How to ace your PSM I assessment

The Professional Scrum Master level I (PSM I) certification from Scrum.org

Mastering Scrum is a continuous process that requires a lot of hands-on practice. Acquiring a certification is not the end, but merely the beginning of this learning path.

A Scrum certification, such as the PSM I, can be a great opportunity for beginners to get acquainted with the Scrum framework or for more advanced individuals to solidify and prove their knowledge.

People who have passed PSM I, achieving certification, demonstrate a fundamental level of Scrum mastery. PSM I certificate holders prove that they understand Scrum as described in the Scrum Guide and how to apply Scrum in Scrum Teams. PSM I holders have a consistent terminology and approach to Scrum. (from Scrum.org)

In this article, I will share some of the resources and methodologies I gathered when studying for the PSM I exam. This is not an exhaustive list (I would like to add more items after feedback from readers), it is a proposal of how one can start getting set for their exams.

How to prepare 📖

The order in which the following points are written is indicative of the ones to start with.

• Learn more about the PSM I certification
  Before getting your hands dirty and going into the deep with PSM I study material, read about the general overview of the PSM I certification at https://www.scrum.org/professional-scrum-master-i-certification.
• Read the Scrum Guide
  Scrum Guide: https://scrumguides.org/index.html
  The Scrum Guide has more than one version, so make sure to be reading from the latest one available. At the time of writing, this is the “Scrum Guide 2020".
  The Scrum Guide should be your go-to place for any Scrum-theory dilemma.
  I would suggest studying from the digital version, since it’s easily searchable (Ctrl+F), highlighting, taking notes on the PDF file, etc. You can also copy-paste specific parts from the guide into a personal note-space, with items that you find are really important or that you easily forget. This way, everything you want to review is centrally and quickly accessible.
• Practice with Open Assessments
  Open Assessments: https://www.scrum.org/open-assessments
  These assessments provide a free way to practice for your Professional Scrum certification assessments.
  Do note that the questions on the Open Assessments do not have the same level of difficulty as the certification assessments.
  In order of relevance for your PSM I preparation, try: Scrum Open, Product Owner Open, Scrum Developer Open
  I suggest taking the Open Assessment multiple times and, once again, keeping into a personal note-space the questions you get wrong frequently or want to review (plus after you finish each assessment there is a very helpful Feedback section for every question).
  Try to get a streak of 3–4 assessments with a score of 100%, this will increase your speed and knowledge of the Scrum fundamentals.

Up to this point, the study material is free and comes from sources that we can consider credible regarding what is deemed correct for the PSM I assessment since it all originates from Scrum.org.
In my opinion, this is the minimum one should study to assemble the necessary knowledge and succeed in the assessment.

Other tips 📌

• Don’t cargo-cult
  While studying, it is important to understand the why and not just memorize terms. This will help you both in the assessment, and also when you, later on, have to apply Scrum to real-life problems.
• Read the Scrum Glossary
  An overview of Scrum-related terms
• More advanced reads
  - Scrum Master Learning Path
  - The Professional Scrum Competencies
  - Changes between 2017 and 2020 Scrum Guides
• Free 3rd party practice tests
  **A note of caution here**:
  The answers on these assessments may not always be considered correct (they do not necessarily derive from Scrum.org).
  Make sure that these tests consist of questions/answers based on the latest version of the Scrum Guide.
  List:
  - https://mplaza.training/exam-simulators/psm/
  - https://mlapshin.com/index.php/scrum-quizzes/sm-real-mode/ (based on the Scrum Guide v2017, update for v2020 is in progress)
  - https://www.thescrummaster.co.uk/assessments/scrum-guide-2020-update-practice-assessment/

The exam 📝

You can find the specific instructions on how to register for the exam at https://www.scrum.org.

At the time of writing, some PSM I details are:

• Passing score: 85%
• Time limit: 60 minutes
• Number of Questions: 80

meaning an average of 45 seconds per question.

• Format: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer and True/False
• Language: English only
• Required course: None

Scrum.org certification requires a minimum score on an online assessment. Attending a course is neither required nor sufficient for certification.

List of Professional Scrum Certificate Holders

References & Other study material 📚

• Scrum Forum:I just passed the PSM1 for my self… How to prepare
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-prepare-pass-professional-scrum-master-i-psm-boris-magas/
• https://scrumprep.com/

Disclaimer: None of the above material constitutes an endorsement.

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