PMI-ACP Requirements

The PMI-ACP (Project Management Institute Agile Certified Practitioner) has four eligibility requirements: a secondary degree, 2,000 hours of general project experience, 1,500 hours of agile project experience and 21 contact hours of agile training. This guide explains each requirement, what counts toward it, how to document your hours and how the application works, so you know exactly where you stand before you apply.

To be eligible for PMI-ACP you need a high school diploma (or equivalent), 2,000 hours of general project experience within the last 5 years (waived if you hold an active PMP or PgMP), 1,500 hours of agile project experience within the last 3 years and 21 contact hours of formal agile training. PMI membership is optional. Looking for the exam format, cost or the full certification roadmap instead? Start with our PMI-ACP certification guide. This page focuses only on eligibility and the application.

PMI-ACP Eligibility at a Glance

• Education: Secondary degree (high school diploma, associate degree or global equivalent). No time window.
• General project experience: 2,000 hours (about 12 months) on project teams, within the last 5 years.
• Agile project experience: 1,500 hours (about 8 months) on agile teams or using agile methods, within the last 3 years.
• Agile training: 21 contact hours of formal agile training, completed before you apply.
• PMI membership: Optional.

The agile hours are in addition to the general project hours, so they cannot be counted twice. Always confirm the current figures on PMI’s official PMI-ACP page before you submit.

Education Requirement

You need a secondary degree: a high school diploma, an associate degree or the global equivalent. A bachelor’s degree is not required, although you can of course use one to meet this criterion. This is usually the easiest part of the application.

General Project Experience (2,000 Hours)

You need 2,000 hours (roughly 12 months of full-time work) leading or contributing to projects within the last five years. This experience does not have to be agile. It simply shows you have worked on real project teams, in any industry and any role.

If you hold an active PMP or PgMP certification, PMI waives this requirement automatically. See our guide to PMP eligibility requirements if you are still working toward the PMP.

Agile Project Experience (1,500 Hours)

You need 1,500 hours (a minimum of 8 months) working on agile teams or applying agile methods, earned within the last three years. You can have led the work or been a team member. Developers, testers, designers, analysts and coordinators all qualify as long as the team genuinely applied agile practices.

What Counts as Agile Experience

• Working as a member of a Scrum team, even without a lead role
• Kanban-managed work in IT, operations or manufacturing
• Product development under an agile or hybrid delivery model
• Teams using Extreme Programming (XP), Lean or test-driven development
• Non-software teams (marketing, HR, operations) running sprints or iterative delivery
• Hybrid projects that mix agile ceremonies with traditional phases

What Does Not Count

• Waterfall projects that only use agile vocabulary (for example, calling milestones “sprints”)
• Time spent studying or training for the certification
• Hours that overlap with the 2,000 general project hours you already claimed

How to Calculate Your Hours

Keep a simple log with the project name, dates, your role, the agile approach used and the hours you spent. For example, if you spend about 20 hours a week on agile work, you reach 1,500 hours in roughly 75 weeks or about 17 months. If you spend 40 hours a week, you reach it in about 9 months. Logging as you go is far easier than rebuilding it from memory later.

21 Contact Hours of Agile Training

PMI requires 21 contact hours of structured agile training that covers agile tools, techniques and practices. Instructor-led courses, live online classes, workshops and university coursework can qualify. Reading books, informal meetups and general networking events do not.

Before you enrol, confirm that the provider gives you a completion certificate showing the contact hours. Our PMI-ACP live classes are designed to cover the 21-hour requirement and prepare you for the exam at the same time. If you prefer a different format you can also look at the PMI-ACP self-study bundle or one-on-one training and check with us that the contact hours are documented the way PMI needs.

Is PMI Membership Required?

No. You can apply and sit for the exam without joining PMI. Members usually pay a lower exam fee and get access to PMI’s standards library and local chapters. Current fees are covered in our PMI-ACP certification guide.

If You Already Hold a PMP or PgMP

PMP and PgMP holders do not need to show the 2,000 hours of general project experience. You still need the 1,500 agile hours, the 21 contact hours and the secondary degree. For related requirements, see our PgMP certification requirements guide.

Documents to Prepare Before You Apply

• Education details: institution, dates and credential
• Employment history covering the relevant experience windows
• Agile project list with project names, dates your role and the agile approach used
• Training certificate showing the 21 contact hours and provider name
• Contact details for supervisors or managers who can verify your experience
• Government-issued ID for exam-day verification

PMI-ACP Application Process

Step 1: Create a PMI Account

Sign up for a free account on PMI’s website if you do not have one.

Step 2: Start the Online Application

Enter your education details and confirm you meet the secondary degree requirement.

Step 3: Enter Your Experience

Add general project experience and agile project experience separately, with accurate dates, roles and descriptions. Do not let the two timelines overlap.

Step 4: Add Your Training Details

Record the provider, course name and contact hours, making sure the total is at least 21.

Step 5: Submit and Wait for PMI’s Review

PMI reviews your application. Once approved you can pay the exam fee and schedule your exam.

What Happens If PMI Audits Your Application

PMI randomly selects some applications for audit. If yours is selected, you will be asked to submit supporting documents, which can include your training certificate, education proof and confirmation from supervisors or managers that the experience is accurate. Accurate records and honest dates make this a routine step rather than a delay.

Common Application Mistakes

• Overlapping or inconsistent dates: the most common cause of delays
• Missing training proof: starting the application before the provider has issued a certificate
• Counting general work as agile experience: the team must genuinely apply agile practices
• Unexplained gaps: leaving employment gaps or required fields blank
• Reconstructing hours at the last minute: this increases errors if you are audited
• Using outdated criteria: always compare against PMI’s current published requirements

How to Meet the Requirements Faster

• Volunteer for roles on agile teams, even in a supporting capacity, to start building agile hours
• Join sprint planning, daily stand-ups and retrospectives whenever you can
• Finish your 21 contact hours early so only the experience hours remain
• Gain exposure to more than one approach (Scrum, Kanban, Lean) to strengthen both your application and your exam readiness
• Planning to certify a whole team? Our corporate training programs can be built around your team’s experience levels

After You Are Approved

Once PMI approves your application you have a one-year eligibility window to take the exam, with up to three attempts. From here, the next steps are:

• Review the PMI-ACP exam content outline to see what each domain covers
• Follow our PMI-ACP exam preparation guide for a study plan and practice approach
• Read the benefits of PMI-ACP certification to see how it supports your career

Not sure which credential fits your career stage? Our career advisory team can help you decide.

Requirements for Other PMI Certifications

• PMI-RMP certification requirements
• PMI-PBA certification requirements
• PMI-CPMAI certification requirements
• PfMP certification requirements
• PgMP certification requirements