2025 – A Reflection: CHAMP, CIPSA, RMP, PfMP Success Stories and A Wide Range of Publications

As 2025 draws to a close, 2026 rises before us as a new dawn. 

Looking back, I feel a deep sense of satisfaction in seeing so many of you succeed—not only in earning your desired certifications, but also in carrying that knowledge forward into your careers and professions. 

Your dedication has not only led to the successful completion of certifications but has also translated into something far more enduring — the ability to carry that knowledge into your professions and your daily lives. 

These achievements are not mere credentials on paper, but they are also living proof of your passion, determination, resilience, and commitment. I have witnessed your journeys, and I acknowledge them in this post.

A few highlights are shared below.

CHAMP Review

The Certified Hybrid-Agile Master (CHAMP) review was written by Sanjeev Kaushal, PMP. He dedicated significant effort to master, drawing on both the CHAMP and MS Project courses to learn Traditional, Agile, and Hybrid-Agile Management using software tools.

CHAMP Review: Excellent Course in Mastering MSP in Both Agile and Hybrid-Agile Environments

CIPSA Success Story

The Certified In Practical Agile (CIPSA) course was launched recently and has seen strong adoption among Scaled Agile Practitioners. Ravi O’Reilly, CIPSA, shares her detailed Success Story, highlighting its real-world applicability. She is a keen learner and also holds the CHAMP credential.

CIPSA Success Story: Taking Agile to the Next Level with Scaled Scrum and Scaled Kanban

RMP Success Story

Risk Management Professional (RMP) is a specialized certification in Risk Management from Project Management Institute (PMI). Vallabha Chebiyyam, RMP, PMP, shares his success story, having achieved the certification in record time. He highlights the course’s practical applicability and its value in his real-world fieldwork.

RMP Success Story: Mastering Risk, Not Just the Exam Using ManagementYogi’s RMP 30 Contact Hours

Multiple PfMP Success Stories

There have been numerous Portfolio Management Professional (PfMP) success stories. PfMP is the highest level certification offered by PMI. These are senior professionals who continue to learn and update regularly. It’s not at all easy to do so and it takes determination and perseverance. PfMP continues to stand as the highest-level certification from PMI.

Karen Doolittle, PfMP, successfully cleared the PMI-PfMP exam. Although her application was initially not approved, it was later accepted, and she pursued the journey with determination to achieve her PfMP credential.

Dr. Felicien Dago, PfMP prepared with true sincerity for the PfMP exam and ultimately succeeded in earning the credential. You can read Dr. Dago’s detailed success story here.

Michael Iliakis, PfMP has successfully cleared the PfMP exam this year and later shared the news of his achievement.  

There are many others who have also cleared the PfMP exam with my courses and/or book. 

You can read it in the Success Stories page. 

New Articles: CIPSA and CHAMP Certifications

This year, I have written several articles and spoken in multiple webinars on CIPSA and CHAMP certifications, as well as on the Primavera P6 PPM tool and Artificial Intelligence. 

A number of articles have been published on topics such as the Scaled Product Backlog, CIPSA Sprint Backlog, CIPSA Kanban Backlog, and CIPSA roles including PSM and PFM. You can check them below:

CIPSA – Practical Scaled Agile Management Articles

A number of articles have been published on the CHAMP certification, the proper use of Hybrid-Agile, and strategies for avoiding common pitfalls:

CHAMP – Practical Hybrid-Agile Management Articles

CIPSA and CHAMP are the world’s only practical, hands-on certifications in Scaled Agile and Hybrid-Agile. No other Scaled or Hybrid-Agile certification comes close. 

New Articles: Artificial Intelligence and Primavera P6

In this year, several articles have been published on Artificial Intelligence (AI), covering its various types and practical applications. AI is poised to reshape the future. 

Articles and Webinars: Artificial Intelligence and its Usages

Primavera P6 is a popular project-portfolio management software tool with heavy usage in construction and design industries. I’ve written a number of articles on it in 2025. 

Articles and Webinars: Primavera P6 Software Tool

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is heartening to see you learning, achieving, and continuing to grow. 

May the year 2026 be even brighter for you and bring greater success.

I wish you the very best as you step into the new year.

