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Agile organizations have become a majority in many industries such as construction, aerospace, finance and banking, information technology, etc. As it has become a large part of the major industries, Agile frameworks are used extensively by many organizations. Few of the Agile Frameworks include Scrum, SAFe, Kanban, etc. Scrum Framework is one of the most implemented frameworks among Agile industries as it is lightweight and easy to understand. However, Scrum is difficult to master and any organization that plans to create their products, and manages them, need experts in Scrum and its tools and technologies. Organizations need excellent minds that can implement Scrum smoothly in their company and make the process hassle-free by eliminating all the impediments on their way. In this scenario, the role of a Scrum Master becomes a crucial one as they handle the process of product development by helping the Scrum developers. A Scrum Master is a highly respected individual in the Scrum Team and also a Scrum expert in the organization. 

Scrum Masters are the servant leaders that guide the Scrum Developers and aid them with any help to achieve their goals during the Sprint. The Developers is responsible for their work for developing and improving the product by coming up with updates and relevant features for the product. Guiding these teams to consistently move forward is the work of an excellent Scrum Master. As the performance of the team members reflects the product that is developed, it is essential to monitor the developers and also guide them with any glitches that they face on their way. Hence, the Scrum Master's job role is a demanding yet fruitful one that needs many soft and hard skills to master. But the real question for any enthusiast who is aiming to become a Scrum Master is to choose between the Certified Scrum Master and the Professional Scrum Master. Both of these courses are unique in their way and designed suitable for the needs of the company that the candidate works for. Let us understand more about the CSM and PSM courses individually and later compare them according to various criteria.

Certified Scrum Master Certification(CSM)

Certified Scrum Master certification (CSM) is the foundational and the most popular courses in the Scrum Framework. CSM is the first Scrum Master certification and recognized globally. Many candidates who enter the Agile organizations as Scrum Masters have mostly obtained the CSM certification. The CSM course offers the training to the candidate which is required to help the Scrum Team to perform at their highest level. The certification guides through the Scrum Framework, the principles, and the practices of Scrum. The participant would get a better understanding of the team's roles, events, and artifacts. The individuals are also taught about the internal and external distractions that affect the Scrum Team and effective ways to tackle these distractions. 

Benefits of CSM course:

• Getting opportunities to work as Scrum Master's in various industries that adopt Agile practices. 
• Gaining knowledge about the core Scrum values, principles, and practices.
• Expanding knowledge about the foundation of Scrum and the role of Scrum Master.
• Engaging with several Agile practitioners who are committed to continuous improvement. 
• CSM course becomes the stepping stone for higher advanced CSM courses such as A-CSM, CSP-SM, CST, etc. 
• Higher salary packages for Scrum Master depending on the certification level, number of years working as a Scrum Master, and the country the candidate is working in. 
• Having a higher salary package along with incentives depending on the company they are working for, the number of years working as a Scrum Master, and the country they are working for.
• CSM certification earns the candidate respect in their organization. 
• The participants can interact with various Scrum experts by becoming a member of the Scrum Alliance.

How to become a Certified Scrum Master?

The candidate has to register for the CSM course through a good institute. CSM course is provided by Certified Scrum Trainers (CSTs) accredited by Scrum Alliance. The course consists of team-based exercises and instructions from globally acclaimed instructors. After enrolling in the course, the candidate has to attend a course which is instructed by the CST. The participants can also receive private coaching from a Certified Agile Coach (CAC). If the mode of education is online, then it takes around 14 hours to complete the course. Similarly, it takes 16 hours for in-person training, and 25 hours for one-one coaching from an Agile Coach. Students get to work on real-life cases with other classmates together as a team and have to discuss the case and gain hands-on experience upon the real-life cases.

After completing the course, the participant needs to accept the License Agreement to take the 50 question CSM test which is available in 13 languages. The candidate has to answer 37 questions correctly out of 50 questions within 60 minutes. When the test is cleared, the participant receives their CSM certification through their mail along with the two-year Scrum Alliance membership. The CSM certification has to be renewed once every two years by submitting a renewal fee and Scrum Educational Units. 

