- What the ACP-120 Exam Actually Tests
- All 8 Domains: Weights, Topics, and What to Expect
- Domain 1: User Features (10-15%)
- Domain 2: Configuring Global Settings and User Communications (5-10%)
- Domain 3: Product and Project Access and Permissions (30-35%)
- Domain 4: General Project Configuration (10-15%)
- Domain 5: Issue Types, Fields and Screens (15-20%)
- Domain 6: Workflows and Automation (5-10%)
- Domain 7: Notifications and Email (5-10%)
- Domain 8: Administering and Extending Jira (5-10%)
- How Questions Are Structured Across Domains
- How to Prioritize Your Study Time by Domain Weight
- Registration, Cost, and Exam Logistics
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Domain 3 - Product and Project Access and Permissions - carries 30-35% of the exam weight; it demands the most study time.
- The ACP-120 has up to 75 questions, a 180-minute time limit, and a passing score of 63%.
- Eight distinct content domains span everything from user features to marketplace app administration.
- The exam fee is approximately $249-$250 USD plus applicable tax, delivered through Certiverse as of 2026.
What the ACP-120 Exam Actually Tests
The Atlassian Certified Professional - Jira Administration for Cloud (ACP-120) is designed for people who have moved beyond basic Jira usage and into the complexity of managing a real Jira Cloud instance at scale. This is not a conceptual certification. The exam tests whether you can make production decisions: configure permission schemes without breaking project access, build workflows that reflect real team processes, and troubleshoot notification schemes when end users stop receiving emails.
Atlassian administers the ACP-120 through Atlassian University. As of 2026, the exam is delivered on the Certiverse platform after a transition away from prior testing partners. No formal prerequisites are listed, but the intended candidate is someone with hands-on Jira Cloud administration experience - not someone who has read documentation without ever opening the admin console.
The exam blueprint is governed by ACP-120 Exam Topics v3 (April 2021), which divides the content into eight domains. Understanding what each domain covers - and how much weight it carries - is the single most important thing you can do before you write your first study note. For a broader orientation to the certification as a whole, see our ACP-120 Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt.
All 8 Domains: Weights, Topics, and What to Expect
Here is the official domain structure with exam weight ranges. These percentages directly translate into how many of the up to 75 exam questions address each content area.
| Domain | Name | Exam Weight | Approximate Questions (of 75) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | User Features | 10-15% | 7-11 |
| 2 | Configuring Global Settings and User Communications | 5-10% | 4-7 |
| 3 | Product and Project Access and Permissions | 30-35% | 22-26 |
| 4 | General Project Configuration | 10-15% | 7-11 |
| 5 | Issue Types, Fields and Screens | 15-20% | 11-15 |
| 6 | Workflows and Automation | 5-10% | 4-7 |
| 7 | Notifications and Email | 5-10% | 4-7 |
| 8 | Administering and Extending Jira | 5-10% | 4-7 |
The contrast between Domain 3 (up to 35%) and any of the five-percent domains is stark. A candidate who treats all eight domains equally will under-prepare for what amounts to roughly a third of the entire exam.
Domain 1: User Features (10-15%)
Domain 1: User Features
Covers the functionality that Jira Cloud end users interact with daily - and what administrators must configure to support those experiences.
- Dashboards: creating, sharing, and restricting gadget-based views
- Filters: managing saved filters, sharing permissions, and subscription behavior
- Boards: Scrum vs. Kanban board settings and the project types they serve
- User profile settings and personal notification preferences
- Roadmaps and backlog configuration in team-managed vs. company-managed projects
Domain 1 questions often appear as scenario items: a user reports they cannot see a shared filter, or a team asks why their board is not displaying certain issue types. You need to know the permission and sharing model behind each feature, not just how to find it in the UI. Explore our ACP-120 Domain 1: User Features (10-15%) - Complete Study Guide 2026 for a full topic breakdown.
Domain 2: Configuring Global Settings and User Communications (5-10%)
Domain 2: Configuring Global Settings and User Communications
Focuses on instance-level configuration decisions that affect every user and every project simultaneously.
- Global permissions vs. project-level permissions - knowing which layer controls what
- Jira application links and cross-product integrations
- Announcement banners and system-wide user communication tools
- Atlassian Access and organizational-level identity settings
- Time zone, language, and regional settings at the site level
This domain carries fewer questions, but the concepts it covers underpin many higher-weight domains. A misunderstanding of global vs. project permissions will cost you points in Domain 3 as well. See our ACP-120 Domain 2: Configuring Global Settings and User Communications (5-10%) - Complete Study Guide 2026 for targeted preparation.
Domain 3: Product and Project Access and Permissions (30-35%)
Domain 3: Product and Project Access and Permissions
The most heavily weighted domain demands mastery of every layer of Jira Cloud's access model.
