ACP-100 · ● Active · Professional · Atlassian
Atlassian's professional-level certification for Jira system administrators. Tests configuration, workflow management, permissions, custom fields, and integrations across Jira Server and Data Center deployments. Vendor-delivered, online proctored, foundational to IT operations and project-management tooling stacks.
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | USD $200 (Atlassian official pricing; regional variations may apply) |
| Duration | 180 minutes |
| Questions | 75 (all scored) |
| Passing | 70% (53/75 correct) |
| Format | Multiple choice + multiple response |
| Delivery | Online proctored (Atlassian ProctorU platform) |
| Languages | English (English-only) |
| Valid | 3 years from pass date |
| Renewal | Retake exam; no CE credit path available |
| Prerequisites | None formal; Jira hands-on experience strongly recommended (6–12 months typical) |
| Released | 2016 (current version, last updated 2024) |
| Retiring | N/A — no retirement announced |
Vendor source — Atlassian Certified Professional Program ↗
Official exam guide — ACP-100 Exam Guide ↗
Exam objectives — Jira Administration Topics ↗
About
The ACP-100 Jira Administrator certification validates hands-on expertise in configuring, deploying, and maintaining Jira across small-to-enterprise environments. Launched in 2016 as Atlassian's response to growing demand for certified Jira ops staff, it remains the primary professional-level credential for IT operations, project-management tooling, and DevOps platform engineers who manage Jira infrastructure. The exam covers on-premise (Server/Data Center) and cloud deployments, though cloud-specific material dominates post-2022 updates. Status: active and widely recognized by enterprise IT hiring managers.
Domain context — Project Management & ITSM
Standard tooling for IT service management (ITSM), software project delivery, and cross-functional workflow orchestration. Jira's role spans portfolio management (Jira Portfolio), agile team delivery (Jira Software), IT ticketing (Jira Service Management), and workflow automation.
Read full deep dive — Atlassian Ecosystem →
Topics covered
- User and Project Configurations (10%) — User/group management, project creation, roles, notification schemes
- Schemes and Workflows (30%) — Workflow design, scheme association, transitions, post-functions, validators
- Permissions and Notifications (20%) — Permission matrix, global permissions, issue-level security, notification schemes
- Custom Fields and Screens (15%) — Field creation, screen layouts, issue-type schemes, field associations
- Boards, Reporting, and Search (15%) — Board types (Scrum/Kanban), advanced issue searches (JQL), gadgets, reporting
- Integrations and Operations (10%) — API basics, webhooks, plugins, backup/restore, upgrade paths
Source: Atlassian ACP-100 Exam Guide
Common skills at Project Management & ITSM · Professional
Shared competencies for ops and project-management tooling at professional certification level — not specific to Jira.
- Workflow design and automation (transition rules, post-functions, validation logic)
- Role-based access control (RBAC) and permission matrix design
- Incident / change / request ticket triage and SLA enforcement
- Integration patterns (webhooks, APIs, middleware, log aggregation)
- Backup, disaster recovery, and high-availability operations
- Troubleshooting and performance tuning (logs, database queries, caching)
- Compliance and audit trail management (SOX, HIPAA, GDPR)
- Capacity planning and infrastructure scaling
Recommended courses at Project Management & ITSM · Professional
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlassian University (Official) | Jira Administration Fundamentals | Free | ↗ |
| Atlassian University (Official) | Jira Advanced Administration | $199 | ↗ |
| Udemy | "Jira Administration Masterclass" (in.rksingh instructor) | $15–$60 | ↗ |
| Pluralsight | Jira Administration: Core Concepts | $299/year | ↗ |
| A Cloud Guru | Jira Cloud Administration | $49/month | ↗ |
Practice exams
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlassian Official Practice | ACP-100 Practice Exam | Free (limited) | ↗ |
| Whizlabs | Jira Administrator (ACP-100) Practice Tests | $49 | ↗ |
| Udemy | Jira ACP-100 Practice Exams | $15–$60 | ↗ |
Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | Year | ISBN | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jira Administration Handbook | David Wylie | Packt | 2023 | 978-1835236895 | ↗ |
| Learning Jira | Patrick Li | O'Reilly | 2018 | 978-1491966808 | ↗ |
Typical job titles at Project Management & ITSM · Professional
Jira Administrator · Atlassian Administrator · Tools Engineer (Jira) · DevOps Tools Admin · Systems Administrator (ITSM) · IT Operations Specialist
(Job titles drawn from current job-board postings that list ACP-100 or equivalent Jira admin experience as required or preferred.)
Salary
| Region | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USD | $85,000 – $130,000 (Jira Admin / Atlassian Admin roles) | Glassdoor ↗ · Robert Half Tech Salary Guide ↗ |
| ZAR | R780,000 – R1,300,000 p.a. (Jira/Atlassian Admin) | Pnet ↗ · CareerJunction ↗ |
| GBP | £55,000 – £85,000 (Tools Admin / Jira) | IT Jobs Watch ↗ · Hays IT Salary Guide ↗ |
| EUR | €65,000 – €100,000 (DE/NL: Jira/DevOps Tools Admin) | Glassdoor EU ↗ |
| AUD | A$110,000 – A$160,000 (Jira / Tools Admin) | Seek ↗ · CareerOne ↗ |
Skills validated
Jira-specific technical competencies tested by this exam.
- User, group, and permission scheme configuration
- Workflow design, post-function scripting, validators, and condition logic
- Custom field creation, screen layout, and issue-type association
- Notification scheme triggers and email template customization
- JQL (Jira Query Language) for advanced issue filtering and reporting
- Board configuration (Scrum, Kanban, and board settings)
- Plugin/app discovery and configuration (Atlassian Marketplace)
- Backup, restore, and version upgrade procedures
- REST API basics (authentication, query construction)
- Webhook setup for external integrations
Related certifications
- Stacks with: Atlassian Certified Professional — Project Administrator (ACP-610) ↗ (portfolio/governance layer above Jira administration)
- Prerequisite for: Atlassian Certified Professional — Cloud Administrator (ACP-200) ↗ (cloud-native operations)
- Vendor overview: Atlassian Ecosystem ↗
Sources
- Atlassian University: https://www.atlassian.com/university/atlassian-certified-professional
- ACP-100 Exam Guide: https://www.atlassian.com/university/atlassian-certified-professional
- Glassdoor (Jira Admin salaries): https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/jira-administrator-salary-SRCH_KO0,17.htm
- Robert Half Tech Salary Guide 2026: https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/insights/salary-guide
- Pnet (ZA): https://www.pnet.co.za/
- CareerJunction (ZA): https://www.careerjunction.co.za/
- IT Jobs Watch (GBP): https://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/
- Hays IT Salary Guide: https://www.hays.co.uk/salary-guide
- Packt: https://www.packtpub.com/product/jira-administration-handbook
- O'Reilly: https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/learning-jira/9781491966808/
Last verified: 2026-05-01 Parent ecosystem: Atlassian Ecosystem Parent domain: Project Management & ITSM Vendor overview: Atlassian Overview