How to pass the ACP-120 Jira Administration in the Cloud certification exam

Why pursue Jira’s ACP-120 exam?

Jira administrators help organizations move faster with cleaner configurations, better governance, and reliable reporting. Building Jira admin expertise opens doors to roles that blend product operations, agile delivery, and lightweight platform ownership. It also gives you a common language with engineers, product managers, and leadership.

What the certification covers and how to approach it

ACP-120 validates that you can translate business requirements into safe, auditable Jira Cloud configurations. The scope includes user and group management, authentication and product access, permission schemes and roles, issue types and fields, screen schemes, workflows and transitions, automation rules and troubleshooting, notifications and email handlers, and system settings that affect performance and maintainability. You should also be comfortable with practical tasks such as setting up new projects from templates, tuning project details and sidebars, organizing components and versions, and keeping dashboards and filters usable.

ACP-120 Jira certification exam format

The test is multiple choice and scenario based. You will choose the best configuration or safest change for a real world situation. It is proctored and available online or at a testing center. The exam allows up to 180 minutes, includes up to 75 questions, and uses a scaled passing score of 63 percent. The price is typically 249 US dollars and the certification is valid for 24 months.

What to study

Start with access and security. Learn the difference between global permissions, project permissions, and issue security, and practice using project roles so you can change access without rewriting schemes. Get comfortable with user and group management, product access, and the effects of suspending users or deleting groups.

Move to issue types, fields, and screens. Map field configurations and screen schemes so create, edit, and view screens show the right fields. Understand field contexts and how they affect visibility across projects.

Deepen your understanding of workflows and automation. Add statuses and transitions, apply validators and conditions, and use post functions wisely. Write simple automation rules that set fields, transition issues, or create subtasks, and review the audit log to diagnose failures.

Review notifications and email. Tune notification schemes so important events reach the right people without creating noise. Know how incoming mail handlers work and how to troubleshoot them.

Round out with general project configuration and system administration. Compare team managed and company managed projects and know when to choose each. Practice with versions, components, project details, dashboards, and saved filters. Visit product settings, audit logs, and basic troubleshooting paths so you know where to look when something breaks.

Study resources

Begin with practice questions so you can see how scenarios are phrased and where you hesitate. Starting with practice makes later study more focused and helps you pay attention to topics that previously caused trouble. Follow up with the Atlassian University study guide and pair each topic with hands on work in a Jira Cloud sandbox. Read the official documentation when you need details on schemes, permissions, or workflow functions. Keep short notes that map questions to the underlying concept so review sessions stay targeted.

Study resources

Your first study resource should be a set of practice exams so you can get a good understanding of what is covered on Jira’s ACP-120 exam and how the questions are structured.

Always start with practice exams, even before taking a course, as it will make your learning efforts more focused and help you pay keen attention when topics come up in the learning that you previously saw on test questions you found difficult.

You can find over 500 free ACP-120 practice exams at certificationexams.pro. You will also find free practice exams for Jira Cloud Admin ACP-620 and Jira ACP-520 exams as well.

ACP-120 Jira practice exams on Udemy.

There are also Udemy practice exams for Jira ACP-120, ACP-520 (The Jira Organizations Exam) and ACP-120 (Jira Cloud Admin Exam) on Udemy that will help you get started on your Jira certification track.

With your set of Jira practice exams at the ready, set aside a few weekends for structured work.

Use the first sessions to build and rebuild the same configuration in a safe site. Alternate between team managed and company managed projects to feel the differences. Use midweek evenings for short drills on workflows, screens, and permissions.

Start each weekend with a small practice set to reveal weak spots, then go back into the admin screens and fix those gaps. Finish with full practice exams and a final pass through your notes.

Exam day experience

Use a steady routine. Read each scenario slowly and restate the real requirement before you look at the options. Match each answer to the right layer in Jira, such as a permission scheme, a workflow post function, or a board filter.

Remove any option that harms governance, duplicates configuration, or creates extra maintenance. Prefer simple, auditable changes that scale. Keep moving, mark time sinks, and come back to them after a first pass. Answer every question.

Is ACP-120 worth it?

This certification is a strong investment if you administer Jira or support teams that rely on it. It proves that you can set up projects safely, keep configurations healthy, and help teams deliver. It also lays a foundation for deeper Atlassian credentials and roles that blend product operations, agile coaching, and platform stewardship. Most importantly, the preparation makes you faster and more confident with the tool. If you want to lead with clarity on workflows, permissions, and reporting, ACP-120 is a smart next step.

Get certified.

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