CSM vs PSM: Which Certification to Choose in 2024?

In today's era of digital transformation and rapidly evolving technological trends, it is imperative for IT professionals to keep up with the latest know-how about the subject matter, tools, and skills. Other than pursuing career-oriented courses and certifications, there is no better way for professionals to achieve this objective. Certifications are like stepping stones for professionals guiding their career journey and learning paths to progress ahead and stay in vogue with job demands as well as sharpening their skill-set.

In today's article we will talk about two popular agile certifications - Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Professional Scrum Master (PSM) to understand, how these two fare against each other i.e. PSM vs CSM, granularities about each of them, tips to choose the right certification and a lot more. Let us have a deep dive.

CSM vs PSM: Table of Differences 

Parameters	Certified Scrum Master (CSM®️)	Professional Scrum Master (PSM™)
Exam Pattern	50 multiple-choice questions, usually with four possible answers	Number of Questions: 80 Format: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer and True/False
Passing Grade	74%	Minimum 85%
Exam Duration	60 minutes	60 minutes
Certification Renewal Duration	Every 2 years	No expiration (Lifetime certification)
Certification Cost	Fee: Approx. $1000 (cost of training and 1 attempt)	PSM I- $150 PSM II- $250 PSM III- $500 (1st free attempt is given to those who attend the PSM training)
Level of the Exam	The exam is easy once you attend the two-day CSM®️ training program. Also, you can practice with the CSM®️ practice test/mock test to know which areas you need to improve and pass the test with a good score.	Difficulty: Intermediate PSM assessments are difficult to pass. But, attending PSM training is highly recommended in order to pass the exam with a fair score, though it is not mandatory. Also, prepare with the Scrum practice tests to get a fair idea of this.
Prerequisites	Attending a 2-day CSM®️ course taught by a Scrum Alliance's Certified Scrum Trainer (CST)®️	No prerequisite for taking the test
Salary	$119,040 per year	$100,500 per year
What is Next?	Certified Scrum Master (CSM) Advanced CSM Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master Certified Team Coach or Certified Enterprise Coach or Certified Scrum Trainer	Professional Scrum Master I Professional Scrum Master II Professional Scrum Master III Professional Scrum Master Trainer (Train-the-trainer certification)

What is CSM?

Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) offered by the Scrum Alliance® is the oldest and widely recognized industry credential that attests understanding of the scrum framework, its principles and practices, and the application of abilities to lead agile teams at a superlative level. Candidates learn the foundations of the scrum, the ceremonial cadence, roles, events, and artifacts along with abilities to handle impediments or challenges and work effectively as a servant-leader. CSM offers flexibility to attendees in understanding the conceptual substructure with ease; attendees need to enroll in the training and appear for the exam to get certified. The overall curriculum of the exam includes building candidate specialization in four core areas of agile project management: 

• Facilitation and Leadership abilities,  
• Communication patterns,  
• Coaching skills, and  
• Problem-solving abilities 

To build a holistic understanding of agile development, scrum practices and how a scrum master can drive teams with effective ways of working, explore the Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) course from KnowledgeHut and build your path to a rewarding career. 

Benefits of CSM certification?

Apart from being the constitutional and prominent certification for gaining structural clarity of scrum concepts, a CSM certification is a harbringer of a lot of benefits, viz: 

• Opens avenues to a cosmos of global opportunities with higher chances of getting shortlisted over other candidates 
• Provides opportunities to engage and network with highly recognized Agile practitioners and scrum evangelists 
• Career advancement as it acts as a foundational step for those looking into agile/people roles 
• Salary increments, incentives, and respect among peers, community, and organization. 
• Launchpad for advanced level certifications offered by Scrum Alliance

What is PSM?

Professional Scrum Master (PSM™) is a three-tiered specialization credential that aims to build expertise and skill-set for candidates looking to effectively drive and mentor scrum teams. Candidates enrolled with the PSM certification are equipped with the knowledge and skills to handle scrum decorum and transformations, and mentor teams and individuals to adopt, accept, and embark on their journey on the agile bandwagon. Not only does this certification aim to build a foundational and structural understanding of the scrum concepts, but also looks at avenues to provide hands-on training to candidates on the real-life project crunch and chaos to handle such situations effectively. For the Foundational Level-I of the professional scrum master certification, there is no pre-requisite course/training; if you have learned the scrum concepts, you can go-ahead and appear for PSM-I, though attending the course effectively sets the tone and boosts candidate confidence to clear it in the first attempt.  

