PMI-ACP vs PSM: which agile certification should you take?
PMI-ACP vs PSM: take the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I), Scrum.org's exam with no prerequisite or renewal, if you are new to agile. Choose the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), from the Project Management Institute, once you have agile experience. In October 2026, 179 of 946 US Scrum master ads on Adzuna, a job-ad search site, contained pmi-acp and 112 contained professional scrum master.
Agile is a way of running projects in short cycles. Scrum is one agile method, and a Scrum master coaches the team that uses it. The PMI-ACP requires 21 hours of training in agile methods and renews every three years; the PSM I is a lifetime certification. If you pay for the exam yourself, the PSM I costs $200 per attempt (Scrum.org, checked October 3, 2026).
Who should take which · Job-ad counts · Rules side by side · Cost · Difficulty · Expiration · Both
Show the numbers
| Country | PMI-ACP | PSM |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 19% | 12% |
| India | 9% | 10% |
| United Kingdom | 1% | 3% |
| Germany | 0 of 116 | 2% |
| France | 0 of 232 | 0 of 232 |
PMI-ACP or PSM: which do employers name more?
Instant answer from October 2026 job ads. No email needed.
PSM is named in more job ads in the United States.
Source: Adzuna job ads, October 2026.
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PMI-ACP or PSM: which should you take?
The PSM I suits people who want a Scrum credential now; the PMI-ACP suits people who already have agile experience in project roles. Your first step depends on where you are. With no target job yet, the PSM I is the safe starting point: no prerequisite, $200, and no renewal. With a target job, open its ads and search each one for both names, then check the PMI-ACP experience rule below against your own work history.
- New to agile work, or under one year on agile teams: the PSM I. The PMI-ACP needs at least one year of agile experience on every route except an active PMP, so you cannot apply for it yet.
- About one year on agile teams: the PMI-ACP needs either a degree from a program accredited by PMI's Global Accreditation Center or an eligible agile certification from another body that you earned over a year ago. Without one of those, take the PSM I.
- Two or more years on agile teams in the past five years: the PMI-ACP is open to you once you add 21 hours of agile training.
- Holding an active Project Management Professional (PMP) certification: PMI counts it as meeting the PMI-ACP experience rule, so you need only the 21 hours of training and the exam. Our PMI-ACP vs PMP comparison covers that route.
- Paying for it yourself on a tight budget: the PSM I, at $200 per attempt with no course required. The PMI-ACP exam alone costs more, and training comes on top (see cost).
- Wanting no renewals: the PSM I. The PMI-ACP needs 30 professional development units (PDUs, PMI's credits for continuing education) and a fee every three years.
- Applying for project-manager jobs: we have no PSM count for those ads, so check whether the ads for your target role name
pmi-acp; our figure is in the job-ad section and on our page on what US project-manager ads ask for.
If you are weighing Scrum credentials only, our CSM vs PSM comparison covers the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), the other common Scrum master exam.
PMI-ACP vs PSM: what do job ads name?
Both phrases appear in US Scrum master ads. The table gives our counts.
| US ads collected in October 2026 | Ads checked | Ads containing pmi-acp (PMI-ACP) |
Ads containing professional scrum master (PSM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scrum master ads | 946 | 179 (19%) | 112 (12%) |
| Project-manager ads | 59,273 | 673 (1.1%) | Not counted |
Source: Adzuna API, US job ads with "scrum master" or "project manager" in the title, matched by the phrases pmi-acp and professional scrum master. Analysis: CertWorthIt. How we count.
The two phrases are written in different styles: pmi-acp is the abbreviation and professional scrum master is the full name. An ad that writes only PSM or PSM I is missed by the PSM count, and an ad that spells out "PMI Agile Certified Practitioner" without the abbreviation is missed by the PMI-ACP count. Both counts are therefore minimums, and they are not a like-for-like measure of demand, so we do not rank the two credentials on them. One ad can contain both phrases and then counts in both columns.
What to do with the counts: a count above zero means US employers do write the name in ads. Use it to check the ads for your own target role, not to pick a winner.
