The Certified Scrum Master (CSM) exam certification process is currently going through some change. Until now, everybody who attended a Certified Scrum Master course and took the exam passed. However, starting from the 1 September 2012 the Scrum Alliance is going to update the exam content, slightly increasing the difficulty, and introducing a pass/fail outcome.
Everybody who takes the exam before or on the 31 August will pass and become a CSM. Starting from the 1 September onwards it will be possible to fail. All candidates have 60 days time and two attempts to complete the exam. After 60 days or starting from your fourth attempt you will be charged US$25.
Once you have completed your Certified Scrum Master course you will receive an email from the Scrum Alliance. It will include instructions on how to complete the test online and a link to the exam.
The evaluation consists of 35 multiple-choice questions that require you to demonstrate your understanding of key scrum elements, including:
- General knowledge about agile
- Scrum roles
- Scrum meetings
- Scrum artifacts
The exam includes 8 general knowledge questions, 19 roles questions, 4 meetings questions, and 4 questions on artifacts. Questions are chosen at random, meaning that every candidate will see a different set of questions. To pass, you need to answer at least 24 out of 35 questions correctly.
If you already are a Certified Scrum Master, you are expected to take the exam as part of your re-certification process.
Our training courses provide an ideal way to prepare for the new CSM exam. They are highly interactive and take you through the values, structure, and approach the specifics necessary to be successful with Scrum and at the exam.
This article was originally published on 9 August 2012 at http://platinumedge.com/blog