Key takeaways
- The Scrum Guide is the primary source: read it several times, slowly, and take notes.
- Plan about four weeks of preparation, 30 to 60 minutes a day, depending on your experience.
- Practice with questions to learn the exact vocabulary and to manage your time.
- Most wrong answers come from confusing usual practices with what the Scrum Guide actually says.
- With 5 attempts per voucher, a failed attempt is a learning opportunity, not the end.
Before you start
A Scrum certification exam does not test what your company calls Scrum. It tests Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide. The most important preparation step is therefore to learn the Scrum Guide's exact vocabulary and rules. Before starting:
- download the free Scrum Guide (2020), about 13 pages;
- get the free SCRUM Framework Study Guide;
- check the format of your exam (number of questions, duration, passing score) on its certification page;
- block 30 to 60 minutes a day in your calendar for four weeks.
Week 1: understand the framework
- Read the whole Scrum Guide once, without taking notes, to get the big picture.
- Read our guide What is Scrum?
- Read the Scrum Guide again and write down, in your own words, the theory (empiricism, three pillars), the five values and the purpose of each event and artifact.
- Look up every unfamiliar term in the Scrum Glossary.
Week 2: go deeper into accountabilities and events
- Study the three accountabilities: who decides what, who owns which artifact.
- Learn the five events and their timeboxes by heart.
- Study the artifacts and their commitments.
- Browse the Scrum Library sections related to your certification (Scrum Master, Product Owner or Developer).
Week 3: practice
- Answer practice questions every day. Members can use the SCRUM Framework practice assessment.
- For every wrong answer, find the sentence of the Scrum Guide that gives the right answer.
- Train under time pressure: for example, 50 questions in 75 minutes is about 90 seconds per question.
Week 4: consolidate and take the exam
- Re-read the Scrum Guide one last time, focusing on your weak areas.
- Review your notes on the most common traps (below).
- Take the exam when you consistently score above the passing score in practice. With 5 attempts per voucher, a failed attempt is a learning opportunity.
The most common traps
| Common belief | What the Scrum Guide says |
|---|---|
| The Scrum Master manages the team and assigns tasks. | The Scrum Team is self-managing; the Scrum Master is accountable for its effectiveness and serves it. |
| The Daily Scrum is a status meeting for the Scrum Master. | It is a 15-minute event for the Developers to inspect progress toward the Sprint Goal. |
| The Sprint Goal can change during the Sprint. | The Sprint Goal does not change; the Sprint Backlog can be adapted. |
| Refinement is a Scrum event. | Product Backlog refinement is an ongoing activity, not an event. |
| The Scrum Master can cancel a Sprint. | Only the Product Owner can cancel a Sprint, if the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete. |
| "Developers" means programmers. | Developers are all the people who create the Increment, whatever their skills. |
| Undone work can be shown at the Sprint Review. | Work that does not meet the Definition of Done cannot be released or presented at the Sprint Review. |
Exam-day checklist
- A stable internet connection and a quiet place for the whole exam duration (75 minutes, single session).
- Read each question to the end: words like best, first or accountable change the answer.
- When two answers seem right, choose the one closest to the Scrum Guide's wording.
- Do not spend more than two minutes on a question; come back to it if time allows.
Not sure which exam to take? Read Which Scrum certification should you choose?
Frequently asked questions
Most candidates need two to four weeks, 30 to 60 minutes a day. Experienced practitioners may need less, beginners more.
The Scrum Guide is the reference for every question, but practice questions and explanations help you apply it to situations.
It depends on the level: 60% for CSM, CSPO and CSD, 65% for PSM and PSPO, 75% for SGE.
Each SCRUM Framework voucher includes up to 5 attempts and never expires: review your weak areas and try again when ready.
Sources
- Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, The Scrum Guide, November 2020.
- Manifesto for Agile Software Development, 2001.
- SCRUM Framework, How our certification exams work.
Exam content is based on the Scrum Guide by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0). SCRUM Framework is an independent certification body. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Scrum.org, Scrum Alliance or Scrum Inc., whose names and trademarks belong to their respective owners.
