Types Of Agile Certification
Which Agile certification is best suited for your job role? Which certification can help you get the technical skills and knowledge you need to keep customers and finish projects faster and more profitably?
You are puzzled by all these uncertainties and need help deciding which certification to pursue. This article will push you to go for the next step in your professional development.
In this article, we’ll discuss the best Agile certifications that are available for IT professionals. Organizations of all sizes and project managers have widely accepted the Agile framework across all product developments.
Table of Contents
What Is Agile Methodology?
Agile is the ability to accept change and deliver results quickly through collaborative efforts with cross-functional teams and clients to complete a project.
Agile is a practice-based philosophy tailor-made for information technology, software development, and programming tasks. Instead of focusing on milestones and deadlines, as most project management methods do, this one looks at the whole process.
Some popular Agile methodologies in coursework training are Scrum, Kanban, Lean-Agile, The Scaled Agile Framework(SAFE), etc. Let’s look at the agile certifications you can get started with.
Types Of Agile Certifications
- Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
- Certified Scrum Professional (CSP)
- PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI- ACP)
- SAFe Agilist
- Scrum Certified Product Owner (CPO)
Certified Scrum Master
Accrediting body: Scrum Alliance
Cost: $450-$495
CSM is the first step IT professionals and project managers can take to learn about the Scrum philosophy, which puts collaboration, responsibility, and small steps toward a clear goal at the top of the list.
As an entry-level certification, there is no prerequisite for pursuing this certification. This hands-on certification is ideal for software and nontechnical backgrounds—for example, product and project managers, developers, team leads, architects, etc.
This Agile certification focuses on completing sprints between one to four weeks and allowing room for flexibility for new tasks and problems that arise in a project.
Certified Scrum Professional (CSP)
Accrediting Body: Scrum Alliance
Cost: $1295-$1495
Scrum Masters who have been in the role for at least 24 months and have worked in the field within the last five years should pursue this certification.
The Agile Scrum certification demonstrates that professionals can elevate their careers by providing practical solutions and improving the implementation of Scrum in the workplace.
PMI Agile Certified Practitioner
Accrediting body: The Project Management Institute (PMI)
Cost: Member fees: $435
Non-member fees:$ 495
PMI-ACP is a credential designed specifically for agile practitioners. Companies that quickly adapt to changing market conditions are more likely to see their projects through to a successful conclusion.
To be eligible for PMI-ACP certification, a candidate must have the following:
- At least one year’s worth of project management experience during the last five years
- Eight months’ experience working on agile projects in the past three years.
- A total of 21 contact hours of training in agile methodologies.
This certification is useful for IT professionals who have proven their skills and usefulness as Agile practitioners. Still, it is more of a badge of honor than a real learning opportunity.
SAFe Agilist
Accrediting body: Scaled Agile, Inc
Cost: $599
Those in managerial roles can benefit from this certification by learning strategies to boost productivity, enhance product quality, reduce release times, and instill pride in their work. In addition, this certification places a premium on establishing shared goals and priorities. This way, management can keep the consumer at the forefront of their minds and respond with ideas that boost the bottom line.
Scrum Certified Product Owner
Accrediting body: Scrum Alliance
Cost: $895-$995
The product owner’s primary job is to ensure that the value of the product created by the Scrum tasks is maximized. They are stakeholders interested in seeing that the work stays on track. The Certified Scrum Product Owner training program teaches candidates how to organize the product backlog and tell the Scrum Master about important information.
With this certification, IT professionals can demonstrate their value as highly trained Agile specialists to their current or future employers. Along with this clear benefit, a few others come along with this certification.
- Strengthen the existing knowledge base and apply it to real-world scenarios.
- Stand out in the competitive international business market.
- Join the Scrum Alliance, a community with worldwide recognition.
If you want to work as a project manager or team leader in an Agile setting, certification could help you get hired and advance in your career. Think of it as an investment in your future self that will help you learn more about the Agile method and get better at it.
Conclusion
There is a certification for everyone, whether you’re just starting or have years of experience trying to bolster your professional reputation with an advanced credential.
All certifications, from CSM to Certified Product Owner, will give you a foundation in best practices that will help you succeed in your career by giving you the knowledge, tools, and techniques you need to contribute to teams that produce great results and projects that meet customer needs.
Whatever agile certification you choose, all it takes to pursue and pass any examination is unwavering dedication and hard work.