If you have earned the CSM® certification, you can further enhance your career by accepting various Scrum roles in organizations. In this part of the article, you will see what a Scrum Master’s career roadmap will be like and the career paths that can open up after achieving the CSM® certification.
CSM Career Path
On getting the Certified ScrumMaster® certification, a novice or professional can go for various advanced level Scrum certifications and become role-ready for the most challenging positions in any start-up, mid-level, or large-scale companies. Let's take a look at the Scrum Master career path available to you after the CSM®.
Certified Scrum Masters can play the role of an Agile Coach in organizations that are implementing Agile and Scrum. As an Agile Coach, the Scrum Master guides the team members throughout the process of Agile transformation in the enterprise. If you are a Certified ScrumMaster® then you can accept this challenging role and level-up your career, from coaching at the team level to coaching at the organizational level.
If you are CSM® certified with only a few years of work experience, then you can get certified as an Agile Coach to take up this role. If you are an experienced Scrum Master, Product Owner, or part of the Development team then you will find that the role of the Agile Coach is an easy step up.
Once you have donned the mantle of the Scrum Master in the organization, you will be able to decide whether you prefer playing the role of a Scrum Master or a Product Owner. If you are more interested in the end-product (what is getting developed?) than in facilitating and guiding the team towards the achievement of their goals, then you could choose the Product Owner role and act as a bridge between the Stakeholders, Management, and the Scrum team. You can gain the CSPO® certification in order to be a Product Owner in the organization.
A Scrum Master plays the role of a Mentor, sharing Agile experiences and ideas to help the team members to implement Scrum practices correctly. He or she also holds the responsibility of transferring knowledge and supporting the teams psychologically. As a Mentor, the Scrum Master exhibits a detailed knowledge of Scrum principles and processes to guide the team members in Scrum principles and processes, helping them become a self-organized team.
The Scrum Master is responsible for managing the process and achieving greater success in delivering a high-end product. In the role of a Manager, the Scrum Master solves problems, removes obstacles, and guides the team on working collaboratively to successfully deliver a high-quality product.
While there are many similarities between the role of a Scrum Master and that of a Project Manager, there are quite a few differences as well. Scrum Masters are proficient in handling teams and reaching project success through Agile implementation.
A Project Manager, on the other hand, contributes to all ten areas of project management and ensures that work is done on time, within budget and in alignment with the goals. He or she may choose to employ any style of project management and not necessarily adopt Agile.
Distinguish yourself as a Scrum Alliance-Certified Scrum Master and be ready become part of an elite group of Scrum specialists responsible for the effective implementation of the Scrum framework and building high-performance Scrum teams and guiding them to success.
Master the core concepts of Scrum, including the roles and responsibilities of the Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team, as well as Scrum ceremonies and artifacts in our experiential learning sessions, power-packed with activities, role-plays, real-world simulations, and case studies. Our expert Scrum Alliance-Certified Scrum Trainers (CSTs) will deliver a captivating course bringing on board their vast expertise in the most engaging way.
Learn in fun, interactive sessions by CSTs experienced across industries along with peers from all over the world. Say goodbye to boring lectures and death by PowerPoint and hello to a world of fun and exciting learning that will help you achieve your Certified ScrumMaster certification.
Armed with this coveted Scrum certification, not only will you be well positioned to command salaries 21% on average higher than that earned by your non-certified peers, but also ready to land in-demand Scrum roles like Scrum Master, Delivery Lead, Agile Scrum Master, Agile Coach, Program Manager and Project Manager.
At the end of the course, participants will take an online exam to demonstrate their understanding of Scrum and earn their Certified ScrumMaster certification. This certification is recognized globally and demonstrates that the individual has the knowledge and skills to effectively facilitate Scrum in a team or organization.
Learn more about Scrum Master salaries and career growth.
