Scrum Master Certification

Let’s say after weighing different career options you decided to become a Scrum Master in the field of software project management. Congratulations, but do you even know what a Scrum Master even is? For starters, “a Scrum Master is responsible for promoting and supporting Scrum… by helping everyone understand scrum theory, practices, rules and values.”(Scrum.org). They seek to reinforce important Scrum principles such as the prioritization of “individuals’ interactions over processes and tools” and “customer collaboration over contact negotiation” (Scrum Alliance). The learning the fundamentals of Scrum requires more than what is learned in a standard college level course. Proper scrum training requires special courses and certifications.

Those who seek Scrum Master certification have multiple options to choose from. For now we will be discussing what The Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org have to offer. The Scrum alliance is an organization that was founded in 2001, they tout themselves as the “largest, most established and influential professional membership and certification organization in the Agile community” (Scrum Alliance). While it is the most popular certification it has its caveats. In his rundown of Scrum certifications, sales/marketing professional Chris Crawley points out that all it required was a 2 day training course. “This led to obvious criticism, considering someone without any experience in Scrum and demonstrated no knowledge of it could still walk out of the course as a Certified Scrum Master by simply paying the registration fee and attending the course.” (Crawley, 2017). This was remedied with an updated assessment in 2012 but many still have their doubts.

Then there is the Professional Scrum Master(PSM) held by Scrum.org. While it and the Scrum Alliance’s certification are based off the foundations of the Scrum Guide, the PSM focuses more on assessments and reinforcing the knowledge gained. This hands-on direct teaching style is backed by Crawley’s discussions with clients who own both stating, “But clients who hold both certifications have shared the PSM is more knowledge based on the direct teachings found in the Scrum Guide.” (Crowley, 2017).

So there you have it. The path to being a proficient Scrum Master has several obstacles and requirements. It is not for everyone, but the knowledge gained through certifications only enlightens and elevates those who seek them. Whether you choose to partake in a Scrum Alliance course or enroll in Scrum.org PSM assessments, the payoff will be worth it with the right work ethic and confidence.

References/Citations

“Certification Types & Tracks.” Foundational & Advanced Scrum Training & Certifications, 2019, http://www.scrumalliance.org/get-certified.

Crawley, Chris. “Which Is The Best SCRUM MASTER Certification?” LinkedIn, 20 Apr. 2017, http://www.linkedin.com/pulse/which-best-scrum-master-certification-chris-crawley-csm.

“Professional Scrum Master I.” Scrum.org, Scrum.org, 2019, http://www.scrum.org/professional-scrum-master-i-certification.

“What Is a Scrum Master?” Scrum.org, http://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-a-scrum-master.

Scrum Alliance. “Who Is Scrum Alliance®.” About Us, http://www.scrumalliance.org/about-us.