March 23, 2023

The 5 Best Scrum Master Certifications of 2023

All we need to know about Scrum Master Certification

Scrum is a prominent project management paradigm that assists businesses and organizations in managing big projects, boosting team responsibility, and lowering costs. A Scrum Master is a certified expert who aids groups of any size in organizing and scaling the Scrum process. A Scrum Master certification, also known as an advanced Scrum Master course, is a certificate that validates your knowledge of Scrum project management concepts. Being a certified Scrum Master provides recognition, makes them more desirable, and boosts their earning capacity. Now let us answer the question, are technical skills required for a scrum master? The answer is yes. While substantial technical expertise is not mandatory for a Scrum Master, experience with project-specific fields can significantly improve the Scrum Master’s role in the Scrum Group. Though Scrum credentials aren’t usually required to be a project manager, they are frequently sought and, in some cases, required in roles that strongly emphasize Scrum. Scrum master certification training gives specific knowledge in supervising big teams in several divisions and tells recruiters that an employee has the expertise and ability to oversee Agile teams. The qualification also offers the Scrum master a competitive advantage and boosts their income potential. Many firms struggle to understand the Scrum Master’s role. Understanding the functions and qualities of a good scrum master became a little easier with the 2017 Scrum Guide edition when the roles and responsibilities of the Scrum master towards the Product Owner, Development Team, and the whole firm got more explicitly outlined. Where and how to get scrum master certification is a big issue that needs attention. Let us look at the Scrum master certifications that are worthwhile to obtain.

Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

The Scrum Alliance, the first organization to offer a Scrum certification, administers the Certified Scrum Master (CSM) credential. It gets recommended for present and budding Scrum department heads from various sectors and anybody who intends to engage in cross-functional groups and tackle complicated challenges. Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (ACSM) and Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster (CSP-SM) credentials are available from the Scrum Alliance on the Scrum Master route.

  • Cost varies according to the program. As of May 2022, prices vary roughly from $450 to $1000. Course fees include examination fees.
  • Prerequisites: To become a CSM, you must complete a fourteen-hour training program and take a test at the end.

Certified Scrum Developer (CSD)

The Certified Scrum Developer (CSD) program from the Scrum Alliance got created for product developers who work in Scrum settings. You will become acquainted with the basic ideas of Scrum and Agile in product development as part of the training necessary to be a CSD. Advanced Certified Scrum Developer (ACSD) and the Certified Scrum Professional (CSP) need the CSD. Scrum.org’s Professional Scrum Developer (PSD) program is identical.

  • Price varies according to the program. Options were about $1000 in May 2022.
  • Prerequisites: To become a CSD, you must complete a two-day Scrum Alliance-approved CSD training.

Certified Scrum Professional (CSP)

The Certified Scrum Professional (CSP) is the Scrum Alliance’s greatest credential in the product development discipline. The CSP is distinctive from the CSP-PO and CSP-SM in that it gets aimed to guide you to be an expert who enhances the way Scrum and Agile concepts get applied to your group. You may begin your journey to become a CSP by being a Certified Scrum Developer (CSD).

  • The registration price is $100, and a $150 accreditation charge.
  • To be CSP qualified, you must have a valid CSD accreditation, thirty-six months of Agile or Scrum professional experience in the past five years, and seventy Scrum Education Units during the last three. You’ll then fill out the form, which must be authorized.

SAFe Scrum Master (SSM)

If you want to be a Scrum Master in a company where Agile, Lean, or DevOps principles are widely used, being SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) certified may be what you are searching for. Scaled Agile, the organization in charge of the Scaled Agile Framework, administers the accreditation (SAFe). In addition to being familiar with Scrum, you will master the instruments required to work with entirely remote teams.

  • Price varies according to the program. Courses in May 2022 vary in price from $600 to $1099. Exam charges typically get included in curriculum fees.
  • Prerequisites: You must complete a two-day training recognized by Scaled Agile and pass a test.

Scrum Product Owner Certification (CSPO)

The Scrum Alliance now offers the Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) credential, which verifies your product owner training and expertise. In the CSPO, you’ll study the fundamentals of Scrum and product-specific training, such as ways to manage numerous shareholders’ needs and establish a product strategy. The CSPO is ideal for product owners, project supervisors, business analysts, and data analysts. You may further your career as a product owner by becoming an Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner (ACSPO) or a Certified Scrum Professional Product Owner (CSP-PO).

  • Price varies according to the program. As of May 2022, prices vary roughly from $299 to $1000.
  • To get certified, you must first complete a Scrum Alliance-approved CSPO course.

Conclusion

As more businesses implement Agile and Scrum methodologies for project management, the need for qualified and trained Scrum Masters grows. Scrum Masters give skills beyond traditional project managers owing to their training in specific proven procedures. No amount of training can replace hands-on expertise, but accreditation lends legitimacy and credibility to a Scrum Master’s background, making the individual more valuable to prospective employers.