The Best Scrum Master Certifications and Courses

The Best Scrum Master Certifications and Courses are the ones that give you not only a diploma but also significant knowledge.

That's why we put the BVOP program at the top of our list. In addition, the cost of the certification exam is low and any Agile fan can take advantage of the offer quickly.

Create an account in BVOP.org today to receive a promo code for an additional price discount.

The BVOP Senior Scrum Master title is obtained after successfully taking a computerized exam without human presence.

The title is Senior because it includes both project management and product management topics. This is another reason to start our exam with BVOP.org

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We've compiled a list of the best certification options out there, so you can find one that will be worth your time and effort.

We'll start with some general information about scrum masters and then take a look at our top picks below!

The position of a scrum master (or agile development manager) is to help developers and team members stay focused on the project, remove any obstacles that may be preventing progress from being made, provide support for those who need it.

They also monitor the completed work to identify areas where they can improve efficiency or quality.

This person works collaboratively with other team members and stakeholders to ensure that all goals are met at each stage of the process and takes responsibility for removing roadblocks when necessary.

Essentially, this role ensures everything goes smoothly so everyone else can do their jobs better!

Which is the best Scrum Master certification?

What is the Scrum Master’s role? The Scrum Master should be an expert on Agile principles and practices. He or she will ensure that the team members are all at their best, ready to work hard for a common goal of delivering a product increment each sprint.

A great way to become an agile professional is by getting certified as a scrum master. There are many different certificates out there; which one you pick depends largely on your personal preference, but I would suggest looking into either Certified Scrum Professional (CSP), CSM, or SPOC certification.

The Certified ScrumMaster™ (CSM) is offered through the International Consortium of Scrum Trainers® and offers credentials in both Scrum and agile practices.

The Certified Scrum Professional™ (CSP) is the most popular professional certification for scrum professionals, offered through the Scrum Alliance®.

It focuses on an individual’s knowledge of Agile principles and pragmatic skills to be a successful practitioner or coach in their organization's context.

The CSP also offers credentials in both Scrum and agile product development practices.

BVOP Senior Scrum Master (BVOSM)

We begin with this Scrum certification program as BVOP is the most modern and yet the most interesting program for the entire Agile society.

The company designed its BVOP Ultimate Guide about four years ago. The exception is the in-depth skills in both project control and various Agile methods such as Lean, MVP, and Kaizen.

Candidates for the BVOP Certified Senior Scrum Master (BVOSM) must possess a deep understanding of Scrum, Project Management, Lean, and Kaizen.

This makes BVOP certified specialists precious staff with multiple experiences and knowledge.

Professional Scrum Master (PSM) I

PSM I is the first of a two-course Scrum Master certification. The course focuses on foundational knowledge and skills for those who are new to or looking to refresh their understanding of agile concepts, principles, and practices as they apply specifically in the role of a ScrumMaster

Skills & Knowledge: This training will provide you with an overview of scrum project management fundamentals including roles, relationships, process design, planning iterative development, sprints/iterations review/retrospective meetings 

Requirements: You don't need any prerequisites before taking this course - just bring your lunch!

Course Length: Classes meet once every Saturday from January 12th through March 16th at either 11 am PST or noon EST; one hour per week over four months

The cost of a Professional Scrum Master (PSM) I is USD 1300

Professional Scrum Master (PSM) II

Professional Scrum Master (PSM) II is a certification that distinguishes advanced practitioners of the world’s most popular Agile project management methodology.

The PSM I exam covers basic knowledge in Scrum, and the more challenging PSM II adds on to that with additional responsibilities and focuses on team dynamics as well as agile leadership skills including servant-leadership, coaching skills, and facilitation techniques.

Candidates should have at least one year of experience practicing agile methods such as SCRUM or Kanban.

The exam consists of 200 multiple choice questions about key concepts for being an effective scrum master: roles and responsibilities; product backlog; sprint planning meeting; daily scrum meeting; sprint review meeting; retrospective meetings; release/sprint burndown chart; sprint goal and retrospective goals.

The PSM II exam is offered in English, Japanese and Indonesian languages. The certification requires a minimum score of 80% to pass the examination and become certified as a Professional Scrum Master (PSM).

Achieving your scrum master certification has never been easier! You will receive an email from us after completing this form with instructions on how you can register for our exams online.

