I completed both the ASM (Agile Scrum Master from Exin) and PSM (Professional Scrum Master from Scrum.org) certifications. Like Andrew, I was not interested in wasting time or money on the CSM certification. It's still amazing to me that the CSM mandates a 2-day course, a huge large fee of around $1,200, has such a low pass rate, and yet is still in demand compared to the other certifications. I can only put this down to it been on the market longer.
Ok now for each certification exam from my experience. I had read from numerous sources that the PSM exam was a lot harder than the CSM. This is certainly evident from the very high 85% required pass rate. I can't comment directly about the CSM since I have not taken that exam, but many others have taken both, and all those I have read say that the PSM exam is a lot harder to pass than the CSM. There doesn't seem much point disputing this from my point of view. So, if you can pass the PSM exam, it will be a walk in the park to pass the CSM.
However, the ASM exam was another beast altogether. It was for me quite a bit harder than the PSM exam, even though it had a significantly lower pass rate. I believe this was due to the exam covering various Agile concepts outside of Scrum, such as XP, DSDM and even Crystal. If you only study Scrum and not cover other Agile methods, or the Agile mindset in general, you will fail this exam.
In closing, now that I hold both the PSM and ASM certifications, I don't know if I will ever step down the ladder and take the CSM exam. Maybe if they raise the pass rate or not make attending an expensive 2-day course mandatory, I might think about it. Or at the very least, I might just do it so that I can report back with first-hand knowledge of sitting the PSM, ASM and CSM exams, and still live to tell the tale.
Which Scrum Master certification would you choose to do, or not to do? Saving Changes...
Binu SamuelProject Manager | Rosa CarolinaPathanamthitta, Kerala, India
Certified Scrum Master from Scrum Alliance is the best as of now.Thanks
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2 replies by Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD and Stefan Ondek
Feb 27, 2019 3:03 AM
Stefan Ondek
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"Best" based on what? Most known Scrum certification in the US? Perhaps. Best money making tool for its certification body of all Scrum certifications? For sure. Most thorough Scrum Master exam? For sure not.
Scrum.org's PSM (even PSM I) is a more thorough exam than CSM, ands more strict (much higher score required to pass than CSM).
EXIN's ASM requires you to study and know significantly more than just the Scrum Guide (which is a great little book, but as it is written right in it, does not describe the tacticts for applying Scrum as they are described elsewhere), and it also tests your Scrum application skills via group assignments during the course.
The CSM on the other hand is a very easy exam - what even CSM course providers admit. It more ore less tests whether the candidate read the Scrum guide and managed to stay awake during the CSM course.
Mar 02, 2019 5:32 PM
Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
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I definitely disagree with that statement. It is the most well known (for now), I will give you that.
I'm also planning on obtaining PSM certification, as I find the cost/benefit ratio to be the best. As I mentioned in another thread, though, I am looking at it as the first step in my Agile education.
For a small exam fee, you get a credential that does not expire. The PSM study experience can greatly ease into PMI-ACP exam if you wish to explore that in future.
There is active participation at https://www.scrum.org/forum/scrum-forum, where PSTs (Professional Scrum Trainer) chime in to answer questions about Agile in general. Saving Changes...
Stefan OndekManaging Partner| POTIFOBPrague, Prague, Czechia
Feb 27, 2019 1:51 AM
Replying to Binu Samuel
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Certified Scrum Master from Scrum Alliance is the best as of now.Thanks
"Best" based on what? Most known Scrum certification in the US? Perhaps. Best money making tool for its certification body of all Scrum certifications? For sure. Most thorough Scrum Master exam? For sure not.
Scrum.org's PSM (even PSM I) is a more thorough exam than CSM, ands more strict (much higher score required to pass than CSM).
EXIN's ASM requires you to study and know significantly more than just the Scrum Guide (which is a great little book, but as it is written right in it, does not describe the tacticts for applying Scrum as they are described elsewhere), and it also tests your Scrum application skills via group assignments during the course.
The CSM on the other hand is a very easy exam - what even CSM course providers admit. It more ore less tests whether the candidate read the Scrum guide and managed to stay awake during the CSM course. Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
I'd say "best" is measured by the value it brings to the holder, and by "value," I mean how much can it mean for your career? (I like to learn, but let's be honest that certifications these days are mostly about keeping your resume out of the trash can.)
The process to get and maintain a CSM is no secret. The PSM certification(s) were designed as an alternative, just as Scrum.org is a break-away alternative from Scrum Alliance. The PSM seems like a better value on paper since the cost to earn and maintain is is so much cheaper. But if the CSM or PSM doesn't open job opportunities, then it's just an expensive piece of paper.
So not to dodge the question, but every time someone asks what certification to chase next, I often suggest they check the job boards. If it's not going to help your career, then it's probably not worth holding. Saving Changes...
Certified Scrum Master from Scrum Alliance is the best as of now.Thanks
I definitely disagree with that statement. It is the most well known (for now), I will give you that. Saving Changes...
Jeffrey PaulProgram Manager| n/aDowners Grove, Il, United States
I've found that most employers generally care just that you have an agile certification (or more specifically a scrum master or product owner certification) and not that you have a specific ASM, PSM or CSM certification.
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2 replies by Rami Kaibni and Sante Delle-Vergini, PhD
I've found that most employers generally care just that you have an agile certification (or more specifically a scrum master or product owner certification) and not that you have a specific ASM, PSM or CSM certification.
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Mar 03, 2019 5:32 PM
Replying to Jeffrey Paul
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I've found that most employers generally care just that you have an agile certification (or more specifically a scrum master or product owner certification) and not that you have a specific ASM, PSM or CSM certification.
Thanks for your invaluable comparison. Having taken the ASM what study materials are good for ITIL/DevOps part of the syllabus? Exin links to a white paper by Peter Measley - which really has very little. Simplilearn doesnt really cover it in their material, but i know Exin will bring questions from this area. Can you advise? I have many of the Mike Cohn/Addision Wesley books, and they give very little treatment to ITIL and Operations Integration. Thanks Saving Changes...
Hi William, AXELOS handles the ITIL certifications, so they have the best reading material for ITIL. Simplilearn is good for some courses but not others. In the case of ITIL, Devops and Prince2, in these cases it's better to go to the source: AXELOS, since their training materials/books are very good.
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1 reply by Stefan Ondek
Mar 29, 2019 5:08 PM
Stefan Ondek
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Sante, what you say may be correct for ITIL and PRINCE2, but AXELOS does not have any DevOps products and to my knowledge are not planning to launch one either. There are muliple DevOps certification bodies (e.g. DevOps Institute and EXIN just to name two of the most known ones) - but AXELOS is not one of them.
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