Professional Scrum Master Certification (PSM)

The PSM certification is a two-day course that teaches the principles and the empirical process theory of the Scrum Framework and the role of Scrum Master in it. The PSM course is the core of Scrum and Agile and includes the free attempt of Professional Scrum Master I certification (PSM I). The PSM course teaches the candidates about the approaches to make the Scrum Team to increase their efficiency and their effectiveness. The PSM certification is a cutting-edge course for effective Scrum Masters and for professionals who look forward to coaching a team. The PSM course gives thinking about the servant-leadership and behavioral shifts. The course encourages the students to challenge their thinking in terms of Scrum principles so that they better understand the workplace. 

Benefits of the PSM certification

• Understanding the Scrum concepts in-depth such that the candidates have thorough knowledge about Scrum and its framework. 
• Becoming a recognized professional in the organization as the PSM certification certifies that the person is an expert in Scrum
• Having better job opportunities as recruiters from top companies looking for enthusiastic individuals who are keen on learning and also have proven their Scrum knowledge by taking up the PSM course. 
• The course becomes a starting point for individuals to grow in their career and take up advanced courses such as PSM II and PSM III
• The PSM course connects to other Scrum professionals in the Scrum.org platform and keeps them informed of the current trends in Agile. 

How to become a Professional Scrum Master?

The candidate has to enroll in the PSM course offered by a Registered Education Provider who is affiliated with Scrum.org. After the enrollment, the candidate has to attend the 16 hours of intensive training delivered by the PSTs. After the training, Scrum.org emails the candidates their exam access password. The exam consists of 80 questions that include Multiple-choice questions, Multiple answers and questions, and true or false questions. This is an open-book exam and the candidate is given 1 hour to complete it. The candidates have to answer 68 questions correctly (85%) out of 80 questions to pass the exam and gain their PSM certification. Once the individual gains the certificate, it is valid throughout their life and does not require any renewal. 

The individual can also get the PSM certification without going through the training process. They can visit the scrum.org website to the PSM assessment page and register their details for the PSM assessment exam. The participants have to pay an amount of $150 to take up the PSM assessment exam. The exam is the same which is given by individuals who have undergone the PSM training and has a similar format of 80 questions consisting of MCQ, MAQ, and true/false questions. By getting 85% of the answers correct the candidate clears the exam and gets the PSM certification valid for a lifetime. 

What are the main differences between the PSM and CSM certification?

PSM vs CSM: Which certification is better?

When it comes to comparison between the CSM or PSM certifications, there is no "better" course. Both courses depend on the individual's expectations and personal goals. The major difference between the Certified Scrum Master- CSM and the Professional Scrum Master-PSM is their basis of certification. In the CSM certification, the course emphasizes the interaction of the candidates with the Certified Scrum Trainer. However, with the PSM certification, the main area of focus is the PSM assessment test that analyses the ability of the participant. The philosophy of the Scrum Alliance is the unity of interaction, and that of Scrum.org is the separation of training. This contradiction was the main reason for the formation of different Scrum institutes. A CSM has attended the Scrum training, however, the PSM has passed the test by Scrum.org and may or may not have the training. 

The content provided by the CSM and the PSM are mostly the same as both the Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org are the major Scrum institutes; and that the contents are largely based on the Scrum Guide. The requirements for professionals to become Scrum Trainers are also similar. The essential difference here is that the CSM training is always conducted by a licensed trainer of the Scrum Alliance. Hence, the CSM training has a certain seal of quality for training. The issue with an apparent PSM training is that it may not be official training as the exam can be given without training. Many unlicensed trainers claim to be an expert in Scrum. For laypersons, it may not be recognizable whether the institute offers a PSM training or training with a PSM test. Hence, in this area, the candidate has to take a good look before entering the training. 

Conclusion

The PSM and the CSM certifications are both excellent courses that could be taken by professionals interested in the process of product development. As the differences between the PSM and the CSM are understood, the individuals have to be very clear about which course would get them to the Scrum Master job in their desired company. Also, which certifications would land them to their place that they desire to work. The philosophy of both courses is different and the person taking the respective courses should study in-depth before deciding the courses. Both the courses offer great career opportunities to the professional and have immense demand in top Agile organizations. Hence, whether to take up the PSM or CSM should be entirely the choice of the individual based on their preference and the company that they desire to work. 

References

1. https://www.scrumalliance.org/get-certified/scrum-master-track/certified-scrummaster
2. https://www.scrum.org/courses/professional-scrum-master-training

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