If you are taking the PSM I exam only then please select that option below when registering for the exam. Our team also offers free sample questions to help prepare you before sitting for any of our certifications so be sure to check those out once you receive your email!

If a candidate has already passed the PSM I exam, there is no need to take this test. They may register for an open slot at any time without needing to provide additional information when registering online or by phone with our team!

What's the cost of Professional Scrum Master (PSM) II?

The cost of Professional Scrum Master II ranges between $200-$500 for training courses alone; however, many providers offer much more than just the courses. 

BVOP Certified Agile Director

The BVOP Certified Agile Director has shown leadership ability by successfully changing legacy development practices into more efficient workflows & processes while maintaining high-quality standards. They have demonstrated this ability by:

• Taking responsibility for personal and team development. 
• Actively soliciting feedback from stakeholders to make necessary changes to meet the needs of the business. 
• Setting clear expectations on deadlines, tasks, priorities, open roles, etc., so that all parties are aware of what is expected at any given time during a project timeline (i.e., daily standups).

BVOP Certified Agile Director has experience working with our company's legacy systems as well as newer technologies & frameworks - they have demonstrated this ability by their past work with Java/JEE architectures and other frontend web technology stacks including AngularJS or ReactJS; iOS applications using Objective C++ or Swift programming languages; mobile app design with Xcode & Sketch.

As the BVOP Certified Agile Director, 

You will work with stakeholders and project managers to ensure deadlines are met on time as well as communicate any changes or issues that may arise during a given timeline. 

You will also be responsible for creating an environment where team members flourish through active listening skills, empathy, and continual encouragement to succeed as individuals while taking into consideration their differences. 

In addition, you have shown leadership ability by successfully changing legacy development practices into more efficient workflows & processes while maintaining high-quality standards – this is evidenced by your responsibility for both individual and team development; actively soliciting feedback from stakeholders to make necessary changes so that we can meet the needs of our business; setting clear expectations on deadlines, tasks, priorities, open roles and so forth. 

The BVOP Certified Agile Director: 

• Understands the principles of agile and can articulate them in both theory and practice.
• Can provide timely, open feedback that is not only constructive but also actionable.
• Can create a safe environment for team members through active listening skills, empathy, and continual encouragement to succeed as individuals with an awareness of their differences.
• Communicates well using clear language without jargon or buzzwords so everyone understands clearly what they need to do next to complete tasks on time.

What's the cost of the BVOP Certified Agile Director certification?

Update: The cost of the BVOP Certified Agile Director certification exam is now fixed-price: 140 USD.

To maintain the highest level of quality, BVOP is accredited by ISO/IEC 17024:2012. This means that you can be confident that our exam content and processes are rigorously assessed and safeguarded against substandard performance.

The cost for this certification varies depending on where you live (cost per country). You can check out all of the pricing information in your location on our website here.

We also offer a payment plan so it's more affordable than ever before! The best way to get an idea about how much it will cost is to calculate your approximate living costs for two years (72 months), with each month costing $400 at the lowest average salary bracket using Cost of Living Index data from Numbeo.

Professional Scrum Master (PSM III)

Scrum is a framework for software development under uncertainty. It defines three roles: the product owner, the Scrum Master, and the team member (which can be employed by an organization).

The goal of this certification training course is to expose you to all the elements related to being a successful Product Owner about working on projects utilizing Scrum as their process methodology.

You will take away from this course how best to personalize your approach to deal with change factors such as time constraints, limited resources, or even priority changes that may occur at any moment during project execution.

Objective: Professional Scrum Master PSM III Certification Training Course

Course Duration: 12 days/24 contact hours | Total Cost $12000 USD* (*)

Course Description: Professional Scrum Master PSM III Course is the final certification in a series of training courses that prepare participants to be effective Scrum practitioners and trainers.

This course covers how to coach, teach, and lead others through complex problems using principles from various scientific disciplines such as engineering, physics, mathematics, etc.

It introduces you to ways of thinking about leadership and management in general that also has application for your work with agile methods like Scrums.

The purpose of this course is not only to introduce you to all aspects related to being an effective scrum master but more importantly prepare you so that you are able both pass the PSM II exam (by providing an advanced level overview) or take up the Certified Scrum Trainer CSMT designation upon completion.

