CSM® Training & Certification

Here are the steps you can follow to become a CSM:

• Get familiar with Scrum concepts.  CSM course is a basic level course and can be taken by anyone.
• Attend the 2 day/16-hour CSM certification workshop conducted by a Certified Scrum Trainer.
• Attempt the CSM® certification exam. Take the 1-hour online CSM test comprising of 50 MCQs.   
• Pass the test with a minimum score of 74% (at least 37 of 50 questions should be correct) and get yourself CSM® certified!  

Yes, very much so! Here’s why:

• Worldwide Agile and Scrum adoption: As more and more organizations go Agile, they are on the lookout for able professionals who can lead their Scrum teams to success. That puts Certified Scrum Masters on the top of their hiring list.
• Applicable across industries: Scrum can lend itself to any industry including automobile, insurance, health, government and more. Scrum Masters are much sought after as they are known to be capable professionals who can help market products faster and support ROI.
• Trending job-role: LinkedIn’s Most Promising Jobs report states that job openings for Scrum masters grew 104 percent year-over-year since 2016, with a career advancement score of 8 out of 10.
• High salaries: Certified ScrumMasters continue to earn high salaries as the demand for their role increases. 

Scrum is here to stay! In fact, it is the software development framework preferred by 83% companies.

These companies are looking for Scrum leaders who have the vision and passion to lead Scrum projects. The Certified ScrumMaster credential is a validation of your Scrum expertise and a reflection of your skills as a leader who can lead agile projects to success. You can set yourself apart from the crowd with the CSM and showcase yourself as a successful change agent who can lead Agile transformations.

Certified Scrum Masters facilitate their team for better collaboration, adherence to Scrum principles and processes, and improve the efficiency of the development team. They are responsible for managing the Scrum process with the coordination of the Scrum team using the Agile methodology. The Scrum Master is responsible to help the team maintain agile values and principles. The Scrum Master puts processes and procedures in place to remove any impediments.

As a Certified ScrumMaster, you will be able to carry out the following responsibilities: 

• Resolving Impediments 
• Creating a conducive environment for team members to flourish 
• Addressing team dynamics 
• Being the bridge between development team and the product owner 
• Removing any internal or external distractions that may hamper team productivity 
• Coaching and leading the team in Scrum processes and values 
• Motivating the team towards becoming self-organized  
• Being a Servant leader who helps team members to be more efficient 
• Helping teams in streamlining processes and maximizing business value 
• Supporting the Product Owner in backlog management 

Scrum is the most widely adopted framework among all Agile methodologies and many industries are beginning to see the benefits of Scrum adoption. Demand in Scrum breeds demand for Scrum Master. Consequently, there’s a rapidly growing demand for Certified Scrum Masters in the market. With a thorough understanding of the concepts through the course at Zeolearn, you will have many opportunities to explore in the market.

CSM is provided by the world-renowned body Scrum Alliance. Scrum Alliance is dedicated to helping professionals, leaders, and organizations around the world to embrace Agile by understanding its principles, processes, and values. This certification improves your industry credibility and proves to hiring organizations that you can enhance productivity, success, and collaboration among team members.

The CSM certification is an entry level certification provided by Scrum Alliance. It is aimed at helping professionals or novices gain proficiency in the most popular Agile methodology, which is the Scrum framework. CSM holders become experts in implementing Scrum values, principles and practices and on using them to drive team performance, ROI and Agile adoption across the organization.

There are several benefits to becoming CSM certified. CSM is the most popular and sought-after Scrum credential.

