Certification is important for anyone to progress in their career. Certifications help to enhance their knowledge, improve their skills so that their productivity can be maximized. However, selecting the right certification is also equally important, because the amount of time and money spent for the certification should be justified. There are several Agile and Scrum certifications in the market from various organizations. This article helps to understand the differences between two well known certifications: Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Professional Scrum Master (PSM).
Parameter | CSM | PSM | Remarks |
Certification Body | Scrumalliance.org It is a “NOT FOR PROFIT” Organization | Scrum.org It is a “FOR PROFIT” organization | Both are international Scrum bodies |
Age of Certification | Started in 2001 | Started in 2010 | CSM is the oldest Scrum certification in the world |
Certification Levels | 3 Levels: CSM A-CSM CSP-SM It is mandatory to go through the levels in the same order. | 3 Levels: PSM – 1 PSM – 2 PSM – 3 It is not mandatory to follow the levels, anyone can directly go for PSM – 3 without doing PSM – 1 and PSM – 2 | Both have similar levels but with varied content. However, Going through all 3 levels of CSM will help to build the knowledge gradually. |
Recognition | Globally recognized | Globally recognized | Both have recognized by organizations |
Training | Training is mandatory to become CSM certified | Training is optional to become Professional Scrum Master | The mandatory training will help you learn Agile and Scrum through a certified Scrum Trainer and gives you a deeper understanding about practical implementation. |
Curriculum | Will be prepared based on Learning objectives prepared using bloom’s taxonomy. So the Trainers can prepare content as per the Learning Objectives using various activities, games and case studies | Standard content given to all Trainers and they have to run the content. So the trainers have to follow a predefined content. | The scope of learning is wide in CSM due to the activities, case studies and real-time scenarios discussed in the Training. |
Assessment | Open book exam with 50 Questions, 60 minutes and 74% to pass. Complexity will be moderate. | Open book exam with 80 questions, 60 minutes and 85% to pass. Complexity will be difficult compared to CSM. | CSM will have 4 options for each question and only one option will be correct. PSM will have 4 options for each question and there may be multiple correct answers. For PSM test time management is also challenging. |
Number of Attempts | 2 Free Attempts will be provided | Only 1 Attempt. If the first attempt is failed then another attempt should be purchased | Every attempt in PSM is chargeable and due to the complexity of the exam it is difficult to pass the PSM in the first attempt. |
Renewal | Every 2 years the CSM has to be renewed. This renewal will ensure that you are focusing on improving your knowledge with Scrum. You can renew the CSM through 100 USD and 20 Scrum Educational Units (SEUs) or if you do next level certification it will be automatically renew the CSM | Renewal is not required, PSM does not expire. | Because of renewal, one will focus on continuous learning and improving their knowledge with the CSM path. You can anyway save the renewal fee (100 USD) when you do the next level CSM certification. |
Focus of the content | The CSM certification may place a stronger emphasis on practical application of Scrum and the skills of being a ScrumMaster. | PSM certifications, particularly PSM I, tend to focus more on a deep understanding of Scrum theory and principles. | CSM helps in making it clear about Scrum Framework and also helps you get familiar with how to become a Scrum Master. |
Cost of Certification | Various countries will have different pricing for CSM training. In India it typically ranges CSM training ranges from 22K to 25K including the following:
| Various countries will have different pricing for PSM Training also. In India it will cost around the same amount as CSM. However,Training is not mandatory for PSM. If you attend a training, only one attempt of the PSM exam is included in the training fee. If you want to go for the PSM certification directly without training then each attempt will cost USD 200 (INR 17000) | From the Training cost point of view, both CSM and PSM will be almost similar. But with CSM, you will get 2 attempts at the same cost, so passing the CSM exam is more probable compared to PSM in the first attempt. If you directly go to PSM without Training, and if you cannot pass the exam in first attempt then you have to spend another 200 USD for every subsequent attempt. |
Exam Preparation | As the Training is mandatory for CSM, the Trainers will provide few practice tests that help participants to prepare for the CSM certification exam. | As the Training is mandatory for PSM, one can directly go for the certification exam but they have to rely on the internet for practice questions. The authenticity of the practice tests available on the internet is not guaranteed. | The CSM practice tests are prepared by Certified Scrum Trainers so the authenticity is more. |
Focus of “Accountabilities” of Scrum Team content | Deep dive into all the 3 accountabilities: Product Owner, Scrum Master and Developers. | Primary focus is on Scrum Master accountabilities. | It is important for Scrum Master to understand all the 3 accountabilities in order to get deeper insights. |
Focus of “Scrum Events” content | All 5 Scrum events are discussed in depth with some practical application. | Focus is on how Scrum events tie to the Scrum values and Principles | Participants should have fair understanding of practical implementation of the Scrum events from application point of view |
Focus of Scrum Master Core Competencies” content | Focus on Scrum Master role and responsibilities in real-world situations | Focus is on skills, and traits and behavioral shift of Scrum Master | Both are required equally |
While both CSM and PSM have their own supporting benefits, you have to choose the one which is most suitable for your career growth based on the parameters explained above. If you want to know more about CSM certification or CSM Training or Scrum Master online course details, you can check below articles:
https://www.learnovative.com/what-is-csm-who-can-do-that-advantages-and-how-to-get-certified/
https://www.learnovative.com/a-comprehensive-guide-to-certified-scrum-masters/
https://www.learnovative.com/role-of-a-scrum-master-in-an-organization/
https://www.learnovative.com/a-comprehensive-guide-to-csm-courses-and-training-in-hyderabad/
