Categories: Agile, Career Development, Communications Management, Construction Management, Leadership, New Practitioners, Project Management, Scrum, Team Work
First Professional Development Achievement in 2019 - and it's just the start !
I am re-writing this blog because I made a spontaneous decision right after obtaining my AgilePM Foundation certificate to sit for the Practitioners Level exam and I passed the exam so I thought of sharing my experience in one combined blog hoping that it will help others who are thinking about sitting for the exam.
My spontaneous decision probably stemmed from confidence in my experience and Agile knowledge.
My interest in the DSDM Framework came from the fact that it works best alongside the traditional approach in construction projects because it is a complete framework that looks at the whole lifecycle of the project rather than just the iterative development part. The combination of both under Traditional-DSDM Hybrid Model works very well !
Those certifications are offered by the Agile Business Consortium and the exam is administered by APMG International. The DSDM AgilePM handbook is very well detailed and written in a very comprehensive manner.
AgilePM Foundation Exam
- Purely Knowledge-based
- Closed book
- Online proctored exam.
- You get 50 Multiple Choice questions that you have to complete within a 40 Min time frame
- Exam Fees are around $260 USD
- References: DSDM Handbook 2014 & APMG Sample Exam
AgilePM Practitioner Exam
- Purely scenario-based
- Open book but you are only allowed to use the DSDM Handbook
- Online proctored exam.
- You get 80 Multiple Choice questions that you have to complete within a 2 Hrs 40 Min:
- The exam is unique as you get a full project scenario on the first page that you will use to answer all 80 questions.
- Questions are divided into 4 Sections, with 20 Questions per section.
- Each section tests you understanding and experience in the application of certain parts of Agile & DSDM.
- In each section, they add more events to the original scenario so it builds up.
- The exam was tough. It is comparable in difficulty to PMI exams.
- Exam Fees are around $380 USD
- References: DSDM Handbook 2014 & APMG Sample Exam
The practitioners exam is a good example of an online, open book, proctored test that tests your knowledge & experience beyond any handbook. I did not even need or have time to open the handbook because to answer every question you have to tie many loose ends from different chapters and sections to resolve a problem or handle an issue so even though you are allowed to use the book, do not take the exam lightly or count on the fact that it is an open book.
General Facts
A few facts about this journey:
- It was my first experience doing a proctored test from home and it was a great experience - Less pressure for sure.
- The exams were pricey but definitely worth it. It is a very reputable certification.
- Upon passing any exams offered by the Agile Business Consortium, you will receive one year free membership but it is limited once per person per lifetime.
- I did not buy the exams directly from APMG. Instead, I bought a training (Which covers the exam fees) from Cupe International. Great organization and great customer service.
- I can't disclose any exam details for confidentiality reasons but funny enough, the project scenario I got in the exam was a Construction Project and my expertise is in the construction industry. I am not sure if it was intentional but either way, I thought it is a funny coincidence to disclose.
Good Luck to all New Aspirants !
