CSM® Training in Chicago, IL

Become an exceptional Scrum Master with real-time Scrum activities and simulations

  • Global Registered Education Provider (REP) of Scrum Alliance
  • Get trained by globally renowned Certified Scrum Trainers (CSTs)
  • Earn 16 PDUs and 16 SEUs in just 2 days
  • Experiential learning with Case studies, Scrum Activities, Role plays, & Simulations
  • Progressive learning and support to further your Scrum knowledge
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Why should you go for a CSM certification?

Scrum, an Agile framework has been picking up momentum in creating innovation and improving productivity across organizations. A high-performing Scrum team always contributes to the success of an Agile project and the Scrum Master is the main person responsible for steering the project in the right direction. The Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) course boosts your confidence in implementing the Scrum framework effectively in organizations.

CSM® certification- Adding value to your career

As a Certified ScrumMaster, you will be known as being part of an elite group engaged with Scrum Alliance. The members of Scrum Alliance are meant to be Scrum specialists, guiding the project teams to success. Here is why CSM® certification should be a part of your skill set:

  • Based on the recent salary survey by Ziprecruiter, the average annual salary for the Certified ScrumMaster is $116,659 a year.
  • CSM® certification enables you to work across major companies like IBM, Tata Consultancy Services, CapGemini, Honeywell, BOSCH, Accenture, Deloitte and many more in several job roles, such as:
    • Scrum Master
    • Delivery Lead
    • Agile Scrum Master
    • Program Manager
    • Project Manager
    • Agile Coach
    • Automation Engineer
    • Project Lead

Today, most of the IT as well as non-IT industry majors are hiring candidates who are familiar with the Scrum framework. A Certified ScrumMaster® can upscale an organization in the following ways:  

  • Guide team members through the product development
  • Help the team deliver quality products
  • Participate in the team activities with ease and also learn how to own a task
  • Resolve the impediments and enhance the team’s collaboration
  • Act as a change agent and enable a culture in which teams can flourish
  • Become a servant leader for Scrum teams that are involved in developing high-end products

Scrum framework believes in ‘self-organization’. Making a career in Scrum as a Scrum Master will help an individual to-

  • Gain a high degree of proficiency in executing Scrum.
  • Contribute in creating a healthy work environment.
  • Earn the skills that make an individual immune to internal and external distractions.
  • Become self-motivated to escalate the performance of the team.
  • Get more job opportunities in IT as well as non-IT organizations with a good pay.

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Process to become a Certified Scrum Master

Steps to become a CSM

  • Step 1: It takes only 2 min to register on KnowledgeHut, a Global REP of Scrum Alliance (SA).

  • Step 2: Take the 2-day CSM course and get instructed by Certified Scrum Trainers® (CSTs).

  • Step 3: SA will send you a link to create login credentials on successful completion of course.

  • Step 4: Click on the link received from Scrum Alliance and create your own login credentials.

  • Step 5: Take the 1hr online CSM® test which comprises of 50 MCQs by using those credentials.

  • Step 6: Score a minimum of  74% to pass the CSM® test, after completing the course.

  • Step 7: Once the test is cleared, you will be requested to accept a license agreement.

  • Step 8: After accepting it, you will receive CSM designation & a 2-year membership from SA.

  • Step 9: You have to renew the certification once every two years.

Prerequisites

There is no set of eligibility requirements to attend this Scrum Master Certification course and it can be taken by freshers or professionals who want to:  

  • Further their career in project management. 
  • Deepen their understanding of Scrum. 

Our experienced CSTs deliver training in such a way that is suitable for both novice and experienced professionals. But, it is recommended that you should have basic knowledge of using Scrum in the real-world, in order to get the most from the training. You can do this by following the 1-day Agile and Scrum foundation training by KnowledgeHut. 

Who Usually Attend CSM Training

  • Software Engineers
  • Product Managers
  • Project Managers
  • Team Leaders
  • Business Analysts
  • Development team members
  • Testers
  • Anyone who would like to build a career as a Scrum Master

What You Will Learn in this CSM Workshop

1. Learn Fundamentals

Understand the foundation of Agile and Scrum concepts and help Scrum teams in using Scrum effectively.

2. Terminologies and Concepts

Acquire knowledge of Scrum terminologies, various concepts, and the complete Scrum process.

3. Scrum Roles

Understand various roles involved in Scrum and the scope of the Scrum Master role in Scrum.

4. Core Competencies

Learn key Scrum Master core competencies and protect the team from internal and external distractions.

5. Scrum Ceremonies

Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective, Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Definition of Done.

6. Facilitate Teams

Facilitate the Development Team, Product Owner, and the organization while responding to change.

7. Improve Transparency

Inspect and adapt and increase transparency in each of the Scrum events and make the team’s work visible.

8. Acts as a Servant Leader

Learn to help the team members work collaboratively and follow every Scrum process involved in it.

KnowledgeHut Experience

EXPERIENTIAL WORKSHOPS

Learn from the real-world experience of accredited industry experts and advance your knowledge with in-class activities and simulations.

ELITE PANEL OF CSTs

Interact with accredited CSTs who also have years of experience as active Scrum practitioners.

LEARN FROM PRACTITIONERS

Learn directly from active practitioners engaged in implementing Scrum principles in real projects.

GATEWAY TO SCRUM COMMUNITIES

Get access to a wider community of active Scrum professionals and enhance your practical knowledge of Scrum.

CONTINUOUS LEARNING AND SUPPORT

Avail continuous support through monthly webinars, e-books, and conferences and keep pace with the latest industry updates.

HANDY RESOURCES

Access to latest resources like Scrum tutorial, articles, Scrum Master interview Q&A, & case studies prepared by the industry experts.

GLOBAL REP

150,000+ professionals trained across 90+ countries globally. 

100% SUCCESS GUARANTEED

Our CSM training program comes with a 100% Success Rate.

