Professional Scrum Master Program Overview

The Professional Scrum Master program is the first significant update of the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) program that Ken Schwaber first created in 2002. The program includes a course, an assessment, and two levels of certification.

The Course

The Professional Scrum Master course (previously known as the Scrum In Depth course) covers Scrum basics, including the framework, mechanics, and roles of Scrum. But it also teaches how to use Scrum how to optimize value, productivity, and the total cost of ownership of their products. Students learn through instruction and team-based exercises, and they are challenged to think on their feet to better understand what to do when they return to their workplaces. The Professional Scrum Master course is primarily targeted at those responsible for the successful use and/or rollout of Scrum in a project or enterprise. The course covers the following topics:

  • Scrum Basics. What is Scrum and how has it evolved?
  • Scrum Theory. Why does Scrum work and what are its core principles? How are the Scrum principles different from those of more traditional software development approaches, and what is the impact?
  • Scrum Framework and Meetings. How Scrum theory is implemented using time-boxes, roles, rules, and artifacts. How can these be used most effectively and how can they fall apart?
  • Scrum and Change. Scrum is different: what does this mean to my project and my organization? How do I best adopt Scrum given the change that is expected?
  • Scrum and Total Cost of Ownership. A system isn’t just developed, it is also sustained, maintained and enhanced. How is the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of our systems or products measured and optimized?
  • Scrum Teams. Scrum Teams are self-organizing and cross-functional; this is different from traditional development groups. How do we start with Scrum teams and how do we ensure their success?
  • Scrum Planning. Plan a project and estimate its cost and completion date.
  • Predictability, Risk Management, and Reporting. Scrum is empirical. How can predictions be made, risk be controlled, and progress be tracked using Scrum.
  • Scaling Scrum. Scrum works great with one team. It also works better than anything else for projects or product releases that involve hundreds or thousands of globally dispersed team members. How is scaling best accomplished using Scrum?

Assessment and Certification

As a matter of principle, Scrum.org feels that certification should be available to all those who possess a particular level of knowledge -- not only to those who have taken a class. As a result, we offer the option of Professional Scrum Master I and II certification to the public -- not only to those who have taken the Professional Scrum Master course. The Professional Scrum Master program features two assessments and two levels of certification:

  1. Professional Scrum Master (Fundamental) I. This assessment and certification correspond to a basic understanding of Scrum. Any individual who demonstrates satisfactory familiarity with the material in the Scrum Guide, scoring at least an 85% on this assessment, is certified as a Professional Scrum Master I. The assessment takes 60 minutes, and the fee for the assessment is $100. Individuals preparing to take this assessment should read the Scrum Guide and take the free Scrum Open assessment.
  2. Professional Scrum Master (Intermediate) II. This assessment and certification correspond to an intermediate understanding of Scrum. This assessment is intended for those with experience applying Scrum and/or those who have taken the Professional Scrum Master course. The assessment takes 120 minutes, passing the PSM I assessment is a prerequisite, and the fee is $500. The PSM II assessment consists of multiple-choice questions, case study questions, and essays. Some of the questions will be graded automatically; others, including essay questions, will be graded by hand. A score of 85% is required for certification.

To take the Professional Scrum Master I or Professional Scrum Master II assessment, click here.

Next Steps

passing the PSM I assessment is a prerequisite,