Scrum master certification: Top 13 certs for agile pros

Professional Scrum Master (PSM)

There are three designations that fall under the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification offered by Scrum.org. The PSM-I, PSM-II, and PSM-III certifications are designed to validate your skills and knowledge with Scrum at different levels of expertise. The exams cover several focus areas outlined in the Professional Scrum Competencies and you’ll be asked how to interpret meaning from the Scrum Guide and how you would apply Scrum within a Scrum team.

• PSM-I certification covers the fundamental levels of Scrum mastery, demonstrating you have a strong understanding of Scrum and how to apply it in Scrum Teams.
• PSM-II certification demonstrates you have an advanced level of Scrum mastery, that you understand the Scrum Master accountabilities, and your role in a Scrum team and how it functions.
• PSM-III certification is the final level of certification, demonstrating a distinguished level of Scrum mastery, with proven knowledge that you can coach, facilitate, mentor, and teach Scrum Team members while also influencing an organization.

There are no specific prerequisites for the exam, but candidates should be aware that the material covered is high-level and complex, and only those well-versed in Scrum principles are expected to pass the exam. Once you’ve passed the PSM I exam, you will be able to move onto the next two levels of certification, the PSM II and the PSM III.

Cost: PSM I: $200; PSM II: $250; PSM III: $500

Renewal: The PSM does not expire.

Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO)

The Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO) certification series offered by Scrum.org includes three levels of assessment designed for those who want to validate their Scrum skills, as well as their ability to support value creation and delivery.

• PSPO-I certification is the first level of assessment and demonstrates that you have a foundational knowledge of the product owner role and understand how to interpret the Scrum Guide and to apply knowledge from the PSPO subject areas.
• PSPO-II certification is the next level of assessment, which validates you have an advanced level of product ownership knowledge, understanding of the scrum framework and how it can provide value, and topics including business strategy, portfolio planning product backlog management, and working with stakeholders.
• PSPO-III is the final level of certification, demonstrating that you have a “distinguished” level of understanding around the role of a Product Owner in the Scrum framework, and that you understand Scrum values and how to effectively apply Scrum in an organizational setting.

While not required, it’s recommended to take the Professional Scrum Product Owner course before attempting the exam, unless you already have sufficient knowledge to pass the exam. The two-day course covers everything you need to know about the product owner role through hands-on instruction and team-based exercises. The course covers topics such as agile product management, value-driven development, Scrum principles, and release management.

Cost:  PSPO I: $200; PSPO II: $250; PSPO III: $500

Renewal: The PSPO-1 does not expire.

SAFe Advanced Scrum Master

The SAFe Advanced Scrum Master certification offered by Scaled Agile is a two-day course that focuses on preparing current Scrum Masters for leadership roles where they’ll have to operate in a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environment. The exam covers topics such as identifying and solving team anti-patterns, improving value flow with Kanban and other engineering practices, supporting program-level execution, and using problem-solving and advance coaching techniques to drive improvement.

It’s an advanced certification but there are no prerequisites for candidates interested in getting certified. Scaled Agile, however, strongly recommends you have at least one of the following certifications: SAFe Scrum Master (SSM), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), or Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification.

Cost: Course fees vary based on location, but the first exam fee is covered in the course registration fee. Each retake attempt is $50.

Renewal: SAFe Scrum Master certification holders must renew annually, at a cost of $100, and complete at least 10 continuing education hours each year.

SAFe Scrum Master (SSM)

The SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) certification offered by Scaled Agile is designed to demonstrate your skills and abilities with integrating Scrum practices into an organization. You’ll be tested on your knowledge of using Scrum and Kanban to facilitate team events, supporting program execution, and coaching agile teams. To earn the cert, you will need to attend the SAFe Scrum Master course, which covers everything you’ll need to know for the exam.

Along with your certification, you’ll also receive one-year membership access to the SAFe Community Platform, meetup groups and events with other certified SAFe professionals, and various learning resources that will support you during your Scrum journey.

Cost: Course fees vary based on location, but the first exam fee is covered in the course registration fee. Each retake attempt is $50.

Renewal: SAFe Scrum Master certification holders must renew annually, at a cost of $100, and complete at least 10 continuing education hours each year.

Scrum@Scale Practitioner

The Scrum@Scale Practitioner certification from Scrum Inc. focuses on your ability to scale any Scrum implementation so that it aligns with specific business needs and goals “without introducing anti-Scrum patterns or unnecessary waste.” The certification dives into Scrum’s flexibility and adaptability, leaning on the fact that no two organizations will have the same Scrum implementation.

The online courses are interactive and will teach you how to “scale Scrum through a combination of lectures, hands-on exercises, and real-world case studies.” The course will prepare you for the exam by covering topics such as how to facilitate cross-team collaboration, create and prioritize transformation backlogs, measure, and improve metrics, and increase team efficiency.

Cost: $1,995

Renewal: The Scrum@Scale Practitioner certification must be renewed every two years for a fee of $50; candidates must pass the most up-to-date version of the exam.

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