ACP-420 · ● Active · Associate · Atlassian
Certification ID: ACP-420. Atlassian's Associate-level certification for Jira Service Management (JSM) project administrators and IT Service Desk professionals. Validates configuration and management of service projects, request workflows, SLAs, automation, and customer-facing portal setup on Atlassian Cloud.
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | $249 USD (Pearson VUE; regional pricing varies) |
| Duration | 180 minutes |
| Questions | ~75 multiple choice |
| Passing | ~65% (approximately 49/75 correct) |
| Format | Multiple choice + multiple response |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE (online proctored or authorized testing center) |
| Languages | English (primary); other languages on request |
| Valid | 2 years |
| Renewal | Retake required; CE credits not accepted |
| Prerequisites | None formal; 6–12 months JSM administration experience recommended; ACP-100 or ACP-120 helpful |
| Released | 2023 (updated exam blueprint April 2025) |
| Retiring | N/A (Active) |
Vendor source — Atlassian University Certifications ↗
Certification overview — Managing Jira Service Projects for Cloud (ACP-420) ↗
Exam guide / Blueprint — ACP-420 Exam Topics (April 2025) ↗
About
The Atlassian Certified Professional — Managing Jira Service Projects for Cloud (ACP-420) is an Associate-level credential validating hands-on expertise in administering Jira Service Management (JSM) projects on Atlassian Cloud. Launched in 2023 and updated in 2025, this certification focuses on service desk operators, ITSM administrators, and JSM project admins responsible for configuring request portals, managing workflows, defining SLAs, implementing automation, and supporting customer and agent users. It covers service project setup, queue management, self-service configuration, asset management integration, and integration with Jira Software for cross-functional incident and change management. The credential is active and widely recognized in enterprises using JSM for IT service desks, customer support, and internal request management.
Domain context — IT Service Management
Service desk and incident-response platform administration. Jira Service Management is the dominant cloud ITSM platform for enterprises transitioning from legacy service desk tools (ServiceNow, BMC Remedy, etc.) or coordinating dev-to-ops workflows via Jira integration. This domain encompasses request lifecycle, SLA enforcement, knowledge management, asset/CMDB integration, automation, and multi-team coordination.
Read full deep dive — Atlassian Cloud Ecosystem → (file not yet created)
Topics covered
The ACP-420 exam blueprint (April 2025) covers:
- Jira Service Management Project Configuration (15–20%) — Creating request types, configuring fields and custom fields, field layouts, request type groups, portal customization
- Request Portal & Channel Setup (12–15%) — Customer portal configuration, email channel integration, request input, field visibility for customers vs. agents
- Queue & Board Configuration (12–15%) — Queue setup and filtering, board display (Kanban, Scrum-style), queue assignment rules, automation triggers on queue transitions
- SLA Configuration & Time Metrics (15–20%) — Goal setup (response time, resolution time), SLA calendars, business hours configuration, SLA tracking and escalation
- Automation Rules in JSM (10–15%) — Automation condition/action pairs, triggers, field updates, notifications, permission checks, integration with other Atlassian products
- Permissions & Roles in JSM (10–15%) — Agents, customers, approvers, observers, organization access, permission schemes, project roles, global vs. project-level permissions
- Asset Management & CMDB Integration (8–12%) — Asset creation, CMDB linking (Insight), asset requests, linking assets to incidents/changes
- Incident, Change & Problem Management Workflows (10–15%) — Status and transition design, workflow automation, change advisory boards, problem categorization
- Jira Software Integration (8–10%) — Linking service requests to development issues, development information display, two-way sync, handoff workflows
- Reporting & Metrics (5–8%) — Built-in reports (queue aging, SLA compliance, request trends), custom insights dashboards, metrics interpretation
- Knowledge Management / Self-Service (5–8%) — Article creation, portal knowledge base, self-service article suggestions, reducing ticket volume
Source: Official ACP-420 Exam Blueprint ↗
Common skills at IT Service Management · Associate
Shared content for the IT Service Management domain at Associate level — not specific to this cert.
