CSM VS PSM I

In the current era, most of the IT Companies prefer to hire the candidates who can implement agile and scrum in complex situations. CSM and PSM I are two different certifications for Scrum Master. Both PSM I and CSM certifications are offered by renowned governing bodies.

Like many, are you also confused about what certification to go for? Certified Scrum Master ® (CSM®) or Professional Scrum Master™ I (PSM™ I)? Well, first you need to understand why you want to go for a particular certification? The possible reasons could be that you are curious about the Scrum or you want to pursue the Scrum Master’s role in some organization. In this blog, I will try to throw some light on both the certification courses. I will also try to help you decide which one to choose to move up your career.

Before I get into details,

Let’s look at the official definitions of these two courses

Certified Scrum Master® (CSM®)

If you’re ready to adopt agile and implement Scrum or need the tools to do Scrum better, our Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) course is designed for you. During this foundational course, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of Scrum as well as how to apply it to guide your team and organization.

Source: https://www.scrumalliance.org/get-certified/scrum-master-track/certified-scrummaster

Professional Scrum Master™ I (PSM™ I)

The Professional Scrum Master™ level I (PSM I) assessment is available to anyone who wishes to validate his or her depth of knowledge of the PictureScrum framework and its application. Those who pass the assessment will receive the industry-recognized PSM I Certification to demonstrate their fundamental level of Scrum mastery.

Source: https://www.scrum.org/professional-scrum-master-i-certification

Let’s understand both the courses

Certified Scrum Master® (CSM®)

• Governing Body – Certified Scrum Master® (CSM®) is a designation offered by Scrum Alliance. Certified Scrum Master® is the number one choice among Scrum Certifications globally.
• Certification Process – To become Certified Scrum Master®, the professionals are required to attend live sessions, go through the lesson insights from the e-learning portal of iZenBridge, prepare and clear the Certified Scrum Master® exam, and claim the certificate. Your CSM® certification will be received via email. On successful completion of this Certified Scrum Master® training process, and after clearing the exam, you will be awarded the designation of Certified Scrum Master® (CSM®) by Scrum Alliance.
• Exam Format – The Certified Scrum Master® Exam will be based on the Multiple Choice Questions. The professionals will get 60 minutes (1 hour) for 50 MCQs. To pass the exam, one needs to score 74% . This translates to ensuring at least 37 questions are answered correctly out of 50.
• What’s next after CSM® – After obtaining Certified Scrum Master® Certification, you can go for advanced certificates like Advanced Certified Scrum Master® Certification (A-CSM®) and Certified Scrum Professional® – Scrum Master Certification (CSP®-SM).
• iZenBridge can help you in achieving your career goals – iZenBridge has trained thousands of professionals worldwide, and facilitated 100+ virtual sessions across 30+ countries. They believe in going beyond traditional presentations by sharing their broad and diverse expertise in implementation. They provide real-world support and grooming with community support. They also deliver free webinars and Agile workshops for the customers. They conduct special doubt clarification webinars on the demand too. You get free CSM® sample test access on their website. You can find Certified Scrum Master® interview questions series videos on their YouTube channel as 40,000+ subscribers are getting benefits of the same. They also ​have an expert team of Agile coaches who will help you design a career path of your choice inside Agile and Scrum, help you grow faster in your career and also guide you perfectly throughout the CSM® journey

Professional Scrum Master™ I (PSM™ I)

• Governing Body – Professional Scrum Master™ I (PSM™ I) is a designation offered by Scrum.org. Professional Scrum Master®™ is the industry-recognized certification course that demonstrates the fundamental level of Scrum mastery.
• Certification Process – To become Professional Scrum Master™ I, the professionals can go for PSM I assessment directly. However, there are courses available to help prepare for the assessment and gain a stronger understanding of Scrum. On successful completion of this Professional Scrum Master™ I certification process, you will be awarded the designation of Professional Scrum Master™ (PSM™ I) by Scrum.org.
• Exam Format – The Professional Scrum Master™ I Assessment will be based on Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers, and True/False. The professionals will get 60 minutes (1 hour) for 80 Questions. To pass the exam, they need to score 85%.
• What’s next after PSM™ I – After obtaining Professional Scrum Master™ I Certification, you can go for advanced certificates like Professional Scrum Master™ II (PSM II), and Professional Scrum Master™ III (PSM III) certification courses.

CSM® V/S PSM™ I

Conclusion

So, as per the current scenario, CSM®, and PSM™ I, both play an important role depending on the organizational needs. As a professional, you have to keep yourself ahead of others by being certified and showcasing your skills in a competitive market.

As per my experience, I believe the Certified Scrum Master® certification course has more demand in the market with lots of job opportunities available worldwide. CSM® certification also helps you add more credibility to your experience and increase your chances of getting shortlisted at potential roles as a Scrum Master.

Click here to know more about CSM® Certification.

You can also subscribe to iZenBridge’s YouTube channel which has 40,000+ subscribers from more than 50 countries to get lots of Certified Scrum Master® related videos including the Certified Scrum Master® interview questions series.

If you still have any questions, Feel free to write to me in the comments section below.

Hope this article was helpful. Thanks for reading!!