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CSM Training and Certification FAQs

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PDUs and SEUs

Why Global Corporates Prefer KnowledgeHut As Their Training Partner

A provider of Enterprise Learning Solutions (ELS), KnowledgeHut creates industry-fit talents through training, coaching, and consulting by globally-acclaimed trainers. Much of KnowledgeHut’s repute in co-creating business value stems from:

  • Training delivered in 70+ countries.
  • 250+ industry-relevant courses.
  • Consulting and coaching to transform organizations.
  • Trainers with experience in Retail, E-commerce, Energy & Utilities, etc.
  • 500+ Clients
  • Amazon
  • Capgemini
  • Coca-Cola
  • Cognizant
  • HP
  • PWC
  • IBM
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Individuals Can Enroll In Groups To Avail Huge Discounts

By registering in groups, you can save up to 20% on the course fees. The discount you can avail will depend on your group size.

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3 to 4 people 5%
5 to 9 people 10%
10+ people 15%
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CSM Course Curriculum from Scrum Alliance

Get familiar with the 12 principles and 4 values stated in the Agile Manifesto through our popular in-class activity- “Draw and demonstrate”. Herein, you will be asked to form groups and illustrate all 12 principles pictorially.

What you will learn

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • Explain the 12 principles and 4 values listed in the Agile Manifesto.
  • Demonstrate the benefits of “responding to change” in Agile over “following a plan” in traditional project management.
  • Describe how the Scrum values (courage, focus, commitment, respect, openness) relate to the Scrum artifacts, events, and roles.
  • List and explain the three pillars in Scrum ― Transparency, Inspection, Adaptation.
  • Explain the differences between framework and methodology and understand why Scrum is called a framework.
  • List 5 ways to develop an Agile mindset.
  • Illustrate 2 differences between Agile and Scrum and explain why these two terms cannot be used interchangeably.

Topics covered

  • Agile Manifesto
  • 12 Principles
  • 4 values
  • Scrum Foundations (5 Scrum Values)

Learn more about the three roles in Scrum with role-based activities. Each group will play a simulation game called “candy catch” that will have three iterations. The Scrum Master and Product Owner (chosen by group members) will coordinate and help the team achieve the highest target within the shortest time.

What you will learn

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • Conduct a retrospective to list 3 techniques to improve the performance and turnaround time.
  • Explain the roles and responsibilities of a Scrum Master and a Product Owner.
  • List 3 differences between a Scrum Master and a Product Owner and understand why these two roles should not overlap.
  • Discuss how a product owner acts as a bridge between the development team and the stakeholders.
  • Understand why a Scrum Master is not an active participant but a facilitator in the Scrum events and ceremonies.
  • List 3 demerits of having a development team of less than 3 members or greater than 10 members.

Topics covered

  • Scrum Master roles and challenges
  • Product Owner roles and responsibilities
  • Development team roles and responsibilities

Take part in the Scrum Paper Plane game and learn how the 5 Scrum ceremonies work. There will be 3 sprints, each lasting 15 minutes. You need to prepare the user stories that will cover the features and functionalities along with acceptance criteria.

What you will learn

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • Explain the “why” and “how” of sprint planning, daily scrum, sprint review, and retrospective.
  • Understand why the scope and duration of a sprint are fixed.
  • List 3 ways to avoid sprint backlog spillover.
  • Define sprint goals and discuss 5 benefits of having a sprint goal.
  • Understand how the Scrum Master and the Product Owner should coordinate with the team and list 5 points to improve such communications.
  • Discuss 3 damaging impacts of sprint cancellation and how to avoid it.
  • List 10 sprint anti-patterns (E.g. sprint cancellation, variable sprint length) and understand how these impact the delivery and turnaround time.

Topics covered

  • Sprint planning
  • Daily Scrum
  • Sprint Review
  • Sprint Retrospective

Experience how scrum works in real projects with our simulation game “Crime Teller”. The activity will be divided into 3 sprints, wherein the participants will actively employ Product backlog refinement among other scrum artifacts to solve a given “crime” story.

What you will learn

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • List and demonstrate 5 salient features of a well-formed product backlog (E.g. estimated, prioritized).
  • Discuss 2 responsibilities of the Product Owner, Scrum Master, and the Development team in creating and maintaining a product backlog.
  • The objective of having a product backlog and best approaches to product backlog refinement.
  • Analyze and discuss the ideal time and capacity to be dedicated to product backlog refinement.
  • Demonstrate 3 activities (E.g. budget and timeline, release schedule) that take place during a sprint review.
  • List 5 sprint review anti-patterns (E.g. delayed   acceptance) and their negative impacts

Topics covered

  • Product Backlog
  • Sprint Backlog
  • Product Increment

Learn about Scrum life cycle by taking part in the “coin game”. The participants will be linking ceremonies to create effective sprint goals. This module will focus on the common challenges in sprint execution and enable team members to improvise.

What you will learn

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • Explain the difference between resolution meetings and daily standups.
  • Explain the benefits of collaborations with product owners.
  • List 3 demerits of over collaboration of the product owners.
  • Demonstrate 3 ways to break the barriers and collaborate
  • Demonstrate creation of sprint burndown chart
  • Explain 3 approaches to increase efficiency in the team

Topics covered

  • Sprint Execution Planning
  • Flow management
  • Resolution meetings
  • Communication (Taskboard, Sprint burndown chart using story points, hours effort)

Play the “Marshmellow Tower” game and learn more about daily scrum and sprint retrospective in real scrum projects. The tallest tower built with the minimum raw materials and in the shortest time frame will win. Acceptance criteria will be defined by the instructor.

What you will learn

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • Explain the importance of 15-minute timebox for daily scrum meetings.
  • List 3 differences between traditional meetings and daily stand-ups.
  • Describe 2 roles played by the Scrum Master, Product Owner, and the Development team in daily scrum.
  • List the 3 critical questions pertaining to the daily scrum agenda.
  • List 2 responsibilities of the Scrum Master, Product Owner, and the Development team during the sprint retrospective.

Topics covered

  • Activities in daily scrum
  • Activities in sprint retrospective

Familiarise yourself with Definition of Done (DoD) and Acceptance Criteria with the “Crazy Juggler” game wherein you need to pass a fixed number of balls to non-adjacent team members within a certain time frame and collect them in a paper bag once marked as “done”.