- ITSM fundamentals — incident, problem, change, and asset management frameworks (ITIL-aware but not ITIL-focused)
- Request lifecycle management — intake, triage, categorization, resolution tracking, closure
- SLA enforcement — response and resolution time targets, escalation criteria, calendar-based rules
- Queue-based work distribution — assignment logic, routing, prioritization, visibility
- Customer communication — self-service portals, email integration, transparency, satisfaction tracking
- Workflow automation — trigger-action patterns, conditional logic, data synchronization
- Multi-team coordination — handoffs between support, development, and operations
- Reporting & analytics — volume trends, SLA compliance, first-contact resolution, agent performance
- Role-based access control (RBAC) — agent roles, customer roles, approver gates, permission inheritance
- Knowledge base authoring — documentation for self-service reduction, article organization
Recommended courses at IT Service Management · Associate
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlassian University | Managing Jira Service Projects for Cloud Learning Path | Free (basic) / $99 (full) | https://university.atlassian.com/student/catalog |
| Udemy (Bert Jan Verhulst) | Jira Service Management Administration | $15–$99 | https://www.udemy.com/course/jira-service-management-administration/ |
| Udemy (Various) | ACP-420 Practice Exams 2026 | $15–$50 | https://www.udemy.com/course/acp-420-jira-service-projects-for-cloud-practice-exams-2026/ |
| LinkedIn Learning | Jira Service Management Administration Fundamentals | $30/mo (membership) | https://www.linkedin.com/learning/ |
| Enable Atlassian | ACP-420 Certification Learning Path | $99–$199 | https://enable.atlassian.com/student/path/837215/activity/1134568 |
Course-selection rule: Atlassian University offers free foundational materials; Enable Atlassian and certified instructors (Bert Jan Verhulst) provide structured exam prep. Hands-on JSM project experience is critical; combine courses with lab work in a free Atlassian Cloud trial instance.
Practice exams
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlassian (Official) | ACP-420 Sample Questions | Free | https://university.atlassian.com/student/activity/906040-acp-420-sample-questions |
| Udemy | ACP-420 Jira Service Projects for Cloud: Practice Exams 2026 | $15–$50 | https://www.udemy.com/course/acp-420-jira-service-projects-for-cloud-practice-exams-2026/ |
| Whizlabs | Atlassian ACP-420 Practice Tests | $25–$50 | https://www.whizlabs.com |
| ExamTopics | ACP-420 Exam Questions (Community) | Free / Premium | https://www.examtopics.com/exams/atlassian/acp-420/ |
Note: Official Atlassian sample questions bundled with University materials are limited. Third-party Udemy courses and hands-on JSM configuration in trial instances remain the most effective preparation resources.
Books
| Title | Author | Publisher | Year | ISBN | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jira Service Management Guide | Atlassian | Self-published (digital) | 2025 | N/A | https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/service-management/guide |
| Mastering Jira Cloud | Bert Jan Verhulst | Packt | 2023 | 978-1801810746 | https://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Jira-Cloud-Bert-Verhulst/dp/1801810745 |
| Jira Service Management Administration | Various Authors | Atlassian Community Wikis | Ongoing | N/A | https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Service-Management/ct-p/jira-service-management |
Book rule: Atlassian publishes official JSM administration guides online; formal study guides specific to ACP-420 are limited. Community documentation and hands-on lab work with a JSM cloud instance are the primary references. "Mastering Jira Cloud" covers broader Jira administration but includes JSM sections.
Typical job titles at IT Service Management · Associate
IT Service Desk Administrator · ITSM Administrator · Jira Service Management Administrator · Service Desk Manager · IT Operations Analyst · IT Support Specialist · Request Management Coordinator · Service Delivery Analyst · Help Desk Manager
(Job titles drawn from current job-board postings that list ACP-420 or "JSM Administrator" as required or preferred.)
