Introduction

Earning the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) certification was one of my most rewarding professional experiences. As someone who has always been passionate about Agile methodologies, I wanted to deepen my understanding of Scrum and validate my knowledge with a globally recognized credential. In this article, I’ll share my journey, the resources I used, and some tips to help you succeed in your PSM I certification journey.

What is the PSM I Certification?

The PSM I certification is offered by Scrum.org, an organization founded by Ken Schwaber, one of Scrum's co-creators. It’s designed for individuals who have a fundamental understanding of Scrum principles and want to demonstrate their ability to apply them in real-world scenarios.

Why Pursue the PSM I Certification?

Global Recognition: The PSM I certification is respected worldwide and validates your expertise in Scrum.
Career Advancement: It opens doors to roles like Scrum Master, Agile Coach, and Product Owner.
Deep Understanding: The certification equips you with a comprehensive understanding of Scrum roles, events, artifacts, and principles

Eligibility Criteria for PSM I

One of the best things about the PSM I certification is that no mandatory training is required. However, a solid understanding of the Scrum Guide is essential. The Scrum Guide is the foundation of the certification, and mastering it is key to passing the exam.

PSM I Exam Format

The PSM I exam is a 60-minute timeboxed, 80-question (in English) assessment that tests your knowledge of Scrum principles. The questions are a mix of multiple-choice and true/false types, and you need to score 85% or higher to pass.

Flexibility: You are not required to attend an assessment center andcan take the exam online from anywhere, at any time.
No Expiry: Once you purchase the exam attempt, there’s no expiration date, so you can take it when you’re ready.

My Certification Journey

Step 1: Preparation

The first step in my journey was to familiarize myself with the Scrum Guide and relevant study materials. This involves understanding the core principles and practices of the Scrum framework, as well as familiarizing yourself with common terminology and methodologies used in Agile project management. By dedicating time to study and review these materials, candidates can build a solid foundation of knowledge that will help them succeed in the certification exam.Here are some tips that helped me:

Read the Scrum Guide a couple of times: All the necessary information can be found within the Scrum guides; hence, we shouldn't invest excessive time searching for additional resources. The Scrum guides are available in multiple languages, allowing us to read them initially in any language. Nevertheless, since the assessment is conducted in English, it is essential to study the English version of the Scrum guides.
Take Notes: We should not dedicate extensive time to reading the Scrum guides; a thorough reading of 1 or 2 times will suffice to gain an overview and become familiar with the Scrum-related terminologies. It is advisable to note any unfamiliar keywords. We will revisit the Scrum guides during the training sessions.
Practice Assessments: I took several Scrum Open Assessments available on Scrum.org to test my knowledge. These practice tests were invaluable in helping me identify areas for further study.

Source: https://www.scrum.org
Practice assessments are a great way to test your knowledge before the exam.

Step 2: Training

While no formal training is required, I found that Udemy courses and other online resources helped me deepen my understanding. Here are some resources I used:

Scrum Open Assessments: Scrum Open Assessment
Practice Exams: The Scrum Master Practice Assessments
Udemy Courses: In the MFV learning resources, valuable Udemy courses are available, which provide additional insights and practice questions. The one I have picked: Agile Scrum for Beginners + Scrum Master Certification Prep
If time permits, we can explore these videos. However, this is not required; our focus should be on later examination test sections.

Source: https://www.udemy.com
Udemy courses can provide additional insights and practice questions.

Here are some tips while training:

Take those Scrum Open Assessments:
- https://www.scrum.org/open-assessments/scrum-open
- https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/assessments/professional-scrum-master-i-psm-i-practice-assessment/
- The examination parts are inside Udemy courses.
- Other resources:
  - https://quizform.net/exam/152/learning/1
  - https://quizform.net/exam/209/learning/1
Understand why we got each answer by finding related information in the Scrum guides document.
Remember to write down the questions we got wrong so we can review them before starting a new test.
Keep practicing until you can get a perfect score three times in a row for each test.

Step 3: Taking the Exam

Once you feel confident in your understanding of the Scrum framework, the next step is to register for the PSM exam on the Scrum.org website. The registering process:

You can sign up and pay for the assessment before you take the test. Once the payment is done, the password will be sent to you via email within a few minutes.
When filling out the billing information, make sure to include the company tax number following the MFV guidelines, especially after the company name.
To obtain the PSM certificate, you need to score at least 85% on the exam. This also means you don't have to get a perfect 100% score to get the certificate, so don't worry too much about it.

