AS certified scrum masters growing, the value of these certification impacted

I agree with pretty much everything you say here. The Scrum Alliance is a “non-profit” set up so partners can make “huge profit”. You are correct in that observation. The online test is a sham, its only possible value is to tell an individual where they might focus to improve their knowledge. So indeed, be deeply skeptical of the letters CSM on a resume. I wish more followed your common sense. I know a high school student who has the CSM certificate. He has never had a job nor written a line of code. There’s your CSM base line.

However, I do want to differ with you on one point (more an academic one than anything else). To learn Scrum well, to learn it effectively you have to experience it. Much of this experience can come on the job, but when you don’t know what you don’t know it is hard to make the necessary mindshift and practical adjustments needed. You can read books for some of this, for sure, but the experience you may get in a well-facilitated and highly interactive class will be a kick-start, and may offer some profound aha! moments. Is it worth $1,400? Probably not, but the price does vary — however NOT in alignment with quality, so be careful.

Disclosure: I teach Scrum. I don’t teach CSM any longer, and I am not a Scrum Alliance partner. I believe my workshops offer great value, and the fact that I am still working in this field, without offering certificates, indicates that may be true.

If you change your mind about CSM, or find that it will help your career in some way (yes, sadly it has come to this) I’d be happy to give you a short list of CSM trainers that in my opinion are the best in the business. You should also research the individual trainer (and where a company is listed in place of a real person, forget it). Not all trainers will offer the rich experience I allude to here, so choose wisely.

Thanks!
Bill

It seems like after forking out the cash for the class and getting your guaranteed CSM, it’s then up to you to take it further and obtain some of the advanced certifications (which seem to require little in terms of money but a lot in terms of time and effort on your part). I for example would be interested in getting the CSD (certified scrum developer) certification, which does at least require you to pass an evaluation, thus providing a little more meaning as opposed to the CSM.

The optimistic part of me sees the Agile Alliance as offering the CSM in the manner they do as an open invitation to learn and take part in scrum, helping to encourage and cultivate excitement about agile. It’s then up to you to prove yourself and take it to the next step.

The other part of me is right there with you and says “look here guys, another greedy organization looking to take your hard earned dollar and in return give you a meaningless certification for which the only requirement is having the cash”.

Usually I tend to lead towards the latter but I’m trying to be the optimist .