What you will learn

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • Explain Definition of Done at three levels ― user story (e.g. writing code), sprint, and release (e.g. preparing release notes).
  • List 3 benefits of Definition of Done and explain why it can evolve over a certain period of time.
  • Prepare a checklist (with a minimum of 7 entries) of an ideal DoD.
  • Mention 3 risks associated with an ill-formed DoD.
  • List 5 characteristics of good acceptance criteria.
  • Understand who all should be involved in drafting the acceptance criteria.
  • List 3 negative impacts of not following the acceptance criteria.

Topics covered

  • Definition of Done for a feature (user story or product backlog item)
  • Definition of Done for a sprint
  • Definition of Done for a release
  • Definition of Done vs. Acceptance criteria
  • Done vs. Done-Done.

Acquaint yourself with the Definition of Ready with our Lego blocks game wherein the attendees will be asked to build a city out of Lego building blocks. The “definition of ready” checklist for the final deliverable will be determined by the instructor.

What you will learn

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • Create an ultimate checklist of Definition of Done.
  • List 3 negative impacts of an ill-formed Definition of Done.
  • Identify at least 3 benefits of a shared Definition of Done for multiple teams working on the same product backlog.
  • List 2 ways to improve Definition of Done.
  • Clearly understand the differences between “done” and “done done”.

Topics covered

  • Definition of Ready for user story
  • Definition of Ready for sprint

Play the self-organization game “Human Knots” by forming teams of 5-6. Groups where team members can untie themselves first win. The time frame for this activity will be decided by your instructor. Each team will have a Scrum Master and Product Owner chosen by group members.

What you will learn

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • Define and understand the steps involved in release planning.
  • List 3 benefits of a well-organized release planning.
  • List 3 outputs of release planning.

Topics covered

  • Definition of release planning
  • Who takes part in release planning
  • Steps in Release planning
  • Output of Release Planning

Acquaint yourself with the Sprint Burndown Chart concepts by taking part in the ball point game. There will be 5 iterations and the number of points being expected at the end of the release will be communicated to the team.

What you will learn

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • Define and understand sprint burndown chart.
  • List 3 primary reasons to use a burndown chart.
  • Learn how to create and calculate a burndown chart.
  • Explain how to adjust upcoming sprints based on the burndown.
  • List 3 critical information obtained from a burndown chart.
  • List 5 merits and 2 demerits of using a burndown chart.
  • Understand 5 common errors that lead to misleading information in burndown charts.

Topics covered

  • Definition
  • Why and when to use a sprint burndown chart
  • Information obtained from sprint burndown chart

Take part in the ball point game and understand the in-depth concepts of release burn-up charts and why Scrum teams use them. There will be 5 iterations and once the sprint is completed, the team will put a mark on the release burn-up as to how many points are completed.

What you will learn

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • Understand the importance of having a release goal (based on historical data and agreement).
  • Demonstrate the importance of release burn-up in understanding the current status.
  • List 2 differences between burndown and burn-up charts.
  • Explain how to adjust release planning (if needed) based on the burn down.
  • Tell one primary advantage of a burnup chart over a burndown chart.  

Topics covered

  • Definition
  • Features
  • How to create a release burn-up chart (steps)

Topics covered

  • What is product planning
  • What is product vision
  • How to create a product backlog
  • Product Roadmap 
  • Minimum Releasable features (or) Minimum Marketable Features 
  • Minimum Viable Products

Be a part of the Lego Building Blocks game wherein participants will be asked to write user stories for every activity involved. The game will entail 3 iterations and attendees will prepare user stories that will cover the features and functionalities along with acceptance criteria. 

What you will learn 

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • Define and explain user stories and understand the importance of user stories in real-time projects.
  • Explain the 3 Cs in user stories.
  • Discuss the importance of acceptance criteria and list 3 scenarios that might arise when the acceptance criteria are not met.

Topics covered

  • What are user stories?
  • Structure/format of user stories
  • INVEST criteria

Learn more about the “what” and “how” of Agile estimation with our in-class Agile board game “Scrumble”. In an interactive setting, this game will let you analyze the common challenges faced by Scrum team members during implementing different estimation techniques in Agile.

What you will learn 

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • List and demonstrate 5 benefits of Agile estimation.
  • Understand the 7 popular Agile estimation techniques and decide which one is the best for your project.
  • Discuss 3 benefits of Relative Estimation and Planning Poker.
  • List and explain 3 common mistakes made while using Relative Estimation and their negative impacts.
  • Discuss in detail the 5 critical steps in Planning Poker. 

Topics covered

  • Definition
  • Benefits of Agile Estimation
  • Agile estimation techniques

Know everything about planning poker from our popular poker card estimation game. Team members/estimators have to privately select one card and the value on each card would represent the story point. Once all cards are revealed, the values need to be discussed.

What you will learn 

At the end of this activity, you will be able to-

  • List 5 benefits of planning poker estimation technique.
  • Decide the best sequence for the values (story points) on cards for your real-time projects.
  • Discuss in detail the 5 critical steps in Planning Poker. 
  • List 3 points to heed for employing planning poker for distributed teams.

Topics covered

  • Definition
  • Benefits
  • Participants
  • How to play planning poker
  • Planning Poker rules

Journey of Certified Scrum Master Professional


CSM Training and Certification FAQs

Certified Scrum Master

The Certified ScrumMaster® is a designation offered by Scrum Alliance that validates an individual as a Scrum Practitioner who can lead a Scrum project skillfully. The Scrum Master is also called the Servant Leader as he/she helps the team members to succeed in implementing the Scrum framework.

When it comes to being a successful Scrum Master, there are certain roles and responsibilities that need to be performed. Following are the primary roles and responsibilities of the Scrum Master:

  • Act as a facilitator and servant leader who encourages self-organization
  • Remove obstacles so that the team can focus more on work and follow practices of Scrum
  • Protect the team from internal and external distractions
  • Ensure a good relationship between the product owner and the team along with the members outside the team
  • Set up an environment where the team can perform more effectively
  • Manage the scrum process in coordination with the scrum team
  • Conduct retrospective meetings
  • Address team progress

The exponential growth of Scrum, combined with Scrum adoption in 65% of IT enterprises globally indicates the need for Certified ScrumMasters who can facilitate complex project execution. A CSM certification from any Global REP (Registered Education Provider) helps reinforce your industry identity as an Agilist who can lead projects to successful execution.

A Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM) has been taught by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) the Scrum terminology, practices, and principles that will enable him or her to act as a Scrum Master or Scrum team member. This credential is a first step on the Agile path. To become a true, practicing Scrum professional requires enough experience and continuing education.

No, there is no online/virtual course for CSM. Scrum Alliance believes that understanding Scrum requires a greater level of personal interaction than can be delivered in a virtual environment.

Through this membership, you can join local user group and online social networks, get discounts on gatherings, and enjoy additional member-only resources. In addition, CSMs can use a specially designed logo to highlight their credentials.

According to Scrum Alliance, a Certified Scrum Master course helps to increase the likelihood of a project’s overall success by applying Scrum principles and techniques. By understanding the values, practices, and applications, you can act as a ‘servant leader’ rising above and beyond an average project manager and helping your organization achieve meaningful goals.

Scrum framework has become the Agile framework of choice for today’s organizations. Based on a survey by VersionOne’s 2018 State of Agile Development survey, currently 56% of the Agile teams are implementing a pure Scrum approach for delivering their projects and 70% of the respondent’s organization are implementing hybrid approaches such as Scrum, ScrumBan, and Scrum/XP.

Scrum framework is simple to learn but difficult to implement. The organizations implementing Scrum for the first time, require the presence of a skilled Scrum Master on a team. Being a Certified ScrumMaster, an individual can undertake the role of a Business Analyst, Lead Software, Engineer, Project Manager, Information Technology, Staff Scrum Master, Delivery Lead, Agile, Scrum Master, Technical Program Manager, Senior Project Manager, Agile Coach, QA Automation Engineer, Software Project Lead, etc.  

Agile methodology is one of the top 5 required skills, coming in at the 2nd position of LinkedIn’s list of the Most promising Jobs for 2018.  This list shows that the knowledge of Agile methodologies including Scrum framework is one of the most sought-after skills today.

Job opportunities are continuously increasing in number which in turn is raising the demand for professional and skilled Scrum Masters. Hiring Certified ScrumMasters in the Agile organizations will make sure that the team is properly implementing Scrum. Obtaining the Certified Scrum Master (CSM) training will give you the extra edge in your job search and help you to get a high-paying job that will set you up to go in a new direction on your Agile journey

Nowadays, Scrum has been gaining momentum in creating innovation and facilitating continuous value delivery. Scrum is easy to learn but difficult to implement. Though adopting Scrum is a challenge for the non-Agile organizations, the demand for the Scrum framework is growing exponentially today.

The latest State of Scrum report says that nearly 85% of their recent survey respondents have taken up Scrum Master certification and a whopping 63% success rate of  Scrum projects explains why Scrum Master certification tops the charts.

Here is a list of the top companies that have hired Certified ScrumMaster professionals in Chicago:

  • Salesforce- an American cloud-based software known for its CRM product and sells a complementary suite of enterprise applications focused on customer service, marketing automation, analytics, and application development.
  • HCSC- a not-for-profit health insurance company offering group life, disability, and dental solutions, as well as range of other individual solutions.
  • Impact Networking- offer design strategic and cost-effective solutions for information and document workflow in the workplace.
  • Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago- on of the twelve regional Reserve Banks that, along with the Boards of Governors in Washington, D.C., make up the nation’s central bank.
  • TransUnion- an American consumer credit reporting agency that collects and aggregates information on over one billion individual consumers in over thirty countries.

Scrum tools help in addressing the pain points of the project delivery and in staying focused on the project. They also help to prioritise and manage the tasks  involved to take the project to the finish line. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular Scrum tools:

Tool Name

                                       Features

Cost

Jira

The most popular and widely used cloud and subscription-based software for Agile teams.

$10/month for up to 10 users

$7/month for 11-100 users

Vivify Scrum

A well-balanced tool with an appealing UI and useful Scrum features.

Offers free version for 14-days

$8/user/month

ScrumDO

This is the tool built and priced to scale your Agile projects.

$8.99/month for up to 10 users

Manuscript

A new tool built for the real-world barriers that exist in a software development environment.

$62/month for 5 users

Axosoft

This Scrum tool offers organization and structure to many components of Scrum project management.

$25/month for 5 users

Targetprocess

This Scrum tool enables software development teams to speed up product delivery at all levels of the organization.

Offers free Team version

$20/user/month

Yodiz

It offers a greater degree of visibility into your team’s progress and increases overall efficiency.

Offers free version for up to 3 users

$3/user/month

Quickscrum

This Scrum tool helps your team to collaborate better, reach goals, and improve continuously.

$3/user/month

Scrumwise

It allows you to focus on your project, improve communication, enhance teamwork and gives you faster results.

$7.50/user/month

ScrumDesk

Designed for teams implementing Scrum or Kanban and supports Agile practices like root cause analysis or retrospectives.

Free for up to 4 users

$9/month for up to 5 users

ClickUp

It helps to make projects more productive with a well-designed and intuitive platform.

$5/user/month

Zoho Sprints

A tool that helps Agile teams plan and track their work.

Offered as a free tool for up to 3 users and 2 projects

$8.30/user/month for up to 10 users

Your next step toward a Certified Scrum Professional after earning your CSM certification and a year of experience working as a CSM on a Scrum Team is to achieve your Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM℠) certification.

CSM Training In Chicago

The Certified ScrumMaster® course offers training in the fundamentals essential for the Scrum team members or a professional Scrum Master.

Professionals interested in this course can attend. A course completion certificate from Scrum Alliance by our Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) ensures your eligibility for the online CSM test.

The following individuals can take this course:

  • Anyone who would like to build a career as a Scrum Master
  • Teams transitioning to Scrum
  • Managers of Scrum teams
  • Scrum team members such as product owners and developers

If you are already working as a Scrum Master, then taking this course helps to strengthen your Scrum knowledge and skills.

Our Certified Scrum Trainers® (CSTs) are:

  • Professionals licensed by Scrum Alliance to teach the official Scrum Alliance curriculum.
  • Masters in Scrum who have immense experience in leading, applying, coaching, and teaching it.
  • Skilled in product management and software development.
  • Subject experts who are active in software development and local Agile communities, along with the broader global Scrum and Agile movements.

