• Article
  • Mar.26.2019

How to pass the Jira certification exam

  • Mar.26.2019
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Not sure what to expect for how to pass the ACP-JA Jira Administration certification? Here are a few key tips to help you prepare.

Am I a good candidate for the Jira certification exam?

Atlassian recommends having at least two to three years of experience as a Jira admin before getting certified. This will ensure you are comfortable navigating the different menus, resolving bugs and running JQL.

If you have less than a year of experience under your belt, don’t panic! In fact, it could also be an advantage. You probably use less add-ons than your colleagues who are more experienced, and therefore you may be more comfortable with Jira natively rather than being cluttered with added functionalities.

What is the Jira certification exam like?

You’ll have 3 hours to respond to 60 different questions:

  • Short form regarding a precise technical question
  • Long form which sets the context of a problem and requires you to reflect on the best solution

You must respond correctly to 65% of the questions in order to receive your certification. 

How should I prepare for the Jira certification exam?

What Valiantys can offer

Valiantys provides Jira Administration Training over a two-day period, which is ideal for new admins or admins who want to perfect their skills. This practical training allows you to fully master the concepts of administration, understand how workflows work and learn the best practices to manage your instances.

Once you have mastered the Jira Admin role, you can sign up for our certification preparation course.

What Atlassian can offer

To help you get ready for the test, Atlassian offers free and paid training videos.

Likewise, the Jira Software Evaluator Resources provides Atlassian’s recommended practices, and as such are a great asset to review.

What to do

Make sure you review the administration menus which you may not often use. Know what options are available and what are the names of the menus.

Also study the Jira 6.4 and 7.x documentation to get a sense of Atlassian’s approach to these settings.

Don’t forget to brush up on your JQL: study the filters you use and train yourself to create new ones.

If you use Jira Server on a daily basis, learn about the capabilities and limitations of Jira Cloud – and vice versa. The exam covers both Jira Server and Jira Cloud, so it is necessary to know the specifications and differences between the two versions.

Final practical advice for passing the exam

  • Start by reading the answers.You’ll know what information to look for in the question, which will help you be efficient.
  • Answer the short questions first. This will allow you to better manage your time when you need to carefully read the questions which are several paragraphs long.
  • Don’t hesitate to use your scrap paper. There was a question about the gadgets on the dashboard, so it was helpful for me to draw the gadgets to get a better visualisation.

Go further!

Increase the likelihood of passing the exam by enrolling in our “Certification Preparation – Jira Administrator” training.

Read the course outline

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