Disclaimer:
An article with such a title might activate your scam radar😅. Thus, I can see you already thinking, is this another clickbait article that will try to sell me a course on Udemy or a pdf on Etsy?
The answer to this question is no!✨
The whole purpose of this article is for me to share the information I wish I’d found when I was preparing for PSM I™ certification. That being said, let’s get right to it!
What’s PSM I™ certification?
PSM I™ is a certification that validates a strong knowledge of the Scrum framework, the Scrum Master accountabilities, and how to apply Scrum.
- Fee: $150 USD per attempt
- Passing score: 85%
- Time limit: 60 minutes
- Number of Questions: 80
Why PSM I™ certification and not CSM®?
Both certifications as quite equivalent. For me, the choice what made based on two key pieces of information:
- PSM I™ is harder than CSM® (Thus, PSM validates a stronger understanding of Scrum);
- PSM I™ is cheaper and has lifelong validity (CSM requires paying a renewal fee every 2 years).
What should you study to get PSM I™ certification?
- Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework (Empiricism, Scrum Values, Scrum Team, Events, Artifacts, Done).
- Developing People and Teams (Self-Managing Teams, Facilitation, Coaching and Mentoring).
- Managing Products with Agility (Forecasting & Release Planning, Product Value, Product Backlog Management, Stakeholders & Customers).
On the exam, the following focus areas will be linked to a set of questions to evaluate your understanding of each:
How to prepare for PSM I™ certification?
- Read, until having a complete grasp of the Scrum Guide.
For this, I recommend printing the 14 pages document and reading it over and over. Taking the time to completely understand each sentence, and underlying all important keywords & understanding the logic behind each and every concept discussed.
- Practice using the official PSM I™ Open Assessment
For this, I recommend practicing until being able to answer each question in under 10 seconds and your score is constantly hitting 100%.
- Practice using the official PSPO I™ (Professional Scrum Product Owner) Open Assessment
For this, I recommend practicing to cover the basic level of knowledge regarding Product ownership that a Scrum Master should be aware of when working with Scrum (an 80% score is enough).
- Practice using the official PSD I™ (Professional Scrum Developer) Open Assessment
For this, as it was with PSPO, the goal is to have a basic level of knowledge regarding Scrum from a Developer point of view (an 80% score is enough).
- Practice using the questions available in VCE Guide
In my experience, this platform for sharing certification questions had most of the real questions I had later in the PSM I™ exam.
- Last but not least, on the exam day keep in mind that:
At this point, you have everything you need to get the certification on the first try. However, take your time to understand each question before answering. If you have any doubts save the question so you can get back to it at the end.
Good luck! 😉