Benefits of PSM certfication?

• PSM being a three-tiered certification i.e. foundation, intermediate, and advanced levels offers several benefits such as: 
• Proves scrum expertise considering its assessment criteria as well as tiered curriculum and methodology 
• Provides a connection to individuals with experts and co-learners as part of the scrum.org community. 
• Opens up windows for more career opportunities considering its credibility as an advanced certification 
• Acts as a platform for individuals to build and get certified toward a more robust and progressive skill set. 

Unlock the myths and facts around scrum practices, transformations and a lot more by getting an understanding about the Professional Scrum Master (PSM™) course/training from KnowledgeHut.

A recent article published by Forbes Magazine says that IT professionals with certifications are earning an average of $17,000 more per year than the median IT certification salary. From an employee perspective, certifications let you demonstrate additional qualifications on your resume in addition to getting hired faster.

The Scrum Master tutorial will give you a better understanding of the roles, responsibilities, and skills involved.

The demand for certified Scrum professionals is on the rise, and the Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) and Professional Scrum Master (PSMTM) are the two industry-recognized certifications that can add value to your Scrum career.

Know more about CSM vs PSM.

Main Differences Between CSM & PSM Certification

Let’s understand what the differences between the two are, so that you can make an informed choice between the two.

1. CSM vs PSM Certification: Accrediting Bodies 

The Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) is a credential from Scrum Alliance®; a non-profit organization that provides guidance on agile practices, principles, and values. The Professional Scrum Master (PSM™) is offered by Scrum.org, an organization that was founded by Ken Schwaber, the co-creator of Scrum; and seeks to improve professionalism in Scrum training across the world.

2. CSM vs PSM Certification: Duration of Training 

Both CSM and PSM training courses have a duration of 2 days (14 to 16 hours) each. The CSM course is led by a Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST®), while the PSM course is led by a Professional Scrum TrainerTM (PST).

3. CSM vs PSM Certification: Levels of Training

The CSM credential has one level only, while the PSM is offered at two levels; PSM I and PSM II.

4. CSM vs PSM Certification: Learning Outcomes

As a CSM, you will be well equipped to help the Scrum team perform at their maximum capability, overcoming obstacles and guiding them on the Scrum framework. A CSM is considered a ‘servant leader’ who leads through example and essentially facilitates the team members to achieve project success.

People who have successfully achieved the PSM I demonstrate a foundational level of Scrum mastery and are well-versed in the terminology and approach to Scrum. Passing the PSM II acknowledges a deeper understanding of Scrum principles and the ability to apply Scrum in complex situations.

5. CSM vs PSM Certification: Certification Process

CSM® 

• You will be required to attend a mandatory live online or in-person course taught by a Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST®), or get coached by a Certified Agile Coach (CAC). The duration will be 14 to 16 hours of training. 
• On course completion, you will need to take the 50 questions CSM test. To achieve the passing score, you must answer 37 out of the 50 questions correctly within the 1 hour time limit. 
• On passing the CSM test, you will be asked to accept the CSM License Agreement and complete your Scrum Alliance membership profile. You will get the membership for a duration of 2 years. 

PSMTM 

• Taking a course is not mandatory, and if you feel you already have the required level of Scrum knowledge, you can apply to write the PSM I Exam. However, undertaking the course will get you well-prepared to pass the exam on your first attempt.
• Study well, and check the resources available to help you prepare. 
• The PSM I Assessment contains 80 questions to be answered within a time limit of 1 hour. If you pass the assessment, you will receive the PSM I certification and a logo.

6. CSM vs PSM Certification: What is the passing grade?

To pass the CSM exam, you must secure at least 37 out of 50 possible marks. This is considered to be easier to achieve than a passing grade in the PSM exam. 

In PSM I, the passing criteria are quite tough, as you will have to complete 80 questions and achieve at least 85% (this is not accurately defined by Scrum.org) to get the Professional Scrum Master certificate.