Course Objectives: 

Develop a deeper understanding of Scrum principles and their application in a real-life software project environment, including how to apply them on the job.

Learn about managing technical debt strategically rather than reactively.

Examine the importance of adopting agile practices for organizational change management and how they can be used to successfully lead an organization through the transition into more adaptive ways of working.

Course Content: This course includes hands-on exercises where participants will learn from each other's experiences by applying knowledge acquired during training sessions.

We believe that this is a crucial step because "learning by doing" provides prerequisite skills required for successful adoption & transferability of learning back at the workplace. The intensive experiential approach adopted ensures deep conceptual clarity for participants.

Scrum principles and their application in a real-life software project environment, including how to apply them on the job.

Technical debt management strategies.

Agile practices for organizational change management such as Agile Leadership, Organizational Development Management, etc.

In this course, you will learn: - How Scrum roles are designed to promote cross-functional collaboration while still maintaining focus on task completion within timeboxed iterations (Sprint).

Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) is the most popular course in Agile training. It helps you to learn all about agile techniques and practices like Scrum, Kanban, estimation, planning poker, etc., which will be very useful for your work life as a project manager or team member of any product development process.

The Certified ScrumMaster certification also provides an additional focus on leadership skills that are essential for managing projects successfully; helping people grow and succeed in their careers through coaching and mentoring - while demonstrating sound business acumen to assure accountability with stakeholders.

The CSM exam consists of 150 multiple-choice questions over one day (approximately eight hours). You may only exit early if less than 30 minutes are remaining before the exam is scheduled to end.

How much does it cost? 

The price of the CSM course varies depending on how many days you attend, starting from $2000 for a two-day workshop up to approximately $5000 for in-person five-day training.

The certification costs are not included and depend on where you take your test - while this may vary between different countries, currently, there are 14 locations spread over Europe, North America, and Asia Pacific region which all offer their prices. For example:

In Berlin - € 3000,- (€ 2500,- without VAT) / $3000 USD; **in London – £2500 GBP ($4000), ***Helsinki € 1000 Euro at official rates or € 1500 Euro at current rates

The Scrum Master certification course will help you do your job better and more efficiently by giving you a deep understanding of how agile methodology works.

This includes both theory and practice - an in-depth exploration into what makes agile work followed up with hands-on exercises using AgilityNow's proprietary training software that allows for team simulations.

The CSM exam consists of 150 multiple choice questions on three sections: Basic (35%), Advanced (40%), and Concepts & Practices (25%).

You need a score of 70% overall to pass! If this sounds like something that might interest you then we encourage you to take our FREE "What Is Scrum" course to gain a better understanding of what we teach.

Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM)

The Scrum Alliance has just announced that they will be offering their new Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM) program.

The A-CSM certification is a high-level training course for experienced practitioners who want to go beyond the basics of Agile development and management. It teaches how best practices can help organizations operate more efficiently, reduce risk, and increase visibility into processes -- ultimately resulting in greater success with an improved bottom line!

This intensive three-day course provides participants with deep-dive instruction on advanced topics such as Product Owner responsibilities; Collaborative Planning; Strategic Thinking about People, Processes & Tools; Managing Complexity through Experimentation and Feedback Loops.

In addition, we explore Agile approaches to Leadership Development and Innovation Management Strategy.

Instructor: Ryan Carson has been part of the agile community since 2001 when he helped John Henry Company develop their first scrum team.

John Henry Company was the first company to sign up for Scrum Alliance training and has become one of their premier trainers with Ryan currently in his third year as a Scrum Master trainer.

Ryan Carson is an Agile Coach and Certified Trainer who helps teams develop high-functioning, quality products through simplified communication, transparency, trust, focus on process improvement, and commitment to incremental change.

He believes that all organizations are moving towards becoming more agile by default because it's simply impossible to succeed while working any other way!

What's the cost of the Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM)?

Course: The Advanced Certified ScrumMaster course is an in-person, two-day training held over the weekend. It costs $2000 before discounts and includes a copy of Professional Scrum with Jeff Sutherland. There are also country-specific pricing available for this certification*, as well as many other courses offered by Agile University™!

Country-Specific Pricing applies to attendees who live outside of North America (includes Canada).

