Overview
This five-day accredited course provides participants with a thorough grounding in the DSDM Agile Project Management framework. It is comprised of a Foundation-level introduction to the framework, and an in-depth Practitioner-level examination of how a project manager applies the framework.
Presented by skilled lecturers with extensive experience in the practical application of project management, the course includes examination coaching and practice using sample questions.
This course does not cover the Scrum Framework.
Delegates should be prepared to set aside time to revise for the Foundation and Practitioner exams, in the evenings after the course lecture finishes. This includes studying the course Handbook, and working through sample exam questions.
Target Audience
The Practitioner course is intended for anyone who expects to have a management or leadership role in an Agile project and is specifically built to support anyone who needs to apply the DSDM Project Management framework in a business environment. Delegates are expected to have experience of team leading, project management, or project assurance/support.
Prerequisites
Proof of identity
Delegates must bring signed photo ID on any APMG exam (passport, driving license, student card) as they will be asked by the invigilator to produce it prior to the exam. Delegates must also be familiar with the APMG Terms and Conditions of Certification which can be found on the APMG International website.
Pre-Course Reading
While not required, delegates are encouraged to visit the DSDM Consortium's website and start to become familiar with the framework, at www.agilebusiness.org.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of this course you will be able to:
- Set up an Agile project
- Identify appropriate people for Agile roles
- Define Increments and Timeboxes to keep a project on track
- Manage a Solution Development Team
- Communicate with business stakeholders in a project environment
- Use Agile techniques, including prioritisation of requirements, to ensure on-time project delivery
- Present the benefits of Agile approaches to senior management
- Identify risks to delivery of projects managed using the DSDM Agile approach
Course Outline
Foundation Preparation
- What is Agile? And why use DSDM?
- Philosophy, Principles, and Project Variables
- Preparing for Success
- Preparing for Agile Project Management
- The DSDM Process
- The People - DSDM Roles and Responsibilities
- The DSDM Products
- Key Practices - Prioritisation and Timeboxing
- Planning and Control Throughout the Lifecycle
- Other Practices - Iterative Development, Facilitated Workshops, Modeling and Prototyping
Practitioner Preparation
- Roles and Responsibilities - the project manager's view
- Agile Project Management through the Lifecycle
- The Effective Use of the Products
- Deliver on Time - Combining MoSCoW and Timeboxing
- People, Teams, and Interactions
- Requirements and User Stories
- Estimating - How and When
- Project Planning throughout the Lifecycle
- Quality - Never Compromise Quality
- Risk Management
- Tailoring the Approach
Agile Foundation and Practitioner Examinations
All delegates will sit the APMG Agile Foundation examination (a multiple choice paper) in the late afternoon of the second day of the course. Successful candidates will then be eligible to sit the Practitioner exam in the afternoon of the fifth day. Photo ID is required to take these exams.
Exam timing
The Foundation examination is taken at 15:00 during the afternoon on Day 2 and candidates may take 40 minutes to complete it
The Practitioner examination takes place at 13:00 on the afternoon of Day 5 and will last for up to 2.5 hours
Exam Format: Foundation
- Multiple choice format
- 50 questions per paper
- 25 marks required to pass (out of 50 available) - 50%
- 40 minutes duration
- Closed book
Exam Format: Practitioner
- Objective examination. 4 questions (20 points per question).
- 40/80 points required to pass the exam (50%).
- Duration 2.5 hours.
- Open book (only the official AgilePM manual is allowed).
Please Note: The last day (Day 5) will finish by 15:30 after the conclusion of the Practitioner exam.
APMG-International Agile Project Management is a trademark of The APM Group Limited.
QA reserves the right to improve the specification and format of its courses for the benefit of its customers without notice to the customer.
Agile learning paths
Want to boost your career in agile? Click on the roles below to see QA‘s learning pathways, specially designed to give you the skills to succeed.
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