CSM(Certified Scrum Master) Vs PSM(Professional Scrum Master)

Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland first co-presented Scrum at the OOPSLA Conference in 1995. It essentially documented Ken and Jeff’s learning over the previous few years and made public the first formal definition of Scrum.

The first version of the Scrum Guide was released in 2010 to help people worldwide understand Scrum. The Guide has evolved since then through small, functional updates. Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, together,  stand behind the Scrum guide.

One of the popular certifications is Scrum Master certification, and we have two main certifications available in the industry, which I think is authentic for Scrum Masters. Now let me summarise my understanding of the differences between Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Professional Scrum Master (PSM)

Comes from Scrum.org	Comes from Scrum Alliance
Delivered by PST	Delivered by CST or private coaching from a Certified Agile Coach (CAC)
Unified training Content created and maintained by Scrum.org, Ken, and PST community.	Content varies from Trainer to Trainer
The certificate is valid for the lifetime	Needs renewal
Attending a workshop is not mandatory to write the exam	Mandatory to attend the workshop to write the exam
Exam more challenging compared to CSM	Exam relatively easier compared to PSM
To get PSM, pass the assessment test with a score of 85%	To get CSM, correctly answer 37 out of the 50 questions within the 60-minute time limit
Learning objectives fall into the below categories 1.Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework 2.Developing People and Teams 3.Managing Products with Agility 4.Developing and Delivering Products Professionally	Learning objectives fall into the below categories1. Lean, Agile, and Scrum 2. Scrum Master Core Competencies 3. Service to the Development Team 4. Service to the Product Owner 5. Service to the Organization
The participant who attended the workshop will get 2 attempts to clear the exam.	The participant who attended the workshop will get 1 attempt to clear the exam.
Advanced Level after PSM 1: PSM II, PSM III	Advanced Level after CSM: A-CSM, CSP-SM
Participants from the workshop are entitled to a 40% discount on the PSM II assessment ( if writing exam directly) once passing PSM I	There are no direct exams with Scrum Alliance as of now.

PS: I am a member of both these communities and hold a few valid credentials in both. The purpose of this blog is to share my understanding and let you decide your choice while looking for a Scrum Master certification.

The opinion or views expressed is purely based on Author’s perspective. tryScrum doesn’t endorse one over the other.