CSM study plan
CSM · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Scrum theory and principles
Define empiricism and name the three pillars in your own words without notes
Contrast the Scrum framework with a plan-driven approach using one concrete work scenario
Give a real example of each of the five Scrum values showing up in team behavior
Explain in writing why self-managing teams outperform directed teams under complex work
Your checkpoint
A one-page written explainer of Scrum theory plus a 5-minute self-recorded teach-back covering the pillars and values
Scrum theory and principles & Scrum team accountabilities
Map each Scrum value to at least two observable behaviors you could actually see in a team
Distinguish the three Scrum accountabilities by the decisions each one owns
Describe what servant leadership looks like as a daily action rather than a slogan
Identify three symptoms of a team that has drifted from empiricism
Your checkpoint
An annotated accountability map linking each accountability to its core decisions and the Scrum value it most protects
Scrum team accountabilities
List the product decisions a Product Owner owns versus those the Developers own
Explain how accountability for quality is distributed across the team
Describe three ways a Scrum Master removes impediments without taking ownership of the work
Differentiate a Scrum Master from a project manager and from an agile coach
Your checkpoint
A 15-question self-written quiz on team accountabilities, scored at 80% or higher with every miss rewritten as a correct rule
Scrum events
Sequence the five Scrum events and state the purpose and timebox of each
Explain how each event creates an inspection and adaptation opportunity
Describe the inputs and outputs that should flow between events
Identify three common anti-patterns that turn events into status meetings
Your checkpoint
A one-page event flow diagram showing purpose, timebox, inputs, and outputs for all five events
Scrum artifacts
Define each of the three artifacts and the commitment attached to it
Explain what transparency requires of each artifact and who is accountable for it
Describe how a weak Definition of Done undermines an increment
Show how the artifacts connect to each other across a sprint
Your checkpoint
A written artifact-to-commitment table with one realistic failure scenario per artifact and the correct remedy
Scrum events & Scrum artifacts
Trace how a change in the product backlog propagates into sprint planning and the sprint backlog
Explain how the sprint review feeds the product backlog and the retrospective feeds team process
Identify which artifact each event exists to inspect
Diagnose two end-to-end scenarios where a broken artifact distorts an event
Your checkpoint
Two written end-to-end case walkthroughs with a diagnosed failure point and a corrected flow
Scrum theory and principles & Scrum team accountabilities & Scrum events & Scrum artifacts
Rank your four domains by practice-test accuracy and target your two weakest
Complete a timed 40-question mixed practice set under exam conditions
Rewrite every missed question as a standalone principle you can state from memory
Re-explain any domain scoring below 75% without referring to notes
Your checkpoint
A scored practice exam log with a written remediation note for every incorrect answer
Scrum theory and principles & Scrum team accountabilities & Scrum events & Scrum artifacts
Re-run a full timed practice simulation and exceed your week 7 score
Recite the pillars, accountabilities, events, and artifacts in a single unbroken walkthrough
Resolve any remaining review flags in your notes until none are left
Deliver a final teach-back covering all four domains to another person
Your checkpoint
A final simulation score of 85% or higher plus a clean, fully resolved study summary
Milestones
Week 4: Score 80% or higher on a 20-question set drawn only from domains 1 and 2, and explain empiricism and the three accountabilities aloud without notes
Week 6: Score 80% or higher on a 20-question set drawn only from domains 3 and 4, and correctly draw the event flow and artifact-to-commitment map from memory
Week 8: Score 85% or higher on two full timed mixed simulations with no domain below 75% accuracy