- Permission schemes: creating, editing, and assigning to projects
- Project roles vs. groups: when to use each and how they interact
- Issue security schemes: levels, members, and how they restrict visibility
- Product access vs. project access - two distinct layers administrators frequently confuse
- Atlassian Access: managed accounts, SAML SSO, and enforced 2FA
- User provisioning: adding users, license consumption, and site administration
- Anonymous access and public project settings
- Troubleshooting permission conflicts - the "why can't this user see X?" scenario
Exam questions in this domain frequently present a broken scenario: a user has a role but cannot perform an action, or a permission scheme change unexpectedly affected unrelated projects. You must be able to trace the exact permission chain from user to scheme to project to issue. Our ACP-120 Domain 3: Product and Project Access and Permissions (30-35%) - Complete Study Guide 2026 walks through every sub-topic with worked examples.
Domain 4: General Project Configuration (10-15%)
Domain 4: General Project Configuration
Covers the foundational project settings that shape how each Jira Cloud project operates.
- Project types: Software, Service Management, Business - and their configuration differences
- Team-managed vs. company-managed projects: feature differences and migration considerations
- Project categories and how they affect filtering and reporting
- Project components and versions: administration and use cases
- Scheme associations: connecting permission, notification, issue type, and workflow schemes to projects
A recurring exam trap in this domain is the distinction between team-managed and company-managed projects. Many candidates learn one model and assume the other behaves identically. The exam will test exactly where they diverge. Read our ACP-120 Domain 4: General Project Configuration (10-15%) - Complete Study Guide 2026 to understand these boundaries clearly.
Domain 5: Issue Types, Fields and Screens (15-20%)
Domain 5: Issue Types, Fields and Screens
The second-largest domain covers the data model and display configuration that administrators manage most frequently in production environments.
- Issue type schemes: creating hierarchies and assigning to projects
- Custom fields: types (text, select, user picker, date, etc.), contexts, and configuration options
- Field configurations and field configuration schemes
- Screen schemes and issue type screen schemes: the layered relationship between them
- Required vs. optional fields per screen context
- Subtasks vs. epics vs. stories - the Jira Cloud issue hierarchy and how it affects screen display
This domain is heavily procedural. Exam questions often describe a situation - "a custom field is visible in the create screen but not the edit screen" - and ask you to identify the correct administrative fix. Knowing the scheme chain (issue type → screen scheme → field configuration scheme) cold is non-negotiable. See our ACP-120 Domain 5: Issue Types, Fields and Screens (15-20%) - Complete Study Guide 2026 for complete coverage.
Domain 6: Workflows and Automation (5-10%)
Domain 6: Workflows and Automation
Covers workflow construction and Jira Automation rule management - both high-visibility admin tasks despite the lower exam weight.
- Workflow statuses, transitions, and the difference between global and directional transitions
- Workflow conditions, validators, and post-functions: purpose and configuration
- Workflow schemes: assigning workflows to issue types and projects
- Jira Automation: triggers, conditions, branches, and actions
- Automation rule scopes: project vs. global rules and their permission requirements
- Publishing and migrating workflows between projects
Even though this domain carries only 5-10% of the exam weight, workflow configuration errors are among the most disruptive production issues a Jira admin faces. The exam reflects this by testing edge cases - what happens to in-progress issues when a workflow is changed, or why a transition condition is blocking a specific user. Visit our ACP-120 Domain 6: Workflows and Automation (5-10%) - Complete Study Guide 2026 for scenario-based preparation.
Domain 7: Notifications and Email (5-10%)
Domain 7: Notifications and Email
Tests understanding of how Jira Cloud sends email notifications and how administrators manage notification schemes.
- Notification schemes: events, recipients (project roles, groups, users, watchers), and scheme assignment
- Email troubleshooting: why a user is not receiving expected notifications
- Personal notification preferences vs. scheme-level configuration
- Incoming mail handling: creating issues via email
- Atlassian's email infrastructure considerations for cloud instances
This domain pairs tightly with Domain 3 - notification schemes use project roles as recipients, so a misconfigured role assignment can cause silent notification failures. Exam items typically describe a user not receiving a notification and ask which of several administrative fixes would resolve the issue. See our full guide at ACP-120 Domain 7: Notifications and Email (5-10%) - Complete Study Guide 2026.
Domain 8: Administering and Extending Jira (5-10%)
Domain 8: Administering and Extending Jira
Covers the administration tasks and extensibility options that sit outside core project and user configuration.
- Atlassian Marketplace: installing, managing, and licensing apps
- App administration: configuration options and data considerations for installed apps
- Jira Cloud audit log: what is recorded and how administrators use it
- Backup and data management considerations in Cloud (Atlassian manages infrastructure)
- Site-level admin tasks: renaming projects in bulk, archiving projects
- Jira Cloud REST API fundamentals for administrators
Domain 8 questions tend to be the most varied in format - some test pure knowledge (what does the audit log record?), while others test judgment (when should you use a Marketplace app vs. native functionality?). Candidates who have worked with real Jira Cloud instances typically find this domain approachable.
