Are there ACP-100 prep resources available OTHER than Atlassian University?

[Rob Horan]

Having taken the beta exam and missing passing BY A HAIR I can tell you that studying the admin guide is useful but it is NOT the end, nor is being an admin for a long time - why?  Because realistically, unless you need to utilize every function JIRA offers, you're most likely going to be focused on only what you need to use in your time as admin.  

So now I'm looking for prep material, but the only thing I can find is a $150 pre-recorded course from Atlassian University.  BUT WAIT, it gets better!  For your $150 you only get access for 120 days!

So... are there any alternatives before I break down and shell out the cash, out of pocket?

[Vickey Palzor Lepcha]

Rather expensive :p  - and training materials once purchased should have been available for at least a year if not forever.

[Rob Horan]

argh - wrong reply window, sorry!

[Julia]

Anyone who shares privileged information they gained from having taken an Atlassian exam is compromising the security of the exam for everyone and undermining the value of the credential that many people have worked hard to earn.   Note that the Candidate Agreement entered into between Atlassian and program participants strictly prohibits disclosure about the exams.  Remedies include but are not limited to lifetime ban from the Atlassian Certification Program.

So – don't ask for or disclose information about Atlassian exams!  When in doubt about what constitutes disclosure, stay on the safe side and just don't do it!  

Atlassian built the Certification Prep OnDemand Courses specifically to set expectations and give you a structured preparation path to increase your chance of success on the first try.   The instructor counsels you about how best to prepare for every section of the exam. The Certification Prep course also discusses sample questions in depth, and provides additional sample questions for practice.  In addition, we provide case studies based on real business problems – if you work through them you'll touch on all the topics on the exam.   The Certification Prep course is for people who have the recommended level of experience with the product (as shown on the exam page on the Atlassian Certification website); it's not designed to replace the recommended real-world experience, but to supplement it, so that you can increase your knowledge and proficiency, especially with aspects of the product that you encounter infrequently in your day to day work.  

[Rob Horan]

Hi Julia,

Its been 3 1/2 years since this reply, which I appreciated at the time and still do.  I want to address some of what you have written. 

I attempted to take ACP-100 in January of 2018.  Even though I had been an admin for nearly 10 years, I didn't pass. 

I have gone through the prep course again, and as before, I found it incredibly vague.  There was no cohesiveness to the course, and most of the information was vague, with some specifics occasionally.  Still, there was no real sense of instruction.

I've decided to start off with ACP-600 and WOW - the prep material for this test is SO MUCH better than what was prepared for ACP-100.  There is actual instruction, focus, detail - useful information provided in a guided presentation.  The labs have instructions to follow.  The case studies are useful but without a recommended solution section they just leave you to figure it out, with no sense of whether or not your choices are correct.  The narrated portions pertaining to the case studies again are an info dump but without cohesiveness or direct correlation back to the case studies themselves.

Every cert prep on demand should be as well constructed as the course for ACP-600. 

[Julia]

Hi Robert, I'm so glad you liked the training course for Project Administration.  That course is intended to teach all the concepts and skills needed to succeed in the exam.  

The cert prep courses have a different purpose -- they are not intended to be instruction, but rather a survey of the exam topics with guidance about what you need to make sure to master for each topic.  They are intended as a guide to help experienced administrators design their own preparation plan for independent or group study. That said, we're always trying to increase the value of the cert prep courses.  Your points about them are well-taken.  We will have a new edition of ACP-100 out in June, which goes more into specifics and replaces the case studies with a more useful lab challenge.  When the time comes for you to take ACP-100 again, I'm confident that you will like the new edition of the cert prep better. It's now only USD $50. 

[Rob Horan]

Thanks!  That is great to hear - I look forward to the new material

[Rob Horan]

@Juliaat risk of pushing it (I am who I am) is there any way you could lobby for a minimum of 48 hours on the lab environments?  Ask any working parent of small children if they can finish all of the labs - in a manner that actually provides them the understanding they need for the exam - in one 24 hour period.

Realistically, the environment should be available for the duration of the on demand course.

[Julia]

Hi @Rob Horan , yes, I agree with you, that would be ideal.   There are some alternatives -- we have a Free license tier for Cloud products, and you could get a Server evaluation license and set up your own sandbox.   

[Rob Horan]

Thanks Julia,

Beyond violating the terms I agreed to under threat of Atlassian showing up at my door, taking all my beer, and kicking me in the junk on the way out, I probably could not even come close to remembering a single question since I took the test in April, which from a subjective perspective feels like roughly 35 years ago.

There are three major problems with the on demand classes.

1. Pricey for what it is, especially for someone paying out of pocket.
2. Once you pay you have only a very short time to utilize the training.
3. Video, not written, which means being tethered to a computer or some device requiring streaming.  (no train study time)

Granted, if I had gotten the handful of points I needed to pass the beta I'd likely not be as cranky, but if you look at other exams (PMP, Cisco, etc) there are tons of written prep materials available, with practice exams, etc, all which cost considerably less.  The bare minimum one can pay is $150, and that only allows for 120 days of access to video resources.  That's why my question is about alternatives to the Prep On Demand Courses.

[Bharath Kumar]

Hey Robert,

I am also planning to take the ACP-100 in a few days, really I dint find any information much about the exam. I could not even find some sample questions so that we have a idea of the standard of exam.

Could you please take some time and share your experience about how the exam was and also standard of question. If you feel like I am not asking much can you share one sample question that you encountered in the test.

Thank You

[Rob Horan]

Well, now I'm curious.

[Nic Brough -Adaptavist-]

It gave some of the material that's in the exams, so it was removed.

[Rob Horan]

OK wait, now I need a refresher.  My post had material?  Couldn't be.  My memory is s--t.

[Maitrey Patel]

Hi @Rob Horan,

You can check following links for sample questions and course outline:
https://www.atlassian.com/university/certification/certifications/exam-acp-100?_ga=2.187427562.312180088.1532928499-677747007.1526189278 

Thanks,
Maitrey Patel

[Julia]

Robert, here are some great tips from an ACP who prepared without the benefit of the Atlassian Cert Prep course:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-study-jira-administrator-certification-rachel-wright  It sounds like her prep path cost close to nothing.  We think the study group idea is an excellent one.

[Gonchik Tsymzhitov]

Julia, any changes about a free prep test? 

Do you have a statistic about this exam? Just interesting, it is so hard exam or not?

[Julia]

Hi Gonchik,

There are some example questions found here:  https://www.atlassian.com/university/certification/certifications/exam-acp-100

We don't have other free prep.  Our Certification Prep course is USD $150.  Regardless of whether or not you use the Prep course, Atlassian subsidizes your retake of the exam, so if you don't pass the first time, your retake will be USD $150.50.  So you'd save USD $199.50 on the retake. 

The exam is definitely very challenging. Learn everything you can about JIRA administration from the Atlassian documentation.  We recommend having at least 2-3 years' experience administering JIRA.   When taking the exam, don't leave any questions unanswered -- there are no negative points for incorrect responses.  

[Rob Horan]

Will Atlassian subsidize an exam for someone who didn't pass the beta?  :)

[Julia]

Hi Robert, yes, submit a ticket at https://getsupport.atlassian.com/servicedesk/customer/portal/9 and specify which exam you are requesting the subsidized retake voucher for.

[Scott_Mace]

Great news! Just submitted a ticket to find out more, I also didn't pass the beta and am really interested again to try my hand at passing again to get certified! 

[Rob Horan]

Thanks Julia, I think my subsidy time ran out though :(