A professional scrum master (PSM) is the head of an agile team and he/she has to play different roles such as a problem solver, facilitator, coach, etc. He should have leadership qualities because he is the main person to promote an organization. A scrum master has some responsibilities as a team member. So, let us see what the main responsibilities of a scrum master are?
Responsibilities of a professional scrum master
The position of the scrum master depends on the context; therefore a scrum master has different responsibilities. The main responsibilities of a professional scrum master are:
- Teaching the team to make an agile mindset
- Delivering quality things and delivering on time
- Making the team self-organized
- Building trust and transparency
- Making an appropriate framework so that team become more efficient and show good performance
- Making sure that the new framework is suitable for the scrum team
- Removing hurdles that are blocking the working of the scrum team members
How to become a professional scrum master?
There is no particular qualification required for becoming a professional scrum master. Anyone who has a passion to work as a PSM can be an ideal candidate. You have to get a PSM certification to become a certified PSM professional.
You need to learn theory and training for open assessments. But, to become a good scrum master you have to show good behavior and practice agile philosophy. You must have years of experience in organizations that have done transformations. Having a PSM certification means that you can know, understand and use scrum theory in real-world situations.
It is mandatory to give an exam for becoming a certified professional scrum master. So, you must have complete knowledge and you must know everything about PSM training before getting started.
Syllabus
It is important to know the syllabus to prepare for the exam. You must look into the scrum guide to get perfect knowledge about the syllabus.
You must spend time on scrum open assessment which is the best way to prepare for the exam
You can also use different books and tutorials to prepare for the exam
Eligibility requirement
To become a PSM trainer you must have the following eligibility requirements:
You must have experience of four years of working as a scrum master in a software development company
You must have conducted real-world training and given coaching using scrum
You must have passed your PSM1 assessment with at least a 95% score
There is no need to attend the official course for passing the certification. You can directly apply on the official website for the online exam.
The pattern of the exam
The exam is conducted online. There are 80 multiple-choice, multiple answers, and true/false questions in the exam. You will get one hour to do the exam and it is available in the English language only.
Important topics to prepare for the PSM exam
The Scrum framework is the most important topic to cover as it includes the scrum theory given in the scrum guide.
Scrum theory and principles include an understanding of the empirical process, values of the scrum, and principles of scrum
Cross-functional, self-organizing teams are another topic that includes the difference between scrum teams and traditional development teams. Candidates will learn various characteristics of a scrum team that make it different from the traditional team.
Coaching and facilitation is the next topic in which the candidate will learn how the mindset of a scrum master is different from a traditional project manager. A scrum master has to act as a leader and he has to give coaching to the entire organization for understanding and using the scrum principles.
The process to apply for the certification
If you want to become PSM certified, you have to give the exam. If you are preparing for the PSM1 exam then you have to at least score 85%. It is the same for the next two levels as well. There is no need to take training before appearing for the exam.
You can apply for the exam by directly visiting the Scrum.org website. You have to fill in all the general and other details asked in the form. Then you will receive a personal password that will take you to a page where you can give the exam. The password never expires and you will receive two weeks to give the exam after issuing the password.
You have to pay $150 per exam and it is not refundable if you fail the exam. You have to pay the fee again when you have to again appear for the exam. Therefore, you must appear for the exam when you are fully confident and well prepared. The fee to give the exam is quite high so it is best to prepare yourself properly to avoid failure. You can take help from the sample questions for PSM certification available on different websites. The sample questions available for the PSM certification are given according to the latest format and also available for free.
Benefits of PSM certification
There are many benefits of getting a PSM certification. The important benefits of getting a PSM certificate are:
- You become easily employable and your chances of getting employed in an organization increase
- When you have a certification you can be hired by a big organization for agile transformation. You can start the agile culture in new companies and can meet attractive challenges
- PSM certification is a certification started and managed by Scrum.org. It is the basic certificate required for becoming a professional scrum master and has three levels. Level I, II, and III
It is important to pass each level because each level shows your competency and understanding of the scrum policies. It is necessary to work hard and prepare to pass the exam and get the certification. Some people use online resources to prepare for the exam and others prepare from the free learning material. Make sure that you feel confident before appearing for the PSM exam so that you can achieve your aim of becoming a PSM certified professional.