Scrum Masters are highly valued across industries and the demand for skilled professionals, especially those backed by certifications is at an all-time high. The benefits of a Scrum Master certification such as CSM are severalfold:
In today's rapidly changing world, most IT, as well as non-IT industry players, are hiring professionals well-versed in Agile and Scrum frameworks and those holding certifications from global accredited organizations such as Scrum Alliance are preferred. Certified Scrum Masters can add immense value to enterprises in several ways including:
LEARN with Live, Instructor-led Sessions
Learn with interactive live training sessions from accredited CSTs who also have years of experience as active Scrum practitioners across domains. KnowledgeHut a Scrum Alliance Registered Education Ally (REA), having trained over 250,000 Agile professionals, and you can get the best of this experience by learning with KnowledgeHut.
STUDY with Scrum Alliance-Approved Curriculum
Study with a curriculum crafted by Professionals licensed by Scrum Alliance and understand the core concepts of Scrum events- Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and the Sprint Retrospective.
PRACTICE with Case Studies, Role-Play, and Scrum Activities
With the knowledge gained through experiential workshops, you can practice the concepts learnt with real-life case studies, role-play exercises where you replicate work-like environments, and participate in Scrum activities to embrace the role of a Scrum Master across enterprises. Clear all your doubts with mentors in weekly Scrum enablement sessions, which are vital in your exam success.
GET EXAM-READY with 4 CSM Mock Exams
After mastering the knowledge learnt through ample practice, you can opt for 4 CSM mock exams that follow the exam pattern thoroughly and help you gain the confidence to crack the exam in your first attempt.
TAKE THE EXAM and Ace it in the Very First Go!
Take the exam confidently and crack the 50 multiple-choice and true/false questions in 60 minutes. You will need to pass with a score of 74%. We're by your side through every step of your CSM exam preparation. With us, you'll ace your exam in the very first go and gain a Certified ScrumMaster certification!
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:
Our experienced CSTs deliver training in such a way that is suitable for both novice and experienced professionals. But, it is recommended that you have basic knowledge of using Scrum in a real-world context, 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.
Learn in an engaging and interactive session with real-world simulations, in-class activities, and industry case studies.
Get trained by Scrum Alliance accredited CSTs with more than a decade’s experience as Scrum practitioners.
Leverage comprehensive CSM exam prep support, practice with 4 Mock Tests and clear your exam in the first attempt.
Get all your doubts about the exam or how to implement Scrum effectively in weekly AMA sessions with expert CSTs.
Get access to KnowledgeHut’s elite group of hiring partners for elevating your career path at zero extra cost.
Get mentored by Scrum Alliance accredited professionals and get real-world tips and industry-proven techniques.
We are a Scrum Alliance Registered Education Ally (REA), having trained over 250,000 Agile professionals.
Join a Global Network of 250,000+ Agile and Scrum Practitioners certified through KnowledgeHut across the world.
Earn 20 PDUs and 20 SEUs to renew your CSM® certification through webinars, e-books, on-demand videos and more.
Redeem a discount coupon on your next course enrollment with KnowledgeHut and fast-track your career!
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-
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
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-
Topics covered
Understand the foundation of Agile and Scrum concepts and help Scrum teams in using Scrum effectively.
Acquire knowledge of Scrum terminologies, various concepts, and the complete Scrum process.
Understand various roles involved in Scrum and the scope of the Scrum Master role in Scrum.
Learn key Scrum Master core competencies and protect the team from internal and external distractions.
Scrum ceremonies include Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective, Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog & Definition of Done.
Facilitate the Development Team, Product Owner, and the organization while responding to change.
Inspect and adapt and increase transparency in each of the Scrum events and make the team’s work visible.
Learn to help the team members work collaboratively and follow every Scrum process involved in it.
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 their expertise in various domains, including Certified ScrumMaster certification, ensuring organizations gain agile capabilities and enhance their project management practices. Here are some major impacts that we’ve created in the market:
By registering in groups, you can save up to 15% on the course fees. The discount you can avail will depend on your group size.
Here is why you should choose KnowledgeHut to help you get CSM certified:
Looking to know everything about CSM certification training with KnowledgeHut? Check out this blog!
At KnowledgeHut, we pride ourselves on having some of the best trainers in the industry. Our trainers are not just experts in their respective fields but also hold the Certified Scrum Trainer certification from Scrum Alliance. Dedicated, and invested in understanding the unique challenges that different enterprises face, these highly skilled professionals with vast experience in delivering courses, are keen to impart their real-world wisdom in high-energy workshops replete with activities.
