Scrum Master
A Scrum Master is a leader who ensures the development team and product owners are following Scrum — the Agile software development process framework. A Scrum Master is needed to review practices and guide team members during product development to help the entire organization adhere to the Agile values and reap the benefits of the Agile methodology.
The Scrum Master works as an intermediary helping the:
- Product owner ensure goals, scope and product domain are understood
- Development team self-organize and collaborate
- Business implement Scrum across all teams
The Scrum Master role is important to following the Scrum framework. This role should be filled by an expert of Agile who can coach the team at any stage of the development process.
Becoming a Scrum Master
There are two prominent certification programs — Professional Scrum Master (PSM) and Certified ScrumMaster (CSM). The PSM program is considered to be the more rigorous of the two certifications and includes three levels: PSM I, PSM II and PSM III.
When validating knowledge for its Silver and Gold Application Lifecycle Management competencies, Microsoft uses the PSM I assessment. Many organizations require staff to earn the PSM I certifications as a result.
Scrum.org administers the PSM program, and Scrum Alliance administers the CSM program. Here’s a breakdown of the two certifications:
| PSM 1 | CSM | |
| Attainment | Assessment | Attendance |
| Cost of Test | A$150 | N/A |
| Cost of Training | $1200-1500 (test included) | $1200-1500 (test included) |
| Training Material | Standardized | Varies by instructor |
| Assessment | 80 questions, 85% pass mark, 60 min time limit, one sitting | 35 questions, 68% pass mark, 90 days time limit, as many sittings as you want |
| Certificate Removal | No | Every 2 years ($100) |
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