What Is the Eligibility for Scrum Certifications?

Three job roles related to Scrum and Agile that is, Product Owner, Agile Coach and Scrum Master, were listed by the World Economic Forum as being among the emerging jobs of the future, in their report titled “Jobs of Tomorrow: Mapping Opportunity in the New Economy” .  

It is no wonder that roles related to Scrum and Agile should feature in the future job trends lists. Certified professionals who lead the Agile and Scrum transformation journeys of organizations have made giant strides in their careers.  

Certifications are key to a successful Scrum career and in this blog we will familiarise you with Agile certification costs, Scrum certification courses, Scrum certification costs and more.  

What is Scrum?  

Surveys indicate that the adoption of Scrum has increased across the board, and Agile projects saw a 72% success rate as compared to the 63% experienced by projects following traditional project management methods.  

As Jeff Sutherland, creator of Scrum puts it “These findings clearly show the incredible and tangible impact Scrum and Agile is having on the world,”

Scrum has three roles: 

• Scrum Master 
• Product Owner 
• Development team 

What are Scrum certifications all about?  

Scrum certifications are a validity of your knowledge and expertise on all things Scrum. Based on the three key roles in a Scrum team, there are certifications that help professionals gain expertise and proficiency on any or all of the three roles.   

The different Scrum certifications available for these three roles include: 

Product Owner, Top Certifications: 

Product Owner certifications help you: 

• Prove your ability to represent the customer and product 
• Define the product visions to the development team and help them meet business objectives 
• Gain expertise on Agile and Scrum principles and processes 
• Become part of a niche community of Product Owners around the globe 
• Prioritise and focus on value 

Scrum Master, Top certifications 

What is Scrum Master certification? 

There are many Scrum Master certifications available but by far the most popular one is the Certified ScrumMaster® certification, maintained by Scrum Alliance®.  

Scrum Master certification requirements: The CSM has no eligibility requirements.  This entry level certification can be taken up by anyone wanting to start their career in Scrum or work in an Agile/Scrum project. 

At the outset of 2018, there are thousands of open jobs for ScrumMasters in the United States alone, and hundreds of others worldwide-- Scrum Alliance Salary  Survey 

Scrum Master certifications help you: 

• Understand the responsibilities of a Servant Leader 
• Motivate your team and ensure highest performance 
• Become a coach and influencer 
• Lead Agile transformation in your organization 

Development team, top certifications

These certifications help you to: 

• Understand Agile Engineering practices 
• Understand Agile and Scrum values, principles and processes 
• Learn about iterative processes 
• Work in tandem with stakeholders and give quality products 
• Raise your market value 

While these are entry or mid-level certifications, leaders and professionals who want to become agile change agents can pursue advanced level certifications:

Scope of Scrum certification  

Scrum certifications can do a great deal for your resume. Typically, each Scrum certification requires some amount of training and the passing of a rigorous examination. Trainings when conducted by reputed and accredited training organizations help you understand the fundamentals of managing large teams and applying Scrum/Agile principles for project success.  

The subsequent examinations test your knowledge and validate your expertise to potential employers. Certified Scrum Masters are more sought after and better paid as compared to their non-certified counterparts. 

Scrum certifications help you: 

• Showcase your Scrum skills to employers and validate your commitment to continued excellence and quality 
• Advance your career in Scrum roles   
• Earn higher than experienced non-certified peers 
• Become part of a niche community of Scrum practitioners 
• Gain higher certifications and lead Agile transformations

What is Agile certification?  

The most popular Agile certification is the PMI- Agile Certified Practitioner offered by the world renowned Project Management Institute. This course and subsequent certification trains you to work in an Agile environment by mastering agile practices, values and principles.  

This certification requires you to have agile and general project management experience and is ideal for project managers who are entrusted with leading agile projects. The PMI-ACP agile certification training cost in India for a 3-day course is around INR 8999. This does not include the exam fee.

Who is the target audience for Scrum certification course?  

Entry level Scrum certifications can be attended by anyone, even without prior Scrum/Agile experience.  

Typical audience for these courses would include:  

• Project Managers 
• Developers 
• Product Owners 
• Managers-Software development 
• Architects-Software development 
• Product Managers 
• Software Developers 
• Software Coders 
• Software Testers 
• Team Leads/Team Members 
• Agile Coaches 
• Project Managers 
• Delivery Managers 
• Scrum Masters 
• Development Managers

What is the eligibility for Scrum certifications?  

The eligibility for Scrum certifications depends on the course you opt for. Given below are some of the most popular Scrum certifications and their eligibility requirements.  

Eligibility criteria get more demanding as you go for higher certifications like those for Agile coach or Advanced Certified ScrumMaster course.

Conclusion  

Scrum Master is among the top 50 best jobs in America—Glassdoor 

Scrum certification sets even the young professional apart, and those with a few years of experience and/ or just one certification earn between $60,000 and $65,000 more on average than the typical entry level applicant in the United States—Scrum Alliance Salary Survey 

According to a survey conducted by Scrum.org, salaries for Scrum professionals increase by approximately $2,000 for three to five years of Scrum practice, and $12,500 for five to seven years. This along with the satisfaction of giving quality output and being part of meaningful and innovative product development is a huge incentive for most scrum professionals.  

A Scrum certification further enhances one’s ability to land a career defining job opportunity by elevating your Scrum expertise and showcasing your commitment to continued excellence.