scrum Master III: The examination contains 33 questions with a 120 minutes time limit.

Pricing

The Professional Scrum Master certification course tuition varies based on the three different levels of the training.

• Professional Scrum Master I: The training exercise and assessment cost $150.
• Professional Scrum Master II: The training exercise and assessment cost $250.
• Professional Scrum Master III: The training exercise and assessment cost $350.

6. Certified Agile Project Manager by The International Association of Project Managers (IAPM)

Best Agile Project Management Certification with Multiple Sub-Levels and Very Flexible Examination Schedule

The Certified Agile Project Manager Certification is one of the best agile project management certifications for project managers who want to improve their skills and knowledge in Agile project management.

You will learn about every aspect of the project management process, including project scope management, cost, communication, project risk, and human resources management.

Training

The Certified Agile Project Manager Certification is primarily based on the Agile PM Guide 2.0. This Agile PM Guide 2.0 contains the concepts of the various Agile frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, and Extreme Programming.

Certification Prerequisite

The Certified Agile Project Manager Certification requires no formal prerequisite; however, having relevant project management experience is an added advantage.

Examination

Before you are allowed to take the Certified Agile Project Manager Certification exam, you will have to register with the International Association of Project Managers (IAPM).

After successfully registering and paying for the course, you will receive an email containing the basic login details to take the exam. The basic login details are valid for only six months; after this period, you will not be able to use the login details.

Pricing

The amount you are required to pay is largely dependent on your nationality.

• For those from the United States of America (USA), it costs $498
• For those from the United Kingdom (UK), it costs €490.88

7. ICAgile Certified Professional – Agile Certified Coaching (ICP-ACC) by The International Consortium of Agile

Best Agile Project Management Certification For Agile Coaches

With the Agile Certified Coaching Certification, you will learn the fundamentals of being an Agile coach. It covers the concepts required to manage an Agile team easily.

Training

Participating in this Agle training course grants you the opportunity to be impacted with the required knowledge and learnings of the certification, making you a better Agile team coach.

The Agile Certified Coaching Certification training course is unique and usually takes 21 hours of instructional activities across three days.

Within these three days, you will learn all you require to manage Agile teams effectively and deliver innovative solutions resulting in successful project implementation.

Here are some of the topics the Agile Certified Coaching Certification covers:

• Agile mindset
• The roles of an Agile coach
• The responsibilities of an Agile coach
• Agile principles and methodology

Certification Prerequisite

The Agile Certified Coaching Certification course requires no formal prerequisites.

Examination

The Agile Certified Coaching Certification course has no specifications regarding the examination structure. You will be awarded the certification after you have completed this ICAgile-accredited training course.

Pricing

The Agile Certified Coaching Certification course costs $749.

8. AgilePM Foundation Certification by APMG International

Best Agile Project Management Certification for Team Leaders

The AgilePM Foundation certification is best for project team members who aspire to become project managers, practicing project managers, and individuals who generally desire to have the AgilePM Practitioner certificate.

Training

For a team member aspiring to become a manager, taking the AgilePM Foundation certification course will significantly benefit that individual.

The team member will be exposed to the rudiments of specific techniques and roles necessary for every project's successful execution and completion.

You will learn how to properly develop the appropriate tools to assign the right techniques to appropriate situations and scenarios. By this, you will acquire the required confidence to manage a project effectively.

Another aspect of the training is learning how to delegate tasks effectively to individual team members from different departments.

With the AgilePM Foundation Certification, you will understand the mechanism of project governance and how to implement Agile project control principles (project controlling) and test, estimate, and measure progress across projects.

Certification Prerequisite

Basic knowledge about projects and project management is required but not essential.

Examination

The AgilePM Foundation certification examination format is a closed book examination with 50 multiple choice questions and 40 minutes time limits. Participants must answer 25 questions correctly out of the 50 available questions to be awarded the certificate.

Pricing

For the AgilePM Foundation certification course, participants are expected to pay $333.

9. Certified Scrum Product Owner by the Scrum Alliance

Best Agile Project Management Certification for Project Stakeholders and Individuals in Leadership Roles

The Scrum Product Owner is a growing need in most organizations to boost productivity. This need has resulted in the Certified Scrum Product Owner certification being widely sought-after by most project stakeholders and individuals in leadership roles.

Training

The Scrum Product Owner Certification teaches you how to effectively manage project backlogs and the importance of relaying vital details about project progress to the Scrum Master.

You will learn how to effectively maximize the value of the Scrum tasks’ product outcome. Keeping a project on target is an important part of every project; in the Scrum Product Owner Certification, stakeholders will learn how best to do this.

Certification Prerequisite

The Scrum Product Owner Certification course requires no formal prerequisites.

Examination

The format of the exam questions is multiple-choice, with 80 questions available to the task-take within one hour, and the passing score is 85%.

Pricing

To obtain a certificate as a Certified Scrum Product Owner, you will have to pay $795 for the certification course.

10. Disciplined Agile Coach (DAC) Certification by the Project Management Institute

Best Agile Project Management Certification For Coaching Agile Teams

You can help various organizations achieve true agility with the knowledge you acquire from the Disciplined Agile Coach Certification.

By coaching the project teams within these organizations on how to achieve Disciplined Agile, you can help them choose the best working condition that suits them and result in a higher degree of productivity.

Training

While taking the DAC Certification, you will learn how to effectively align project teams with specific organizational goals and strategies to promote Agile transformation.

This certification course teaches how to help teams and groups with different priorities to identify the most suitable working conditions and how they can learn together to achieve the desired result.

You learn how to effectively bring about cultural change and transformation in and across teams, collaborate with team members, and be actively involved in their activities.

This DAC certification will help you master the Disciplined Agile tool kit. You can use this knowledge to accelerate process improvement by applying strategies and other verified practices in context.

Here are certain topics covered in the DAC certification:

Pre-workshop (Phase 1, Asynchronous Learning):

• The Disciplined Agile Coach
• Coaching teams in their organization
• Coaching teams through their transformation journey
• Supporting change at the individual and team level
• Working toward the end goals of Disciplined Agile coaching

Workshop (Phase 2, In-Class Learning):

• The Disciplined Agile mindset
• How to create a coaching playbook
• Removing impediments and visualization
• Identifying diversity in organizations
• How to effectively guide teams through the change process
• Identifying competencies and challenges
• Working hand in hand with the existing governance/PMO team
• Working with external teams
• Overcoming challenges to decision making
• Helping the organization to develop the required capacity
• Identifying the primary cause of issues that arise.
• Implementing guided continuous improvement (GCI)
• Determining improvement opportunities
• Working with the improvement backlog

Certification Prerequisite

• Have the Disciplined Agile Senior Scrum Master (DASSM) certification. The knowledge of DASSM helps guarantee a deep understanding of the Disciplined Agile toolkit and its various practices and strategies.
• You must have at least three Agile coaching experiences.

Examination

The Disciplined Agile Coach Certification examination comprises 60 multiple choice questions within a time limit of 120 minutes.

Pricing

The fee required to obtain the Disciplined Agile Certification is primarily subject to membership and regional pricing.

Was This Article Helpful?