Salary
| Region | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USD | $90,000–$130,000 | Glassdoor ↗ · Robert Half ↗ · LinkedIn Salary ↗ |
| ZAR | R1,600,000–R2,300,000 | Pnet ↗ · CareerJunction ↗ |
| GBP | £55,000–£80,000 | IT Jobs Watch ↗ · Hays ↗ |
| EUR | €60,000–€90,000 (DE/NL) | Stepstone ↗ · Indeed Germany ↗ |
| AUD | A$110,000–A$160,000 | Indeed Australia ↗ · SEEK ↗ |
Salary rule: Ranges reflect mid-career service desk and ITSM admin roles. Salary varies by organization size (supporting 100 vs. 5,000 users), industry (financial services > tech > public sector), and team scope. Entry-level (6–12 months) typically 15–20% below lower bound; senior ITSM architects and service delivery managers 15–30% above upper bound.
Skills validated
Cert-specific — what the ACP-420 exam actually tests.
- Jira Service Management Cloud — Project setup, configuration, portal customization, request lifecycle
- Request Type & Portal Configuration — Custom fields, field layouts, request type groups, customer vs. agent field visibility
- Queue Management — Queue setup, filtering logic, assignment automation, board display configuration
- SLA Time Metrics & Calendars — Goal definition, response/resolution time tracking, business hours, escalation rules
- Jira Automation in JSM — Trigger-action rules, condition logic, field updates, cross-product automation
- Permissions & Role-Based Access Control — Agent roles, customer roles, approvers, organization access, permission schemes
- Asset Management / CMDB Integration — Asset creation, Insight linking, asset requests, relationship modeling
- Incident Management Workflow — Status design, transition automation, escalation, customer communication
- Change Management Workflow — Change types, advisory boards, approval gates, impact assessment
- Problem Management — Problem categorization, root-cause analysis, linking to related incidents
- Jira Software Integration — Dev issue linking, two-way sync, development visibility in service requests
- Customer Self-Service Portal — Knowledge base setup, article suggestions, portal branding, channel options
- Reporting & Metrics — Queue aging, SLA compliance tracking, request volume trends, custom dashboards
- Atlassian Cloud Administration — User and license management, directory sync (if org-level), cloud security basics
Related certifications
- Stacks with: Atlassian Cloud Admin — ACP-120 ↗ · Jira Administrator — ACP-100 ↗ (file not yet created)
- Prerequisite for: Atlassian Certified Specialist certifications (Automation, Advanced Admin) — (files not yet created)
- Replaced by: N/A (ACP-420 current as of 2025; updated exam blueprint April 2025)
- Equivalents at this level: ServiceNow Certified System Administrator (CSA) — different platform, similar role; ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus certification — similar scope but smaller install base
- Vendor overview: Atlassian Vendor Overview ↗ (file not yet created)
- Related domain: IT Service Management Domain ↗ (file not yet created)
- Ecosystem: Atlassian Cloud Ecosystem ↗ (file not yet created)
Sources
- Atlassian University: https://community.atlassian.com/learning/certifications
- ACP-420 Certification Overview: https://community.atlassian.com/learning/certifications/managing-jira-service-projects-for-cloud
- ACP-420 Exam Blueprint (April 2025): https://assets.ctfassets.net/xkfunaz6zr9g/4hdJr7OSlHjFPefoR6LWvz/fc2dfb84f7e68bbc4f1648ad440a64a6/acp-420-managing-service-projects-for-cloud.pdf
- Atlassian JSM Administration Guide: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/service-management/guide
- Enable Atlassian Learning Path: https://enable.atlassian.com/student/path/837215/activity/1134568
- Atlassian Community Forum: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Jira-Service-Management/ct-p/jira-service-management
- Robert Half Salary Guide: https://www.roberthalf.com/salary-guide
- Glassdoor: https://www.glassdoor.com/
Last verified: 2026-05-02
Parent ecosystem: Atlassian Cloud Ecosystem (file not yet created)
Parent domain: IT Service Management (file not yet created)
Vendor overview: Atlassian (file not yet created)