Our dedicated team of CSTs conducts training at par with the standards of merit as set out by the Scrum Alliance, making every candidate learn the same high-quality content with no regard to the trainer and the location. They also help you excel in the aptitude and capability needed by you to make a difference in your organization.  

The site is listed under the selected workshop on the KnowledgeHut website. If not so,  then feel free to contact us and we’ll reach out for you. Our CSM training sessions are held at different locations in Chicago such as:

  • Four Seasons Hotel Chicago- 120 E Delaware Pl, Chicago, IL 60611•(312) 280-8800
  • The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago- At Water Tower Place, 160 E Pearson St, Chicago, IL 60611•(312) 266-1000

The training venue is based on the preferences made by most of the individuals, trainers available, venue availability, etc. Find a suitable location for yourself and earn the industry-recognized credentials.

No, it cannot be taken. Scrum Alliance believes that true learning requires in-person training and hands-on experience with a CEC or CST. The CSM exam is not provided as a substitute for formal training.

No. Certified membership is for individuals who have completed the CSM classroom training.

In case you are familiar with the Scrum basics available on the Scrum Alliance website, then two-days of CSM training is sufficient to clear the Scrum Master certification exam.

After completing your CSM course, you will receive an email from Scrum Alliance that includes a link to create your login credentials. After receiving your membership email, you have 90 days to take and complete the test.

Our experienced and highly qualified trainers deliver practical and interactive training programme with accurate, clear, and updated materials to help you understand the concepts clearly and pass your CSM exam without much difficulty.

Over the past decade, we have trained over 500 companies, comprising of small, medium and large-scale enterprises that increased our reach globally. We plan to keep up long-term relationships with our valuable clients by surpassing their expectations. Here are some of the top companies in Chicago that got trained by KnowledgeHut:

  • Bank of America- a multinational investment bank and financial services company
  • American Express- an American multinational financial services corporation
  • Centurylink- an American telecommunications company
  • Here Technologies- a company that provides mapping and location data and related services to individuals and companies
  • Corporate Pricing- We offer group discounts that suit your budget and your organizational needs
  • Customised Courses- Our courses can be tailored as per the specific learning needs of the employees
  • Expert instructors and accredited courses- You can experience the best learning practices with our accredited curriculum and training conducted by the industry experts
  • Training with current relevance- Our comprehensive curriculum is developed by the experts based on the latest industry needs
  • Meet and exceed industry standards- Our training will aid your employees to meet industry benchmarks and even set new standards
  • Innovative learning methodology- Our learning solutions are hands-on and experiential, to fully engage learners and enhance knowledge retention

CSM Certification Exam

CSM is an open-book exam and is easy to pass. Despite passing the Scrum Master certification exam the activity-based sessions included in the training help in gaining the knowledge of the Scrum concepts and its practical applicability, which are the most significant aspects to understand the Scrum framework.

The Certified ScrumMaster certification exam is an online test comprising of 50 multiple choice questions with a time limit of 60 minutes to finish the CSM certification exam and obtain the certification. You are allowed to take the exam only after successful completion of the course.

The Scrum Alliance CSM certification exam fee is included in the Certified ScrumMaster training cost.

Yes. Scrum Alliance allows you to take the Scrum Master exam at no cost for the first 2 attempts within 90 days after you receive your welcome email. You will be charged a minimum of $25 each from the third attempt or after completing your 90 days. Scrum Alliance suggests retaking the CSM course if you have failed thrice in the exam.

The CSM accreditation body is the Scrum Alliance and its exam fee is non-refundable.

No. There is no such sample test available on the Scrum Alliance website. But, CSM test blueprint will help you to understand the format of the Scrum Master certification exam. This blueprint outlines the percentage of questions from each domain that will be on the 50-question test. Fortunately, the training and coaching community will not need to make any changes in their materials as the new exam pattern still follows the current Learning Objectives as well as the recently published Learning Objectives.

It is highly recommended to practice Scrum Master certification exam sample questions in order to pass the final CSM certification exam in your first attempt. You can take the free Scrum Master certification sample test for practice purposes.

After completing your CSM course, you will receive an email from Scrum Alliance® that includes a link to create your login credentials. The first step will be to take the online exam. Once the exam is complete, you will be asked to accept a license agreement and set up your online profile. It could take up to two weeks after course completion to receive your welcome email.

The individuals can take the online test from any computer anywhere in the world, according to their comfort (home, work, or other location). The test will not be proctored.

No, there is no option to pause a test since you will have a duration limit of an hour (60 minutes). On the off chance, if you shut the window, you can reopen the window instantly. In case if you lose internet connection or lose access to the test for an extended period of time, you may visit support@scrumalliance.org to start a new test set up.

Scrum Alliance always strives to maintain the quality and relevance of the CSM certification by validating the best practices in the Agile industry from active practitioners in the field. The CSM curriculum incorporates the best in current knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to earn the CSM certification.  As such, the Scrum Alliance believes in involving their community to validate what is important in the role of the Scrum Master and then updates the tests to reflect these key areas.

If you choose English as your exam language, you will be able to switch to a newer version as the new test has recently got published. If you choose a different language then you may take the older version till that specific language gets published. Furthermore, according to the Scrum Alliance, the tests will be launched in other languages in the coming months, as soon as they inspect and adapt to the launch of the English version.

You will find the test blueprint at the bottom of the CSM page under ‘Resources’, on the Scrum Alliance website. This test blueprint covers the stipulated percentage of questions from each domain. The test blueprint is aligned with the latest version of 2018 LOs. Moreover, the 2018 CSM LOs matches with the November 2017 Scrum Guide. The current LOs can be found on the Scrum Alliance CSM certification webpage and also on ‘Trainer and Coach dashboards’ under “Resources”.

If you've already passed the CSM test, you will not be able to take it again to receive a better score. Your test score is only available to you. Nobody else will be able to see your score on the CSM test.

CSM Certification

CSM was the first professional certification awarded by Scrum Alliance for Scrum Masters. You will gain a strong understanding of the Scrum Framework, team members’ activities and roles etc. By acquiring this certification, you will be helping the Scrum team work together and perform at their highest level.

