Certified ScrumMaster (CSM). June 17-20, 2024

Your instructors for this class will be Rick Waters

Find a detailed syllabus here

Why Get Certified?

More and more, these days, people believe that the Scrum Master role in Scrum is the same as some other role they've seen before. So, what it ends up becoming is a duplicate of something that doesn't even resemble the true Scrum Master role.  Also, the Scrum Master is supposed to be a master of the framework called Scrum. But what we continually see is Scrum Masters who don't have any idea what Scrum really is, or what it is supposed to be used for.  People who value their craft learn their craft from trusted experts.  That's why we are here.

It's all Lecture, right?

No way!!!  Most of this class is discussion-based or exercise-based.  Very little of the class is real lecture.  We get bored of lecturing faster than you get bored of being lectured.  That's a lose-lose situation.  We spice things up with bad jokes, deep discussion, and exercises that allow you to make mistakes and learn from them.

What's Covered?

• Dispelling Scrum Myths
• Agile Manifesto (Values and Principles)
• Empiricism
• Scrum Values
• The Roles, Rights, and their Responsibilities
• How to pick out a Great ScrumMaster in a crowd
• The Scrum Events, and their inputs/outputs
• The Artifacts, who is responsibile for them
• Maintaining Transparency of the Artifacts
• Definitions or Ready and Done
• Product Backlog Refinement
• How to plan and Facilitate an effective Retrospective
• Iterative and Incremental Development
• What to expect out of a Sprint Review
• Coaching the PO and Developers
• Serving the Organization

Is there Prep Work?

Not really.  It would be great if everyone would come to class having read the Scrum Guide.

Since this is a virtual class, and we do lots of collaborative exercises, we use the industry leading visual collaboration tool - Mural. To get familiarized with Mural, a week before class starts, we will send you a few exercises in the virtual classroom environment.

You will also need a computer with a good microphone, webcam, and Zoom installed (using Zoom over a browser is just terrible).  We're going to want to see your beautiful face in class (even if you are just dressed in your favorite pajamas).  We suggest that, if possible, you use a computer that has multiple monitors.

Is There an Exam?

Yes.  Don't stress though.  99+% of Rick's students pass the exam on the first try.  Here's some info about it

• 50 multiple choice questions (one right answer)
• Timed: 60 minutes
• Not proctored
• You have 90 days after class ends to start the exam
• You can bookmark questions and return to them later
• You may not save you place and return to the exam later
• The questions are randomly selected
• You may refer to notes and other references
• You may not ask a Scrum Alliance certified individual for help on the exam while you take it
• You have 2 free attempts at taking the exam. After that you have 2 more chances, but you will need to pay a $25 fee to Scrum Alliance each time.

 The REAL Details 

This class will be conducted in Central USA Timezone (9:00 am - 5:00 pm)

This class is GUARANTEED TO RUN!!!

About the CSM Class: This is a 2-day Live On-line class focused on the adaptive framework called Scrum. This class is certified by Scrum Alliance as the CSM.

Get Involved!  There's not a lot of time to sit around and just watch. This class is packed with exercises that require each student to participate. You are only going to be able to Master Scrum if you participate in Scrum.

Value in Certification The Certified ScrumMaster(CSM) certification is the most-respected and widest know certification in the Agile world. It is a requirement for almost all open ScrumMaster positions today. Many of our students looking to make a career change start with this class and certification to jumpstart their next career, or next career move.

Prerequisites There are no required prior certificates, educational background, or work experience needed to participate in this course. Preparing for the course, by reading the Agile Manifesto, the Scrum Guide, and watching the e-Learning series of videos is a responsible move, though.

Preparation - IMPORTANT! A few days before class starts, you should receive 2 emails.

Zoom: You will receive an invitation to the Zoom conference call. When you receive this invitation, try out Zoom to make sure your webcam (REQUIRED) and microphone (REQUIRED) are in working order. You will need both your webcam and microphone for the duration of the class.

Mural: You will receive a link to the class Mural Room in the same email as the Zoom information. Becoming familiar with Mural before class is VITAL!!! You will be using Mural to visually collaborate with your classmates and the trainer throughout the entire class. Follow the instructions we email you a week before class, and you'll be set.

More CSM Exam Details The price of the exam is included in the ticket price of this event.

Each student must attend at least 15 of the 16 instruction hours of the course in order to qualify for taking the CSM Exam. If there are emergency circumstances during the class, the instructor will make accomodations with the student to ensure they receive the training needed to qualify for the exam.

Students gain the CSM designation upon passing the CSM Exam with a 74% or better grade. The CSM Exam is 50 randomly selected multiple choice questions, taken from a larger pool of questions. Students have 60 minutes to complete the CSM Exam. Each exam is different! Students gain access to a PDF certificate immediately upon passing the CSM Exam.

The CSM Exam is taken online and unsupervised. Students receive an email from Scrum Alliance after completing the CSM Course. This email contains a link to the online exam. Your instructor does not have access to your exam. Students have 90 days after class ends to take the exam.

The LEGAL Stuff 

This course is being provided by Wisecrum Associates, LLC. Wisecrum is a Registered Education Provider with Scrum Alliance. This Wisecrum class will be taught by Rick Waters. Rick is a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) with Scrum Alliance.

All Scrum Alliance branding is used in accordance with a licensing agreement between Rick Waters and Scrum Alliance.