Overview

Agile has caught the attention of business leaders in the UK and globally as a means of managing change, reducing time to market, eliminating waste and attracting and retaining customers. The question is - what is Agile Project Management and how does it differ from traditional waterfall? What are the roles, skills and competencies required?

This two-day foundation certificate course is concerned with the use of Agile practices in projects, product and software development.

The course is designed to ensure the delegate has suitable knowledge of the core concepts of Agile practices, the Agile values and principles, across a breadth of Agile methodologies. It is not aimed at preparing delegates to implement a specific Agile approach.

Target Audience

The certificate is relevant to anyone requiring an understanding of Agile, including organisational leaders and managers wanting to understand the value of Agile practices, or those who work in an Agile environment.

Examination

The closed-book exam is taken during the course and consists 40 multiple-choice questions taken over an hour. A pass mark of 65% (26 out of 40) is required for delegates to become accredited.

This course includes the Relevant Methods and Approaches for Agile Teams, including Scrum, XP (Extreme Programming), DSDM Atern, Kanban, Lean Software Development and Lean Startup.

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Prerequisites

Experience of working as a member of a project team, for example as a tester, business analyst, software developer, project manager, or release manager, is helpful but not required.

Proof of identity

Please ensure that you bring photo identification with you on the day of your examination as you will not be allowed to sit the exam without it.

Pre-Course Reading

There is no pre-course reading required.

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Learning Outcomes

  • recall the origins of Agile methods.
  • understand and apply the core values and principles of Agile methods.
  • know the difference between the defined process and the empirical processes used in Agile.
  • explain the issues identified in the traditional / waterfall approach.
  • recognise myths that are often attributed with Agile practices.
  • know the different approaches to the empirical model for improvement and change.
  • explain the business culture and the economic case required for Agile.
  • understand the implication of Agile practices on individuals, teams and businesses.
  • explain the way in which we engage customers into an Agile project.
  • know how we respond to change in an Agile project.
  • describe the common Agile roles, techniques and practices.
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Course Outline

The course is designed to present theoretical models and current industry practices, with an emphasis on understanding the intentions behind the four value statements of the Agile Manifesto. Towards the end of the course, we look at Agile approaches in use today, at a high level only.

The course includes the following syllabus areas:

The Agile Manifesto

  • 4 Values
  • 12 Principles

Rationale & Benefits of Agile

  • History of Agile
  • Empirical and defined processes
  • The pillars of the empirical process
  • The waterfall approach
  • The iron triangle of project constraints
  • Working with uncertainty and volatility
  • Agile myths
  • Empirical models for improvement and change
  • Business culture and Agile
  • The economic case for Agile
  • The lifecycle of product development

Individuals and their Interactions over Processes and Tools

  • Motivated and Talented Individuals
  • Emergent design from Self-Organising Teams

Working Systems over Comprehensive Documentation

  • Satisfy the Customer with Continuous Delivery of Value
  • Deliver Working Systems Frequently
  • Working Systems as a Measure of Progress
  • Technical Excellence and Good Design

Customer Collaboration over Contract Negotiations

  • Business People and Developers Must Work Together
  • Face-to-face Communications
  • Reflect and Adjust Regularly

Responding to Change over Following a Plan

  • Embrace Change
  • Sustainable Pace
  • Simplicity - The Art of Maximising the Amount of Work Not Done

Common Agile Roles

  • The Role of the Customer
  • The Role of the Team
  • The Role of the Agile Leader
  • The Role of Stakeholders
  • The Agile Mindset

Common Agile Techniques

  • User Stories
  • Acceptance Criteria and Scenarios
  • MoSCoW Prioritisation
  • Estimation using Story Points
  • Agile quality assurance and testing

Common Agile Practices

  • Short Feedback Loops
  • Focus on Quality
  • Emergent Documentation
  • Visual Boards
  • Team Synchronisation Meeting
  • Show and Tells
  • Retrospectives
  • Continuous Improvement

Relevant Methods and Approaches for Agile Teams

  • Scrum
  • XP (Extreme Programming)
  • DSDM Atern
  • Kanban
  • Lean Software Development
  • Lean Startup

QA reserves the right to improve the specification and format of its courses for the benefit of its customers without notice to the customer.

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Why choose QA

Special Notices

Please note: Due to the current situation with Covid 19 the BCS are offering remotely proctored online exams for all candidates. Once registered you will receive a confirmation email directly from the BCS. This email will reference a provisional exam location, date and time and should not be mistaken for a confirmed session.

You will receive a further email from Questionmark (within 48 hours). It is at this stage that you will be provided access to the live calendar to enable you to schedule your exam session.

***Please note that due to the current high demand for online exams, there may be limited time slots available. If you are unable to book your preferred timeslot QuestionMark advise contacting them directly via their live online chat to discuss alternate dates***

Dates & Locations

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.

Required Star = Required
Certification = Certification
Agile Product Owner
Agile Scrum Master
Agile Leadership
Agile Team Member
Agile Coach
Agile Business Agility Practitioner
Agile Business Analyst
Agile Project & Change Management Leadership
Agile Testing
Agile Programmers & Engineers

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Find more answers to frequently asked questions in our FAQs: Bookings & Cancellations page.

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How do QA’s online courses work?

QA online courses, also commonly known as distance learning courses or elearning courses, take the form of interactive software designed for individual learning, but you will also have access to full support from our subject-matter experts for the duration of your course. When you book a QA online learning course you will receive immediate access to it through our e-learning platform and you can start to learn straight away, from any compatible device. Access to the online learning platform is valid for one year from the booking date.

All courses are built around case studies and presented in an engaging format, which includes storytelling elements, video, audio and humour. Every case study is supported by sample documents and a collection of Knowledge Nuggets that provide more in-depth detail on the wider processes.

Learn more about QA’s online courses.

When will I receive my joining instructions?

Joining instructions for QA courses are sent two weeks prior to the course start date, or immediately if the booking is confirmed within this timeframe. For course bookings made via QA but delivered by a third-party supplier, joining instructions are sent to attendees prior to the training course, but timescales vary depending on each supplier’s terms. Read more FAQs.

When will I receive my certificate?

Certificates of Achievement are issued at the end the course, either as a hard copy or via email. Read more here.

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