You’ve started on your way to becoming a Certified ScrumMaster®. You’ve taken all the required courses and now are faced with the Certified ScrumMaster® exam. If you are like the majority of people you probably have a case of test anxiety and that’s okay. Take a deep breath, and relax because the CSM exam is a bit different than you might expect. Unlike the SAT, or the Project Management Professional Exam (PMP) the CSM exam will test you on the knowledge that you have gained in the two-day workshops you have already attended!
The Exam
The CSM exam is a 50 question open-book multiple-choice exam that you have one hour to finish. To be eligible to take the exam you must have completed the two-day in-person workshop. Your instructor will then notify the Scrum Alliance of your eligibility. Once this is done then you will receive an email from the Scrum Alliance.
What If You Fail?
What happens if you don’t pass the CSM exam on your first try? Again, there is no need to worry. You have one free retry. It must be completed within 90 days from the date of your first exam. If you don’t pass it after that you will have to pay $25 to take the exam again.
When You Pass?
Congratulations on passing the CSM exam! Your next step to becoming a Certified ScrumMaster® is to go to ScrumAlliance.org and create a profile for yourself and accept the Scrum Alliance licensing agreement. Your certification is good for two years and then it must be renewed on an annual basis after that.
Tips & Tricks
There are plenty of practice exams out there, we supply one as well that you can use as you work through our course.
Read through the Scrum Guide and use it as a guide for any tricky questions that trip you up.
Read through the Scrum Training workbook we supply during our training. This can give you a deeper understanding of some of the material that was covered in your workshop.
Finally, beware of tricky phrasing of questions. Pay attention to the wording and read carefully!
If you are wanting to jump-start your career and start on your way to becoming a Certified ScrumMaster®, then join Big Agile during one of our many Certified ScrumMaster® workshops that happen throughout the year!