What is CSM? Complete Guide to Certified Scrum Master

18-Dec-2020

What is Scrum?

As technology and software creates more and more revolutions around the world, the capabilities of different industries and sectors grow by leaps and bounds. So do their ambitions, visions, and goals. They seek to attempt ventures of greater and greater scope. The breadth of their efforts increase more and more. In this scenario of far reaching projects, innovative changes, and shifts in paradigms, a new kind of methodology is needed to manage and execute the projects. Fortunately, this new methodology exists and it is called the Scrum methodology.

The Scrum methodology revolves around achieving short-term goals instead of aiming for far away and distant goalposts. Its basic principle is to reach the destination step by step, one step at a time. So a Scrum team focuses on holding daily sprints, reviewing daily progress, and analyzing the immediate obstacles or problems in the Scrum team’s path. It also has various built in mechanisms which help to ensure that the team communicates clearly within itself and that the functioning of the team is fully transparent to both the team members and to those outside the team.

What is a Certified Scrum Master?

The certified scrum master is a very pivotal member of the Scrum team. He has several job responsibilities which directly affect the working of the Scrum team. He is by definition extremely well-versed with the guidelines of the Scrum methodology and has to make sure that his Scrum team follows them perfectly.

He has a birds-eye view of the whole team and oversees all the operations and communications of the team. In the matter of communications especially, he has to lead and direct the various communication channels and make sure that they are laid down exactly according to the Scrum methodology principles. In particular, he helps those outside the Scrum team understand which of their interactions are helpful for the Scrum team and which are detrimental for the functioning of the Scrum team ie. which of them follow the Scrum principles.

Overall his role revolves around keeping the Scrum team working efficiently and keeping it focused on the project goals. He is directly responsible for keeping the Scrum team free of distractions and other obstacles. Although he has a very central role in the team, he never takes charge of the team directly and always keeps himself in the position of a servant leader.

What are the steps to becoming a Certified Scrum Master?

1. One should start by gaining some basic knowledge about the Scrum methodology, guidelines, principles, and lifecycle. They can do that by reading material online, or by watching some informative videos, or by attending a tutorial or two.
2. The second step is to take a CSM certification training course which is offered by a certified trainer. The duration of the course is typically two days as it is a 16 hour long course.
3. The third step is to clear the CSM certification exam. The governing body of the CSM certification exam is the Scrum Alliance. The details of the exam are given further down below in this blog post.
4. The fourth step is to get a license agreement accepted by the Scrum Alliance and submit it to the authorities.
5. The fifth step is to fill in all the details of the Scrum Alliance membership profile. One can get all the required information about how to fill in the details by contacting a Scrum Alliance representative through their website.

Also Read: Is it worth going for Certified Scrum Master training?

What kind of an exam is the CSM certification exam?

Eligibility requirements -

Fortunately for Certified Scrum Master aspirants, there are no hard and fast eligibility requirements for taking the CSM certification exam. However, it is highly advisable that the candidate take the time to develop a good working knowledge of the basic fundamentals of the Scrum methodology and familiarize himself with its basic principles. This will help them immensely when they actually take the CSM certification exam and try to answer its questions. This is why it is recommended everywhere that one should undergo Certified Scrum Master Training.

CSM certification exam format -

The CSM certification exam consists of 50 multiple choice questions. For a candidate to clear the exam, they have to answer 37 or more questions correctly. Therefore, 74% is the passing score. The time limit of the exam is only 1 hour or 60 minutes. This means that the candidate will only have 0.833 minutes to answer one question. This makes the exam very difficult and demanding, and candidates will find that they will barely have time to think before attempting to answer each question.

The CSM certification exam is based completely on the CSM learning objectives which are listed in detail on the Scrum Alliance website. The exam is available online as well as in a paper-based testing format. The candidate can answer the questions in any order, and can bookmark them to go back them later and review the answers. In case the candidate is not able to clear the exam in the first attempt, they can retake it a second time at absolutely no additional charge.

Can the CSM exam be taken without taking a certification course?

No, the CSM exam cannot be taken without taking a CSM certification course. The reason is that it is a requirement set by the Scrum Alliance. It holds that for an individual to become a skilled and competent Certified Scrum Master, he should acquire the in-depth knowledge and practical hands-on experience which is offered in a CSM certification course by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST). Therefore it is necessary to take online CSM certification training before taking the CSM certification exam.

What benefits will one get after receiving a 2-year membership with Scrum Alliance?

The Scrum Alliance provides a 2-year membership to individuals who clear the CSM certification exam. The Scrum Alliance community is full of various benefits and perks. It provides a strong community experience with professionals across the world interacting with each other as CSMs and exchanging experience and valuable connections. There is a lot of member-only content available, meaning that only members of the Scrum Alliance can access it.

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