• Irrespective of whether you are a practicing Scrum professional or a novice, a Scrum credential such as CSM enhances your portfolio as an expert of Scrum who can handle multiple, complex global projects.
• As a CSM, you will lead and guide your team to success. Your CSM training will set you apart as a master collaborator who can work with multiple teams and motivate them to work better.
• The CSM significantly enhances your career prospects, helping you become more relevant within your company and in the Agile market. CSM certified are among the highest earning Scrum professionals and this trend will continue for a long time.
• Attending a CSM certification course increases your knowledge and grow your chances of getting chosen by the top employers, no matter whether you are a Scrum newbie or Scrum professional.
• You will be a good servant-leader and guide and motivate your team members to work smoothly, by implementing Scrum values and principles.
• CSM remarks your Scrum proficiency and will help your career prospects with higher pay as compared to non-certified candidates.
• CSM demonstrates that you are a dedicated team member with an Agile mindset who can run Agile projects smoothly and contribute to organizational change with maximum business profit.

Attending a 2-day in-person or a 14-hour online training with a Certified Scrum Trainer is a must to give the CSM exam and gain the certification. Taking the exam will help you demonstrate your knowledge of Scrum. Once you pass the exam, you are CSM® certified and you can download your certificate instantly.

Getting CSM certified includes course time and study time. The requisite CSM online course has a 14-hour duration. After attending the course, it’s a good idea to reserve some time for the online CSM exam preparation. This may include study time and additional time for reviewing the course materials and class notes prior to the test. Once you attempt the exam, you will get your test results immediately, which will make you CSM certified.

CSM is a designation offered by Scrum Alliance while PSM is offered by Scrum.org. Both are well recognised accreditation bodies and their certifications are accepted the world over. PSM and CSM are both well received in Agile and Scrum circles as well as other industries, and you can opt for either.

The Scrum framework is evolving and growing as a result of the engagement and contributions of those who share their ideas and practical experiences in the workplace. Renewal of your certification validates your interest in the growth and evolution of Scrum.

CSM certification renewal needs to be done every two years. You’ve worked hard to acquire the certification. Don’t let it get obsolete! Renew now and hold your certification for the entire two-year period.

You can renew your CSM certification by paying $100 to extend the credential for a further period of 2 years from the date of your current expiration. In order to renew your ScrumMaster certification, login to Scrum Alliance website, go to your dashboard and choose the ‘Renew Certification’ option available under the heading ‘Actions’.

CSMs are required to earn 20 Scrum Educational Units (SEUs) within the past two years, in addition to the $100 renewal fee that must be paid. This new requirement has been mandated to validate your participation and continued proficiency in the fundamental principles and practices of Scrum. You can earn the required SEUs by completing an educational training or a learning opportunity.

The CSM certification is valid for two years. You can maintain your certificate by earning the requisite credits and submitting a predetermined number of Scrum Education Units (SEUs) along with a renewal fee of $100. This extends your credential validity for two more years.

Employers can verify your CSM certification through the digital badge. The digital badge can be added to your LinkedIn profile or any of your other social networks. These are dynamic, portable icons that are embedded with qualifying information about your credential. More information on Scrum Alliance digital badges can be found here.

The CSM credential offered by Scrum Alliance requires a two-day in-person training from a Certified Scrum Trainer to be eligible for the CSM exam. But keeping in view the current COVID situation, Scrum Alliance is allowing participants who have attended live online training with CSTs to appear for the CSM exam.

Zeolearn’s 14-hour live online, interactive sessions with CSTs gives you the rigorous CSM training that is expected by Scrum Alliance. These highly interactive and face to face sessions give you the individual attention that you generally get from in-person classes. The online sessions are conducted as per the standards set by Scrum Alliance and makes you eligible for the CSM exam. 

The CSM certification cost varies depending on the country you are taking it from. Given below are the fee details for taking the exam in India and the U.S.

When you get the CSM certification training through KnowledgeHut, the exam fee is included in the course fee.

You need to pay $100 for maintaining your CSM certification for 2 years.

A typical audience for the CSM® course would be:

• Software Engineers 
• Product Managers 
• Project Managers 
• Team Leaders 
• Business Analysts 
• Product Managers 
• Software Developers 
• Product Owners 
• Software Development Managers 
• Software Architects 
• Software Testers 
• Team Leads 
• QA Managers 
• Development team members 
• Testers 
• Anyone who would like to build a career as a Scrum Master

No prerequisites are mandated. It can be taken by experienced professionals as well as novices who are interested in pursuing careers in Scrum. Attending a course will make you eligible for the CSM exam.

