We don’t need an accurate document, we need a shared understanding – Jeff Patton
I became a certified Scrum master yesterday, I love the title of Scrum master, it’s by far the most silly title, mixing rugby and ninja skills. There could be some alternatives
- Scrum Ninja
- Scrum master general
- Scrum lord
- Head of Scrumperation
- International Scrum
- Michelin starred Scrum Vicar
Why get certified
Certifications can be divisive, people who aren’t certifications can get angry about the silliness of them and can be found shouting “They don’t mean anything“.
I heard a good quote “Scrum masters who are certified are usually crap“
What we should remember is a certification doesn’t mean anyone is good at their job, it means they have studied on how a tool works, which is different from how to use a tool.
The benefits of certification
I am partial to getting certified because it gives a deadline and creates a sense of urgency around learning a topic.
Studying for a certification gives you a broad in-depth knowledge of a topic, it doesn’t guarantee you will use that knowledge or you good at your job. If you view knowledge as a tool then it‘s your job to make sure you understand what the tool is, how it works and when to use it.
I have written about CRM certifications What are the benefits of CRM certifications
Tips on passing the PSM 1 certification
The scrum guide has all the answers, the certification is multiple choice questions based on a 16 page document. Read this small document many times and make notes.
Here are some useful pages on passing the Scrum certification
- How to learn about Scrum from the Scrum.org
- How to pass PSM in first attempt? Five steps to get the most meritorious Scrum certificate
- How to Pass the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) Assessment
This book was quite useful and it has some practice questions
Test yourself
I view studying for a certification as two steps, the first step is learning theory and ideas and the second step is testing yourself to reinforce the knowledge and be able to retrieve it at will.
Once you have read about Scrum you need to keep testing yourself until you can recall the information easily.
practice these exams until you get 100 percent (every time)
https://www.scrum.org/Assessments/Open-Assessments
15 questions
http://www.bostonagiletraining.com/Sample-Scrum-Master-Certification-Practice-Exam
Mikhail Lapshin 80 questions are great because they explain the answers by quoting the scrum guide.
finally this is a useful page on product owner
http://www.scrumcrazy.com/New+New+Product+Owner+-+The+Videos
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