I'm not sure if there's a better way to say that it's "country-specific," but I think that phrasing could work? Thoughts? :)

The cost varies depending on where you live.

Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster (CSP-SM)

A Certified Scrum Professional (CSP) is a qualified individual who has experience with the Scrum framework and can lead agile projects.

Professionals have usually experienced developers, project managers, consultants, or trainers. The CSP-SM certification requires at least five years of professional work experience in an agile environment as well as passing the CSP exam offered by the scrum alliance.

People interested in taking this course should ideally have some previous exposure to Scrum before attending so they know what they're getting into.

The benefits of becoming certified include: increased employability due to recognition and credibility amongst employers; potential for a higher salary from being recognized as "certified"; internal growth because it helps you stay up-to-date on current developments in the field; and personal growth as you learn new concepts.

The Scrum Alliance offers certifications for both CSPs and, more specifically, CSP-SMs.

The course is usually taken by people who have some experience with agile project management or are interested in becoming a scrum master or agile coach on a team that does not already possess such skills. It provides an overview of what a scrum master does, which includes facilitating projects, removing obstacles to success, providing support during sprint reviews, and ensuring daily standups run smoothly.

What's the cost of the Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster (CSP-SM)?

There are many costs to consider when taking the Certified Scrum Professional course. For example, there is an exam fee of $450 and a tuition cost of about $1600 (based on current exchange rates).

It's important to note that this doesn't include travel expenses or lodging if you live outside North America ($4000+ for international students), as well as other costs such as books, equipment rental/purchase, food while in class.

This is why we recommend budgeting around $3000-5000 US dollars + fees.

Note: Prices may vary depending on location and currency conversion rate at the time of purchase. Contact us for more information! 

Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP)

Agile Certified Professionals (PMI-ACP) are those who have completed the certification process from PMI. The PMP is a globally recognized credential demonstrating an expert level of project management knowledge and skills.

Agile professionals should be able to apply these principles to complete their next project more efficiently, as well as collaborate with other agile team members.

There are many benefits associated with obtaining this certification including: tangible recognition for your expertise, greater credibility when applying for positions within organizations that use agile methods on projects, increased ability to command higher salaries due to demand by employers looking for qualified candidates, and improved career prospects because you will be able to manage complicated initiatives while retaining flexibility. 

Benefits of Certification: Tangible Recognition, Greater Credibility, Increased Salary, Improved Career Prospects.

To become certified, one must have a comprehensive understanding of agile project management. The assessment is rigorous and takes approximately four hours to complete with no prerequisites required 

The exam focuses on the following areas: 

Agile Methods & Practices, Agile Tools, Project Management Knowledge Areas; Technical Skills - Communication skills (written communication and presentation), Team-Building Skills, Time Management Skills.

You will be asked questions relating to how you would lead an agile team in a scenario where more than two Scrum teams are working on overlapping requirements for release or sprint goals with different priorities that need coordination at any given time among other scenarios designed to test your knowledge within these key topic areas.

There are six domains covered by the exam:

Agile Methods & Practices, Agile Tools. Project Management Knowledge Areas; Technical Skills - Communication skills (written communication and presentation), Team-Building Skills, Time Management Skills.

There are six domains covered by the PMI-ACP certification examination:  Policy Issues in an Organization Supporting Agile Projects; Scrum Framework for Managing Agile Projects; Customer Collaboration with Product Owners to Support Successful Delivery of Value Through Development Teams in an Organization Using Agile Techniques on Projects; Fundamental Frameworks Used in Scaling Lean and Agile Approaches Across the Entire Enterprise as Well as Establishing Appropriate Measures for Assessing Agility at All Levels.

The Assessment is Rigorous and Takes Approximately Four Hours to Complete With No Prerequisites Required 

The Exam Focuses on the Following Areas: Agile Methods & Practices, Agile Tools. Project Management Knowledge Area; Technical Skills - Communication skills (written communication and presentation), Team-Building Skills, Time management skills.

You will be asked questions relating to how you would lead an agile team in a scenario where more than two

Scrum teams are working on overlapping requirements for release or sprint goals with different priorities that need coordination at any given time among other scenarios designed to test your knowledge within these key topic areas.

