I recently obtained the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) certification from Scrum.org with a score of 95% on the first attempt. I specify that I did not attend any training beforehand, relying only on my experience and good preparation for the exam. Through this article, I would like to share with you my experience in preparing for this certification.
After 4 years of experience in the world of agility, I decided to have my knowledge of Scrum recognized through an official and recognized certification. After a comparative research of existing certifications, my choice fell on the Professional Scrum Master certification.
One of the positive elements of the PSM I certification is that it naturally assesses your knowledge. It is not necessary to attend a mandatory training beforehand (although it is advisable). The cost of the assessment is $150, which is very reasonable compared to other certifications on the market.
I started by following the advice and feedback of other people who had passed and passed the PSM I certification before me, just like you reading this article. It is nevertheless important to remember that your state of mind vis-à-vis Scrum as well as your experience are the best assets to pass the PSM I certification.
There are many Scrum professionals around the world. Although some of them doubt the need to have a Scrum Master certification, it seems interesting to me to enhance and have their skills recognized. We will not discuss the subject further, as it has already been covered in another article.
Read the Scrum Guide all over the place
The best advice anyone can give is to read the Scrum Guide up and down, written by Ken Schwaber (founder of Scrum.org and co-creator of Scrum) and Jeff Sutherland (co-creator of Scrum ). All the theory and definitions of Scrum are contained in the 19 pages of the Scrum Guide (16 pages for the English version). Personally, I have found this Guide to be an excellent document. This digest of Scrum presents only the fundamental elements that you absolutely must know to use Scrum.
I printed the latest version of the Scrum Guide and highlighted the keywords that seemed important to me. If you have not already done so, read the guide for the first time and you will realize that it is easy to understand and only takes a little time to complete in full (about fifteen minutes at most). However, keep in mind that each sentence carries essential information. Even if it is important to know what is written, it is even more important to understand its meaning by knowing why what is written, is written. Read it regularly and apply yourself to understanding every word of the document as a whole.
When I have my first training test (Open Assessment), the result of this one was not the best. I then hastened to read the Scrum Guide again to understand the reason for this discrepancy. I was then surprised not to have found the exact answer in the Scrum Guide. However, when I resumed reading more slowly, paying attention to the meaning, while keeping the test questions in mind, I really understood the meaning of the words in the guide. Although it is easier said than done, you will need to change your mindset to get Scrum certification and other certifications like PMP certification as well.