The project-manager row is a separate ad group, and we do not count the PSM phrase there. Outside the US, our Scrum master samples are small (193 ads in India and 67 in the UK in October 2026), so we leave those countries out; our Scrum master job page lists every country we count.
How do requirements, exam and renewal compare?
The PMI-ACP asks for experience and training before the exam and renews every three years; the PSM I is an exam anyone can take, and it does not expire.
| PMI-ACP (PMI) | PSM I (Scrum.org) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can take it | Secondary-school diploma (high school in the US), plus one of four experience routes: 2 years of agile experience in the past 5 years; 1 year plus a degree from a program accredited by PMI's Global Accreditation Center (GAC); 1 year plus an eligible active agile certification from another body, earned more than a year ago (see PMI's outline for which count); or an active PMP | Anyone; no prerequisite |
| Training | 21 hours of formal agile training, required | None required; a course is optional |
| Exam | 120 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours; 100 are scored and 20 are unscored trial questions | 80 questions in 60 minutes: multiple choice, multiple answer (pick more than one) and true/false |
| Passing score | Not published | 85% |
| Exam fee | $435 members, $495 non-members (varies by region) | $200 per attempt |
| Retakes | Up to three attempts in one year; retake fee $335 members, $395 non-members | $200 per attempt, no limit and no waiting period |
| Application check | PMI may pick an application for a random audit | No application or audit step |
| Renewal | 30 PDUs every three years (at least 18 in education), plus a fee set by membership and region | None; lifetime certification |
Source: PMI-ACP page, PMI-ACP exam content outline (March 2026), PMI CCR handbook, PMI store prices in US dollars, Scrum.org PSM I page and Scrum.org's support page on retakes. All read October 3 to 5, 2026.
In a random audit, PMI asks for proof of the experience and training you listed, and its PMI-ACP handbook gives you 90 days to send it.
Show the numbers
| Item | PMI-ACP | PSM |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 120 questions | 80 questions |
| Exam time | 180 minutes (3 h) | 60 minutes (1 h) |
| Format | Multiple choice, drag-and-drop | Multiple choice |
| Languages | 10 languages | 3 languages |
How much do the PMI-ACP and the PSM cost?
The PSM I costs $200 for one exam attempt, and nothing after that if you pass on the first try. If you need a second attempt, the total is $400, because each attempt is a new $200 exam access code (a code with no expiry that works once). Scrum.org sells the exam with its self-paced course for $279, and a Scrum.org class includes one free attempt.
The PMI-ACP exam costs $435 for PMI members and $495 for non-members. One retake adds $335 or $395, so an exam plus one retake totals $770 for members or $890 for non-members. PMI membership costs $139 and is not required; on exam fees alone, the $60 member saving is less than that. Prices are from PMI's store, as read on the dates in our sources line, and vary by region.
Those totals leave out the 21 hours of required training, whose price we did not collect, and the renewal fee, which PMI sets by membership and region; read it on PMI's PMI-ACP page. The PSM I is the only path we can price in full.
Show the numbers
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| PMI-ACP: Join PMI first: Membership, 1 year | $139 |
| PMI-ACP: Join PMI first: Exam, member price | $435 |
| PMI-ACP: Join PMI first: One retake (optional) | $335 |
| PMI-ACP: Without membership: Exam | $495 |
| PMI-ACP: Without membership: One retake (optional) | $395 |
| PSM: Fees to get certified: Exam | $200 |
| PSM: Fees to get certified: One retake (optional) | $200 |
Is the PSM easier than the PMI-ACP?
The PSM I is easier to start, because it has no entry check. Neither Scrum.org nor PMI publishes a pass rate, so we cannot say which exam more people pass.
To take the PMI-ACP, you first document agile experience and finish 21 hours of training, and PMI may audit that application. For the PSM I, you buy an exam access code and take the test.
The exams also run at different speeds. The PSM I gives you 60 minutes for 80 questions, about 45 seconds per question, and you need 85% (68 correct answers) to pass. The PMI-ACP gives you 180 minutes for 120 questions, about 90 seconds per question, and PMI does not publish the passing score. PMI's outline splits the exam into four weighted areas: Mindset, Leadership, Product and Delivery. Our PSM I page and PMI-ACP page cover how people prepare.