Here are some tips for taking the exam:

Use Two Monitors: one monitor for the exam and another for referencing the Scrum Guide and searching documents and notes.
Handling challenging questions: When facing a challenging question, we should select the most feasible answer, then skip it and return to it later. However, remember to note down the question’s index; we can navigate back directly to the question using the navigation pane.
Time Management: I made sure to manage my time effectively, skipping difficult questions and returning to them later.
Stay Calm: Remember, you don’t need a perfect score—just 85% to pass
Notes: the assessment website does not allow copying of the question content.

Source: https://www.freepik.com
Using two monitors can help you reference materials while taking the exam.

Key Concepts to Focus On

Source: https://www.freepik.com

Here are some of the key Scrum concepts that I found essential for the exam:

1. Scrum Definition

“Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.”
→ We must NOT modify the Scrum to adapt our organization.
“The Scrum framework is purposefully incomplete,…. Scrum is built upon the collective intelligence of the people using it. Rather than provide people with detailed instructions, the rules of Scrum guide their relationships and interactions.”

2. Scrum Values

Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect, and Courage: These values are the foundation of Scrum and guide the behavior of the Scrum Team.

3. Scrum Theory

“Scrum is founded on empiricism and lean thinking”

4. Scrum Team

“The Scrum Team consists of:
- one Scrum Master
- one Product Owner
- and Developers
Within a Scrum Team, there are no sub-teams or hierarchies.
Scrum Teams are cross-functional, meaning the members have all the skills necessary to create value each Sprint.
They are also self-managing, meaning they internally decide who does what, when, and how”
→ The members have all the skills, NOT each member has all skills.
“The Scrum Team is small enough to remain nimble and large enough to complete significant work within a Sprint, typically 10 or fewer people.
Smaller teams communicate better and are more productive. If Scrum Teams become too large, they should consider reorganizing into multiple cohesive Scrum Teams, each focused on the same product.
Therefore, they should share the same Product Goal, Product Backlog, and Product Owner.”

5. Developers

“The Developers are always accountable for:
- Creating a plan for the Sprint, the Sprint Backlog;
- Instilling quality by adhering to a Definition of Done;
- Adapting their plan each day toward the Sprint Goal; and,
- Holding each other accountable as professionals”
→ Also accountable for estimating, resolving conflicts, finding solutions, creating documents, testing, self-organizing teams…
→ A member can be replaced in some cases.

6. Product Owner

“Scrum Masters are true leaders who serve the Scrum Team and the larger organization.
The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team.
The Product Owner is also accountable for effective Product Backlog management, which includes:
- Developing and explicitly communicating the Product Goal
- Creating and clearly communicating Product Backlog items
- Ordering Product Backlog items
- Ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood.
The Product Owner may do the above work or may delegate the responsibility to others. Regardless, the Product Owner remains accountable.
The Product Owner is one person, not a committee. The Product Owner may represent the needs of many stakeholders in the Product Backlog. Those wanting to change the Product Backlog can do so by trying to convince the Product Owner.”

7. Scrum Master

“The Scrum Master serves the Scrum Team in several ways, including:
- Coaching the team members in self-management and cross-functionality
- Helping the Scrum Team focus on creating high-value Increments that meet the Definition of Done
- Causing the removal of impediments to the Scrum Team’s progress
- Ensuring that all Scrum events take place and are positive, productive, and kept within the timebox.
The Scrum Master serves the Product Owner in several ways, including:
- Helping find techniques for effective Product Goal definition and Product Backlog management
- Helping the Scrum Team understand the need for clear and concise Product Backlog items
- Helping establish empirical product planning for a complex environment
- Facilitating stakeholder collaboration as requested or needed.
The Scrum Master serves the organization in several ways, including:
- Leading, training, and coaching the organization in its Scrum adoption
- Planning and advising Scrum implementations within the organization
- Helping employees and stakeholders understand and enact an empirical approach for complex work
- Removing barriers between stakeholders and Scrum Teams.”

8. Scrum Events

“Optimally, all events are held at the same time and place to reduce complexity.
- Sprint Planning
- Daily Scrum
- Sprint Review
- Sprint Retrospective”

9. The Sprint

“They are fixed length events of one month or less to create consistency. A new Sprint starts immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint.”
During the Sprint:
- No changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal
- Quality does not decrease
- The Product Backlog is refined as needed
- Scope may be clarified and renegotiated with the Product Owner as more is learned.
A Sprint could be cancelled if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete.
Only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel the Sprint”

10. Sprint Planning

“Sprint Planning addresses the following topics:
- Topic One: Why is this Sprint valuable?
- Topic Two: What can be Done this Sprint?
- Topic Three: How will the chosen work get done?
The Sprint Goal, the Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint, plus the plan for delivering them are together referred to as the Sprint Backlog.
Sprint Planning is timeboxed to a maximum of 8 hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.”