There are six domains covered by the exam: Policy Issues in an Organization Supporting Agile Projects; Scrum Framework for Managing Agile Projects; Customer Collaboration with Product Owners to Support Successful Delivery of Value Through Development Teams in an Organization Using Agile Techniques on Projects; Fundamental Frameworks Used in Scaling Lean and Agile Approaches Across the Entire Enterprise as Well as Establishing Appropriate Measures for Assessing Agility at All Levels.

The Assessment is Rigorous and Takes Approximately Four Hours to Complete With No Prerequisites Required.

What's the cost of the Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP)?

You are about to embark on an amazing learning journey. You will be able to learn how the world’s most innovative organizations from all industries and sectors use agile in their software development practices, as well as find out what it takes to become certified on this subject.

It is important for you that we emphasize a few aspects of our program early on:

Program Fee (USD): $999- $1299 depending upon your country of residence or company subscription agreement. All fees cover course materials, certification exam fees, tuition assistance funding for selected candidates, and access to online resources including live chat sessions with industry experts.

Certified Agile Coach® (CAC) 

There are many certifications available for those interested in pursuing a career in Agile. One that is interesting, but not too common, is the Certified Agile Coach® (CAC) certification offered by the International Consortium of Scrum Trainers and Professional Coaches.

The CAC credential requires passing either an online examination or attending one of three live events where examinations take place: The U.S., Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Asia-Pacific regions each offer two opportunities per year to attend live events with exams being held onsite at locations across these areas - New York City; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Sydney Australia; Singapore, Singapore; Honolulu Hawaii. 

In addition to completing this exam successfully, the CAC certification also requires the completion of a minimum of five years' experience in coaching, mentoring, or managing projects.

The exam for obtaining Certified Agile Coach® (CAC) credential is an open-book examination that consists of 150 multiple choice questions and takes up to four hours to complete.

The cost for taking the exam includes attending one live event with exams being held onsite at locations across these areas - New York City; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Sydney Australia; Singapore, Singapore; Honolulu Hawaii. 

Certified Agile Coaches are not required to be certified Scrum Trainers but they must have successfully completed any accredited training course in either strategic agile consulting as defined by ICSOC or general project management. 

Though the CAC credential is not common, it does offer a way to distinguish oneself in an already crowded field.

The certification provides Agile coaches with ample opportunities and expands their network of potential clients beyond those who are looking for Scrum Trainers or Project Managers alone.

What's the cost of the Certified Agile Coach® (CAC) certification?

When you sign up for the CAC, you'll also receive a 60-day free trial of agilecoach.com where you can explore all of our training and resources to see if it's right for your team.

We also offer a reduced price (from $2000) for teams with two or more people who want to train together at the same time - email us for details!

In addition, Agile Coach Training is now available as an in-person course onsite at companies around the world; we work with clients to customize their courses based on specific needs, goals, and budgets.

You may find this option useful when looking into "What are some alternatives/options?" 

On average participants spend about five days a week, five hours per day for two weeks studying in preparation for the exam.

We recommend that you take at least six months to study before taking your CAC Exam. Many participants choose to sign up for our coaching package which includes an additional one-on-one session with me and personalized practice questions - $1400 (a savings of 30% off my regular coaching rate).

Business Value-Oriented Principles (BVOP) vs PSM III

PSM III is a guideline that came out in 2007 and was more of an enhancement to PSM I. When the ISO standards were first created, they were not always seen as progressive or current-based enough for safety management methods; hence why BVOP (business value-oriented principles) became popularized starting much later in 2010 with publication from The Department of Defence's Acquisition Reform Group on achieving better quality at lower cost through business-driven acquisition processes.

BVOP concentrates primarily on making sure companies are meeting their corporate goals by improving all aspects of the process: including delivering exceptional service, increasing customer satisfaction, reducing costs, minimizing risks, and having employees work together more effectively for greater productivity. This contrasts heavily against PSM III which primarily focuses on safety.

This is where PSM IV came into play with the release in 2013. PSM IV still has a heavy emphasis on enhancing workplace health and safety, but it also takes into account how "business value" plays an important role in shaping every decision that's made each day by companies around the world.

There are many similarities between BVOP and PSM III: both have their own set of standards as well as what they want to accomplish for companies across various sectors; however, there are notable differences when it comes to company goals.

The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) group puts out the guidelines which help drive what happens with business operations - this is why these two sets of principles often go hand-in-hand.

Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) vs Professional Scrum Master (PSM)

There are two distinctions between the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) and Professional Scrum Master (PSM).

A CSM must have a college degree with at least one course in project management, or have three years of experience working as a professional scrum master.

PSMs do not need any educational prerequisites to obtain certification. 

A CSM is also required to pass an exam, but this requirement can be waived if they receive other certifications which satisfy some of these requirements, such as PMP Certification from Project Management Institute or CAPS credential from International Coach Federation.

The exams for both designations include questions on agile methodologies relative to managing software development projects using scrum; team dynamics and leadership principles; understanding customer needs and the agile product development process.

The Professional Scrum Master (PSM) designation course satisfies only one of four prerequisites needed by a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM).

In contrast, the PSMs are not required to take any test at all to become certified--they simply need to complete the certification course.

Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP) vs Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster (CSP-SM)

The Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP) and the Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster (CSP-SM) are both certifications provided by Project Management Institute.

The first one is for project managers to have a better understanding of agile. And the second certification, CSP-SM, is more on scrum topics and knowledge.

In general terms, both exams cover many other skills and practices that pertain to their specific fields such as IT governance best practices or critical thinking skills in software development projects.

However, there are some key differences between these two certifications which can be summarized below: 

Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP) vs Certification Scrum Professional Scrum Master (CSP-SM)

Agile Certified Professional (PMI-ACP) covers the principles behind agile and related skills, while CSP-SM is more on scrum topics. 

PMI-ACP exam focuses mainly on project management and team dynamics in software development projects and less so on product backlogs managing or planning sprint cycles; whereas CSP-SM covers a broader variety of subjects such as IT governance best practices or critical thinking skills in software development projects. 

In general terms: PMI ACP certification is for both beginners that want to understand better how an agile environment works but also experts who are looking for certain practical aspects like risk identification techniques or brainstorming methods, meanwhile, the Scrum Master Certification goes deeper into specific scrum practices, for example, the role of a scrum master in different stages.

How to pass the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification exam?

To pass the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification exam, it is recommended to read and study the following materials: 

The Agile Manifesto. The minimal set of 13 principles that guide agile thinking in organizations! You can find them at this link: agilemanifesto.org/principles-of-lean/.

Book by Ken Schwaber "Agile Project Management with Scrums" where he provides more details on how to implement the Scrum technique within your organization to achieve success with agility as a focus for all stakeholders.

Book by Jeff Sutherland "Scrum Primer", which will give you an introduction to what scrum means and its potential benefits. Also, the book by Mike Cohn "Scrum Developer Handbook", will give you more insights on how to implement Scrums in a software development organization.

The Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification exam is designed by Ken Schwaber from Scrum Alliance. 

It tests your understanding of the material above, as well as practical experience with various aspects of Agile/Scrum projects. 

How to pass the Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster (CSP-SM) certification exam?

The CSP-SM certification exam is a ScrumMaster Certification Program that offers an advanced level of understanding around the key skills and knowledge needed to be successful in this role.

There are three CSP exams: one for CSM, another for CSA (customer support analyst), and finally, there’s also the CSP-SM on which we will focus today. If you are looking to become certified as a Certified Scrum Professional -ScrumMaster or want to maintain your current credentials with CISP®CM status — then it would make sense to take the time and prepare sufficiently before taking any examination. In order not only to get prepared but really ace this test, here are some tips from experts who have taken the exam and passed.

Take the time to get prepared properly for your exam: dedicate yourself some study time and make sure you are well versed with all of the material on offer. This will help ensure that when you sit down at your desk, none of these questions will catch you off guard.

Ensure that no matter how confident you are about a particular question, if it’s not absolutely clear what they were looking for in response — take their advice seriously and guess! You can always come back later and review this answer choice once more before submitting it.

As long as there is something concrete to go by, then guessing isn’t such a terrible idea after all; who knows -you may just be right! 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your colleagues and friends. Asking a peer, or someone who has taken the exam before can often provide you with some much-needed insight on what it is that they are looking for in response — to take advantage of this opportunity!

What is the Scrum Alliance?

The Scrum Alliance is a not-for-profit international membership organization for individuals and organizations using, teaching, or studying scrum. Formed in 2008 by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, the two authors of the Agile Manifesto, they created the nonprofit to provide education about agile software development methods such as SCRUM.

