Pocket guide to the Professional Scrum Master Certification (PSM 1)

Markus Marfurt

• Publisher: Books on Demand
• Year: 2021
• Print ISBN: 9783751957519
• eBook ISBN: 9783743129078
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Information Technology
• Index: Computer Science

The Professional Scrum Master Training of the Scrum.org is for many people the first step of a certification in the context of Scrum and agile development approaches. This certification documents like no other a deep understanding of Scrum as it is presented in the Scrum Guide.As simple and clear as these Scrum basics are described, it is however difficult for many people to put the principles and ideas presented therein into practice. This is a challenge both in their daily work and in passing the PSM certification exam.Marcus Marfurt, himself a Scrum Master and trainer for a long time, shows the transfer from the Scrum Guide to the practice of a Scrum Master's activity. The knowledge imparted is an optimal preparation for the Scrum Master certification exam.

PSM 1 CERTIFICATE AND TESTING

More and more agile development methods and frameworks, also from certificate providers, are coming onto the market and so one might ask why of all things the Scrum certificate should be acquired instead of one of the many others.

The fact that such a large number of people want to acquire the various Scrum certificates - especially the probably best known and most renowned PSM (Professional Scrum Master) certificate - is surely related to the fact that these most likely represent the pure teaching of Scrum and almost all other certificates and approaches can be traced back to it in some way. There are, however, other aspects that make the certificates of scrum.org so highly regarded:

Unlike other certifications, Scrum certificates are not awarded as a bonus for a booked course, but are based solely on an examination conducted by an independent organization (which can also be taken online), in which at least 85% of the questions must be answered correctly. This 85% hurdle represents an additional qualification for certificate holders.

What are the requirements?

• No specific training or course is required to be admitted to the exam.
• If you want to offer courses as an accredited trainer², you have to prove many years of Scrum experience as well as pass several exams, which means that corresponding training courses generally have a high level.
• Since the exam is currently only offered in English, a sufficient understanding of the English language is necessary. Especially the technical terms should be present and clear in English.
• The PSM certificate exam only asks for knowledge of the authentic Scrum framework without any other techniques or characteristics.
• The examination fees of currently 150 US$ can be paid online with credit card, Paypal or similar.
• The certification does not expire. A recertification is therefore not necessary.

Procedure of the test

Shortly after the exam is booked online, Scrum.org will send you a receipt as well as the registration confirmation with a password that you have to enter before the exam starts. To be on the safe side, allow for one day. I received the code within a few minutes.

The exam is an "Open Book" exam. It can be taken online on any PC with internet access. Unlike some other exams, video camera surveillance or going to an examination center is not necessary. Currently IE, Chrome and Safari are fully supported as browsers. It is recommended, however, to verify the currently supported browser versions before taking the exam.

All questions are checkable. There are questions that have only one answer, questions for which a certain number of correct answers are required, and questions where all correct answers must be ticked. Read the questions very carefully. Among other things, there are also questions for which all "NOT APPLICABLE" answers should be marked.

The test is classified by Scrum.org into an "Intermediate" level. However, this is put into perspective in that with 80 questions within 60 minutes there are only 45 seconds per question available and at least 85% (i.e. 68) questions must be answered correctly in order to receive a certificate.

It is possible to "bookmark" a question and answer or review it at a later time.

If you have a broken connection or other breakdown during the test, please contact (with proof) [email protected].

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² Basically anyone can offer Scrum courses. Please inform yourself about the qualification of the trainer before registration.

AUDIT STRATEGY

In general, proper preparation and strategy contributes a lot to a positive exam result. Below are some of my secrets of success. There is of course the possibility that you are a different type of learner than I am and therefore a different approach might suit you better. Check this out for yourself:

Concentrated preparation

Many people set exams sometime in the future and plan, for example, to take the certification within the next 4 or 8 weeks and prepare themselves accordingly. In the sense of "learning for life", this is in many cases a good strategy because content is repeated over a longer period of time (unless you only start in the last three days before the exam date). If the focus is on certification, I have found that it is easiest for me to schedule the exam at very short notice. If possible, I take a few days before the exam (e.g. on weekends or days off), during which I prepare for the exam from morning to night and then go straight into the exam. This ensures the highest possible level of concentration. Please make sure, however, that there are no distractions that could prevent you from learning.

Focus during the test

Start the exam when you feel mentally and physically fit. A full stomach that wants to digest is as bad for concentration as a full bladder or thirst. If possible, take the exam at an empty desk with only what you need for the exam (it is an Open Book test, so you can use note...

Table of contents

• Über das Buch
• Inhaltsverzeichnis
• SCRUM AND AGILE
• AGILE
• PSM 1 CERTIFICATE AND TESTING
• AUDIT STRATEGY
• THE THREE PILLARS OF EMPIRICAL PROCESS CONTROL
• THE VALUES OF SCRUM
• THE SCRUM TEAM
• SCRUM EVENTS
• Scrum Artifacts
• IMPORTANT SCRUM TERMS
• TO THE CONCLUSION
• Impressum