The professionals these days get confused in choosing the right certification between CSM and PSM certifications. Some professionals have questions like whether they have to do CSM certification, if already done with the PSM. Ultimately, it’s up to you which one you should do. You should understand your career needs and what to expect from both certifications.
In this article, you will be taken through the CSM and PSM certifications. We have included the difference between both certifications, which will help you choose the right one that suits your needs. By the end of your reading, you will understand how these certifications compete with each other in developing the career potential of professionals.
CSM Certification
The Certified Scrum Master certification is for those working as practitioners in Scrum. This certification helps you become an expert scrum leader capable of dealing with complex situations with a strong base in the frameworks. You will learn and practice methods like sprint planning, sprint reviews, and daily standups. This certification fills your knowledge gap and focuses on teamwork and responsibilities for meeting the set goals.
PSM Certification
The Professional Scrum Master certification is more aimed towards practice-based than just theory-based concepts. This program allows you to go in-depth on the Scrum frameworks. You will also learn the responsibilities of a Scrum Master and how he leads a team and deploys Scrum principles. The PSM course has three levels to widen one’s skills in guiding and mentoring scrum teams.
CSM Certification Benefits
The CSM certification provides many benefits that can influence a professional’s personal and professional life. The learners will adopt the best practices of Scrum and Agile and implement those while handling projects to make them flexible and adaptive.
The certification helps individuals to develop a collaborative team environment where the team members respect each other and grow together.
Professionals will grasp the deep concepts and knowledge of frameworks and gain practical expertise to handle complex and large projects. Professionals will notice an increase in job opportunities, making them able to easily win interviews. Certified individuals become a remarkable asset to the organization they are working for. Professionals will gain confidence to lead team members and handle the challenges. This helps to have a smooth flow of projects at every stage.
Another important aspect to mention is the earning potential. The certified ones tend to earn a good salary because most firms consider the certified professionals an asset to their firm. Professionals will also optimize the scrum processes and deliver better project results by overcoming challenges.
PSM Certification Benefits
The PSM Certification is a recognition for professionals as a Scrum Master. This certification has a lot of benefits and influence on a professional’s career. The certified ones will be identified by industries that are practicing Agile. Learners will develop a good understanding of the application level of Scrum practices, from the very basic to more advanced and complex concepts.
Professionals with a PSM certification will get into their dream job roles as an Agile Coach or Scrum Master with good pay. The learners will easily adapt to any organization changing to Agile practices. They will also be capable of mitigating challenges and resolving problems. Individuals with this certification will demand high salaries, and they will ease the tough interview process. Employers tend to hire certified professionals for their organization as they have shown their excellence by achieving this certification.
Achieving this certification allows you to be part of the Scrum Alliance community of professionals where you will continuously improve your skills. Another highlight is that this certification does not expire, unlike other certifications.
CSM Eligibility
The CSM course is a live online or in-person program of 16 hours duration. This program consists of 50 questions and you will require 37 questions to be corrected to pass it. This course does not have strict requirements but some common requirements are there to ease your learning.
The eligibility criteria start here: a learner should attend CSM certification training of 16 hours from a Certified Scrum Trainer. Then, you must pass the examination and accept the license from Scrum Alliance. To officially become eligible as a Certified Scrum Master, your membership profile should be completed.
PSM Eligibility
The PSM certification course does not have any mandatory eligibility requirements. You only need to pass the examination. This exam has 80 questions, and you will require 68 questions to be corrected to pass it or an 85% passing score with 60 minutes to attend. The PSM certification has three levels. PSM I has no eligibility requirements, and PSM II recommends completing the PSM I certification. Similarly, PSM III recommends doing PSM I and PSM II certifications.
Who Should Attend
The CSM is best suited for those who wish to become Scrum Master within their organization. Those Scrum Masters who are so keen to upskill their knowledge and are part of an agile setting can undergo this program. This certification can be considered as a roadmap to pursue higher certifications.
The PSM is good for Scrum Masters who wish to gain a deep understanding and expertise. It also suits professionals who are working in organizations that are following Agile. Apart from these, any professional can join this program if they wish to learn and apply Scrum theories.
Conclusion
We have discussed the major benefits of the CSM and PSM certifications for professionals. Getting an idea of the expected outcomes from both of these certifications will help you decide which certification you should go with. It depends on your requirements and the goal of the organization that you work for. Both certifications are highly valued among practitioners and industries that follow Scrum. These certifications develop the skillset and help professionals become expert Scrum Masters. Professionals will implement their knowledge in firms that put forward Agile and Scrum into practice.
Professionals tend to choose CSM over PSM because the exam difficulty is comparatively lesser for CSM. But on the other hand, the CSM will expire every two years, whereas the PSM does not expire. Even though the exam difficulty is a bit higher for PSM, professionals are so eagerly considering this certification due to its potential to influence one’s career. PSM saves time and costs in the renewal process. The benefits discussed in this article will help you choose the best certification that matches your job function.