SAFe Scrum Master vs SAFe Advanced Scrum Master 

If you want to pursue a career in Agile Management or become a Scrum Master, you should consider taking the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master (SASM online) or SAFe Scrum Master courses. Even though both the courses are relevant to the SAFe Paradigm, there are some differences between them. Continue to read the article to learn more about the differences between the SAFe Scrum Master and the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master. Let us start with understanding what both these courses are all about.

SAFe Scrum Master  

The SAFe Scrum Master course teaches how to support Agile teams to maximize business value. The system includes all the strategic tools and skills to become a Scrum Master in a SAFe environment. The course teaches the candidates how to: 

• Facilitate Scrum-related events 
• Support Program Increment (PI) planning and execution 
• Coach cross-functional teams to improve continuously 
• Implement DevOps for continuous flow value 

To become a SAFe Scrum Master, you need to pass the exam after completing the SAFe Scrum Master training. 

SAFe Advanced Scrum Master  

The SAFe Advanced Scrum Master training is the next step for existing Scrum Masters who want to enhance their knowledge further in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). The candidate will learn how to: 

• Apply concepts of SAFe to work in a multi-team environment 
• Adopt Kanban charts, scalable engineering practices, Agile architecture, and DevOps to optimize the flow value 
• Advance skills for the Agile Release Train (ART) 
• Support efficient teams and increase ART efficiency 
• Lead cross-functional teams effectively online 

To get the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master certificate, you need to pass the exam after completing the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master training. Read on to learn the differences between SAFe Scrum Master and SAFe Advanced Scrum Master.

SAFe Scrum Master vs SAFe Advanced Scrum Master  

As the name suggests, the basic difference between SAFe Scrum Master and SAFe Advanced Scrum Master is the difference in the levels of study. The SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course is an advanced course that is generally pursued after completion of the SAFe Scrum Master course. 

The certifying body for all the SAFe courses, i.e., Scaled Agile Inc., does not specify any compulsory prerequisites for the SAFe Scrum Master course and SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course. This implies that candidates are to judge whether the training is suitable for them and if they can pass the certification exam at the end of the course. However, it is recommended that the SAFe Scrum Master course candidates are familiar with the basic principles of Agile Management. 

But suppose you are not familiar with those concepts. In that case, you can use the SAFe community membership that you get along with your SAFe Scrum Master online training to access all the tutorials and study material on the basics of Agile and SAFe. Whereas for the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course, it is highly recommended that you complete the SAFe Scrum Master course before commencing. It is a common belief that the candidates with SAFe Scrum Master certification have a lot better learning experience than those without the certificate. 

Parameter	SAFe Scrum Master	SAFe Advanced Scrum Master
Level of Difficulty	Basic Course	Advanced Course
Recommended Prerequisites (Not mandatory)	Familiarity with basic concepts of Agile and SAFe	Completion of SAFe Scrum Master course
Who should pursue this course	Aspiring Scrum Masters	Aspiring Release Train Engineers or Existing Scrum Masters
When should you pursue this course	Prior to ‘Quick Start’ of an Agile Release Train	During the Innovation and Planning Iteration
Career Options	Scrum Master, Business Analyst, Project Manager, etc	Scrum Master, Release Train Engineer, Senior Managers, etc

How Does the Course Content Differ?  

The SAFe Scrum Master course provides SAFe Agile training to candidates by introduce the candidates to the SAFe Paradigm. The course focuses on the differences between SAFe and Scrum terminologies. It discusses concepts like Servant Leadership (the style of leadership where an individual gains authority by interacting with colleagues or managers), coaching methodologies, and facilitation of Scrum Masters. The SAFe Scrum Master course also describes the responsibilities of Scrum Masters in pioneering events such as Program Increment (PI) planning and other managerial events such as Iteration reviews, Backlog Refinement, Daily Stan-ups, Iteration planning, Iteration retrospectives, etc. 

On the other hand, The SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course focuses on topics that are relevant to the position of a SAFe Scrum Master but were not included in the SAFe Scrum Master course. It orientates the seven core competencies of an Agile business, such as Lean-Agile leadership, continuous learning culture, lean portfolio management, etc. The course also links the position of the SAFe Scrum Master to the principle of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). The candidates of this course get introduced to the Scrum and SAFe anti-patterns. The candidates also learn about implementing Kanban charts & Extreme Programming and how they can maximize business outcomes. 

The course includes the role of the SAFe Scrum Master in team-building models and collaborations between cross-functional teams. The SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course concludes with one of the most difficult SAFe events, i.e., the problem-solving session from the Inspect and Adapt (I&A) workshop. 

When Should You Go for These?  

The SAFe Scrum Master course is curated to train the candidates to excel as a Scrum Master in an Agile Release Train. An Agile Release Train (ART) is a compilation of Agile Teams that incrementally delivers, develops, and operates solutions in an organization and other stakeholders. This course is most commonly pursued before the 'Quick Start' of an Agile Release Train. This empowers the SAFe Scrum Master to manage their teams through training such as SAFe for Teams and managerial events like Program Increment Planning. Other than this, the SAFe Scrum Master course is pursued by candidates who want to join an Agile Release Train or a SAFe organization. 

On the other hand, the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course is curated for candidates who have already completed the SAFe Scrum Master course and are looking to level up their skills. Generally, it is pursued by candidates who have been working as a Scrum Master or a Release Train Engineer (RTE) for at least nine months. This is done because the performance of an Agile Release Train (ART) starts to plateau after nine months of release. When an ART is launched, new Scrum Masters use many new skills and tools they learned during the SAFe Scrum Master course. 

Now, pursuing the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course after a year of working as a Scrum Master permits them to identify their weakness and work on them while learning new concepts. A candidate generally takes this course during the Innovation and Planning Iteration. The SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course is pursued by aspiring Release Train Engineers (RTEs) and existing SAFe Scrum Masters who are trying to improve their knowledge in the SAFe Paradigm. 

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Which One is the Best?  

It is important to pick the right course while selecting a SAFe certification. However, it is also difficult to judge which one is better between SAFe Scrum Master and SAFe Advanced Scrum Master. Each course has been designed for a specific target audience who wants to pursue a career in the SAFe Paradigm. While choosing between the two, you should try to make a comparison chart of SAFe Scrum Master vs SAFe Advanced Scrum Master and select which conforms better to your needs and aspirations. 

If you want to learn the basics of SAFe & Agile and are new to the SAFe Paradigm, the SAFe Scrum Master certification is the best choice. But if you are a competent SAFe Scrum Master who wants to advance your knowledge in SAFe and Agile concepts, you should join the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master certification or SASM online training. 

Conclusion  

Agile courses are very popular among professionals who want to grow in a SAFe organization. If you wish to pursue a career as a SAFe Scrum Master, you should look into the SAFe Scrum Master vs SAFe Advanced Scrum Master courses. However, you should look at their differences and decide which one is a better fit for you. 

Enroll in KnowledgeHut SASM online course to boost your knowledge in the SAFe and Agile concepts and advance your career as an Advanced Scrum Master.