CIPSA Certification Course:

• Certified In Practical Scaled Agile (CIPSA)

CHAMP Certification Course:

• Certified Hybrid-Agile Master Professional (CHAMP) 

Guaranteed PfMP Course:

• PfMP LIVE LESSONS: Guaranteed Pass or Your Money Back

Guaranteed PMP Course:

• PMP LIVE LESSONS: Guaranteed Pass or Your Money Back

Guaranteed RMP Course:

• RMP LIVE LESSONS: Guaranteed Pass or Your Money Back

Guaranteed ACP Course:

• ACP LIVE LESSONS: Guaranteed Pass or Your Money Back

CIPSA Success Story: From CHAMP to CIPSA – Taking Agile to the Next Level with Scaled Scrum and Scaled Kanban

By Ravi O’Reilly, CIPSA, CHAMP

After completing my CHAMP certification, I wanted to take Agile to the next level. The CIPSA journey gave me the tools and confidence to scale Scrum and Kanban across teams, making me a stronger planning professional.

Introduction

Before starting the CIPSA certification, I had already gone through the CHAMP journey with Satya, and it gave me a strong foundation of Hybrid-Agile Management using MS Project Agile. 

Naturally, my next step was to expand my knowledge into scaling frameworks, and the CIPSA certification felt like the right choice.

It wasn’t just about adding another certificate — I wanted to really understand how to apply scaling with Scrum and Kanban, using practical MS Project Agile tools. The fact that it’s a niche and credible certification made it even more appealing.

Own Study – CIPSA Certification

To prepare, I dedicated daily time in the evenings after work and weekends. On average, I studied 1–2 hours per day, and I followed a roadmap similar to CHAMP:

• Watching the videos in sequence
• Reviewing handouts and exercises
• Going through the .mpp solution files
• Revisiting tricky topics until they made sense

Overall, it took me about 6–7 weeks of consistent study. I also took mock exams which helped me gauge my readiness and highlighted weak areas I had to revisit.

“The mock exam was a game changer — it showed me exactly where I stood and what I needed to focus on.”

The course material is very detailed, and the videos are short and clear — which makes it easier to digest. The lesson-end questions were especially helpful in making sure I really understood each topic before moving forward.

Review – CIPSA Certification Course

This course is niche and unique, just like CHAMP certification course, but it goes deeper into scaling Scrum and Kanban. The USP of the course is how it takes you from single-team agile to scaled environments, and all of it is tied back to MS Project Agile views.

The topics that helped me most were:

• Scaled Scrum (especially Sprint Planning, Reviews, Retrospectives at CIPSA level)
• Scaled Kanban meta-events (Kanban Planning, Stand-ups, Reviews, Retros)
• Scaled backlog refinement and reporting views
• Resource management and over-allocations in scaled projects

The exercises and solution files were a big plus — you can follow along, check your own work, and immediately see how theory applies in MS Project.

The solution files were invaluable — they helped me bridge the gap between theory and practical application.

CIPSA Exam Experience

I scheduled the exam once I felt confident with the mocks. The exam has 40 questions in 1 hour, and my strategy was simple:

• Read carefully, don’t rush.
• Mark tricky ones, come back later.
• Watch out for trap questions that mix Scaled Scrum vs. Scaled Kanban events.

The exam standard is tough but fair. In the exam, questions included graphs, burndowns, CFDs, situational problem-solving, and some tricky overlaps between scaled Scrum and scaled Kanban.

When I got my result and saw I had passed, it was a huge relief. The evaluation report and certificate came through soon after, which made it all feel real. 

Suggestions for CIPSA Aspirants

Dos:

• Be consistent with daily study, even if it’s just an hour.
• Do every exercise file — they make the difference between knowing theory and applying it.
• Use the mocks to spot weak areas and go back to the lessons.

Don’ts:

• Don’t skip the scaled Kanban videos — they are equally important as the Scrum ones.
• Don’t assume CHAMP knowledge alone will carry you through; this course builds on it but goes much further.
• Don’t underestimate reporting questions — they will come.

Conclusion

The CIPSA certification has given me a solid understanding of scaling frameworks and how to apply them using MS Project Agile. I can now confidently guide teams and managers on both Scrum and Kanban at scale.

“CIPSA is not just another certificate — it’s a niche, high-value skill that is already making a difference in my role.”

This certification is not just another “add-on” — it’s a niche, high-value skill that has already started helping me in my professional role. I plan to keep applying these learnings in my day-to-day projects and use them to drive real delivery improvements.

Brief Profile: Ravi O’Reilly, CIPSA, CHAMP

Programme Planning Manager, working in UK Government programmes across Transport, Civil Engineering, and IT, with a focus on applying industry best practices and planning standards. 

CIPSA Certification Course:

• Certified In Practical Scaled Agile (CIPSA)

CHAMP Certification Course:

• Certified Hybrid-Agile Master Professional (CHAMP)