You don’t need any prior working experience to attend a CSM training course. Both novices and experienced professionals can attend the course, give the exam and gain the certification on passing the exam.

CSM is an open-book exam and easy to pass. You don’t need to spend time referring to books during the exam as our trainers and exam prep activities are all set towards helping you pass the exam at the first attempt.

At Zeolearn, you will get the advantage of certified instructors, extensive curriculum and loads of exam practice for a first time pass of the exam.

It’s good to be well prepared before attempting the CSM exam. Though the exam is open book, it does require some amount of preparation in order to score well. Here are a few important points that will help you get a perfect score:

• Go through the Scrum Guide while preparing for the exam 
• You can also refer to the Scrum Foundations eLearning Series, which will introduce you to essential concepts including Scrum Theory, Scrum Roles, Scrum Events, and Scrum Artifacts.  
• Review training material given/discussed during your CSM workshop sessions  
• Keep a cool head while attempting the exam 
• Check all the questions before submitting and if you are doubtful about any answer then do some research to find out the correct answer 
• Since CSM is an open-book test, so keep a print out of the Scrum Guide handy

The CSM exam has a total of 50 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) which aspirants need to attempt.

You need to attend an in-person two day (16 hours) or live online (14 hours) Certified ScrumMaster® course taught by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST®) in order to be eligible for the exam. After completing the training, you will receive a welcome email from Scrum Alliance containing a link to activate your Scrum Alliance® account to attempt the CSM® test.

Yes, it is. You will have to attend two days of CSM training under a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST®) following which you will be required to take an exam to demonstrate your knowledge of Scrum in order to get certified. Once you pass the exam, you are declared as CSM® certified and you can download your certificate instantly.

The CSM® exam format is as follows:

You are required to score 74% to pass the CSM® exam.

Scrum Alliance permits retake if you fail the CSM® test. You will not be charged for the first two attempts within 90 days from the date you receive the welcome email. You will be charged a minimum of $25 each from the third attempt or after completing your 90 days.

Note*: Scrum Alliance suggests taking the course again if you have failed thrice in the exam.

Yes. The Scrum Alliance allows you to take the Scrum Master exam at no cost for the first 2 attempts within 90 days after you receive your welcome email. You will be charged a minimum of $25 each from the third attempt or after completing your 90 days. Scrum Alliance suggests to retake the CSM course if you have failed thrice in the exam.

You can attempt the exam any number of times you want, as long as you pay for it. Scrum Alliance allows you to take the Scrum Master exam at no cost for the first 2 attempts within 90 days after you receive your welcome email. Every attempt after that is charged with $25 per attempt.

Upon finishing the test, you can click on the ‘submit’ button and results will appear immediately on the screen. You can download your result instantly.

If you are new to the world of Scrum, then the first step would be to get familiar with Agile and Scrum. Although, the CSM workshop and certification does not mandate any prior Scrum experience, it is always better to know a bit about Agile and Scrum before you enrol for this course. Attending this Agile and Scrum workshop will be a great way to familiarise yourself with Agile and Scrum concepts before undertaking the CSM course.

Post this course, you can attend the 2 day in-person (16 hrs) or live online (14 hrs) CSM training to become a Certified Scrum Master (CSM).

Freshers can get CSM certified and start their careers as Scrum Masters in reputed organizations. The CSM is an entry level certificate and does not mandate any experience or prerequisites to attend the training or sit for the exam. This is the perfect credential for freshers who want to pursue a career in Scrum but do not have the relevant experience to back them.

There are several career paths that a Scrum Master can pursue. Progressing from a single team, a Scrum Master can go on to manage several teams across portfolios.

