With many companies adopting the Agile Methodology in their organizations, the demand for Agile professionals has become higher than in recent years. Organizations have chosen Agile as it addresses many of the drawbacks of the traditional methodologies. In the Agile Methodology, many frameworks leverage Agile values and principles. Organizations adopt the Agile Methodology by adapting an Agile framework such as Scrum, Kanban, Scaled Agile, Lean-Agile, etc. Scrum framework is one of the most implemented frameworks among most of  the Agile organizations according to the 14th State of Agile report released. SAFe has also been implemented by most of the top organizations. With both of the frameworks being predominant among organizations, it becomes a challenging question for IT professionals to choose between job opportunities in Scrum or SAFe and choose whether to pursue the CSM or SAFe certification course. 

The Certified Scrum Master and the SAFe Agilist are the most recognized certifications in their respective fields. Choosing between both these certifications is a tough choice for individuals as they have to weigh all the pros and cons of both these certification courses. The type of courses the individual selects will completely depend on the organization they choose to work, their interest, and many other factors. Let us look at each of the courses individually and then list out the major differences between the CSM and SAFe courses and decide which course would be best suited for individuals looking for higher certifications.

Certified Scrum Master Certification

Scrum is one of the most implemented frameworks among Agile organizations as it is simple, lightweight, and easy to understand. Leaders, Managers, Business analysts, testers, and developers who work in the Scrum framework and want to expand their horizon of career opportunities can get the certified Scrum Master certification as it teaches them the principles, values, and methods of implementing Agile. The CSM course teaches the participants to work in small releases and the ways to handle the Scrum Team and become an excellent Scrum Master. An individual would get an abundant knowledge about the Scrum Framework by taking the Certified Scrum Master course.

But many people have this question that people are working without any CSM certification, why is taking up the CSM course considered an important step in becoming a Scrum Master. Answering this question, it is crucial to know that people who have about 8 years of experience but do not have the certification get paid about 8 Lakhs/Annum to 12 Lakhs/Annum, but people with the CSM certification can get about 12 LPA to 15 LPA when they start their career depending on the organization they are working for. Hence, the CSM certification becomes an integral step for professionals to begin their career as a Scrum Master and become a great Scrum Master in their organization and handle the Scrum product development challenges.

Details of Certified Scrum Master Course

The accreditation body for the CSM Course is the Scrum Alliance which laid out the platform to take up the Scrum certification exam. Here is a list of details required for getting the CSM certification. 

How to get the CSM certification?

The individual has to enroll with a registered education provider who is affiliated with the Scrum Alliance. After the enrollment, the participant needs to attend a 16-hour classroom training program and understand all the concepts of the Scrum framework taught by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST). The CST gives a detailed explanation of Scrum principles and practices and gives practical real-world examples to implement Agile Methods with the use of Scrum Framework. The individual learns about the Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review and Sprint Retrospective and tries to master the Principles of Agile and Scrum, Planning Poker, and Burn-down charts, etc. The participant can take the exam after completing the training or can take the time up to 90 days to prepare for the exam. After taking up the exam and qualifying it, the individual gets Certified Scrum Master Certification.

Prerequisites and cost for CSM course

The participant is not expected to have any prior experiences or certifications to enroll in the CSM certification. However, if they understand the basics of the software projects and know some basics about Agile and Scrum, it would be beneficial to them during the training. The only prerequisite to attend the CSM exam is to be present in the training program conducted by the CSTs.

The fees of the CSM course includes the training, study material, and exam fees. Individuals should choose institutes that would offer study materials and help the individual train for the CSM exam. One important point to note is that the first two attempts for the CSM exam are included in the fees, but to give the exam for the third time if failed for the first 2 times, one has to pay USD 25. Any subsequent attempts will need an additional fee of USD 25.

Examination details and Certification renewal policy

The CSM exam contains 50 Multiple choice questions and candidates have 60 minutes to complete the test. The difficulty level depends on the knowledge of the participant as the right institutes would thoroughly train the individuals about Scrum concepts. A minimum of 37 questions must be answered correctly to pass the exam. After the exam is cleared, the candidate gets the CSM certification along with the two years of Scrum Alliance membership. The validity of the certification after two years can be extended for another 2 years by earning 20 SEUs and paying USD 100 as a renewal fee to Scrum Alliance.

Levels of Scrum Master Certification

CSM- Certified Scrum Master

ACSM- Advanced Certified Scrum Master

CSP- Certified Scrum Professional

Reasons for taking the CSM certification

• It is one of the most sought certifications by IT professionals and catches the recruiter's eye faster than other candidates applying for the job. 
• Top Companies recruit Certified Scrum Master as they deliver a top-notch quality of the product and great value to the customers.
• Taking up the CSM certification makes the professional relevant to the market and always opens many career opportunities in the market.
• The individual gets to interact with a community of Scrum experts by getting access to the membership of the Scrum Alliance.
• Better reach in the Scrum community would get the best software projects to handle and individuals can work and have better experiences.
• Getting a higher salary package and many incentives compared to their non-certified peers.
• CSM can become a stepping stone to achieve higher Scrum Master certifications and become an expert in Scrum in their organization.