Becoming Agile is a continuous process and a CSM certification is a major milestone towards embracing Agility. Not only will you learn the roles and responsibilities of a Scrum Master but will know how to apply it in a variety of environments. It is a validation of your commitment to continued excellence and quality.

CSM is one of the most popular and globally recognized certifications provided by the reputed Scrum Alliance. The demand for Scrum Master training and certifications has increased considerably during the last decade. The reason is that Scrum is now being implemented in industries beyond IT and hence the demand for a certified Scrum professional has increased even beyond his/her current industry of experience.

Since Scrum is the most popular Agile framework for project management, Scrum Masters are in demand irrespective of the industry type. If you are working in a company where Agile is being widely used then CSM should be your first choice.

Once you attend the two-day (16 hours) CSM course taught by a Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST®) and pass the certifying exam, you will earn the CSM certification from Scrum Alliance, renowned CSM accreditation body. 

According to the salary posted on the salary.com report, the average Scrum Master salary in Chicago, IL is $95,025, but the range typically falls between $82,436 and $111,171. The Scrum Master salary mostly depends on various important factors, including your certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in this job. The average salary of the experienced Scrum Master in Chicago, IL is $121,065, and it typically ranges between $100,614 and $135,296.

The necessary skills that impact the salary of the Certified ScrumMaster are Agile methodology, Agile Software Development, ScrumMaster, Project Management, Scrum, Business Analysis, etc. Additionally, you need skills like managerial skills, leadership skills, facilitator, and interpersonal skills to succeed as a successful Scrum Master in your team.

Being a Certified ScrumMaster, you can play roles like Software Engineer, Product Manager, Project Manager, Team Leader, Business Analyst, Development team member, Testers etc. and the designations an individual can play in the organizations are Business Analyst, Lead Software, Engineer, Project Manager, Information Technology, Staff Scrum Master, Delivery Lead, Agile, Scrum Master, Technical Program Manager, Senior Project Manager, Agile Coach, QA Automation Engineer, Software Project Lead, etc.

You will enjoy the following unique benefits with this ScrumMaster certification:

  • Master the foundational concepts of Scrum and understand the scope of the Scrum Master role
  • Gain access to resources, networks, and local groups available to only Scrum Alliance members
  • Get ahead in your Agile career
  • Prove your core Scrum knowledge to your peers.
  • Fulfill the role of a Scrum Master
  • Engage with a community of Scrum experts

CSM certification renewal needs to be done every 2 years. You need to pay $100 to extend the credential for a further period of 2 years from the date of your current expiration. In order to renew your ScrumMaster certification, log in to https://www.scrumalliance.org/login, go to your dashboard and choose the ‘Renew Certification’ option available under the heading ‘Actions’.

Note that starting from February 4, 2019, you will be required to have earned 20 Scrum Educational Units (SEUs) within the past two years, in addition to the $100 renewal fee that has to be paid. This new requirement has been mandated to validate your participation and continued proficiency in the fundamental principles and practices of Scrum. You can earn the required SEUs by completing an educational training or a learning opportunity.

You have worked really hard to acquire the certification. Don’t let it decline! Renew now and hold your certification for 2 years.

There are a number of ways in which SEUs can be earned. You can read here about how to earn your SEUs.

PDUs and SEUs

PDUs and SEUs are Professional Development Units and Scrum Educational Units, issued by the Project Management Institute and Scrum Alliance, respectively. Both units can be earned by completing educational training, which serves to validate your participation and continued proficiency in the principles and practices of Scrum. You are required to earn a certain number of SEUs every two years to maintain your certification from Scrum Alliance.

PDUs and SEUs are credits awarded by the Project Management Institute and the Scrum Alliance respectively. They recognize your dedication to the Agile world through the award of credits for every educational effort you make throughout your career. Scrum Alliance members who hold a credential from Scrum Alliance need to earn SEUs to get re-certified every two years. PDUs are offered by the PMI®, and every PMI® certification, except the CAPM®, requires you to earn a specific number of PDUs per three-year certification cycle.

You can get 14-16 PDUs and SEUs by participating in our 2-day training program.

Meet top CSTs and active practitioners

Become an Instructor
Heitor De Sa Roriz

Heitor De Sa Roriz Filho

CSM, CSPO & CSPO

HeitorRorizFilho is an 'agilero'. He currently works as an Agile Coach and Trainer worldwide, based in Sao Paulo. He is a writer, speaker and trainer in the area of Technology Management. He has been dealing with Agile since 2004 and in addition to speaking for Agile/Scrum, Six Sigma and PMI conferences, he is the founder activist of the ScrumAmazonia user group.

He is also the co-founder and Agile Coach of Massimus (http://www.massimus.com) a company focused on APM (Agile Project Management) training and coaching. He holds a M.Sc. in Information Technology from the University of Stuttgart, Germany. Has worked and gathered experience in companies like Itautec-Philco SA, DaimlerChrysler AG, FraunhoferInstitut, FPF (Fundação Paulo Feitoza), among others. He worked for 3 years as a ScrumMaster and Product Owner for FPF and Siemens-Mobile where he also coached, trained and mentored teams to implement and improve Scrum in projects.

For more than 2 years he worked as an Information Manager for the local government at Municipal Institute of Urban Planning where he applied Scrum outside of software, in architectural and building projects. He participated as a research assistant in projects belonging to LBA (Large-scale Biosphere-atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia) at INPA in cooperation with JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Agency).

Heitor is passionate for Agile and Scrum. He truly believes Agile can change the way we work achieving excellent levels of precision and performance. He is very interested in Agile Leadership and Agile Project Management as levers of improving our ways of work.

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Bill

Bill Li

CSM, CSPO & Agile

Bill Li, is a CST (Certified Scrum Trainer) by qualification and a prolific consultant, mentor and coach active in China and Asia, Managing Principal of UPerform Consulting Group. With over 20 years of cross-functional experiences in IT sector, Bill is among the pioneers who promoted Scrum and Agile since 2007, and is an active contributor and speaker at agile community, including major Scrum and Agile conferences - See more at: https://www.scrumalliance.org/community/profile/gli3.

