Which Scrum Master Certification Do I Choose? Scrum Alliance vs ScrumSTUDY vs Scrum.org
Scrum Master: What is it?
Growing in popularity since its inception in 1986 when Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi first introduced the term in their Harvard Business Review article, Scrum is an agile project management framework that helps organizations and companies manage projects, raise team accountability, and lower project costs.
And as the methodology is implemented across the globe, many companies seek out a Scrum Master or someone who is trained to help coordinate and scale teams to adopt Scrum.
Scrum Master Certification
A Scrum Master Certification adds credibility to this position and many organizations look for this additional qualification as insurance of a job candidate’s knowledge in this approach. But benefits to certification go both ways. Scrum Master Certification increases earning potential of project managers. In fact, Scrum Masters in the U.S. can look to earn an annual average of $97k, while traditional project managers without certifications tend to cap off at an annual average of $75k.
Origins: The Agile Manifesto
Conceived of in the manufacturing industry by Nonaka and Takeuchi, scrum next extended into the software development space.
The first Scrum project was originated by Jeff Sutherland in 1993. Along with Ken Schwaber, Sutherland then developed Scrum as a formal method in 1995. In 2001, Schwaber and Sutherland met with a group of like-minded agile thinkers at a ski resort to discuss various approaches and their shared aims. This meeting resulted in The Agile Manifesto.
All study of Scrum, and subsequently any Scrum Master Certification process one chooses to pursue, originates here – The Agile Manifesto. This is important to keep in mind as we explore the differences between the three most common Scrum Master Certification bodies. Their uniting force is far more important than what sets them apart and all result in the same aim – becoming a Scrum Master. However, the path taken to this end diverges at points and is worth exploring.
Scrum Alliance’s Certification Training
Sutherland and Schwaber, after the completion of The Agile Manifesto, went on to found Scrum Alliance in 2002 and were the first to offer a certification program. This certification became known as the Certified Scrum Master designation (or CSM). Today, CSM is the most popular certification program in the United States and is widely recognized – many hiring managers seek out these credentials specifically.
Scrum Alliance’s certification training focuses on personal connections with certified teachers and coaches, culminating in a structured exam. In order to sit the certification exam, Scrum Alliance dictates that the exam taker must be a graduate of the CSM training program.
Scrum Alliance offers both in-person and virtual training. Online courses often consist of two 8-hour days and cost about $800/person. In-person training is two to three days long and typically starts at $1,300/person (with cheaper rates for groups). Course fees include the cost of the certification exam, which can be taken at the completion of the course.
This approach requires a more rigorous schedule to maintaining certification than the others we’ll discuss next. Certified Scrum Masters must renew their certification every two years, for a renewal fee of $100, plus 20 Scrum Education Units (SEUs).
SCRUMStudy Trainings
Another global accreditation body for Scrum certifications is SCRUMStudy. SCRUMStudy conducts free 5-hour virtual trainings for their Scrum Fundamentals Certified (SFC) certification exam. This is a great in-road to learning about Scrum and agile methodologies. However, they also offer a more advanced Scrum training and exam through Scrum Master Certification. Training time is comparable to other certification options – but SCRUMStudy also offers the option of self-directed study. The $450 exam fee covers the cost to sit the exam as well as virtual study materials which a Scrum Master-hopeful can use for independent learning.
Instructor-led classes are also a possibility for exam preparation. Costs for these workshops are comparable to Scrum Alliance, with virtual options typically costing under $1,000 and in-person costing a little bit over.
Scrum Book of Knowledge (SBOK)
The SMC certification is based on the framework outlined in the SBOK (Scrum Book of Knowledge). This is a definitive and detailed industry guide endorsed by experts of Scrum and SCRUMStudy offers a downloadable version for free on their website. While the SBOK and the Scrum Guide are similar in framework, SCRUMStudy’s governing text goes into greater detail about how Scrum processes work in practical application – a valuable resource for Scrum Masters as they apply these principles once certified.
SCRUMstudy has the largest Authorized Training Partner network of all the accreditation bodies with 2,100 partners in over 90 countries. As such, this certification is more popular and recognized internationally.
Scrum.org Resources
In 2009, Ken Schwaber broke ties with Scrum Alliance and founded Scrum.org. He also created an alternative to the Certified Scrum Master, the certification at Scrum Alliance, known as the Professional Scrum Master (or PSM).
While the principles taught are largely the same, the difference between PSM and other Scrum Master certification comes in the approach. Scrum.org places less emphasis on training and more emphasis on the knowledge tested by the exam itself.
Another difference is that PSM is broken down into three levels of certification: PSM I, PSM II, and PSM III. PSM I certification is an introduction to Scrum and Scrum Teams and highlights terminology and approach. PSM II certification focuses on the underlying principles of Scrum and how to apply them to real situations. PSM III certification delves into Scrum Values and explores more complex organizational situations.
While Scum.org offers training courses for each level of certification, they are not a requirement to sit the exams.
PSM I training is 1 hour long at $150/person, PSM II is 1.5 hours long at $250/person, and PSM III is 2 hours long at $500/person. Recertification is not required.
Quick facts: Scrum Alliance vs SCRUMstudy vs Scrum.org
How to decide which program is right for you.
As more companies have adopted Agile and Scrum methods for project management, the need for certified Scrum Masters has grown. Because of the specified training the above programs can offer, a certification lets others know you have a body of knowledge beyond what other project managers might possess. It adds an extra layer of authority and competence that comes with greater desirability to your prospective employers. But deciding to become a certified Scrum Master is only the first step.
How do you decide which certification is right for you?
Besides obvious factors like price and time to completion, choosing your path to certification is a lot like deciding which college to attend. If you’re after name recognition and networking opportunities, then you might choose a more well-known university with a general approach to studies. But if you have a specific career in mind, you’ll look at schools with the best program in that field and prioritize accordingly.
Whatever path you take, the instructor you choose will have a much larger impact on the course’s effectiveness than governing organization. If you find someone you resonate with who teaches Scrum Master certification, I recommend working with them – regardless of who they are affiliated with. Just make sure they have the correct credentials and are in good standing.
Nimble Up’s approach to Scrum Master certification
I'll be honest, while I hold scrum master certifications from both SCRUMStudy and Scrum Alliance, when it came to getting my credentials to teach, I had two driving forces guiding my decision about which organization to go with -- 1) how quickly can I get this information in the hands of my prospective students? And 2) who will give me the space to get creative with my teaching methods? The answers to these questions lead me to choose SCRUMStudy. As the years have gone by, I’ve considered becoming certified in all three so that I could teach whichever style suited my learners. But I’ll always flavor things up and customize based on individual students’ and their companies needs. SMC is the certification that allows me to do that.
At Nimble Up, we believe that it takes lean thinking, project management (Agile > Scrum), and change management to execute on your work and get stuff done.
Anything we teach, even certifications with “scrum” in the title, are going to cover all three. We talk about methods, but we also talk about practical application. One thing my students appreciate is that I can always offer real world examples of how these things work. When students come to me with a solid foundation in project and change management, looking to add tools to their toolbox, I may guide them towards self-directed study for the SMC exam. However, if they’re looking for guidance in building that pyramid from the ground up, I know that my course work for SMC preparation will offer them just that, regardless of what certification they hold at the culmination of the class. That added value and knowledge is important to me.
What sets Nimble Up apart is that we know agile project management is just one tool in your toolbox and our job is to make that tool as efficient as possible for the work you do. It’s not going to replace all your other tools…they’ll still live in the box, too. We merely want your agile project management tool to be one you can effortlessly grab for; a tool that gets the job done in times of uncertainty, change, and high levels of dependencies.
