Quick Answer: CREA-SM vs PMI-ACP
PMI-ACP (PMI Agile Certified Practitioner) and CREA-SM target different career stages. PMI-ACP requires 2,000 hours of general project experience AND 1,500 hours of Agile project experience before you can even apply — making it inaccessible to early-career practitioners. CREA-SM has no experience prerequisites. PMI-ACP costs $495–$595 plus 21 hours of mandatory training (£400–£500 total). CREA-SM costs £119 with no training required.
Key Facts:
- CREA-SM cost: £119, no prerequisites, no renewal, 2 exam attempts
- PMI-ACP cost: $495 (PMI member) / $595 (non-member) + 21 hours training (~£400–500 total)
- PMI-ACP prerequisites: 2,000 hrs general project experience + 1,500 hrs Agile experience + 21 hrs training
- CREA-SM prerequisites: None
- PMI-ACP renewal: Every 3 years, 30 PDUs required
- CREA-SM renewal: Never — lifetime valid
- PMI-ACP exam: 120 questions, 3 hours, covers multiple Agile frameworks
- CREA-SM exam: 80 scenario-based questions, 90 minutes
Bottom line: If you have 5+ years of project experience and want PMI brand recognition, PMI-ACP is worth it. If you are earlier in your career or want a faster path to certification, CREA-SM is the better choice — and gives you the Agile knowledge to satisfy PMI-ACP prerequisites faster.
What Is PMI-ACP?
The PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) is issued by the Project Management Institute, the same body behind PMP. It covers multiple Agile frameworks — Scrum, Kanban, Lean, XP, and SAFe — making it broad but not deep in any single framework. It is highly respected in project management circles and carries significant brand weight due to PMI's global reach.
What Is CREA-SM?
CREA-SM (Certified Scrum Master from CREA Certification) is an enterprise-focused Scrum Master credential issued by Zakeli Technologies Limited (UK, Company No. 17156553, UKPRN: 10101581). It covers Scrum deeply plus enterprise extensions — SAFe, LeSS, Nexus, Jira, Azure DevOps, coaching models, metrics, and AI delivery. No prerequisites, no training required, £119 one-time cost.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Criteria | CREA-SM | PMI-ACP |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | £119 | $495–$595 + training |
| Experience required | None | 3,500 hours total |
| Training required | No | 21 hours mandatory |
| Renewal | Never | Every 3 years (30 PDUs) |
| Frameworks covered | Scrum, SAFe, LeSS, Nexus, S@S | Scrum, Kanban, XP, Lean, SAFe |
| Exam questions | 80 scenario-based | 120 questions |
| Exam time | 90 minutes | 3 hours |
| PMI brand recognition | Moderate | Very high (PMI name) |
| Entry barrier | Zero | High (experience prereqs) |
Who Should Get PMI-ACP?
- Experienced project managers (5+ years) transitioning to Agile
- PMP holders adding Agile credential to their portfolio
- Practitioners in organisations where PMI credentials carry weight
- Those whose employers will fund the cost and PDU renewals
Who Should Get CREA-SM?
- Scrum Masters at any career stage wanting enterprise Agile mastery
- Engineers, BAs, PMs moving into Scrum Master roles
- Self-funded practitioners wanting maximum ROI
- Anyone who wants a lifetime-valid credential with no ongoing fees
Start with CREA-SM — No Prerequisites, No Waiting
Enterprise Agile certification at £119. No experience required. Lifetime valid.
Explore CREA-SM →