Scrum.org Course Content and Certification Standards
This domain tests your knowledge of what Scrum.org teaches and how it certifies: which course covers which subject, how assessments are structured, and where the boundaries between them lie.
The course and certification ladder
- Professional Scrum Master (PSM): theory, the three accountabilities, events, artifacts, and facilitation practice.
- Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO): product management, value, backlog management, and stakeholders.
- Professional Scrum Developer (PSD): engineering practices and technical excellence.
- Scaled Professional Scrum (SPS): scaling with Nexus.
- Professional Scrum with Kanban (PSK) and Professional Agile Leadership (PAL, PAL-EBM): flow, and evidence-based management for leaders. Level I assessments (PSM I, PSPO I) use 80 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes with an 85% pass mark. PSM II is 30 scenario questions in 90 minutes at 85%, testing judgment rather than recall; PSPO II is likewise scenario-based. PSM III demands depth beyond recall. All Scrum.org certifications are lifetime, with no renewal fee, and results are immediate.
Alignment rules
Course learning objectives and assessment objectives share the same sources: the Scrum Guide and Professional Scrum practice. A PSM course includes one free attempt at PSM I; trainers must not promise pass rates or coach answers to specific items.
Worked example
A candidate asks whether a PSPO class will prepare them for PSM II. Correct reasoning: no - PSPO targets product ownership and value; PSM II tests Scrum Master judgment in complex situations. Recommend the PSM course and PSM II focus areas instead.
Traps
- Quoting pre-2020 Guide language: "Dev Team", three Daily Scrum questions as mandatory, or impediment removal as the Scrum Master's only duty.
- Assuming certifications expire or require renewal fees.
- Mixing PSPO content into a PSM answer, or claiming a course guarantees a pass.