7. CSM vs PSM Certification: Exam Format

While CSM contains multiple-choice questions, the PSM certifications are a mix of multiple-choice questions, multiple-answer questions, and some true/false questions. The PSM I will test you on the facts of Scrum as well as some scenario-based questions.

Top Cities where Knowledgehut Conduct CSM Certification Training Course Online

CSM Certification in Bangalore	CSM Certification in Sydney	CSM Certification in Chennai
CSM Certification in New York	CSM Certification in London	CSM Certification in Chicago
CSM Certification in Singapore	CSM Certification in Pune	CSM Certification in Washington
CSM Certification in Toronto	CSM Certification in Dubai	CSM Certification in Los Angeles
CSM Certification in Hyderabad	CSM Certification in Melbourne	CSM Certification in Atlanta

Take a deep dive into the trending  Agile Category Courses  

CSM Certification	CSPO Certification	Leading SAFe Certification
PSM Certification	SAFe Scrum Master Certification	SAFe SPC Certification
SAFe RTE Certification	SAFe POPM Certification	ICP-ACC Certification

Difficulty Level of the Exams

It is generally understood that the Certified ScrumMaster test is relatively easier than the PSM 1 and PSM 2. To appear for the CSM, attending a 2 day training is mandatory and you will get adequately prepared to sit the exam and achieve a passing score. However, PSM does not have a mandatory requirement of attending training classes, and many students who have not attended a training workshop therefore find that their preparation is inadequate.

How much does it cost?

There is no standard fee for the CSM exam, as typically the exam attempt is clubbed with the course.  However, the fee range for the course is typically from 1000 USD to 1400 USD. 

The PSM costs $150 USD per exam attempt. If you join a training course, your first exam attempt is free. 

What is the Renewal Duration?

• You have to renew your CSM credential every two years, by collecting 20 SEUs and paying the renewal fee of $100. 
• On the other hand, there is no need to renew your PSM credentials. Once you get the PSM credential, it has lifetime validity. 

How consistent is the training content? 

The CSM program content varies from trainer to trainer, as Scrum Alliance only provides broad guidelines for the Curriculum, and trainers are free to interpret it in their own ways. PSM comes with a standard agenda that must be followed across all training institutes. 

Achieve new heights in project management with our PMP certification. Enroll today and take the next step in advancing your career!

Which Certification to Choose Between CSM®️ vs PSM™?

Having seen the above list of differences and technicalities of each certification, I am sure the next question popping into your mind is, csm or psm, which is better? Now, the answer to this can get very subjective as it entirely depends on the individual choice, whether they want to pursue a training course and take up CSM to start with the basic foundations or they want to get the required scrum knowledge and appear for the relatively advanced PSM. To make this election easier between psm or csm which is better, here are a few key and quick tips one must keep in mind: 

• PSM follows the “Scrum Open” online test as a part of which it is not mandated to appear for any physical course/exam and the exam can be directly given anytime right from the comfort of your home. 
• PSM follows a model of knowledge and certification and does not mandate any renewal 
• CSM has fairly simple evaluation criteria and is more well-known across the industry for job opportunities or career progression.  

To make a rightful choice or decide whether psm or csm which is better, you as a candidate need to make a careful effort to visualize your future career path; remember, the CSM certification opens the doors to elevated certifications and career paths, such as CSPO - Certified Scrum Product Owner, or Advanced CSPO, or CSD - Certified Scrum Developer. PSM on the other hand, will lead you towards the Professional Scrum Trainer roles and involves extensive learning and application of theoretical strategies and solutions to solve real-time problems. To add a word of caution, candidates should avoid looking only at certification costs, csm vs psm salary and instead make their decisions based on a collective and objective consideration of the above listed factors. 

Conclusion

Knowledge of Scrum is one of the most sought-after skills in recent times, and both the CSM and PSM are highly respected credentials in the Scrum world. While the CSM is preferred by many as it is considered an easier exam to pass, it requires renewal of the credential every two years. The PSM, though it comes with a slightly more difficult assessment, is valid for a lifetime.

We hope we’ve helped you to make an informed choice! If you still can’t make up your mind, connect with any of our counselors by filling out our contact form and getting the answers you seek. Either way, you can’t go wrong. Good luck on your Agile journey!

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