How Questions Are Structured Across Domains
The ACP-120 uses multiple-choice, multiple-response, and scenario/configuration-reasoning items across its up to 75 questions. Understanding the question types by domain helps you prepare more efficiently.
- Multiple-choice (single answer): Common in lower-weight domains like Domain 2 and Domain 8 where conceptual recall is tested.
- Multiple-response (select all that apply): Frequent in Domain 3 and Domain 5, where several steps in a configuration chain may all be correct.
- Scenario/configuration-reasoning: Dominant in Domain 3, Domain 4, and Domain 6. A real-world situation is described; you must identify the root cause or the correct administrative action.
If you want to understand what separates candidates who pass from those who do not, the scenario items in Domain 3 are the decisive factor for most test-takers. These items require you to hold the full Jira permission model in your head simultaneously. For insight into overall difficulty, our How Hard Is the ACP-120 Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 provides a realistic assessment.
How to Prioritize Your Study Time by Domain Weight
Given the stark differences in domain weights, a proportional study plan is more effective than equal time allocation. Here is a suggested weekly framework tied directly to the ACP-120 domain structure:
Foundation: Domains 2 & 4
- Master global vs. project permission distinctions (Domain 2)
- Learn team-managed vs. company-managed project differences (Domain 4)
- These domains underpin everything that follows - errors here compound in Domains 3 and 5
Core Focus: Domain 3 (two full weeks)
- Permission schemes, issue security schemes, project roles - all sub-topics
- Practice tracing permission chains from user to project to issue
- Build scenario fluency: "user can't do X" troubleshooting drills
- This domain alone represents roughly a third of your exam score
Scheme Depth: Domain 5
- Map the full scheme chain: issue type → screen → field configuration
- Practice custom field context configuration
- Review issue type hierarchy behavior in Cloud
Remaining Domains & Practice Exam Simulation
- Cover Domains 1, 6, 7, and 8 with targeted review
- Complete full-length timed practice exams on our practice test platform
- Review every incorrect answer by domain to identify remaining gaps
Key Takeaway
Spending two full weeks on Domain 3 and one week each on Domains 5 and 4 covers roughly 60-65% of the exam content. The remaining five domains can be addressed in parallel during a fifth review week without sacrificing depth on what matters most.
Registration, Cost, and Exam Logistics
The ACP-120 is registered through Atlassian University and delivered on the Certiverse platform as of 2026. The exam fee is approximately $249-$250 USD plus applicable tax. There are no formal prerequisites listed, but this price point and the exam's complexity make it unsuitable for candidates without genuine hands-on Jira Cloud administration experience.
Once certified, renewal occurs on a 24-month cycle under Atlassian's current certification renewal policy. This means the investment you make in understanding these eight domains has a defined validity period - plan your recertification timeline from the moment you pass. Our ACP-120 Recertification 2026: Requirements, Costs & Timeline covers exactly what renewal involves. For a complete breakdown of all associated costs, see our ACP-120 Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown.
Before registering, confirm you are studying from current Atlassian University learning paths and that any practice resources align with ACP-120 Exam Topics v3. Testing on outdated content is one of the most common avoidable preparation mistakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ACP-120 has up to 75 questions, with a time limit of 180 minutes. Questions span multiple-choice, multiple-response, and scenario/configuration-reasoning formats, with the heaviest concentration of scenario items in Domain 3.
Start with Domain 2 (Global Settings) and Domain 4 (General Project Configuration) to build foundational knowledge, then dedicate the most time to Domain 3 (Product and Project Access and Permissions), which represents 30-35% of the exam. Domain 5 (Issue Types, Fields and Screens) at 15-20% should be your next priority.
The ACP-120 passing score is commonly listed as 63%. With up to 75 questions, this means you need to answer approximately 47-48 questions correctly to pass, though the exact number may vary if Atlassian applies any scaled scoring adjustments.
Yes - Domain 3 (Product and Project Access and Permissions) at 30-35% is by far the largest domain on the ACP-120. It covers permission schemes, issue security, project roles, Atlassian Access, and user management. Failing to master this domain makes passing the overall exam extremely difficult regardless of performance in other areas.
ACP-120 certification is valid for 24 months under Atlassian's current renewal policy. After that period, certified professionals must complete renewal requirements to maintain active status. Plan your recertification timeline well in advance of the expiry date.
Ready to Start Practicing?
Test your knowledge across all 8 ACP-120 domains with scenario-based practice questions that mirror the real exam format - multiple-choice, multiple-response, and configuration-reasoning items included. Identify your weakest domains before exam day, not after.
Start Free Practice Test- ACP-120 Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt
- ACP-120 Domain 1: User Features (10-15%) - Complete Study Guide 2026
- ACP-120 Domain 2: Configuring Global Settings and User Communications (5-10%) - Complete Study Guide 2026
- ACP-120 Domain 3: Product and Project Access and Permissions (30-35%) - Complete Study Guide 2026