The
ultimate
CSM ®
certification
handbook
Everything you need to know before
starting your CSM journey
We make a
living by
what we get.
We make
a life by
what we give.
Winston Churchill
List of Content
What is Scrum? Why do we need it?
History
Salaries and Jobs
Benefits
Process of becoming a CSM
Curriculum
Certification & Examination Process
Learning after the Certification
Certification Renewal
Tips and Tricks
FAQs
KnowledgeHut Advantage
What is Scrum?
An extremely powerful set of values, principles, and practices that relies on
cross-functional teams to deliver products and services in
short cycles, enabling:
Fast feedback More delighted customers
Quicker innovation Accelerated pace from idea
to delivery
Continuous improvement
Rapid adaptation to change
Scrum teams inspect each batch of functionality as it is completed and then
adapt what will be created next based on learning and feedback, minimizing
risk and reducing waste. This cycle repeats until the full product or service is
delivered—one that meets customer needs because the business has the
opportunity to adjust the fit at the end of each timeframe.
Why do we need it?
According to The Scrum Guide, scrum is "a lightweight framework that helps
people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions
for complex problems." It’s the most widely used and popular agile framework.
Agile refers to the specific set of foundational principles and values for
organizing and managing complex work.
Though it has its roots in software development, today scrum refers to a
lightweight framework that is used in every industry to deliver complex,
innovative products and services that truly delight customers. It is simple to
understand, but difficult to master.
There is no set of eligibility requirements to attend this Scrum Master
Certification course and it can be taken by freshers or professionals who
want a job that requires managing clients, teams or projects.
History of Scrum
Industries, both IT and Non-IT, have undergone a Scrum revolution in the
recent past. It started as a method of process simplification in a collaborative
environment and fast became an industry-wide phenomenon. Today, Scrum is
a household name in the largely matured corporate ecosystem.
The history of Scrum is storied – from the humble beginnings in a magazine
article to a global movement driving the world’s biggest organizations.
1986
A Harvard Business Review article, “The New New Product
Development Game” in which authors Hirotaka Takeuchi and Ikujiro
Nonaka made an analogy comparing high-performing,
cross-functional teams to the scrum formation used by rugby
teams, where a team surrounds a ball disallowing its passing
in any direction.
1993
Implemented by Jeff Sutherland, John Scumniotales, and Jeff
McKenna at the Easel Corporation. The HBR article describes how
companies like Honda, Canon, and Fuji-Xerox have generated
superior results using a scalable, team-based technique in product
development. It also stressed on self-organized teams and
management’s role in development.
1995
Sutherland and Ken Schwaber jointly presented their paper “The
Scrum Development process” at the Object-Oriented Programming,
Systems, Languages & Applications (OOPSLA)
Conference in Texas.
2001
Sutherland, Schwaber, and fifteen associates got together in
Snowbird, Utah, and drew the Agile Manifesto, which turned into
an invitation for software engineers to form a unique method of
developing software.
2002
“Scrum Alliance”, formed by Schwaber with Mike Cohn and Esther
Derby. They then launched the highly successful Certified Scrum
Master (CSM) program.
2014
Dr. Dave Cornelius, globally recognized Lean and Agile catalyst,
presented his doctoral research based on the Scrum value and
named it as a “The Value of Scrum to Organizations”.
2016
First fully Scalable Scrum formed
The journey of Scrum continues to evolve. Clearly, it has changed the way of
working in the corporates. Scrum has undoubtedly brought agility to the
people, teams and organizations around the world.
Salaries and Jobs
Average Salary
$105,000
Job opportunities
growing at
24%
Job roles
Scrum Master
Agile Scrum Maste
Project Manager
Delivery Lead
Agile Coach
Project Lead
Automation Engineer
Companies hiring
and more.
Jobs for CSM certified professionals are
growing exponentially across IT and Non-IT companies.
The Benefits of
CSM Certification
1 Strong Knowledge of Scrum & Artefacts
With the certification, you build a solid base of Scrum knowledge
and understand the concepts so you can utilize them effectively to
achieve success.
2 Mindset changes to Agile Mindset
This leads to lesser disagreements, more successful projects and
better team collaboration.
3 Your dream company aspires to hire you.
The certification establishes your credibility in the workplace and is
proof of your mettle.
4 Your dream company aspires to hire you.
The certification establishes your credibility in the workplace and is
proof of your mettle.
5 Strengthening Teamwork as a Servant Leader
A CSM is, above all, a good team player.
6 A Feather in Your Cap. A Badge of Honour
It is a validation of their passion and dedication to their respective
fields. No one will doubt your eligibility as a mentor.
7 Sets You Apart from the Crowd
CSM is a key differentiator that shows potential employers you
have the edge over non-certified counterparts.
8 Iron Out Glitches in Your Project
If there are any impediments to project progress, the CSM will
negotiate, address any such challenges and build
a positive work culture.
9 Become a Better Communicator
You share all relevant reports, calendars, and deadlines with the
team to work together toward success.