The mission statement of the Scrum Alliance is "to advance excellence within all aspects of scrum: business practices; professional skillset; community knowledge." 

In mid-2009 it was announced that there were more than 300 members in 85 countries around the world. Its headquarters are located in Mountain View, California with an office also in Austin Texas.

Sutherland has been quoted as saying he wants to see the Scrum Alliance become a "global educational accreditation body" that would certify scrum masters and software engineers, eliminating the need for them to pay fees.

What is the Agile Manifesto?

Agile Manifesto: The Agile Manifesto is a declaration of shared values. It is not a set of commandments, but rather principles that help guide us in the work we do.

We are uncovering better ways of developing software by doing it and helping others do it too (valuable). This process can be chaotic at times as new information emerges while people make mistakes along the way (embrace change).

While there's no such thing as one correct answer to all questions on how best to develop software, our experience has led us to believe that four simple statements provide some fundamental truths about what creates an environment for success with agile methodologies.

An Agilist believes… …in self-organizing and cross-functional teams.

…in the face-to-face conversation, working software and customer collaboration providing the best way of achieving success (agile).

…we're all part of one team—web designers, programmers, project managers, quality assurance engineers...everyone who has a stake in our organization's success (people before process).  …that people are capable of learning complex skills within an environment that supports them and where they can make mistakes without being punished for it (learn on your own time if necessary) ...software development is at its best when we do things as fast as possible with high quality but not spending too much time upfront trying to predict what will happen or how something should be designed only to change course later because someone came up with a better idea.

What is Business Value-Oriented Principles (BVOP)?

BVOP is a set of principles for business that manages to balance the three key drivers in an organization: shareholders, customers, and employees. It examines how well value creation aligns with these three factors. BVOP has been primarily used by large enterprises as it involves many stakeholders and complex analysis requirements. 

About Business Value-Oriented Principles Ltd.

Business Value-Oriented Principles Ltd. is a company that created the Business Value-Oriented principles for business management, specifically with large enterprises.

BVOP has been primarily used by large enterprises as it involves many stakeholders and complex analysis requirements. 

Their mission is to provide organizations with practical tools to manage their organizational value creation process more effectively across three key drivers: shareholders, customers, and employees.

The ultimate goal of these processes is increased profitability while at the same time taking into account all other nonfinancial benefits such as customer satisfaction or employee retention rates.

This includes promoting growth opportunities for each stakeholder group through improved decision-making capabilities throughout every stage of the supply chain on behalf of an organization's stakeholders.

Who is Ken Schwaber?

Ken Schwaber is the co-creator of Scrum, one of the most popular Agile methodologies with organizations worldwide. Ken has been an entrepreneur for over thirty years and a sought-after speaker on agile topics at conferences around the globe.

He also speaks about his book “The Enterprise and The Smart Company” where he discusses how enterprises need to adopt new strategies that are more entrepreneurial to thrive in today’s digital world.

Ken is the founder and CEO of Scrum, Inc., which provides consulting services to companies wanting to adopt Agile management.

Ken has written five books on software development with a focus on getting organizations prepared for the digital economy. He also wrote two novels “The Unwritten Rules” and “Texas Blink” that are available as ebooks at online retailers like Amazon Kindle Store or Barnes & Noble Nook Books store!

Who is the Scrum Master anyway?

This is a question that often gets asked. Perhaps not so much in the Scrum space, but elsewhere: "Who is this person?

Why do they get to tell me what to do?" The answer is twofold. First, Scrum Masters are servant-leaders who help remove impediments and foster teamwork among their team members.

Second, the Scrum Master facilitates meetings with stakeholders throughout a project's lifecycle from inception through the delivery of software products or systems (including internal stakeholder coordination).

The role can be difficult because it requires understanding all aspects of the business domain while simultaneously dealing with technical complexity such as object orientation, distributed computing architecture, and organizational dynamics. In other words, it takes someone brilliant!

As if that wasn't enough, the Scrum Master needs to be a skilled facilitator and communicator who can carry his or her team with them.

A good way of thinking about this role is that it's not unlike being an air traffic controller managing several aircraft at once: You need to anticipate what will happen next; make decisions on where they should go next based on constantly changing information; communicate those plans back out through radios, lights, etc.; and deal calmly but firmly with any issues that arise. In other words, you're in charge. What could be more fun than that?

