Australian Scrum Community

There have been a number of questions about the CSM Exam. To address these, here is an extract from a recent announcement from Dave Minor, Product Owner at the Scrum Alliance. Note that the exam will be introduced on April 1, 2009 (not January 1 as previously advised).

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The Scrum Alliance Board strongly believes that the value of any certification program lies in its ability to meet individuals’ diverse needs and interests for both breadth and depth of content so that it helps them improve the way they perform their job on a day-to-day basis. Meeting those needs required that we develop a body of Scrum knowledge. That body of knowledge was the framework for developing the standards and measurements for Scrum certification. This body of knowledge must be mastered by everyone who teaches, trains, coaches and practices in the use of Scrum.

In general, a profession becomes respected and its practitioners become trusted when standards are set for knowledge, skills and conduct and an assessment tool is developed to measure applicants against those standards. These standards help to define a profession, giving it the credibility that comes with the concrete evidence that its members have met certain criteria in order to practice that profession. As with other areas of expertise as diverse as law, accounting, cosmetology, medicine, SCUBA-diving, or engineering, the practice of Scrum brings with it a unique area of knowledge that can be measured through an exam at the completion of a training course.

This standard measurement not only helps to protect the integrity of Scrum as it continues to rapidly grow, but ensures that each ScrumMaster will possess a level of expertise that will enhance his or her professional endeavors. In other words, the ScrumMaster certification program with a final exam will help to ensure that the professionals practicing the Scrum framework have met a uniform standard of competency.

Launch Date

As the first step in rolling out its expanded certification program, the Scrum Alliance will launch the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification exam on April 1, 2009. Beginning April 1, ScrumMaster students worldwide will be required to take a training course and pass the CSM exam to qualify for certification.

Beta Testing

Psychometric beta testing for the CSM exam, which began during the Stockholm gathering, will continue through the end of the November. To date, more than 200 results have been captured through these beta tests. Upon completion of beta testing, the final item selection will be made to create multiple forms of the exam and set a passing standard (cut score).

Exam Process

After April 1, 2009, students who have completed a two-day CSM course will be able to take the certification exam by accessing their account on the Scrum Alliance web site created by the CST. Students who do not pass the exam on the first attempt will be able to retake it at any time. However, upon failing the exam a second or third time, students must wait one week before being allowed to retake it. Students who fail the exam a total of four times will be required to retake the CSM course before being allowed to retake the exam. Students will be required to pay a $20 exam processing fee for the third and fourth attempts.

Exam Objectives

The CSM exam will be a computer-based, non-proctored multiple-choice exam that covers objectives from four major Scrum topics. These exam objectives will be available on the Training and Certification page of the Scrum Alliance web site so that prospective candidates can prepare for the exam.

You can read more of the announcement including an FAQ over here on my new blog.