Process To
Become a CSM
Step 1
Register for a CSM training program with a Global Registered
Education Ally (REA) of Scrum Alliance (SA) for an easy and
hassle-free approach.
Note: Look through the Scrum Guide and Agile Manifesto to grasp
the concepts faster. This isn’t mandatory as everything is covered
in the course. But it helps.
Step 2
Attend 2-day CSM course – 16 hours total – Do ensure that
instruction is by Certified Scrum Trainers (CSTs).
Step 4
Once your course report is received, SA will send you a link to
create login credentials on successful completion of course. Click
on the link received from Scrum Alliance and create your own login
credentials. Get exam-ready.
Step 5
Take the 1-hour online CSM test which comprises of 50 MCQs by
using your credentials.
Step 6
Score a minimum of 74% to pass the CSM test.
Step 7
Once the test is cleared, you will be requested to accept a
license agreement.
Step 8
After accepting it, you will receive CSM designation & a 2-year
membership from SA.
Step 9
You have to renew the certification once every two years.
Curriculum
Scrum is not a static methodology in any sense - it is a living, changing and
continuously evolving framework.
The CSM course curriculum is designed for both budding and
experienced project managers.
1 Learn Fundamentals
Understand the foundation of Agile and Scrum concepts and help
Scrum teams in using Scrum effectively.
2 Terminologies and Concepts
Acquire knowledge of Scrum terminologies, various concepts, and
the complete Scrum process.
3 Scrum Roles
Understand various roles involved in Scrum and the scope of the
Scrum Master role in Scrum.
4 Core Competencies
Learn key Scrum Master core competencies and protect the team
from internal and external distractions.
5 Scrum Ceremonies
Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective, Product Backlog,
Sprint Backlog, Definition of Done.
6 Facilitate Teams
Facilitate the Development Team, Product Owner, and the
organization while responding to change.
7 Improve Transparency
Inspect and adapt and increase transparency in each of the Scrum
events and make the team’s work visible.
8 Acts as a Servant Leader
Learn to help the team members work collaboratively and follow
every Scrum process involved in it.
9 Use Cases
Along with classroom training, you will also be involved in hands-on
practice sessions.
Post your CSM® training, you will be ready to take the Scrum Master
Certification exam.
Certification & Exam
Process
Before certification exam
CSM course
A two-day (16 hours) course delivered by a Certified Scrum
Trainer® (CST®).
Fees
Between $1150 - $1750 depending on context: trainer, content,
location, date, etc.
Fee includes
Two-day CSM course.
Two attempts to take the exam in 90-day period after which
its $25 to retake the exam and the class.
Two-year membership to Scrum Alliance.
Validity
Certification is valid for two years, then it requires to be
renewed after that.
Eligibility
Attendees to the CSM course get 14 PDUs credits: 10 PDUs in
Technical Project Management and 4 PDUs in Leadership.
Be Warned
Course material is curated by individual trainers and can be limited
by their experience and opinion. Choose reputed course providers
recognized by the Scrum Alliance that provide world renowned CSTs.
The structure of the exam
1 Duration – One hour.
2 Format – Multiple choice questions.
3 Open Book Exam.
4 Pass – 74% (37 of 50 questions).
5 After the CSM course, exam must be taken within 14 days.
6 You will need a laptop and an internet connection.
7 If you don’t pass.
The questions you missed will be shown. No answers.
To retake, you must reapply within 90 days of the
workshop. Its $25 after that.
8 You can opt for a second attempt to better your score for free.
You’ll charged a small amount of fee for any consequent attempts.
9 If you are uncertain about an answer, you can always skip it and
bookmark it for a later review.
After The Certification
Changing times and technology require a constant updation and adaptability
to newer techniques and methods. You can learn a lot through the real-time
experiences throughout your career. You can also opt to keep up with the
changing standards and values of Scrum and get a boost in knowledge in
conventional ways.
Scrum Alliance gatherings are a great way to meet like-minded people and
learn as well as share experiences. Participate in CSM LinkedIn forums. You
can pursue further qualifications to enhance your knowledge, which in turn
adds value to your résumé. With the right amount of experience and expertise,
you can choose to become a Certified Scrum Professional.
Choose from the various reputed institutions that offer the online course to
become a Certified ScrumMaster. With commitment to constant improvement,
patience, and persistence you can promote an enhanced production and
management of your team’s project.
So what to do after getting the CSM
The certifications offered by Scrum Alliance provide several ways of proving
yourself as a competent and skilled Scrum and Agile practitioner. After the
CSM certification, the next step in your Agile journey is the Advanced Certified
ScrumMaster (A-CSM) certification. You can start working towards this after a
year of being a CSM.
Here are the three Scrum Master certification levels by Scrum Alliance:
A CSM (Certified Scrum Master)
Introductory course for those wishing to become a Scrum
Master or play a role as a Scrum team member.
B A-CSM (Advance – Certified Scrum Master)
Introductory course for those wishing to become a Scrum
Master or play a role as a Scrum team member.
C CSP (Certified Scrum Professional)
Pinnacle/Expert-level course for individuals wishing to build
mastery in the Scrum Master role.