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.
We provide the hard copy of the courseware for our classroom participants.
KnowledgeHut is a leading Registered Education Ally (REA) 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 cities across the globe and here are a few listed for your reference:
Our CSM training is live and is available in both Live Instructor-Led Virtual and Classroom Training formats. The batches at KnowledgeHut are guaranteed to run, so you can enrol in the earliest available batch easily.
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.
Apart from this, we also provide a discount coupon which you can avail to enrol for another course on KnowledgeHut and fast-track your career.
*Note: Not applicable for Singapore region
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.
You can cancel your enrolment and receive refunds in line with our Cancellations and Refunds policy.
To ask further questions, please send in an email to support@knowledgehut.com, and we will answer any queries you may have!
We offer a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Should you require additional clarification, please reach out to your Learning Advisor.
A Certified ScrumMaster is a professional designated by Scrum Alliance as a Scrum practitioner who can skillfully lead project teams. A Scrum Master is not a project leader or project manager but instead, a Servant Leader who assists the team to succeed with 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 a scrum master:
The most important skills that every Scrum Master should have are as follows:
The exponential growth of Scrum, combined with the rising 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.
The Scrum Master role is created to be a part of the Scrum framework. The name itself indicates that a person is an expert at Scrum and ensures that his/her team is also following the Scrum framework correctly. Scrum Master is responsible for creating a culture of trust, self-organizing teams, and transparency while removing the obstacles that are inhibiting the project’s progress. Here is a list of several Scrum Master certifications along with the certification bodies:
| Certification Body | Certificate Name |
| Scrum Alliance | Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) |
| Scrum.org | Professional Scrum Master (PSM ™ ) |
| Scaled Agile Academy | SAFe® Advanced Scrum Master (SASM) |
| Project Management Institute (PMI)® | Project Management Institute- Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)® |
| SCRUMstudy | Scrum Master Certified (SMC ™ ) |
Scrum Alliance, the renowned Agile membership and certification organization for the professionals offers various levels of certification to become proficient in Scrum. The certifying body always believes in a high level of personal interaction to understand Scrum. The newly designed course model of Scrum Alliance fosters collaboration, increased productivity, and success among the team members.
Membership of the Scrum Alliance community offers you a networking platform if you are interested in your Agile journey and lets you connect with other Scrum practitioners. It aids you to get future growth through certification, knowledge sharing, and community support, which is very rare in the IT domain.
A Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) training workshop is conducted by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) and teaches the Scrum terminology, practices, and principles that will enable the participant to act as a Scrum Master or Scrum team member. This credential is a first step on the path to a successful Agile career.
Yes, there is an online/virtual course for CSM.
Through the 2-year membership with Scrum Alliance, you can join local user groups, online social networks, gain access to deep discounts on gatherings, and additional member-only resources. In addition, CSMs can use a specially designed logo to highlight their credentials.
According to Scrum Alliance, a Certified ScrumMaster course helps increase the likelihood of a project’s overall success by applying Scrum principles and techniques in the right way. 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
Job opportunities are continuously increasing in number which in turn is raising the demand for professional and skilled scrum masters. Our training will give you an 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 in your Agile journey.
Not just software companies but many other industries are looking for Scrum Masters to improve their organizational processes. Here is the list of top industries and companies that have hired
Information Technology:
There are plenty of useful Scrum tools available to enhance your management capabilities. Here's a list of the top tools you can use to take leaps in your career
Tool Name | Features | Cost |
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 |
The certifications offered by Scrum Alliance provide several ways of proving yourself as a competent and skilled Scrum and Agile practitioner. Here are the three Scrum Master certification levels by Scrum Alliance:
1. CSM (Certified Scrum Master)
Introductory course for those wishing to become a Scrum Master or play a role as a Scrum team member.
2. A-CSM (Advance – Certified Scrum Master)
Advanced course for those who have work experience as a Scrum Master.
