What is CSM Certification, Salary and Requirements

11-Jan-2021

How can one become a certified scrum master?

1. One should start the process by accumulating some knowledge about the Scrum guidelines, principles, lifecycle, and methodology. One can do that by studying online material such as videos and articles.
2. After that, one should try to get a CSM certification online. One should be careful about choosing the right instructors. Scrum Alliance has given authorization to some trainers around the world and one should only take courses delivered by such Certified Scrum Trainers (CSTs). The course will last for 2 days and the total time duration of the course will be 16 hours. One can get this certification online too.
3. After that, one will have to appear for the CSM certification exam. The governing body of this exam is the Scrum Alliance. If they clear the exam, they will be able to acquire the Certified Scrum Master certification.
4. After that, one should get the license agreement given by the Scrum Alliance, accept it, and keep it with themselves safely. They should store it carefully as they can be asked to produce it any time by the authorities during a random or a deliberate audit.
5. To finish the process, one should fill in all the details into the Scrum Alliance membership profile form.

Who is this CSM Certification Course Recommended for?

• Software Engineers
• Product Managers
• Project Managers
• Team Leaders
• Business Analysts
• Development team members
• Testers

Which jobs are available for those having a CSM certification?

• Entry level scrum master
• Scrum master
• Senior scrum master
• Coach scrum master
• Product manager.

Factors which directly affect the salaries of Scrum masters -

1. Location -

The location of the company one is working for is a large factor in affecting the salary of a Scrum master. If one is working in a large and busy metro city with a lot of people in the high income brackets, their company office will pay them a very high amount. However, if one is working in a city which is not as developed as the metro cities and can be said to be a little backward one will get paid significantly lesser.

2. Experience -

Experience plays a huge role in determining the salary of a Scrum master. If one has a few years of experience under one’s belt one can look forward to a much higher salary than a Scrum master who has only just begun his career in this field. It is largely due to this factor that the online CSM training is so highly recommended. After completing it, one automatically gains a lot of practical and hands-on experience.

3. Employers -

Probably the largest factor affecting the salary of a Scrum master is the employer they are working for. The salaries of Scrum masters vary a great deal among the various companies in the world. For instance, a leading MNC will pay a much higher salary to a Scrum master than a small startup.

4. Based on skillset -

Here are the salaries of Scrum masters from a few different fields -

Project managers: Rs. 4,79,000  – 2,000,000 per annum

IT Business Analysts: Rs. 2,74,000 – 1,000,000 per annum

Sr. Business Analysts: Rs. 4,36,000 – 1,000,000 per annum

Operations Manager: Rs. 2,99,000 – 2,000,000 per annum

Sr. Project Managers: Rs. 1,000,000 – 2,000,000 per annum

Following are the yearly salaries of Scrum masters in 3 different countries -

US: $100,001 – $125,000
UK: $60,001 - $70,000
India: $20,001 – $30,000

Following is the monthly income of a Certified Scrum master -

US: $8333 – $10416
UK: $5000 – $5833
India: $1667 - $2500

Following is the weekly income of a Certified Scrum master -

US: $1923 – $2403
UK: $1154 – $1346
India: $384 - $577

Following is the hourly income of a Certified Scrum master -

US: $48 – $60
UK: $29 – $34
India: $9.6 – $14

Following are the salaries of a Certified Scrum master according to different companies -

• TCS: 11,11,500/year
• IBM: 16,07,000/year
• Amdocs: 14,00,000/year
• JP Morgan: 16,52,000/year

Now let us examine some CSM certification requirements.

Also Read about: CSM Certification Cost and its Benefits

Does one have to get a CSM certification before taking the CSM exam?

Yes, the Scrum Alliance requires all candidates to take the CSM certification course before it allows them to take the CSM certification exam. This is a very strict requirement. It is the first of the CSM certification requirements. It has been set into place by the Scrum Alliance because of the following reason. The Scrum Alliance holds that for any candidate to become a full-fledged Scrum master they must attend the workshop in which they will gain a lot of valuable knowledge. They will also gain a lot of practical and hands-on experience which will come into use when they have to fulfill the job responsibilities of a Scrum master. So one has to take a CSM certification course delivered by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST).

Eligibility requirements -

There are no officially declared eligibility requirements given by the Scrum Alliance. So the list of CSM certification requirements is not very large. However, it is highly recommended that one undergo CSM certification training delivered by a CST. This way one will be able to gain a good working knowledge of the Scrum methodology. He will become well-versed with its basic principles and guidelines. He will also familiarize himself with the kind of questions which will appear for the CSM certification exam and this will help him a lot when he actually takes the exam.

What is the CSM Exam Format?

There are 50 multiple choice questions in the CSM certification exam. For clearing the exam, the candidate has to correctly answer a minimum of 37 questions. By calculation, one can see that the minimum passing score is 74%.

The questions present on the exam are created according to the syllabus given on the Scrum Alliance website which contains the CSM learning objectives. Both online testing and a paper based exam testing are available. One can answer the questions in any order and one doesn’t have to follow any preset order like first to last. One can also go back to previous questions which they have attempted and review them to change the answers if one feels that it is needed. Two attempts are given to the candidate after they complete the CSM certification online after which there is a charge for $25 for every attempt

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