Renewal
So you finally got your certification. It wasn’t as easy as you thought.
So don’t let it lapse.
You have to renew it every two years.
For renewal, you need 20 Scrum Education Units® (SEUs)
within the 2 years.
This is to validate your participation and continued proficiency in the
fundamental principles and practices of Scrum.
And there’s a $100 renewal fee.
The 20 SEUs can be earned by you in the
following ways:
By watching community webinar.
Giving back to the Agile community by volunteering in some way.
Participating in a local user group.
Attend a Scrum Gathering at a global or regional level.
Write a Scrum or Agile blog.
Read a book on Scrum or Agile.
You need to be within 6 months of your current CSM® certification date.
Further, you need to follow these steps in order to renew your CSM®
certification:
Step 1
Log in to your certification account.
Step 2
Click on the ‘certification dashboard’ which you can find in
the settings.
Step 3
Pay your renewal fee by scrolling to the ‘Actions’ window and
click the renewal link.
Tips and Tricks
Basic Multiple-Choice Tips
1 Read the last sentence of the question first: You will be less likely to get
thrown by tricky wording.
2 Answer the question before looking at the choices: You just took the
class and studied. You probably know the answer already. Now look at
the choices.
3 Read all the answers before selecting one.
4 Read the multiple-choice questions from the bottom up. This hijacks the
brain’s bias.
5 When in doubt, eliminate wrong answers first: Some wrong answers
will be obvious. For example, any answer in multiple of months is
wrong for any time box related Scrum question.
6 Be careful of words like all, always, none, and never: Choices with
these words are tricky.
7 Review your answers before submitting. Double check everything.
Tips Specific to the CSM Test
1 Choose your class and instructor wisely. All the material you need to
pass the test should be up to date and covered in your workshop.
2 Take as many practice tests and practice questions you can get. You will
find 100+ on our website in the resources section.
3 Check out the resources available on the Scrum Alliance website,
especially the Scrum Guide, which will be your guide during the exam.
4 60 minutes goes fast. Know the guide well.
5 There is no need to pay for exam preparation. Just know the guide well.
6 Flag questions for review: If you’re stuck on a question, flag it for review
and come back to it later. You can’t pause the timer though.
FAQs
1. What is the difference between Scrum and Agile?
Agile refers to a mindset on how to approach software development. Scrum is
the most widely used Agile framework, amongst others such as Kanban and
Extreme Programming.
The term Agile was coined in 2001 when the "Manifesto for Agile Software
Development" was created. The authors were the two creators of the Scrum
famework, together with 15 others who had a similar mindset on how to
approach software development. The manifesto stresses the need to deliver
software that customers value early and continuously during development.
This way, that what is delivered can be changed rapidly during development,
based on customer feedback. To make this possible, close collaboration is
needed between developers amongst each other, and with their clients.
Scrum provides a structure on how to work from an Agile mindset. While
originating from software development, Scrum is defined in a more
generic manner. It is also applied in other domains than software, such as
marketing. The framework helps a self-organizing team to get things done
frequently and in close collaboration. There will be many opportunities
during development to inspect what has been delivered so far, and to
improve the way the work is conducted.
2. How does Scrum Alliance differ from the rest?
Scrum Alliance, the renowned Agile membership and certification organization
for the professionals offers various levels of certification to become proficient
in Scrum. The certifying body always believes in a high level of personal
interaction to understand Scrum. The newly designed course model of Scrum
Alliance fosters collaboration, increased productivity, and success among the
team members.
Membership of the Scrum Alliance community offers you a networking
platform if you are interested in your Agile journey and lets you connect with
other Scrum practitioners. It aids you to get future growth through
certification, knowledge sharing, and community support, which is very rare in
the IT domain.
3. Is the program available online?
Yes.
4. What are the benefits of the 2-year membership with Scrum Alliance?
Through this membership you can join local user groups, online social
networks, gain access to deep discounts on gatherings, and additional
member-only resources. In addition, CSMs can use a specially designed logo
to highlight their credentials.
KnowledgeHut
Advantage
Having trained over 250,000 Agile professionals, KnowledgeHut is a
Global Registered Education Ally (REA) of Scrum Alliance and the
instructions you get from this training will help you deliver controlled,
high-performing projects with high-quality results.
With KnowledgeHut you get:
Experiential learning with Case studies, Scrum Activities, Role
plays, and Simulations.
Complete CSM training by globally renowned elite panel of CSTs
approved by Scrum Alliance.
Earn 16 PDUs and 16 SEUs (Live Virtual and Classroom Training available).
Get real-world tips and time-tested techniques from highly qualified &
experienced mentors.
Downloadable material from Scrum Alliance.
Tricks and tips from our professional and highly experienced CSTs.
2-year membership with Scrum Alliance included in the course fee.
Continuous support through monthly webinars, e-books, and conferences.
Access to latest resources like tutorials, articles, interview QnAs, and case
studies created by experts.
Crack your exam in the very first attempt with our 100% Success Rate and
100% Money-Back Guarantee!
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Exceptional Scrum
Master?
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