CSM Learning Path

As many organizations have started to adopt the Agile methodology, it becomes crucial for the IT industry professionals to stay up to date and have knowledge and skills relevant to the company's demands. Scrum framework is one of the widely used frameworks by many organizations. It gives the appropriate environment to develop small scale products. It allows a dedicated team with Developers, ScrumMaster, and Product Owner to coordinate and create quality products and deliver them quickly. The success of the Scrum team depends on the efforts of all the members of the Scrum. However, the ScrumMaster's role has a crucial role in the effective communication of the team members. Hence, there is an exponential demand for ScrumMasters in the industry who possess immense knowledge of Scrum and have excellent communication skills.

Professionals need to complete the ScrumMaster certifications to gain knowledge about Scrum values, practices, and skills. One does not become a ScrumMaster overnight but has to learn by following a path that leads them to become a ScrumMaster. The ScrumMaster learning path is the list of certifications that an individual must complete to be identified as a ScrumMaster who is an expert in the Scrum framework. Completing all the certifications would show organizations that the professional is a dedicated person who has obtained a variety of Scrum knowledge, could implement it in their organization, and successfully run it by communicating effectively with all the Scrum team members.

Certified ScrumMaster Learning Path

The ScrumMaster Learning Path starts with the candidates who want to learn about Scrum practices and ideas. The first course that does not require any prerequisite courses to be completed before joining it is the Certified ScrumMaster. The CSM course is an introductory course that gives all the basic ideas about the values, practices, and ideas about Scrum and makes individuals understand the roles and responsibilities of a ScrumMaster. 

After completing the CSM course, candidates are encouraged to pursue the Advanced Certified ScrumMaster course that gives an in-depth knowledge about Scrum and ScrumMaster's responsibilities. It teaches candidates all the skills that are essential to becoming a ScrumMaster. On completion of the A-CSM course, individuals take up the Certified Scrum Professional- ScrumMaster course, which is the highest degree of ScrumMaster certification. This certification certifies that the professionals are an expert in the Scrum framework and are well-respected in their organization. A CSM can become a Product Owner or Certified Scrum Developer as well after completing the CSPO and CSD courses.

Now let's know more about each course:

1. Certified ScrumMaster Certification (CSM)

A certified ScrumMaster certification is the foundation course for any candidate to begin their path as a Certified ScrumMaster in their organization. This course does not require any prerequisites, and candidates who want to start their career as a ScrumMaster take up this as their first step toward becoming a reputed ScrumMaster. This certification builds the basic Scrum principles, values, and practices in the individual and starts to grow confidence in implementing the Scrum framework for their organization. By joining the CSM course, the candidates get an exposure to the Scrum Alliance community. They can actively develop their network with elite and reputed ScrumMaster around the globe and learn more skills that would make them a responsible ScrumMaster with all the required knowledge and skills. After completion of the CSM course, the candidates are encouraged to take up the Advanced Certified ScrumMaster Certification (A-CSM) to further their career ladder.

2. Advanced Certified ScrumMaster Certification (A-CSM)

The Advanced Certified ScrumMaster Certification is the next step for the ScrumMasters to build their professional career. This course aims to enhance their communication skills and focus on teaching techniques to develop effective communication among the ScrumTeam. To take up the A-CSM course, one must already acquire a CSM certification and also should have one year of experience as a ScrumMaster. The candidate learns to respond confidently in situations such as low motivation, lack of engagement, unavailability of people, etc. The A-CSM course increases the professional's market value and makes them recognized as an expert in the Scrum framework. The individual develops skills to expand the company's business value by effectively helping the Scrum team achieve their goals and targets. They also get trained in soft skills such as listening and understanding the impediments faced by the Scrum developers and solving them efficiently so that work runs smoothly without any delay. The candidate can continue to grow in the Scrum organization and Scrum community taking up the next course called the Certified Scrum Professional- ScrumMaster.

3. Certified Scrum Professional- ScrumMaster (CSP-SM)

The Certified Scrum Professional- ScrumMaster certification is the third step for ScrumMaster looking to build their Scrum knowledge, practices, and skills. This course educates the candidates about how they should encourage their Scrum Team members to improve the Agile and Scrum application. The CSP- SM course teaches practical solutions to implement Scrum in their organizations to candidates and enhances their skills as a ScrumMaster. To take up the CSP-SM course, the professional should already acquire certification in A-CSM and should also have a work experience of at least 24 months as a ScrumMaster. The candidates get exposure to exclusive CSP meetings and connect with the global leaders in Agile and Scrum. The professional get an opportunity to attract more recruiters and command a higher rate of pay along with the premium access to the world's most extensive Agile assessment and continuous improvement platform, i.e., Comparative Agility. After completing the CSP- SM course, the candidates establish a milestone and a gateway towards becoming CTC, CEC, or CST.

