The 16th State of Agile Report affirms that being agile is no longer a choice but a necessity for success. According to the report, 87% of respondents utilise scrum at the team level.
Scrum is a well-known framework in agile, and every agile team requires a leader to supervise the application of scrum principles and ensure adherence to the scrum framework, particularly in complicated projects.
In today's time, if you excel in scrum methodology, you could be that leader—once you obtain scrum master certification. A certified scrum master certification has numerous benefits, such as improved project management skills, an expanded professional network, and better career opportunities.
Professional scrum master training is highly in demand, and a certificate scrum master indicates your competence in scrum project management principles.
Any individual new to the agile approach to work will discover valuable insights into the concepts learned during the course. This article provides an overview of scrum master training, including scrum master certification cost, certification process and their advantages.
What Is a Scrum Master?
Scrum is an agile framework for managing and organising work in complex projects. It gives a structured yet flexible approach to software development and other types of projects.
A scrum master is vital in this framework. The scrum master's prime responsibility is to facilitate and coach the scrum team to ensure they follow the scrum framework effectively.
Scrum Methodology
Scrum methodology emphasises collaboration, adaptability, and iterative progress, allowing teams to deliver valuable products incrementally.
The scrum team comprises three roles: the scrum master, the product owner, and the development teams. Within the Scrum team, there are no sub-groups or hierarchies. The team decides who will do what, when, and how.
It is a cohesive unit responsible for all product-related activities, including stakeholder collaboration, maintenance, operation, experimentation, research and development, and anything else that may be required.
Scrum master facilitates the scrum process and ensures adherence to its principles. Grounded in empirical process control, scrum values transparency, inspection, and adaptation.
Teams consistently assess and refine their work processes, promoting efficiency and quality in project delivery.
Read "Scrum: The Ultimate Guide" to comprehensively understand the scrum methodology.
Significance of Scrum Methodology
Scrum methodology enables teams to self-manage, learn from experience, and adapt to change. Several reasons why scrum practice is essential are:
- Adaptability: Regular sprint cycles enable quick adaptation to changing requirements, while sprint retrospectives provide dedicated time for process improvement.
- Collaboration: The framework encourages close cooperation between team members, stakeholders, and customers, promoting a shared understanding of goals and priorities.
For example, daily scrum meetings strengthen communication and cooperation among team members, and stakeholder involvement during sprint reviews ensures alignment with expectations.
- Transparency: Scrum provides visibility into the project's progress through regular reviews and open communication, helping teams and stakeholders stay informed.
- Customer Satisfaction: By delivering increments of a product in short cycles (sprints), scrum ensures that customer feedback is continually incorporated, leading to a more satisfactory end product.
- Continuous Improvement: The sprint retrospective allows teams to reflect on their processes and make adjustments for continuous improvement, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness over time. Constant feedback loops reduce the risk of misunderstandings and rework.
- Efficient Delivery: The scrum method is iterative and incremental, meaning the team works on the product in stages. This way, they can respond to feedback and make changes. Scrum allows teams to release products faster and respond better to customer needs.
Implementing the above values and principles of scrum requires training. Scrum master training will enable you to learn these concepts and take a valuable approach to managing projects in dynamic and complex environments.
After completing the training, you can also take the exam to show your understanding of scrum and earn a certificate.
What Is the Scrum Master Certification?
A Scrum master certification is a recognition of your competency in scrum project management principles. It demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of scrum, showcasing commitment to agile methodologies and effective project management.
Scrum master certification enhances career prospects by opening up opportunities for leadership roles in agile teams and organisations.
Although scrum certifications are not always required to become a project manager, they are often requested for positions that heavily emphasise scrum. It can qualify you to become a Scrum master, a type of project manager that uses scrum to complete projects.
Besides, scrum applies to various industries and can be utilised for cross-functional teams.
Obtaining a scrum master certification is a strategic investment for professionals planning to advance their careers in agile project management. Professionals such as marketers, data scientists, HR representatives, and others who want to improve their problem-solving approach must consider pursuing scrum master training.
It promotes better collaboration and communication skills, essential for successful teamwork, and provides a foundational knowledge base for continuous improvement.
Additionally, being a certified scrum master facilitates networking within the agile community, enabling professionals to learn from and connect with like-minded individuals, further enriching their professional development.
How Do You Become a Certified Scrum Master?
Aspiring scum masters have many options to choose from; this section highlights the path to becoming a certified scrum master.
Participate in Scrum Master Training
The first step is to attend a Certified Scrum Master training course, usually led by a certified Scrum trainer. Various training organisations, including Scrum.org and Scrum Alliance, offer these courses.
The courses cover the fundamentals of scrum, the scrum framework, and the role of a scrum master, depending upon the level of the course.
IPM offers scrum master training that provides a comprehensive understanding of the scrum framework concepts, which can be directly applied to the working environment.
Active Participation
During the training, candidates can actively participate in the class and engage in discussions and exercises. This interactive element is crucial to gaining practical insights into applying Scrum principles in real-world scenarios.
Take the Exam
Participants can validate their depth of knowledge of the scrum framework and its application by sitting the PSM Scrum certification exam. There are two certification exams participants can take after completing this course:
IPM Scrum Certification
The IPM provides the scrum certification exam four days after the course, and the exam fee is included in the course. This exam also prepares candidates to successfully take the Scrum.org PSM-1 certification exam if they want to pursue it.
Professional Scrum Master™ (PSM I) (Optional)
Professional Scrum Master™ (PSM I) is a widely accepted certification showing a basic scrum mastery level. Those who also want to earn this certification must submit a separate application and pay the exam fee of USD 200 per attempt directly to Scrum.org.
Scrum Master Certification Cost
IPM offers the scrum master course at USD 765, including the certification fee. Scrum master certification costs from organisations Scrum.org and Scrum Alliance vary depending on the scrum master course.
Certification Renewal
Scrum.org certificates are lifelong and do not require any additional payments or renewals, unlike those from Scrum Alliance.
Initially, the Scrum Alliance certification is valid for two years. To maintain certification, Scrum Masters must earn Scrum Education Units (SEUs) by continuing education and professional development activities.
SEUs can be obtained by attending relevant training, writing blogs, participating in community events, or engaging in other learning activities.
By following the above steps, individuals can become Certified Scrum Masters, gaining recognition for their proficiency in Scrum practices and contributing to the agile community.
The ongoing certification renewal process ensures that scrum masters stay current with evolving practices and continue to enhance their skills over time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the scrum methodology is a powerful approach that leads to collaboration, adaptability, and efficiency in project management. The advantages of the scrum, along with the credibility and recognition of scrum certifications, make it a compelling choice for professionals across industries.
If you want to deepen your understanding and expertise in scrum, check out the Professional Scrum Master course from IPM.
This course gives individuals the skills necessary to succeed in Agile project management and paves the way for career advancement.
IPM is a globally recognised certification body that has trained over 40,000 professionals and certified over 6,000 project managers.
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