SAFe Certification

When companies are already moving into larger enterprises, and their lean portfolio is empowered, then doing a SAFe certification training would make more sense. One of the foundational SAFe certification is SAFe Agilist. A SAFe Agilist training program educates the candidates about implementing and delivering significance through ART (Agile Release Trains). They also educate about leading the Agile transformation in the organization, teach about building the delivery pipeline without interruption, and also shed light on the DevOps culture. Based on the experience of the individual, the person acquiring the SAFe Agilist certification could get paid anywhere between 16 LPA and 24 LPA. 

Details of SAFe Agilist Certification Course

Here are some details about the SAFe certification training, exam details, prerequisites, cost, certification renewal policy, and details about getting the certification.

SAFe Certification Training and Exam details

The SAFe Agilist certification is issued by Scaled Agile after completing the 2-day classroom SAFe training and passing the online examination. The training program for SAFe is mandatory as it teaches all individuals about the lean Agile transformation in the correct manner.

How to get a SAFe Agilist Certification?

The individual has to enroll for the SAFe certification course with a reputed institution that is affiliated with the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). After enrolling, the candidate learns about the Agile values and practices at an enterprise level. The training is for 16 hours and is conducted in a classroom. After completing the 2-day course, the participants can appear for the online test and clear the examination, and get certified. 

Prerequisites for SAFe Agilist Training

The SAFe Agilist training could be taken by professionals who have at least five years of experience in software development. The candidate has to have a thorough understanding of the Scrum framework to learn about the lean -Agile process at the enterprise level. 

Cost of Certification

The cost of SAFe Agilist Certification depends on the institute that the candidate enrolls in. The cost of the certification includes the cost of the 2-day training, SAFe Agilist certification exam fees, study materials, one-year membership with the Scaled Agile community. If the participant does not take the exam within 30 days of completing the training, they have to pay an additional USD 50 to appear for the test. 

Details of the Examination

The SAFe online exam consists of 45 objective questions under 9 subheadings which includes the top 3 subheadings, Lean Portfolio, ART and SAFe. To pass the exam, one must answer at least 34 questions correctly. The difficulty level of the exam depends on the number of hours the candidate spends learning and getting trained. The exam would be easy for those individuals who have understood the SAFe concepts thoroughly.

How to renew the certificate?

The validity of the certificate is for one year. To extend the validity to another year, USD 100 must be paid online on the Scaled Agile website using the same login credentials that were given for attending the exam.

Reasons to get the SAFe Agilist certification

• The candidates with SAFe Agilist certification are recognized by companies all over the world as SAFe certification is a globally recognized certification course.
• Getting a hike in the salary package when compared to the non-certified peers.
• Increases job opportunities in top reputed companies which includes many incentives during the salary hike.
• More chances for growth in the career while working in top companies using SAFe.
• The decision-making capabilities of the person are enhanced at an enterprise level.
• The candidate learns to resolve project complexities by using the concepts of SAFe.
• Being recognized as a SAFe expert in the organization.
• Candidates get to interact with the Scaled Agile community and network themselves with experts from all over the world.
• The certification gives a start to whole new opportunities as the candidate can grow as a professional by taking up new experiences and challenges.
• Certified Scrum Master vs SAFe Agilist

When it comes to comparing SAFe vs CSM, we have to consider the major differences between the courses. Also, the area of interest of the candidate as well as the organization implementing Agile matter in this case. Let us understand the differences between Certified Scrum Master vs SAFe Agilist.

CSM and SAFe Agilist Comparison Table

Recommendation

The Certified Scrum Master is a basic Agile/Scrum learning opportunity and certification while the SAFe Agilist certification is to learn how to scale in a larger enterprise, how to work in multiple teams etc. However as SAFe certification is built on Scrum framework, it is a wise decision to learn Scrum first and learn about Scaling later. So the author's recommendation is to pursue CSM first, experience in Scrum for a few months/1 year and then pursue SAFe Agilist certification if the organization is implementing Scaling practices.

Conclusion

The Certified Scrum Master and the SAFe Agilist certification are both recognized courses in their respective frameworks. It is up to the candidate to decide between these courses based on their ability and knowledge of the frameworks. If the individual is a fresher and does not have many ideas about the Scrum framework, the CSM course is an excellent opportunity to learn. It teaches them all the basics of Scrum and makes them ready to handle Scrum Teams on organizational levels. However, if the person has experience of more than 5 years in Scrum and knows thoroughly about the framework, the SAFe Agilist certification is a great opportunity to climb up their career ladder. The candidates can learn more about enterprise-level Agile practices and handle complex projects across organizations. Hence, deciding the courses depends on the level of experience and the interests of the individual.

References:

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

https://www.scaledagile.com/certification/certified-safe-agilist/