Bill enjoys developing people and organizations through high quality Scrum and Agile training and consulting services. His passion lies in helping clients’ product development organizations and teams to become more effective, having less waste and fewer impediments in their processes, less pressure, more expertise, higher enjoyment, and producing better product and services, in an open, transparent, creative, and self-organized environment.

Bill translated Agile Project Management with Scrum by Ken Schwaber into simplified Chinese and published it in 2007. He also co-translated Ken's next book on Scrum & Enterprise and Mike Cohn’s User Stories Applied, together with other 2 titles in Project Management area. Bill is MBA from Schulich School of Business, York University, and Bachelor of Engineering from South China University of Technology. He lives in Shanghai, China and Vancouver, BC, Canada. - See more at: https://www.scrumalliance.org/community/profile/gli3.

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Daniel James

Daniel James Gullo

CSM, CSPO & Agile

For more than 25 years, Daniel has been teaching, mentoring, coaching, and consulting for organizations of many sizes; from startups to multi-national enterprises. Daniel has led large-scale Agile adoption initiatives for organizations in Financial Services, Education, Health Care, Bio-tech, Pharma, Information Technology Consulting, Professional Associations, and Federal Government.

Daniel is well known and highly revered as 'The hardest working man in the Agile community.' He is the founder of Agile Delaware and frequent reviewer, volunteer, and speaker for the Scrum Alliance, Agile Alliance, PMI and other organizations, including delivering keynote addresses.

Daniel is the Conference Chair for the 2015 Scrum Gathering in Phoenix; he was the Conference Chair for the 2013 Scrum Gathering in Las Vegas; serves on the Trainer Acceptance Committee; is a member of the Coaching Retreat Planning Committee; host of Coaches Clinic events; facilitator of Open Space Events, including the Scrum Alliance's largest Open Space ever in Berlin; and a prolific contributor to a vast array of online forums, blogs, and other social media. Daniel is currently pursuing a PhD in Organizational Development.

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Steve

Steve Spearman

CSM. CSPO

Steve Spearman is a member of Agile for All, a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) and an Agile coach working at the enterprise and team levels.  Steve has over 30 years of experience in corporate software development as a software developer, architect, project manager, scrum master and in multiple management positions. For the last 10 years, Steve has been providing Agile-focused training and coaching to companies ranging from late-stage startups to large corporations.   

Steve has a BA in Psychology and a Masters in Computer Science.   His other certifications include: Certified LeSS Practitioner (CLP), PMI-ACP, PMP, Certified Scrum Product Owner, Certified ScrumMaster, Advanced CSPO, Advanced CSM and (former) SAFe SPC.  Steve lives in the Denver, Colorado area with his wife Donna. He’s an avid traveler and Scuba diver.

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Zuzana

Zuzana Sochova CST

CSM. CSPO, CAL I, CSD

Zuzana Sochova has over 14 years of commercial experience in IT, beginning as a software designer/engineer and moving up into project management, program management, and into executive management at a company that provides SW services for international customers (USA, Germany, Austria, Great Britain, …) that are operating in mission critical and life critical sectors – i.e. air traffic control management systems, extensive healthcare applications, and public safety systems.

She started with her specialization in Agile and Scrum back in 2005, where she was involved in implementing the Agile methods at Medtronic, USA. From that time, she was responsible for Agile transformation and implementation of Agile and Scrum to many companies and teams.

She works as Agile coach, counsellor, consultant and trainer for both large and small organizations. As an Agile expert, she is sought after as a regular speaker at Agile international conferences. She is also a founder of the Agile Association (AgilniAsociace, agilniasociace.cz) Czech Republic, organizing the Agile Czech community and annual Agile Prague Conference (agileprague.com).

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Lizzy

Lizzy Morris

Agile , Scrum , CSM and CSPO

Lizzy Morris is a seasoned executive consultant whose focus is driving measurable results for her clients, their processes, employees, and financials. Lizzy has over 20 years’ in-depth experience in software development, project management and strategic consulting. This experience has netted her unique ability to provide you with the right tools and techniques tailored to the needs of your organization. As a trainer and coach, she shares her wealth of knowledge with an innovative flare that is uniquely Lizzy.

Amongst her most recent accolades, Lizzy has become the first African American female in the world to qualify as a CST (Certified Scrum Trainer) within the globally recognized Scrum Alliance, certification body. Her journey has evolved in the corporate arena; Lizzy has served as Organizational Change coach in organizations across the world. Her career has taken her across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Today Lizzy serves as the VP Of Agile Transformation for one of the largest global recruitment holding companies in the world.

Lizzy owns a specialized boutique management consultancy company that specializes in helping Fortune 500s, and top 50s secure measurable results for delivering end to end value.

Lizzy burns with a deep passion for Scrum. Her time rotates around helping her corporates clients adopt Scrum as their primary transformational foundation framework because she believes Scrum helps organizations and teams discover the Agile tolerance.

Lizzy's classes are packed with improvisations and experiences that allow her students to transcend their cognitive bias and reframe their context. Lizzy sees herself as a lifelong student of learning how to inspect and adapt to deliver value with more and more speed and precision.

Lizzy spends her spare time working on projects that expand upon her love of supporting and mentoring others but this time in aid of the empirical journey of everyday living.

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FAQs

KnowledgeHut Support On Your CSM Journey

Here is why you should choose KnowledgeHut to help you get CSM certified:

  • Global Registered Education Provider of Scrum Alliance
  • Provided over 1,20,000+ professionals with unique learning opportunities
  • Delivers training that meets the exact needs of every individual
  • Hires only CSTs approved by Scrum Alliance
  • We focus on your training needs so you can focus on your career and business
  • 24/7 support
  • Provides world-class training
  • Embeds skills needed to land top-paying jobs
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Looking to know everything about CSM certification training with KnowledgeHut? Check out this blog!

Our energetic and dedicated trainers are your best choice. As highly skilled professionals with vast experience in delivering courses, our instructors invest their time in understanding the various challenges involved in enterprises and know what is required to succeed in the fast-paced and dynamic world.

