The Past, The October 1st Future, of ScrumMaster Certification
Those who are certified as ScrumMasters are known as CertifiedScrum Masters (CSMs). The CSM has continually grown in popularity as the acceptance of agile has grown, perhaps synergistically. In the past, to become a CSM, you simply attended, participated in, and completed a 2 or more day CSM course taught by a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST). Starting on October 1st, this changes.
In Short, Take a September Class, or Take the Test
In short, if you take a CSM class, and this course completes before October 1st, you won’t need to take the exam to become a Certified ScrumMaster. If, you take a class after this, you will need to pass the new exam in order to become certified.
Information from Scrum Alliance Website:
Effective 1 October 2009, all CSMs will be required to complete a Certified ScrumMaster course and pass a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) online certification exam to maintain certification.
Certification Duration:
Effective 1 October 2009, certifications will be valid for two years from the date when the CSM passes his or her certification exam. If an individual takes a CSM course after 30 September 2009, he or she will have ninety days after the course date to pass the certification exam.If an individual earned his or her certification prior to 1 April 2009, the individual must take the initial online certification exam by 1 April 2011 to maintain certification.
If an individual earned his or her certification between 1 April 2009 and 1 October 2009, the individual will have two years from the course date to pass the CSM exam and maintain certification.
Recertification Process:
To recertify, CSMs who have not previously passed the CSM exam will required to do so. CSMs who have previously passed the CSM exam will not be required to retake it. The recertification fee is $150.
In Closing
Anyone interested in becoming a CSM should seriously think about taking a class this September to avoid the extra effort and expense of taking the exam.