3. CSP (Certified Scrum Professional)
Pinnacle/Expert-level course for individuals wishing to build mastery in the Scrum Master role.
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.
Agile refers to a mindset on how to approach software development. Scrum is the most widely used Agile framework, amongst others such as Kanban and Extreme Programming.
The term Agile was coined in 2001 when the "Manifesto for Agile Software Development" was created. The authors were the two creators of the Scrum famework, together with 15 others who had a similar mindset on how to approach software development. The manifesto stresses the need to deliver software that customers value early and continuously during development. This way, that what is delivered can be changed rapidly during development, based on customer feedback. To make this possible, close collaboration is needed between developers amongst each other, and with their clients.
Scrum provides a structure on how to work from an Agile mindset. While originating from software development, Scrum is defined in a more generic manner. It is also applied in other domains than software, such as marketing. The framework helps a self-organizing team to get things done frequently and in close collaboration. There will be many opportunities during development to inspect what has been delivered so far, and to improve the way the work is conducted.
CSM and PSM certifications focus on the software development process. Neither is better than the other. The certificate that you should go for depends on your current knowledge and your goals. Here are some differences between the two that will help you make the decision:
You can get the CSM certification by attending the 2-day training. You will need to enroll yourself in an institute and undertake the training. You will have free 2 attempts to pass the exam, within a 90 day period after completion of the course. If you fail the test twice or take it up only after 90 days, you will be required to pay a $25 USD test attempt fee. PSM certification from Scrum.org has three certification levels - PSM I, II, and III. You need to purchase the password from scrum.org for enrolling yourself. For taking the PSM I exam, you must have a deep understanding of Scrum.
You need at least 74% marks in the exam to get the CSM certification exam. For PSM, you need at least 85%.
CSM only has multiple choice questions while PSM might have multiple choice questions, true/false type questions, multiple answer questions, and essay type questions depending on the level.
The cost of the CSM certification ranges between $800 and $1500 in US and between INR 18,000 to INR 25000 in India depending on the training institute. PSM certification costs differ depending on their levels. The cost of PSM I, II, and III is $150, $250, and $500 respectively.
CSM certification is valid for only 2 years. You will be required to pay $100 every two years to renew your certificate. For PSM, on the other hand, there is no need for renewal. Once you have passed the exam, the certification will be valid for life.
We've laid out a sure path for anyone interested in fast-tracking their Agile and Scrum career to get the CSM certification:
We're by your side through every step of your CSM exam preparation. With KnowledgeHut, you'll ace your exam in the very first go and gain a Certified ScrumMaster certification!
Knowledgehut upGrad’s training is truly world-class. I had enrolled for CSM® training and what I experienced was more than I ever expected. The classes were very engaging, and the concepts were explained with examples for ease of understanding. I recommend Knowledgehut upGrad to anyone interested in getting CSM training and other certifications.
Enrolling for the CSM® training was one of the best decisions that I had made. The service right from enrolling to certification was excellent. The training was filled with real-time Scrum activities and simulations which made the concepts easy to understand. This helped me clear the exam with confidence.
Confidence is necessary to take advantage of opportunities. Kudos to KnowledgeHut upGrad for boosting my confidence with their training and helping me grab new opportunities in my career and reach new highs. Lavanya Mohan Kumar
This 2-day training session helped me widen my knowledge of Scrum methodologies and Agile principles. Everything was well-organized, though it was an online session. My trainer explained the concepts with real-life examples and ensured every participant was on the same page. I highly recommend this course to everyone who wants to become a Certified Scrum Master. Kudos to the team efforts behind this!
Wonderful workshop for beginners .A great learning experience. Thank You Knowledge Hut. Instructor made it a interactive session which helped us to understand, learn. Completed successfully CSM course wit good grade!!
Interactive and with enough activities to make the course interesting. Handle time well according to 2 differrent timezones Allocate enough time for each activities. Love the Q&A session Improvement: Answers provided by coach Give more real live scenarios and how to handle
The lecturer is very knowledgeable and very clear in explaining the concepts. The workshop experience was great. This is a very helpful course in providing more clarity on how the Scrum framework works in real life situations.
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