PSM exams from Scrum.org

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Recently, I have passed PSM II exam from Scrum.org. That is the second certification out of three available from the Professional Scrum Master track. In this post, I would like to give you an overview of how the exam is structured, how it differs from other PSM exams and how you might prepare yourself to make a successful try.

PSM stands for Professional Scrum Master. This certification is managed by Scrum.org, which is run by Ken Schwaber, one of the two Scrum founders, so you know you are in good hands.

Further, there are varying categories of the PSM exam such as PSM 1, PSM II and PSM III to reflect the complexity and a higher level of mastery. The PSMs are not the easy exams to pass in comparison with other certifications, the pass rate is 85% so it is by no means a walk in the park.

Good thing, there is no formal prerequisites are needed to pass the first two exams PSM 1 and PSM II. In fact, you can jump straight to PSM II if you feel confident to do so. No training is needed to apply for the exam. The certification prices are relatively affordable: 150$ — PSM 1, 250$ — PSM II and 500$ — PSM III. For the paid price you will be given one attempt to pass the exam in an online format. As soon as you get your certification, it is yours for life, no renewal fees are required.

Now we dealt with general information, let’s jump to the exams themselves. If you ever heard about the Shu-Ha-Ri concept (originates from the Japanese martial art Aikido), then you might find that PSM journey with its three exams directly maps to the three stages of Shu-Ha-Ri.

Shu-Ha-Ri

Aikido master Endō Seishirō Shihan explains the idea as follows:

“It is known that, when we learn or train in something, we pass through the stages of Shu, Ha, and Ri. These stages are explained as follows. In Shu, we repeat the forms and discipline ourselves so that our bodies absorb the forms that our forebears created. We remain faithful to these forms with no deviation. Next, in the stage of Ha, once we have disciplined ourselves to acquire the forms and movements, we make innovations. In this process, the forms may be broken and discarded. Finally, in Ri, we completely depart from the forms, open the door to creative technique, and arrive in a place where we act following what our heart/mind desires, unhindered while not overstepping laws.”

Next, let’s walk through the explanation of how it applies to PSM certifications.

PSM 1

PSM 1 exam (Shu) requires a Scrum master demonstrates a fundamental level of Scrum mastery, prove that they understand Scrum, the rules, accountabilities, events and artefacts as described in the Scrum Guide. Scrum masters are expected to be good at going through the motions and know how to apply Scrum in Scrum Teams.

This exam focuses more on ensuring that a candidate knows how to apply Scrum rules without worrying too much about underlying values and principles. Simply speaking, If you know Scrum Guide by heart and have at least some little experience working in Scrum teams, then you are good to go.

During the exam you may face questions as follow (example):

When does the next Sprint begin?
a) When the Product Owner is ready.
b) Immediately after the conclusion of the previous Sprint.
c) Immediately following the next Sprint Planning.
d) Next Monday.

Exam structure: 
- passing score: 85%
- time limit: 60 minutes
- number of questions: 80
- format: multiple choice, multiple answer, true/false
- language: english

PSM II exam (Ha) requires Scrum Masters not only perfectly know what needs to be done, but more importantly know Why We Do What We Do. The exam expects Scrum masters to acquire advanced Scrum knowledge and in-depth Scrum experience. Those experiences would help the candidates during the exam to reflect on the questions (real-world scenario-based) and effectively decide how Scrum should be applied in complex, real-world situations. In addition, a candidate is also expected to know the basics of how Scaling Scrum to multiple teams, how to minimize cross-team dependencies and deal with integration issues.

To summarize, simply knowing the rules of the Scrum game would not be enough, instead, a candidate is expected to have in-depth knowledge of the underlying principles and values of Scrum and use this knowledge to make informed and conscious decisions.

The PSM II assessment is challenging and consists of multiple-choice questions based on your knowledge of Scrum and how you would handle real-world situations.

During the exam you may face questions as follows (examples):

1. What are two signs that a Scrum Team is self-managing? (Choose the best two answers)
a) Management always understands the team’s daily tasks.
b) The Developers always know the status of the assigned work needed to deliver the tasks committed in the Sprint Plan.
c) The Scrum Team can resolve conflicts and continue working.
d) Creativity flourished and new possibilities are explored.

