10-week study plan for ACP-100 Jira Administrator

[#1]

This study plan is personal for me - as this is the first of the study plans I have created that I will be using myself (I created ACP-300 and ACP-600 study plans for my team).

Not only was ACP-100 Jira Administrator the first Atlassian Certification to b made available, it is the only Atlassian certification that can be used to extend and maintain another Atlassian certification - ACP-600.

Unlike ACP-600 Project Administration in Jira Server, the certification prep course guides you need in what you need to study not what information you need to know i.e. it gives you the questions you should be able to answer not the answers themselves.

For that reason, this study plan has 3 phases including product training tutorials, examination preparation videos, and time for studying before sitting the exam.

Week	Task
1	Enrol in 'Jira Administrator Certification Prep', download and read Exam Topics ACP-100 Jira Administration, and watch About the Exam. Download Atlassian product documentation.
2	Review Jira Administration Part 1
3	Review Jira Administration Part 2
4	Review Getting More from Jira Workflows
5	Watch Jira Administrator Certification Prep Advanced User Features; Configuration the Layout, Design, and User Communications; Application and Project Access and Permissions; and complete the first set of sample questions.
6	Watch Jira Administrator Certification Prep General Project Configuration; Authentications and Security; Issue Types, Fields and Screen, and and complete the second set of sample questions.
7	Watch Jira Administrator Certification Prep Workflows; Setting up Notifications and Email; Jira Server Administration; Administration and Extending Jira; and complete the third set of sample questions.
8	Read Jira Administrator Certification Prep Case Studies, watch Case Studies, and complete Course Wrap Up
9	Book 2-3 hours on Friday to work on the labs. Use the remaining lab time if needed/wanted on Friday night and Saturday morning.
10	Purchase and book your exam. Have an hour study group session. Review the exam topics PDF and answer all the questions together.
	Sit your exam.

Do I really need to all of those courses?

No, of course not. Even the highly recommended certification preparation course is not prerequisite for sitting the exam.

This study plan makes use of the training that is available as a suggested approach and also because access to (some) of these are a perk for being a Community Leader and/or working for an Atlassian Solution Partner.

So when is your exam Kat?

I will be starting this study plan with two team members on 13 November. We have factored in a 2 week break for Christmas and New Years and should sit our exams in mid-February 2020.

[Jimmy Seddon]

@Kat Warner you are putting these out faster than I can keep up!  That's great though thank you!  I passed the ACP-600 back in may and with this cert being a way to extend the ACP-600 now I think I'll save this one until next year.

[Kat Warner]

@Jimmy Seddon - I created 3 study plans for internal use a couple of months back. These have all been modified and shared with the community so the remaining 3 may take a bit longer to appear.

[Kay M]

Thank you @Kat Warner for this. Came to know about this through Certification session during summit yesterday. I am starting on this, but hope to put in more time and finish it sooner than 10 weeks. Unfortunately I dont have access to University videos unless I pay. I am planning to use only the prep course. Have couple of questions, if you dont mind answering.
1) After Step 9 of using lab time on Friday and Saturday, when I purchase my exam on Saturday morning let's say, will I be able to take the exam on the same day (Saturday) or Sunday, as I prefer not to forget if its after a week or 10 days. Now that this exam can be taken remotely, will I be able to schedule the exam for the same or next day or how many days in advance we can schedule. Is it different if we have to go to testing center vs ability to take remotely.

2) Step 10 says for study group session. Do you mean review everything that is learnt on our own or have a group discussion with the study group. I know things work differently for each individual, but just wanted to clarify. BTW I dont have any partner or study group as of now. Will you be able to let me know if you know of one. Thank you.

Thanks again for the plan, appreciate it.

[Kat Warner]

Thanks @Kay M

Since I wrote this 10-week plan, Atlassian has made their skill-builders free and have released  new ones. These are intended for those with or want to have Administrator permissions and a great to include as part of your prep for ACP-100. Check out their free training catalogue.

@Sherry Quinn gave the following reply to the exam question:

Due to COVID-19, Atlassian Certification candidates can request exceptions to take ACP exams (ACP-100 through ACP-500) from their home or office with online remote proctoring. Note that ACP-600 already has the option to take the exam online so you don't need to submit a request. 

If you would like to change your exam from testing center to online, please cancel your existing exam appointment and then submit a Service Desk ticket directly to the Certification Team at https://getsupport.atlassian.com/servicedesk/customer/portal/9/create/259.

From the Service Desk, select the “Registration Issues” request type and write “Request Approval for Remote Testing” in the Summary. Our team will provide next steps. 

