The PMI-ACP is the Project Management Institute's certification for people who work on agile teams. Team leads, product owners, developers and project managers all take it. This page sets out PMI's exam rules in plain terms and gives you free agile practice sets. It also has worked explanations for sample questions, a study plan and answers to common questions. All of it is written with AI tools and based on PMI's published exam outline and handbook.

PMI-ACP Exam at a Glance

What changed for PMI-ACP in 2026

• Oct 27, 2026: Eligibility changed to Secondary diploma + 21 hours agile training + 2 years agile experience (or 1 year with GAC/cert or active PMP) (previously Secondary diploma + 21 hours of agile training + 2 years of agile experience in the past 5 years (or 1 year plus a GAC degree or a 3rd-party agile certification, or an active PMP)).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Time limit changed to 3 hours (180 minutes) with one 10-minute break (previously 3 hours (180 minutes), with one 10-minute break).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Passing score changed to Criteria-based psychometric standard (fixed passing percentage not published) (previously Criteria-based; PMI does not publish a fixed passing percentage).^[3]
• Oct 27, 2026: Score release changed to Score report provided immediately upon completion of computer-based exam (previously Score report at the end of a computer-based exam).^[3]
• Oct 27, 2026: Retake policy changed to Up to 3 attempts within 1-year eligibility period; 1-year wait after 3 failures (previously Up to 3 attempts in the 1-year eligibility period; 1-year wait after 3 failures).^[1]
• Oct 27, 2026: Retake fee changed to Repayment of fees applies to 2nd and 3rd attempts (previously Fees are paid again for the 2nd and 3rd attempts (amount not published)).^[3]

What the PMI-ACP is and how it works

According to Project Management Institute, “The PMI-ACP examination is comprised of 120 multiple-choice items, multiple response, drag-and-drop-style items, and exhibits. Of the 120 exam items, 20 are considered pretest items.”^[1]

The PMI-ACP shows that you can apply agile principles and practices to real projects. PMI publishes the rules in its exam content outline and certification handbook. Policies can change, so read those documents on pmi.org before you book.

Eligibility. You need a secondary diploma (a high school diploma, GED or global equivalent), 21 hours of agile training and 2 years of agile experience. You need only 1 year of experience if you have a GAC-accredited degree, a qualifying certification or an active PMP. The outline lists exactly what counts.

Format and delivery. The exam has 120 items. They include multiple-choice, multiple-response, drag-and-drop and exhibit-based questions. 20 of the items are unscored pretest questions, so 100 count toward your result, and you cannot tell which ones are which. You have 3 hours (180 minutes), with one 10-minute break. You can take the exam at a Pearson VUE test center or online with OnVUE proctoring.

Scoring. PMI does not publish a fixed passing percentage. The passing standard is set by psychometric analysis. You get a score report as soon as you finish.

Fees and retakes. The exam costs $435 for PMI members and $495 for non-members. After your application is approved, you have 1 year to take the exam and up to 3 attempts. You pay the fee again for the 2nd and 3rd attempts. If you fail 3 times, you must wait 1 year before you can reapply.

Worked examples: how to reason through PMI-ACP questions

These are practice questions written for this site, not questions from the real exam. Each explanation shows why the right answer is right and why the others are wrong.

Example 1

Question: What is the purpose of a risk register?

1. To document, track, and manage all identified risks throughout a project or operation
2. To eliminate all risks before starting work
3. To assign blame when problems occur
4. To satisfy audit requirements only

Answer: A. To document, track, and manage all identified risks throughout a project or operation

Explanation:

A is correct. A risk register is a living record. It lists each identified risk, how likely and how serious it is, who owns it, the planned response and its current status. The team keeps it up to date as the work goes on.

• B is wrong because no plan can remove every risk before work starts. The goal is to identify risks and respond to them, not to wait until there is no risk.
• C is wrong because the register supports ownership and decisions, not blame. A blame culture makes people hide risks.
• D is wrong because audit evidence is a side benefit, not the purpose.

Rule to remember: risk tools exist to make uncertainty visible and to manage it over time. Agile teams apply the same idea through risk-adjusted backlogs and risk burn-down charts, and they review risks every iteration instead of logging them once.

Example 2

Question: What is the role of documentation in regulatory compliance?

1. It provides verifiable evidence that standards are being met
2. It is optional if verbal confirmation is available
3. It is only necessary for international operations
4. It serves no practical purpose beyond record-keeping

Answer: A. It provides verifiable evidence that standards are being met

Explanation:

A is correct. Regulators and auditors need evidence they can check. Written records such as policies, approvals, test results and change logs show that a requirement was met and when.

• B is wrong because nobody can check a verbal confirmation later, and it leaves no audit trail.
• C is wrong because domestic regulations need evidence just as much as international ones do.
• D is wrong because records have a practical use: they prove compliance and let the organization trace its decisions.

Rule to remember: if you must show a requirement to an outside party, keep records that prove it. The Agile Manifesto values working software over extensive documentation, but it does not reject documentation. In regulated work, an agile team adds the required evidence to its definition of done instead of leaving it until the end.

Example 3

Question: In the Cynefin framework, which domain requires sensing, analyzing, and responding where cause-and-effect are not immediately apparent?

1. Simple
2. Complicated
3. Chaotic
4. Complex

Answer: D. Complex

Explanation:

D is the keyed answer, but read this stem closely because it mixes two Cynefin domains. The clue that points to Complex is that cause and effect are not apparent. In the Complex domain you can only see cause and effect in hindsight, so teams run safe-to-fail experiments and use probe-sense-respond. However, the phrase sensing, analyzing, and responding is the textbook description of the Complicated domain.

• B, Complicated: you can work out cause and effect through analysis or specialist knowledge, so the pattern is sense-analyze-respond.
• A, Simple (now often called Clear): cause and effect are obvious, so the pattern is sense-categorize-respond.
• C, Chaotic: there is no visible cause and effect, so you act-sense-respond to restore stability.

Rule to remember: learn each domain together with its response pattern. Exam items often test exactly that pairing.

How to use these practice tests

Start with PMI's exam content outline and certification handbook so you know the rules and the question styles. Then work through the sets on this page that match the PMI-ACP subject matter most closely:

• Agile Frameworks and Methodologies
• Agile Planning and Estimation
• Stakeholder Engagement and Communication
• Risk Management and Business Continuity

Some other sets in this category cover IT security and systems topics that the PMI-ACP does not focus on. Treat them as low priority.

• Take each set untimed, and read every explanation, including the ones for questions you got right.
• Keep an error log. For each miss, note the concept, why your choice was wrong and the rule that leads to the right answer.
• If a concept keeps coming back in your log, go back to your agile training material for it.
• When you are making fewer errors, take the practice test under timed conditions to build pacing for 120 items in 3 hours.
• In the final days, review your error log instead of starting new material. Confirm your appointment details, and if you are testing online, check your OnVUE setup.

Sources & last verified

1. Project Management Institute — number of questions, time limit, retake policy, delivery (official source). “The PMI-ACP examination is comprised of 120 multiple-choice items, multiple response, drag-and-drop-style items, and exhibits. Of the 120 exam items, 20 are considered pretest items.” Verified Oct 27, 2026.
2. Project Management Institute — exam fee, renewal (official source). “Member price$435 Full price$495” Verified Oct 27, 2026.
3. Project Management Institute — passing score, retake fee, validity, score release (official source). “The passing score for all PMI exams is determined by sound psychometric analysis. The PMI exams covered in this handbook are considered “criteria-based exams.”” Verified Oct 27, 2026.

How we verify: editorial & fact-checking policy. Report an error: contact us.