2. You are a Scrum Master entering an organization that wants to “evolve” their product development to Scrum. The organization’s teams are organized into component teams. This means that teams address one single application layer only (for example, front end, middle tier, back end, and interfaces). You introduce the concept of feature teams, where teams have the skills to work on multiple layers throughout a Sprint and deliver working software to every Sprint. What are the two things you take into consideration when moving away from component teams towards feature teams? (Choose best two answers)

a) You cannot do Scrum without feature teams. Do not continue adopting Scrum until teams are reorganized into feature teams.
b) Productivity, in terms of lines of codes or story points, will probably suffer during the transition, although even then delivery of business values is still likely to increase.
c) Feature teams will require time to become productive as people from the different layers and components become accustomed to working and delivering unified functionality together, as one Scrum Team.
d) With feature teams, it is easier to calculate and compare the productivity per team. Incentives on productivity are likely to speed up the transition to feature teams, and therefore the adoption of Scrum.

3. If a Team’s current velocity is 30 units of done work. Another team is added on the same product, how will this impact the velocity?

a) increase
b) decrease
c) stay the same

Exam structure: 
- passing score: 85%
- time limit: 90 minutes
- number of questions: 30
- format: multiple choice, multiple answer, true/false
- language: english

Finally the last but not the least piece, PSM III exam (Ri). I would like to write more on this exam a bit later after I successfully pass it :)

Though, the general expectations are as follows:

As a prerequisite, you must have a PSM II certificate before you take PSM III. That is basically it from the formal perspective. For the rest, the exam expects a candidate to have a deep understanding of the application and practices of Scrum and the Scrum Values in a variety of complex team and organizational situations. Those who are taking PSM III are usually the ones who not only effectively apply Scrum, but can also mentor and coach people or teams who are adopting Scrum.

As one credible Agile coach who has successfully passed the exam advised me, in order to pass the exam you have to learn to think like Ken (Ken Schwaber, co-founder of Scrum). You must have a deep knowledge of Scrum values and principles. Truly and deeply understand the empirical process control with constant inspection and adaptation cycles. At this stage, you are a true Sensei who possess deep knowledge and practical experience. Your experienced and insightful mind allows you to read things between the lines and understand the root of things which is happening around you. At this stage, you are free from particular techniques or methods, rather you rely and follow your heart and intuition to come up with new and creative ideas to deal with complex challenges, while still not overstepping the high-level Scrum boundaries.

The PSM III assessment is significantly difficult and consists of multiple-choice questions, case study questions, and essays. Achieving PSM III is the highest demonstration of knowledge any Professional Scrum Master can make. This time, your answers would be assessed not by a computer, but by a fellow expert colleague. Therefore, results are not instantly available, instead, you need to wait sometime to receive them.

Exam structure: 
- passing score: 85%
- time limit: 150 minutes
- format: combination of 30 Multiple Choice and essay
- pasting of prepared answers is not allowed
- language: english

Below you can see a breakdown of how many people hold certifications (14.01.2022)

To conclude with I would like to share with you some materials on how you could best prepare yourself to take the exams:

PSM I:

• Knowing the Scrum Guide
• Some experience working in Scrum teams would be beneficial
• The Scrum Master Learning Path contains many additional resources to help you prepare to take the PSM I Assessment.
• The PSM I Suggested Reading lists the Focus Areas from which questions may be selected during the assessment.

PSM II:

• Everything from the PSM I checklist
• Practical experience of serving and coaching the Scrum teams — 2+ years (my subjective opinion)
• PSM II Suggested Reading
• The Nexus Guide (Scaling Scrum)
• I personally found those two books quite helpful: Nexus Framework for Scaling Scrum, Scrum — A Pocket Guide — 3rd edition. The latter is incredibly good at describing Scrum fundamental principles and values and will be a good fit for everyone no matter which exam you are planning to take

I would stop here for now.

I hope you will find this information helpful, whether you plan to take an exam or not.

Best regards,
Marlen