5 Agile Certifications That Will Lead You to Successful IT Career

In today’s world, the conventional approaches to project development are no longer enough. There is more that is required and Agile has come to fill this space. No doubt, there has been a huge increase in demand for the professionals with skills and expertise in Agile across the field of IT. With this demand comes the need for the credentials to validate your skills. The organizations are not just taking your word for it. You must have a certification to prove that you indeed have the required skills and expertise to take up the job role of an Agile specialist.

If you are currently practicing Agile, you need to confirm your skills to increase your career potential. The best way to do this is to earn one of the superior credentials in the field of Agile. With the right certification, the sky is the limit for you in the industry. Now, when it comes to choosing the right credential, you have to consider eligibility. If you fulfill the prerequisites to pursue an Agile certificate, go for it. Earning any Agile certification will position you for global and more rewarding opportunities. There are quite a number of Agile credentials available through various educational bodies and institutions. However, you have to be careful when choosing your path because not all of them are right for you. Before we explore the best 5 Agile certifications for 2019, let’s look at some of the reasons why you should consider pursuing them.

Why should you go for Agile certifications?

Over the years, the domain of Agile has grown and it is currently competing favorably with other areas such as Service Management and Project Management. Today, the employers are looking for the professionals with the Agile certifications and experience to take up job roles in their organizations. This is one of the major reasons why the specialists in the field of Agile should pursue those certificates that validate their skills and expertise. With it, you can easily switch jobs or strive for a better and more rewarding job position.

Generally, the Agile credentials offer the candidates some advantages, which include better visibility, credibility, and salary potential, and they are keeping up with the latest trends in the market. Having established these benefits, let’s get right into the best Agile certifications that the professionals can pursue.

Top 5 Agile certificates for your IT career

1. PMI Agile Certified Practitioner – PMI-ACP

This certification is one of the most preferred PM certificates offered through the PMI (Project Management Institute). The PMI-ACP credential is intended for the project management experts who use or plan to update Agile practices and methodologies. This certification validates and recognizes the real-world experience of the candidates as it relates to taking an active part in Agile projects. Additionally, it shows that the students have the skills and knowledge of different sub-domains of Agile, including Lean, Scrum, and Kanban.

Those candidates who want to earn the PMI-ACP credential are required to get 21 PDUs (Professional Development Units) each year to maintain their certificate. The individuals have to register for the test and pay the exam fee. For the PMI members, it will be $435 and $495 – for the non-members. There are specific requirements that the applicants must fulfill to be able to take the exam. They require 2,000 hours of general project experience; 1,500 hours working with Agile methodologies or on Agile projects; and 21 contact hours of Agile practices training. The PMI-ACP certification test consists of 200 questions.

2. Scrum Alliance Certifications – Certified Scrum Product Owner; Certified Scrum Developer; Certified Scrum Master

When we talk about Scrum, we refer to a set of practices being used in managing Agile projects. This basically covers software development. It is essential to mention that the Scrum Alliance is a globally recognized organization among the professionals using Scrum practices and methodologies in their projects. There are three different well-known credentials offered through this Alliance. They are Certified Scrum Product Owner, Certified Scrum Master, and Certified Scrum Developer. These certifications are aimed at scrum product owners, scrum developers, and scrum masters. To earn any of these certificates, the students are required to attend the training program. In addition to this, they have to cover the in-depth content of Scrum. To renew the credential, the candidates have to pay the sum of $100 without any SEUs.

3. Certified Scrum Professional – CSP

This certification is also offered by the Scrum Alliance. It is a professional-level credential and one of the top Agile certificates. It validates the candidates’ ability in artifacts, procedures, roles, and advanced practices of Scrum Framework. You don’t have to participate in any training to be eligible for the CSP certification. The individuals are required to pay the exam fee of $250 and should have at least 70 Scrum Education Units within the last three years.

4. Scrum.org Certification – Professional Scrum Master; Professional Scrum Product Owner; Professional Scrum Developer-I

Offered by Scrum.org, these professional-level credentials are designed to validate the student’s knowledge of Scrum and how the individuals can apply its framework and practices in real-world scenarios. Scrum.org has the certificates for all scrum masters, developers, and product owners. If you are planning to pursue any of these professional certification, you don’t need to attend any training. However, you must pass the exam to be able to earn it. It is made up of 80 questions with the required passing score of 85%.

5. SAFe Scaled Agilist

Also known as Scaled Agilist or SAFe Agilist, it is a 2-day course offered through the training providers. It is designed for the candidates with more than five years of work experience in project management, software development, business analysis, scrum, and testing. The training course offers comprehensive information on Lean-Agile leadership values and the process involved in launching SAFe in Agile. A Scaled Agilist knows how to release and constantly maintain value-added software for nonstop development. The exam for this certificate is made up of 53 questions with the passing score of 60%.

Conclusion

Here you had the overview of the best Agile certifications in 2019. Wisely choose the path you want to follow, weigh up the pros and cons, and pursue a credential you desire.