What is a Product Owner in Scrum?

Product Owners are the key person in a Scrum team. They take responsibility for managing and maximizing the value of products to be delivered by their teams.

The Product Owner is responsible for setting priorities, making trade-offs, doing market research, interpreting feedback from users or stakeholders about product features and functionalities, etc. In other words: they lead with input that matters most to customers and end consumers.

When talking about user stories (a term used in Agile development), it's important to note who owns each story - you may have an architect on your team whose job is designing technical solutions but this does not make him/her accountable for delivering software because the PO should own all User Stories related to product backlogs which are not user interface related.

What's the average salary for a Scrum Master?

The average salary of a scrum master starts at $70,000 annually. There's not much job competition presently which means there's less risk in entering this profession with minimal experience than other jobs like software developer or engineer, where you'd be competing against those with years more experience over you.

The best way to enter into being a scrum master is by getting certified through PMI (Project Management Institute). This will increase your chances of securing employment significantly due to it being so rare.

Can I work as a Scrum Master without a certificate?

Yes, in some companies. But to work as a Scrum Master you need one or more of the following:

A BVOP of CSM certification, an agile coach certificate such as Pragmatic Scrum Certification, Certified Professional Co-Active Coach. Certificate in Change Management and Organizational Development from Harvard University's John F Kennedy School of Government; CSPO Certification with PMI® (Project Management Institute).

Aligns your role with professional standards for competency and ethics. This shows that you have at least six years of experience working in Agile environments.

Demonstrates commitment to the profession by investing time and money into developing higher skillsets within this field. Provides credibility when applying for positions where expertise is required.

Offers access to information on courses related to Scrum and Agile.

What are the similarities between Scrum Master and Project Manager? What are their differences?

Similarities: both have a team to lead, work with stakeholders, and create plans. Both can establish timelines for projects.

They also focus on delivering value to customers in an iterative way instead of following a waterfall approach.

The difference is that project managers typically manage one or more projects at any given time while scrum masters usually only handle one product or service development process (called a sprint) over its lifecycle from start to finish.

Differences: A scrum master has authority over how people communicate within the organization whereas a project manager does not; they do not need power over people as long as they have access privileges which a scrum master does not.

A project manager is usually seen as the person who keeps people busy whereas a scrum master has to keep everyone happy so they can continue working together well.

The differences and similarities between Scrum Masters and Project Managers are many, but their focus on iteratively delivering value is what unites them most of all.

What are some common misconceptions about Scrum masters?

• - that all they have to do is "keep everyone happy" 
• - that they're just more project managers with a different title 
• - that it's easy to work because you don't need any knowledge or skills outside of being able to talk nicely 

I feel that the biggest misconception is that they are just project managers with a different title.

There's so much more to becoming one than just talking nicely, and there are some skills you'll need to do it well. I think being good at keeping people happy can come naturally if you're easygoing or if you have empathy for other peoples' feelings - but this isn't necessarily something all Scrum masters need as part of their job description!

What are some common misconceptions about Project Managers?

• - that they're responsible for management decisions 
• - that they make sure deadlines get met by others who work on projects within an organization

I don't know very many project managers outside of the ones I've worked for, and so really can't comment on what misconceptions they might have (though it's an interesting question!). But there are some common things that people think about project managers in general:

• - that they make sure deadlines get met by others who work on projects within an organization 
• - they're responsible for management decisions - which is often not true because project managers usually report to somebody higher up than them. This could be confusing to people who don't know how a hierarchy works!
• - project managers also handle many different tasks outside of just working with other team members - like dealing with stakeholders, tracking progress, and setting timelines; they may not always "keep everyone busy" as one of their responsibilities
• - that a scrum master is just another term for project manager. This one's pretty close to the truth! It can be confusing because there are some overlaps in these two roles; it depends on what you're talking about and how each role has been defined by whoever hired that person.

For example, if I'm managing my development process (called a sprint) from start to finish with no other projects around me then I would probably be considered a Scrum Master, but if I have four or five different teams who all work on projects at once - oftentimes including "waterfall" style approaches where they don't use an iterative approach as Scrum does - then I am most likely not going to be considered a Scrum Master, but rather just another project manager.