Does either certification expire?
The PSM I does not. Scrum.org lists it as a lifetime certification with no annual renewal fee.
The PMI-ACP does, unless you renew it. To renew, you earn 30 PDUs per three-year cycle, at least 18 of them in education, and pay a renewal fee. Along with the experience and training gate before the exam, that ongoing cost in time and money is a second structural difference between the two credentials.
Should you get both?
Only if the ads for the jobs you want name both, or an employer pays for one. PMI's 21 training hours cover agile practices, so a PSM I holder may study some of the same ground again.
One order can help, but it means waiting. A PSM I does not expire, and PMI's outline accepts an eligible active agile certification from another body, earned more than a year ago, plus one year of agile experience in place of two years. So a PSM I could shorten your path to the PMI-ACP only after it is a year old, and only if PMI accepts it for that route; confirm with PMI before you count on it.
Scrum.org also offers PSM II ($250, 30 questions in 90 minutes) and PSM III ($500, 24 essay questions in 150 minutes), with no prerequisite for either (checked October 5, 2026). Neither is needed for the PMI-ACP.
What we did not check
- The PMI-ACP renewal fee.
- The price of agile training courses for the PMI-ACP's 21 hours.
- Whether PMI accepts the PSM I as the agile certification in its one-year experience route.
- Pass rates, which neither PMI nor Scrum.org publishes.
- Job markets outside the US, where our Scrum master samples are small.
For every project management credential we track, start at our hub for project management certifications.
Questions people ask
PMI-ACP or PSM: which should you take?
Take the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) from Scrum.org if you are new to agile work, pay for the exam yourself or want a credential with no renewals. It has no prerequisite and costs $200 per attempt (Scrum.org, checked October 3, 2026). Take the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI) if you already have agile experience, or an active Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, and the ads for the jobs you want name it. In October 2026, 179 of 946 US Scrum master ads on Adzuna, a job-ad search site, contained the phrase pmi-acp and 112 contained professional scrum master. The two phrases are written differently, an abbreviation and a full name, so the counts are not a like-for-like measure of demand and we do not rank them.
Is the PSM easier than the PMI-ACP?
Neither Scrum.org nor PMI publishes a pass rate, so official data does not show which exam more people pass. The published rules differ. The PSM I exam has 80 questions in 60 minutes and you need 85% to pass; anyone can take it. The PMI-ACP exam has 120 multiple-choice questions in 3 hours, 20 of them unscored, and PMI does not publish its passing score. Before you can book it, you need agile experience and 21 hours of agile training, and PMI can audit your application (ask for proof of what you listed). Rules checked October 3, 2026.
Can you take the PMI-ACP without the PMP?
Yes. An active Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is one of four ways to meet the PMI-ACP experience rule, not a requirement. The other three are:
- two years of agile experience in the past five years;
- one year plus a degree from a program accredited by PMI's Global Accreditation Center (GAC);
- one year plus an eligible active agile certification from another body, earned more than a year ago.
Every route needs a secondary-school diploma (high school in the US) and 21 hours of formal agile training (PMI-ACP exam outline, March 2026).
How much do the PMI-ACP and the PSM cost?
The PSM I costs $200 per exam attempt, with no required course and no renewal fee, or $279 with Scrum.org's self-paced course. The PMI-ACP exam costs $435 for PMI members or $495 for non-members, and a retake costs $335 or $395 (Scrum.org and PMI store prices, checked October 3, 2026; PMI prices vary by region). PMI membership costs $139 and is optional. PMI sets the renewal fee by membership and region, so check PMI's page for it. The PMI-ACP's 21-hour training requirement is a separate cost that we did not price.
Does the PMI-ACP or the PSM I expire?
The PSM I does not: Scrum.org calls it a lifetime certification with no renewal fee. The PMI-ACP runs on a three-year cycle. To keep it, you earn 30 professional development units (PDUs, PMI's credits for continuing education), at least 18 of them in education, and pay a renewal fee (PMI and Scrum.org pages, read October 3, 2026).