Our instructors keep themselves up to date on developments and trends in their respective fields. With years of industry experience, they aim at delivering the training in a way that helps you build expertise in your field and get ahead in your career.

The venue will be listed on the KnowledgeHut website under the selected workshop. If it is not, then you can please contact our supporting team.

Yes, we provide the downloadable copy of the course content to the registered candidates.

KnowledgeHut’s CSM training program is a live classroom training. This training is ideal for every aspiring individual who wants to build a career in project management.

KnowledgeHut is a leading registered education provider (REP) of Scrum Alliance offering good knowledge to corporate organizations and professionals across the globe. It is the fastest growing CSM® certification training firm, with footprints in 70+ countries. We frequently conduct CSM training in all the other cities as well across the globe and here are a few listed for your reference:

Bangalore Hyderabad Mumbai
Delhi Kolkata Gurgaon
Noida Chennai Cochin
Pune New York San Francisco
Atlanta Washington Houston
Austin Los Angeles Dallas
Boston Seattle San Jose
Singapore Kuala Lumpur Your Location

Yes, but this needs to be done at least 10 days prior to the training start date.

Note: In some instances, it also depends on the location, trainer, discounts/offers availed.

We do not provide transportation. Yes, refreshments and lunch will be provided by KnowledgeHut.

We offer a variety of discounts with the dates and time that fits your requirements. The larger the group, the larger the overall discount. Our discounts vary depending on various factors such as size of the group, training location, etc.

The process of enrolling for CSM classroom training is simple. The payment can be made through different options by using a debit/credit card which includes MasterCard, Visa Card, American Express or through PayPal. Acknowledgment will be issued automatically via email to the candidates once payment is done.

Any registration cancelled within 48 hours of the initial registration will be refunded in FULL (please note that all cancellations will incur a 5% deduction in the refunded amount due to transactional costs applicable while refunding). Refunds will be processed within 30 days of receipt of written request for refund. Kindly go through our Refund Policy for more details: https://www.knowledgehut.com/refund-policy.

To ask further questions, please send in an email to support@knowledgehut.com, and we will answer any queries you may have!

Hear From Our Scrum Trainees

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Overall, it was an interesting learning experience. The course content was covered as per the curriculum. The trainer was really good and was able to keep the class engaged with various activities.

Vinod Jacob

IT PM
Attended Certified ScrumMaster®(CSM) workshop in November 2019
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I very much enjoyed taking this course. Tricia was so knowledgeable and very detailed in her training and explaination of the coursework. 

Aparna Bankston

Senior QA Testing Engineer
Attended Certified ScrumMaster®(CSM) workshop in October 2019
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Jimi Fosdick is an outstanding instructor and I am thrilled I had the opportunity to attend his training. Before this course, I had no agile or scrum experience, but fortunately, that was not an issue. Jimi taught the material using an engaging and interactive style that allowed me to quickly grasp the scrum concepts. Jimi led our class through several real-world (and fun) projects that allowed everyone in the class to realize the tremendous benefits of using scrum when appropriate.

Heather Blume

Director Product Mgmt & Implementation
Attended Certified ScrumMaster®(CSM) workshop in April 2019
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A great course that was very well taught. It was very engaging all the way through. 

Nigam Shah

Sr. Product Manager
Attended Certified ScrumMaster®(CSM) workshop in April 2019
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I thought the class was great and really enhanced my overall knowledge of Agile and the various roles and responsibilities within a scrum team. The instructor, Tricia Broderick, was awesome! 

Cynthia Pineda

BA
Attended Certified ScrumMaster®(CSM) workshop in April 2019
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Great concise instruction that used the Socratic Method to promote Scrum values. I had a fun time learning!

Christopher Crame

Product Owner
Attended Certified ScrumMaster®(CSM) workshop in February 2019
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I loved the course! I learned a lot and met some really nice people!

Raquel Smith

Attended Certified ScrumMaster®(CSM) workshop in February 2019
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The instructor was very friendly and explained all agile topics with good examples and assessments. I completed the CSM certification immediately after training. Overall I had a good experience with KnowlegeHut. Thank you!

Naresh Yarabati

Lead Developer
Attended Certified ScrumMaster®(CSM) workshop in February 2019

Have More Questions?

Mail Us support@knowledgehut.com

Certified ScrumMaster®(CSM) Course in Chicago, IL

Certified ScrumMaster training in Chicago by KnowledgeHut will help you to master Agile concepts and get ready to appear for the CSM certification exam. Certified ScrumMaster training in Chicago will make sure that you demonstrate your expertise in scrum technology, providing a professional approach to all your projects. We assure you that you will have a wonderful CSM training in Chicago because our workshops are conducted by the best scrum trainers, having extensive knowledge and experience in this field. Our 2 days interactive session will give you the best in terms of practical as well as theoretical training along with other added benefits.

CSM certification in Chicago

Scrum is the agile development process enabling teams to provide usable software periodically from the initial stage to the final stage. It is important to get hands on understanding of the scrum framework. With us, you can be a full time trainer mastering scrum technology. You need not worry about your CSM certification cost in Chicago because your training cost covers the certification cost for the first two attempts. What are you waiting for? Join today itself and break the norms of just becoming a training manager instead being a master of it.

Benefits of the CSM course in Chicago

Who wants to be a traditional project manager these days when you can be a ScrumMaster, right? With our 2 day workshop class you can follow good practices and lead a perfect dream team. All you need to do is go through the Certified ScrumMaster course in Chicago and participate in the training session with full dedication and with that nobody can stop you from getting your CSM certification in Chicago. Remember that for third and subsequent attempts you have to pay an additional Certified Scrum Master certification cost in Chicago.

You can easily increase your marketability in Chicago by adopting scrum principles in each and every project which will maximize your business value hence increasing profits. Everybody wants their projects to be a success and you can be a champion of it by channelizing your energy towards the right path with the help of scrum. By becoming a ScrumMaster you can teach your subordinates and reach the direct path of success by collective efforts of the team.

CSM Certification training in Chicago 

Chicago with its huge number of IT organizations is the perfect place to pursue the CSM certification. The CSM will give you an edge over your non-certified professionals and ensure higher earnings for you. 

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