Agile Project Leadership Course and APL Certification FAQs
1. What is Agile Project Leadership Certification?
2. Why become a certified Agile Project Leader? Is certification necessary?
3. How is APL Certification different than becoming a Scrum Master?
4. What value does certification bring to my company?
5. Is APL certification known and recognized in the industry?
6. What do I need to do in order to become a certified Agile Project Leader?
7. What will I learn at the goAgile APL course?
8. Do I need to take the APL course before I can take the APL examinations?
9. Is it possible to take the Level 2 Practitioner Exam without having taken the Level 1 Foundation exam?
10. How often are the exams offered, where and what do they cost?
11. What is the process for the Level II Certification?
12. Where can I find more information?
1. What is Agile Project Leadership Certification?
Agile Project Leadership Certification began in fall 2007 with the DSDM Agile Project Leadership Certification Programme for Level I (Foundation) and Level II (Practitioner) candidates.
Level I certification is open to anyone working with Agile methodologies. The Level I Foundation Certification is based on a multiple choice exam which tests knowledge of Agile terms and theories. Candidates who pass the exam become DSDM Level I Foundation Certified Agile Project Leaders.
Level II certification is open to those with at least six months experience working with Agile projects. Candidates must write a project synopsis that will be reviewed by DSDM examiners. If the synopsis is accepted, candidates are then eligible for the oral examination. Candidates who pass the one-hour oral exam become DSDM Level II Practitioner Certified Agile Project Leaders.
[top]
2. Why become a certified Agile Project Leader? Is certification necessary?
The purpose around certification is to drive learning in the Agile community. Becoming certified sets you apart from other project leaders as it demonstrates your knowledge, experience and effectiveness as an Agile Project Leader. Certification creates a space for discussing what Agile Project Leadership is all about. It helps bring together the commonality of various agile methodologies and it, ultimately, recognizes leaders who:
- Deliver on time
- Have predictable results
- Reduce risk
- Generate more profit with less time and fewer resources
[top]
3. How is APL Certification different than becoming a Scrum Master?
Most certified Scrum Masters gain that designation after having completed Scrum Master Training. APL Certification is based on experience as much as it is about knowledge. APL Certification drives greater learning about Agile methodologies. Certified Agile Project Leaders know and use many various types of Agile methods, including Scrum, XP, DSDM, RUP, Crystal, etc. APL Certification is not limited to one type of methodology and, in fact, encourages candidates to broaden their Agile learning and experience.
[top]
4. What value does certification bring to my company?
Having certified Agile Project Leaders at your company sets your business apart from the rest. It shows the vision your company has within IT. It helps your IT organisation build business value because your APL certified staff have the expertise using Agile methodologies to do more with less resources—saving time and money.
[top]
5. Is APL certification known and recognized in the industry?
APL certification started fall 2007, and because it is so new, it is not yet widely recognized in the IT industry. However, as with other new things, people choosing to become a certified Agile Project Leader are on the leading-edge showing their customers that they are evolving in the Agile space. Our experience thus far has shown that those becoming certified are visionaries in the IT community.
[top]
6. What do I need to do in order to become a certified Agile Project Leader?
Anyone working with Agile methodologies is eligible to take the DSDM Level I Foundation exam. This multiple choice exam tests knowledge of Agile terms and theories. Candidates interested in the DSDM Level II Practitioner exam, must have at least six months experience working with Agile projects and write up a project synopsis that will be reviewed by DSDM examiners. If the synopsis is accepted, candidates are then eligible for the oral examination. Candidates who pass the one-hour oral exam become DSDM Level II Practitioner Certified Agile Project Leaders.
[top]
7. What will I learn at the goAgile APL course?
The goAgile APL course prepares candidates for the APL Certification Exams. For instance, the Level 2 Practitioner course prepares candidates for the DSDM Agile Project Leadership Level II Practitioner Certification—demonstrating knowledge of advanced Agile Leadership, facilitation and collaboration principles. The course is a mix of lecture, practical hands-on exercises and cases from various agile projects. The 2½-day course covers:
Day 1: Set up the project
- Techniques for understanding the business and the scope
- Designing the project organisation
- Designing the project process and environment
- Leadership behaviours for handling customers and stakeholders
- Basic leadership facilitation techniques
Day 2: Plan the project
- Preparing and running a planning session
- Breaking the project up in smaller deliveries
- Facilitating the prioritising process
- Understand pitfalls in Agile projects
- Handling team dynamics
- Leadership & Collaboration
Day 3: Tune the project
- Delivering at the end of each iteration
- What to do when they need a few more days
- Switching from one iteration to the next
- Looking for—and adapting to feedback
- Optimising the project via Reflection Workshops
[top]
8. Do I need to take the APL course before I can take the APL examinations?
No. Candidates are free to take the DSDM APL Certification Exams any time they are offered. Simply go to www.dsdm.org to register and gain the information needed for certification. The goAgile APL course provides excellent preparation for the exams—helping Agile Project Leaders increase their knowledge of and experience with Agile methods.
[top]
9. Is it possible to take the Level 2 Practitioner Exam without having taken the Level 1 Foundation exam?
Yes, Agile Project Leaders with at least six months experience may skip the DSDM Level I Foundation exam and apply for Certification at the Level II Practitioner Level. However, most candidates do take the Level I exam to test their working knowledge of Agile methodologies.
[top]
10. How often are the exams offered, where and what do they cost?
The DSDM Agile Project Leader Certification exams are offered several times a year in both London and Copenhagen. The complete schedule can be found at http://www.dsdm.org/certification/apl_schedule.asp.
[top]
11. What is the process for the Level II Certification?
In order to take the DSDM Level II Certification-Practitioner exam, you:
- must have at least six months experience using Agile methodologies
- write a synopsis of one of your Agile projects (find more at www.dsdm.org)
- submit that synopsis to DSDM one month before the exam
- have your synopsis reviewed and accepted by DSDM examiners
- take the oral exam based on your synopsis
[top]
12. Where can I find more information?
You can find more information on the APL courses at www.goagile.dk.
For more on the Certification, visit www.dsdm.org. Select Certification, then Agile Foundation (level 1) or Agile Leadership (level 2). You will be asked to register with DSDM in order to have full access to the information on their website. This registration is free of charge and you will then have the option to receive more communication from DSDM about their various news and events.
Or you can simply contact us at kursus@goagile.dk or +45 5052 6212.
[top]