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5.3

Side by side

PMP® vs PMI-ACP®: how do they differ?

The PMP certifies project leadership across predictive, agile and hybrid work; the PMI® Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) certifies agile practice specifically. They overlap more than the names suggest: about 60% of PMP exam items draw on agile and hybrid approaches, and holding a PMP satisfies the PMI-ACP experience requirement (PMI, as of October 2026).

Exam
PMP
Updated
Oct 13, 2026

01Breadth or depth

Both credentials test agile. In the 2026 PMP outline roughly 40% of items represent predictive approaches and the remaining 60% split between agile and hybrid. What the PMP adds is everything around delivery, such as governance, finance, procurement and stakeholders across the organization. How the exam blends the approaches is on predictive, agile and hybrid on the PMP.

The PMI-ACP goes deeper into the team's own practice, with domains for Mindset, Leadership, Product and Delivery. If your week is spent coaching an agile team rather than running a budget and contracts, that weighting sits closer to your job. Other agile and non-agile options are in the certification overview.

02PMP and PMI-ACP side by side

From PMI's PMP and PMI-ACP pages, U.S. prices, as of October 2026

PointPMPPMI-ACP
≠ScopeProject leadership under any approachAgile principles and practice
≠Experience24 to 60 months leading projects in the last 10 years2 years of agile experience in the last 5; or a GAC degree or another agile certification plus 1 year; or a PMP
≠Training35 hours of project management training21 hours of agile training
≠Exam180 questions, 240 minutes, two 10-minute breaks120 questions, 180 minutes, one 10-minute break
≠Exam fee, member / non-member$405 / $655$435 / $495
≠Renewal60 PDUs every 3 years30 PDUs every 3 years
IssuerPMIPMI

≠ marks a row where the two differ.

03Where the PMI-ACP puts its weight

  1. Mindset

    28%

  2. Leadership

    25%

  3. Product

    19%

  4. Delivery

    28%

PMI-ACP exam domains from PMI's PMI-ACP page, as of October 2026. For comparison, the PMP splits People 33%, Process 41% and Business Environment 26%.

04Holding one, adding the other

Is it worth holding both?

If agile delivery is a large share of your work, the second credential costs a 21-hour course and the exam fee ($435 for members, $495 for non-members), because your PMP already covers the experience requirement (PMI, as of October 2026).

Which should come first?

The PMP first saves a step, since it satisfies the PMI-ACP experience requirement outright. If you have two years on agile teams but not the months the PMP needs, the PMI-ACP is open to you sooner.

How does the PMI-ACP compare with a scrum master certification?

Scrum master credentials center on one framework and one team role; the PMI-ACP covers agile approaches more broadly and asks for documented experience. PMP vs CSM and PSM I puts the scrum credentials next to the PMP.

05Sources

  1. PMI: PMP certification page checked Oct 13, 2026
  2. PMI: PMI-ACP certification checked Oct 13, 2026eligibility, exam, domains, price
  3. PMI: PMP Examination Content Outline (rev. August 11, 2026) checked Oct 13, 2026approach mix, PMP domain weights
  4. PMI Continuing Certification Requirements Handbook (April 2026) checked Oct 13, 2026PDU counts