Because of the high passing requirement (above 85%), the PSM™ examination is quite reputed to be very difficult to pass. It is, however, certainly doable if you prepare well. In turn, you can reap the benefits that come with becoming a certified professional scrum master. And if you are thinking, if it’s worth investing in, to begin with, consider. Due to its high demand in the dynamic IT sector, obtaining a PSM™ certification is a low-cost, one-time investment that rewards you for your entire career.
An Overview of the PSM™ Examinations
PSM™ examinations are divided into three stages, each with an increasing level of knowledge, capability, and difficulty. You are not obligated to earn all three levels of certification. A total of 80 questions will be in the PSM™ I examination, including true/false questions, multiple-choice questions, and multiple answer questions (the number of correct answers will be specified). You will have one hour to finish the exam. PSM™ I and II examinations do consist of multiple-choice questions, but in the latter, increased focus is on essay-type questions. Look further into what is the Difference Between PSM™1 and PSM™2 to get a clearer idea.
Helpful Tips to Help You Prepare
The following tips were compiled from top PSM™s to help you become a Professional Scrum Master.
- The Golden Rule – The Scrum Guide
It may not cover everything, but the scrum guide will usually prove to be your best friend. Past exam takers recommend going over the scrum guide multiple times and accounting for a large part of their success in it.
- Practice, Practice. Practice!
Attend as many open assessments as possible. Make sure to practice till you get a perfect score in each of them.
- Suggested Readings
There will never be just one book to follow for the PSM™ examination. Even though it may be impossible to read all the suggested materials, at least check out as many as you can.
- Stay Aware
Whether intentionally or not, PSM™ exams tend to be tricky. Make sure you read the questions more than once before answering. Even the slightest use of should or could in the question alter the answers drastically.
- Time Management
You have 60 minutes to answer 80 questions, so you have less than a minute per question. Do not linger over the difficult questions; instead, mark them and move on to the easier ones. Choose a preferred and relaxing time for the final exam, when there are fewer potential distractions.
- Put Your Trust in a Reliable Scrum Course
The best way to become a Scrum Master if you are unfamiliar with the Scrum framework is to take a Professional Scrum Master Course. Consider taking a course that provides you with real-world working experiences and scenarios that are extremely helpful in the examination.
Instead of focusing on emptying your wallet, the PSM™ course, unlike most preparatory and work enhancement pieces of training, focuses on quality and challenges you to prepare for high-standardized questions. PSM™ certification is not for everyone, and those that do are regarded as valuable employees by their employers. So, before you go to the PSM™ evaluation and become a Professional Scrum Master™`, bear the above-mentioned criteria in mind.
