When pursuing the Certified Scrum Master (CSM®) certification, it is normal to feel pressured to clear the CSM® certification exam in just one chance, especially when the criteria for passing is as high as 74%. Enrolling in Certified Scrum Master training can help you become comfortable with the syllabus and provide you with the right guidance and training for clearing the CSM® certification exam and obtaining the certification.
Despite enrolling in a Certified Scrum Master training, you can still lack confidence before the big exam. To boost your confidence, this article will help you with 10 tips to ace your CSM curriculum and exam.
10 Tips to Ace CSM® Curriculum
1. Make Official Guide Provided by Scrum Alliance Your Holy Grail
The best study material for CSM® exam preparation is the official guide provided by the Scrum Alliance as all the questions in the exam will be based on that. It comprises the official learning objectives which are important for the exam. You should cover all the bases talked about in the guide as all the concepts and information about the rules of Scrum are contained in it.
2. Go Through Previous Questions and Samples
You should go through the questions asked in the previous sessions of the exam. This will help you understand the type of questions that are asked in the CSM® certification exam. You can find them online or get books containing the previous year’s questions of the CSM certification exam. You should also cover sample questions for this exam. There are many books available that contain good sample questions or you can look up the CSM® exam-relevant sample questions online, which you can practice to improve your efficiency and accuracy.
3. Take Mock Exams
Attempting mock tests for the CSM® exam will help you boost your confidence immensely as these mock tests will be tailored completely according to the actual CSM® exam. Attempting numerous mock tests will help you increase your accuracy and improve your answering ability. There are several mock tests available online, some of which are free. Enrolling in CSM training can also provide you with relevant mock tests. Attempting mock tests also helps you to identify your weak spot and where you need to focus more.
4. Read Additional Study Material
In addition to the official guide provided by the Scrum Alliance, you should also refer to other study materials including study guides and books which are aligned with the objective of the CSM certification exam. You can find some good books online in PDF format or you can buy hard copies of such books. Upon enrolling in a CSM training course, you can avail yourself of relevant study material for additional guidance.
5. Join Discussion Forums
You can join online groups and discussion forums online where you can connect with similar-minded people who are engaged in the preparation for the CSM exam or have knowledge about the CSM® exam and related aspects of CSM. You can find online discord servers where you can post your queries related to the CSM® course and get answered by people who are in the loop. This will help you come across a vast variety of questions that will increase your knowledge of Scrum which will be helpful for your exam preparation. You can also join CSM-focused discussion groups on Facebook and LinkedIn. Being a part of such groups will help you in your preparation for the CSM® exam.
6. Know the Roles of Scrum
When you are studying for the Certified Scrum Master certification, you should be well acquainted with the roles of Scrum as this might help you in the exam. With the help of the CSM® certification, you can become a Scrum Master, a Product Owner, or a Development Team member within an organization. You should also be well versed in the 4 Foundational Values and the 12 Guiding Principles of Agile in Scrum as having this knowledge of Agile will help you understand the concepts of the CSM course in a better light.
7. Enroll in Training Course
Enrolling in a top Certified Scrum Master training course will help you prepare for the CSM certification exam in a comprehensive manner, especially if it is an Approved training partner where you can also fulfill the criteria of having at least 14 hours of mandatory interactive instructions from a certified Scrum trainer. A CSM training course will help you understand the fundamental concepts of Scrum which are extremely essential to score more than 37 marks in the CSM® certification exam. Studying in a CSM® course will help you develop all the concepts explained in the official learning guide. The best part about a CSM® training course is that it will not take more than 2 days to complete the course.
8. Connect with CSM® Professionals
You should enter the global community of certified CSM professionals as interacting with them will help you be in the loop of the latest developments in the field since they are already working as Scrum-Certified professionals. Not only that, you can get your doubts and queries addressed by them as they will have practical knowledge related to the field which will help you understand Scrum and its concepts much better.
9. Make a Plan
When planning to attempt the CSM® certification exam, you should have a plan of action in mind. Build an exam strategy that suits you for the official exam. This can be done by gathering as much information as you can about the CSM® certification exam first and then moving on to reading the study materials. This will help you to recognize the areas where you need to focus more and improve. You should be able to create an exam plan according to the topics in which you are comfortable which will help you to maximize your results in the CSM exam.
10. Remember: The CSM® Exam is Open Book Test
You should not forget that the CSM® certification exam is an open-book test. This implies that you can refer to any source during the exam. But you should be mindful of not taking up all the time to search for a particular topic. The best reference material is the official guide. But you should be well aware of the basic concepts of Scrum as Scrum can be highly interpretable. But feel free to use any resource material you wish.
Wrapping Up
It is normal to feel anxious about the CSM® certification exam. But it can be easily managed with the help of the top CSM® training course. The Certified Scrum Master training course online offers highly relevant & organized instructor-led sessions. Where you get the opportunity to earn 16 PDUs along with 16 SEUs.
Enroll today and get the best out of the CSM training course to gain knowledge of Scrum Master and Agile methodologies. To develop industry relevant, readily applicable skills to get hired at the best MNCs worldwide.
FAQs
- What is the type of process control that Scrum is based on?
Scrum is based on the empirical process control theory which is also called empiricism.
- What are the three pillars of empiricism?
Empiricism is founded on the pillars of Inspection, Transparency, and Adaptation.
- What role does management play in Scrum?
In a Scrum-facilitated environment, the management supports the Product Owner by providing valuable insights and information. About the high-value product and system capabilities as well as supports the Scrum Master to bring about organizational change.
- What is the generally recommended size of a Scrum team?
The generally recommended size of a Scrum team is 10 or fewer than that.
- What does Scrum consist of?
Scrum is composed of three basic elements: roles, events, and artifacts.
- What is ‘Scrum of Scrums’?
“Scrum of Scrums” is a terminology used to control and collaborate with multiple Scrum teams to ensure transparency, collaboration, adaption, and adoption within Scrum teams to ensure that the products are deployed and delivered.
- How long does a CSM® training course last?
A typical CSM training course has a duration of around 16 hours which can be completed within 2 days of training by Scrum Master trainers.
- When is the best time to take the CSM® certification exam?
After completing the CSM training course, you should take the CSM® certification exam within 15 days.
- Where is the CSM certification exam held?
The CSM certification exam is held online at a verified testing center.
- Is it possible to retake the CSM® certification exam?
It is possible to retake the CSM® certification exam. The first attempt examination fee is included in the course fee. However, for taking subsequent attempts, an additional fee may be required.