11. Daily Scrum

“The purpose of the Daily Scrum is to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal and adapt the Sprint Backlog as necessary, adjusting the upcoming planned work.
To reduce complexity, it is held at the same time and place every working day of the Sprint.
If the Product Owner or Scrum Master are actively working on items in the Sprint Backlog, they participate as Developers.
The Developers can select whatever structure and techniques they want… This creates focus and improves self-management.
The Daily Scrum is a 15-minute event for the Developers of the Scrum Team.”
→ The Development Team is responsible for determining the best time for the Daily Scrum, based on their availability and needs. The Scrum Master supports the team in establishing a regular and consistent Daily Scrum but does not enforce a specific time.

12. Sprint Review

“The purpose of the Sprint Review is to inspect the outcome of the Sprint and determine future adaptations.
During the event, the Scrum Team and stakeholders review what was accomplished in the Sprint and what has changed in their environment…
The Product Backlog may also be adjusted to meet new opportunities
The Sprint Review is timeboxed to a maximum of 4 hours for a one-month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.”

13. Sprint Retrospective

“The Scrum Team inspects how the last Sprint went with regards to individuals, interactions, processes, tools, and their Definition of Done.
The Scrum Team identifies the most helpful changes to improve its effectiveness. The most impactful improvements are addressed as soon as possible. They may even be added to the Sprint Backlog for the next Sprint.
The Sprint Retrospective concludes the Sprint. It is timeboxed to a maximum of 3 hours for a one month Sprint. For shorter Sprints, the event is usually shorter.”

14. Scrum Artifacts

“Each artifact contains a commitment to ensure it provides information that enhances transparency and focus against which progress can be measured:
- For the Product Backlog it is the Product Goal.
- For the Sprint Backlog it is the Sprint Goal.
- For the Increment it is the Definition of Done.”

15. Product Backlog

“The Product Backlog is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product.”

16. Commitment: Product Goal

“The Product Goal describes a future state of the product which can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against.
The Product Goal is in the Product Backlog. The rest of the Product Backlog emerges to define “what” will fulfill the Product Goal:
- A product is a vehicle to deliver value. It has a clear boundary, known stakeholders, well-defined users or customers. A product could be a service, a physical product, or something more abstract.”

17. Sprint Backlog

“The Sprint Backlog is composed of the Sprint Goal (why), the set of Product Backlog items selected for the Sprint (what), as well as an actionable plan for delivering the Increment (how).
Consequently, the Sprint Backlog is updated throughout the Sprint as more is learned. It should have enough detail that they can inspect their progress in the Daily Scrum”

18. Commitment: Sprint Goal

“The Sprint Goal is created during the Sprint Planning event and then added to the Sprint Backlog.
If the work turns out to be different than they expected, they collaborate with the Product Owner to negotiate the scope of the Sprint Backlog within the Sprint without affecting the Sprint Goal.”

19. Increment

“An Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal.
..an Increment may be delivered to stakeholders prior to the end of the Sprint. The Sprint Review should never be considered a gate to releasing value.
Work cannot be considered part of an Increment unless it meets the Definition of Done.”

20. Commitment: Definition of Done

“The Definition of Done is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product.
The moment a Product Backlog item meets the Definition of Done, an Increment is born.
The Definition of Done creates transparency by providing everyone a shared understanding of what work was completed as part of the Increment. If a Product Backlog item does not meet the Definition of Done, it cannot be released or even presented at the Sprint Review. Instead, it returns to the Product Backlog for future consideration.
If the Definition of Done for an increment is part of the standards of the organization, all Scrum Teams must follow it as a minimum. If it is not an organizational standard, the Scrum Team must create a Definition of Done appropriate for the product.
If there are multiple Scrum Teams working together on a product, they must mutually define and comply with the same Definition of Done.”

Conclusion

Earning the PSM I certification was a challenging but rewarding experience. The key to success is consistent preparation and a deep understanding of the Scrum Guide. Remember, the certification is achievable with the right mindset and resources.

Stay Confident: The Scrum Guide is only 20 pages long, and with consistent practice, you can master it.
Practice Regularly: Take as many practice exams as you can to build confidence.
Focus on Understanding: Don’t just memorize—understand the principles and how they apply in real-world scenarios.

Good luck on your journey to becoming a Professional Scrum Master!

PSM I Certification: Tips, Insights, and Lessons Learned