This guide was lightly modified from one written for my team as we have had multiple people working to become twice-certified. This meant we were able to have group study sessions though this community is a great place to reach out. Start a discussion here and you may find an online study group. :)

[Kay M]

Thank you @Kat Warner 

@Sherry QuinnHow soon we can schedule exams for going to the test center. It might be based on particular testing center availability I guess. Is that right and if avl, will we be able to schedule for the next day itself or how much sooner generally. Thank you.

[Julia]

Hello @Kay M ,

To schedule ACP-100 through 500 online, you will need to submit a request here: https://getsupport.atlassian.com/servicedesk/customer/portal/9/create/259. Once our team notifies you of your eligibility to take the exam online, you can register and select a date and time.  You will typically be able to schedule within a few days.

If you want to take the exam in a testing center, you will need to look at the availability of the particular testing center you are interested in.  Here is link from Kryterion about testing center closures: https://www.kryteriononline.com/blog/update-kryterion-testing-center-closures

Atlassian Certification Team

[Kay M]

@Kat WarnerSince I only have access to the free courses, not other admin courses and more workflow course , I am looking for other ways to prepare. Since the prep course for ACP-600 is cheaper, do you think it will help me in preparing for ACP-100 as well, in terms of permissions, workflows etc. Most of my experience is towards Jira Admin, not really Project Admin and my goal is to get ACP-100 as soon as I possibly can, among of course the usual, full time job, family etc. Do you think spending time for preparing & taking ACP-600 will help or ACP-100 focus is actually on different areas of the same topics and I would be better off preparing for ACP-100 directly, as I am on a time crunch to get ACP-100 :-)

I don't want it to be deviation from my prep for ACP-100, unless taking ACP-600 really helps.

Any insight is appreciated. Thank you.

[Kat Warner]

@Kay M - ACP-600 is a sub-set of ACP-100 so while it will help you prepare for ACP-100 it may not be the most time efficient way to prepare if you already have 1-2 years of Jira Administration experience.

[Nathaniel Simpson]

Hi @Kat Warner  thankyou for your post. Do you think it is possible to pass ACP-100 without being well versed in JIRA service desk? Like you I am looking at attaining the ACP-100 after ACP-300 and ACP-600, but concerned how heavy the Jira administration content may be for service desk and whether it is better to tackle ACP-400 before ACP-100  (note I currently do not use service desk) regards Nat

[Kat Warner]

I haven't sat the ACP-100 exam but someone in my team passed ACP-600 then ACP-100 without focused study on Jira Service Desk, though they due use and provide customer support for Jira Service Deck.

[Ricky Lin]

ACP-100 was my first exam to take and pass and I can tell you that JSD is irrelevant to that exam. 

What will likely help you pass ACP-100 is a very strong Jira Admin background based on best practices.  The ACP-100 prep course was about the only thing I studied and I passed on the first try.  Just a personal intake - now I'm onto ACP-200 for Friday!

[Marion Hederer]

With how many hours sould you calculate for the Jira Server Administrator Certification Prep Course? 

[Kat Warner]

When I wrote this guide I was allowing 2-3 hours a week study which means the prep course video content should take 8-12 hours depending on the amount of time you spend on each of the topic areas.

[Neha Singh]

Hi Guys,

I was quite confused regarding the certification on Jira. I was searching for something "Jira Developer", but didn't find any apart from ACP and Scrum Master certifications. I am working in Jira Administration since 7 months, and I have the confidence regarding my knowledge on Admin part.

Whatever certification which I came to find, I am thinking to opt for ACP-600 or ACP-100. I am confused between these two choices. Can you guys help me to sort out this or maybe guide me regarding Jira Developer certification.

[Kat Warner]

Hello @Neha Singh - check out the learning paths Jira User and Jira Project Administrator to see which one best matches your path and review the suggested training and certification there.

Before your do - you might want to check out the latest announcement from Atlassian University - Updates to Atlassian Certifications.

[Tim Hailey]

FYI: Links for weeks 2-4 are broken.

[kat_warner]

Hi @Tim Hailey  - thanks! I have updated the links above:

2) Review Jira Administration Part 1

3) Review Jira Administration Part 2

4) Review Getting More from Jira Workflows

Remember you can still pass ACP-100 without paying for all of the linked courses. 

[Carlos Garcia Navarro]

Hello! Some of these links are broken again :-( 

[Nagalakshmi Visvanathan]

Hi  - I am currently a full time Scrum Master and my train wants me to get certified on the JIRA administrator certification so I can help the train with JIRA configurations, workflows & queries. Would ACP 100 & ACP 610 are suitable courses. How long does it take to prepare for them? Also please share the path I need to take along with some helpful links and info. Thanks!