Professional Scrum Master (PSM1) Certification

Scrum.org | 80 Questions | 1 Hour | 85% Pass Mark (68/80 | Multiple Choice / Multiple Answer / True/False

 

PSM1 background

The Professional Scrum Master (PSM1) is the entry-level scrum master certification provided by Scrum.org. It’s an online exam, that has a relatively low price whilst also being a lifetime certification.

It has a comparatively high pass mark of 85%, which means you will need to get at least 68 questions correct out of 80.

Scrum.org details the following, in relation to the PSM1 certification

“People who have passed PSM I, achieving certification, demonstrate a fundamental level of Scrum mastery. PSM I certificate holders prove that they understand Scrum as described in the Scrum Guide and how to apply Scrum in Scrum Teams.  PSM I holders have a consistent terminology and approach to Scrum”.

 

Is it worth it?

Absolutely!!

it is highly respected amongst the agile community and goes a long way to proving your knowledge regarding scrum and agile.

The exam is comparatively cheap whilst the primary syllabus and studying material can be downloaded directly from the scrum.org website for free.

 

Scrum.org vs Scum Alliance

PSM is provided by scrum.org while the CSM route is provided by The Scrum Alliance.  The Scrum Alliance is the older of the two, being founded in 2001. Ken Schwaber, an original member of Scrum Alliances left in 2009 and founded scrum.org, citing differences in direction with the Scrum Alliance.

The table below outlines some of the key differences between the two when comparing PSM1 and the equivalent Scrum Alliance offering:

Taking the above into consideration, I have personally decided to go along the Scrum.org route. I feel the testing nature of the exam, coupled with the relatively low cost marks PSM out as more favourable for me.

 

How to prepare to pass the PSM1 certification

There are a number of high quality studying aids freely available when studying for the PSM1 exam. The following post will outline what I have used in order to prepare (and hopefully pass).

 

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