A Scrum Master can also progress to take on a mentor/coach’s role. Since the primary responsibility of a Scrum Master is to ensure that Agile and Scrum processes are implemented, coaching teams on Scrum adoption is a natural progression for a Scrum Master.

Scrum Masters are also good fits for a product owner’s role. This is especially true for Scrum Masters who want to promote the end product that has been built.

A Scrum Master has many options and with the right training and credential to back them up they can lead organizations in the capacity of C-suite leadership and ensure success.  

Scrum a lightweight Agile framework that allows you to address complex adaptive problems and manage product development by delivering products of the highest possible value by using an iterative and incremental structure for project management. Scrum focuses on delivering large projects in small chunks and has brough in immense benefits to teams that have adopted it.  According to Scrum Alliance, Scrum is the most widely used Agile framework.

Scrum Master is one of three key roles in the Scrum methodology. The Scrum Master is a servant leader, guide, and mentor for a Scrum team. The Scrum Master’s primary responsibility is to create an environment that is conducive for the development team to perform at its highest level. They are also responsible for promoting and supporting Scrum implementation across the team and enterprise. The Scrum Master helps the team understand Scrum theory, practices, rules, and values.

No, Scrum is a framework that comes under the Agile methodology umbrella. It follows the Agile path for developing, managing and delivering a project/product.

Scrum is, today, the most adopted Agile methodology. Scrum organizations across industries have realised the organizational benefits that Scrum Masters bring in to the team and the enterprise. Right from leading Agile transformations to building high-performance Agile development teams, Scrum Masters are indispensable to an Agile organization.

No wonder then that the Scrum Master role has been consistently rated as being among the top 10 promising jobs with a 67% year on year growth in job listings. The Scrum Master earns an average of $97,000 as per Glassdoor salary data.

Most companies with a global presence hire CSM® professionals. Here's a representative list of some top industries and companies that have hired CSM® professionals:

IT:

• Dell
• Siemens
• Capgemini
• Intel

Telecom:

• Vodafone India
• Nokia Siemens Networks Limited

Manufacturing:

• Johnson Controls

Finance:

• JP Morgan Chase

PDUs and SEUs are Professional Development Units and Scrum Educational Units, issued by the Project Management Institute® and Scrum Alliance®, respectively. They can be earned by completing educational training or learning opportunities, which serve to validate your participation and continued proficiency in the principles and practices of Scrum. To maintain your certification from Scrum Alliance, you are required to earn a certain number of SEUs every two years.

You can get 16 PDUs and 16 SEUs by participating in our 2-day training program. You will earn 1 credit for each hour of training. Typically, live online CSM training has a duration of 14 hours, and in-person training runs for a duration of 16 hours.

For continuing professional development, PMI® members can earn PDUs by continuing education which includes training classes, organization meetings, reading books, creating content, volunteering, and so on. To claim PDUs for attending a CSM® training, you can follow these steps:

•  Log in to PMI.org using your credentials.
• Click on ‘Report PDUs’.
• Click on ‘Course or Training’, under the Education category
• Enter the name of a training provider. Type the name of the provider and the course name.
• Complete all the fields like start date, end date, training provider URL of the course to provide the details for the claim
• Enter the PDUs aligned with the PMI Talent Triangle™. You need to enter the PDU values under the Technical, Leadership, and Strategic skill areas. These entered PDUs will be automatically shared across all the certifications you hold.
• Click on ‘I agree this claim is accurate’.
• Click on the ‘Submit’ button to submit your PDU claim. On clicking the submit button, you will receive a transaction notification with multiple Claim IDs for multiple certifications. You can print the notification or continue to reporting another claim. 

PDUs and SEUs recognize your dedication to the Agile world through the award of credits for every educational effort you make throughout your career. Scrum Alliance members who hold a credential from Scrum Alliance need to earn SEUs to get re-certified every two years. PDUs are offered by the PMI®, and every PMI certification, except the CAPM®, requires you to earn a specific number of PDUs per three-year certification cycle.