4. Scrum Alliance Certified Team Coach (CTC)

After completing the Certified Scrum Professional-Scrum Master course, the candidate has three courses that they can choose based on their interest and the type of role they want to grow their career in. They are the Certified Team Coach certification (CTC), Certified Enterprise Course Coach Certification (CEC), and the Certified Scrum Trainer certification (CST). The CTC course gives opportunities to the ScrumMasters to interact with the Scrum teams, stakeholders, and management to improve performance and outcomes. In contrast to the ScrumMasters, the Certified Team Coach works with multiple teams and focuses on the subset of the organization in a program or project in a group or across multiple teams. To take up the CTC course, the candidate should complete the Certified Scrum Professional Scrum Master certification. After being an active ScrumMaster in their organization, the professional can opt for the CTC course to enhance their career further by gaining more knowledge in the Scrum framework and learn skills to teach the upcoming candidates the practical skills and knowledge about Scrum. They become professionals with recognized credentials who can impact the project, department, or program agility.

5. Scrum Alliance Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC)

A Certified Scrum Professional- Scrum Master, has a choice of opting for the Certified Enterprise Course Coach certification. The Enterprise coaches have the responsibility of navigating the ambitious process of transforming into an Agile organization. The CEC course trains the candidates to lead change in the organization by removing the barriers so that the company embraces transformation using a customized approach and gains sustainable agility. The candidates can apply to the CEC course after completing the CSP- SM course. The CEC course is for those professionals who have demonstrated years of hands-on experience in an organization. They should be able to work with multiple team and organizational boundaries and use professional coaching frameworks and practices.

6. Certified Scrum Trainer

An individual who has completed the CSP-SM course can become a Certified Scrum Trainer by completing the CST certification. The CST course educates candidates to spread the Scrum values and principles on a global platform and teach individuals about the Scrum and Agile practices and skills. The CST course makes professionals national and international ambassadors of Scrum. They are trained to actively contribute to building a change across the globe with Scrum frameworks and Agile Methodologies. The CST training teaches professionals the practical and in-depth real-world knowledge about Agile and Scrum. The course looks forward to building individuals who are excellent in practice and teaching Agile and Scrum values.

In addition to these courses, a CSM can also become a Product Owner and Certified Scrum Developer by choosing CSPO and CSD courses.

7. Certified Scrum Product Owner Certification (CSPO)

After an individual has completed the Certified ScrumMaster course, they can also apply for the Certified Scrum Product Owner certification to understand the Product Owner's general roles and responsibilities. The CSPO course gives the foundation for building a product vision and understanding the requirements to create a product from a product backlog. A professional may gain a CSPO certification after the completion of CSM certification. However, any prerequisite requirements are not required for joining this course. The course educates candidates about the essential skills necessary for the Product Owner and trains them to become an efficient scrum professional.

8. Certified Scrum Developer Certification (CSD)

The accredited Scrum developer certification offers candidates the technical skills required for a Scrum developer and gives formal training about the specialized Agile engineering skills. This course is for the software developer (programmers) trained to build the software through Scrum. There are no prerequisites for this course. However, an individual, after completing the CSM course, can join this course. The main goal of the CSD course is to educate candidates about the essential tools and techniques required for building good software interactively and incrementally that Scrum requires. The CSD course sharpens the skills of the candidates and sets them apart from the regular software developers. The course teaches them a commitment to continuous improvement and helps the individual become a better practitioner.

Conclusion

The path of becoming a reputed ScrumMaster comes a long way. Still, all of the hard work and efforts eventually pay off when the candidate finally becomes the desired coach or the Scrum professional that they envisioned. By completing the CSM course's learning path, the individual is recognized as a highly committed individual and would gain respect not only in their organization but across the globe as CTCs, CSTs, or CECs. Every step would make them grow in their career and increase their rate of pay. The candidate gets more experience throughout the learning journey and becomes the best possible versions of themselves at the end of the CSM learning journey.

Useful Links:

, How To Become An Effective Product Owner, Dr Sarah Robertson Coach, User Experience Design Foundations Certification Course, Professional Courses, Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner Certification Training