Scrum.org PSM I
Scrum.org
Complete guide to passing the Scrum.org PSM I exam on your first attempt.
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Complete Overview
Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) is an online, 60-minute certification test from Scrum.org that measures knowledge of the Scrum framework and the Scrum Master accountabilities, and Scrum.org charges 200 US dollars per attempt. It is taken by developers, testers, business analysts, project managers and team leads who want a Scrum credential that is earned by passing an exam rather than by sitting in a classroom, and Scrum.org states plainly that while attending a course is strongly recommended, attendance is not a prerequisite. The test has 80 questions in 60 minutes, mixing multiple choice, multiple answer and true or false items, and the passing score is 85 percent, which works out at 68 of the 80 questions correct. That cut score is the hardest published number in entry-level agile certification. Scrum Alliance's Certified ScrumMaster, the closest competing credential, asks 50 multiple-choice questions and requires 37 correct, and you cannot take it without first completing a course from a Certified Scrum Trainer. PSM I has no such gate. The body of knowledge is a single free document. Scrum.org confirms that all of its assessments use the most recent English version of the Scrum Guide as the source for questions about the rules, artifacts, events and accountabilities of Scrum, and the current edition is the November 2020 Scrum Guide by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, released on 18 November 2020 and available free in more than 30 languages. Scrum.org also warns that reading the Scrum Guide alone is not enough, because questions ask you to interpret the rules and apply them to difficult situations. Questions are drawn from three of the Professional Scrum Competencies: Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework, Developing People and Teams, and Managing Products with Agility. Scrum.org publishes the focus areas inside each competency but does not publish percentage weights for them. The certification does not expire. Scrum.org describes PSM I as a lifetime certification with no annual renewal fee, no continuing education requirement and a free Credly digital badge, which means the 200 dollar attempt fee is the only money the credential ever costs you. Scale is public too: Scrum.org's certification count page reported 769,610 PSM I certifications on 1 August 2026, out of more than 1,212,100 Professional Scrum certifications in total, and notes that PSM I has been available since 2009. Scrum.org does not publish a pass rate for PSM I, and any percentage you see quoted elsewhere is an estimate rather than a vendor figure. The test is delivered in a browser with no proctor, no test centre and no appointment. You buy a password, it never expires, and it is valid for exactly one attempt.
Why Get Scrum.org PSM I Certified?
The credential never expires. Scrum.org lists PSM I as a lifetime certification with no annual renewal fee, so the 200 dollar attempt fee is the entire lifetime cost. Scrum Alliance's CSM, by contrast, cannot be attempted at all without first completing a course from a Certified Scrum Trainer.
The syllabus is one free document. The November 2020 Scrum Guide is the definitive source Scrum.org uses to write questions on rules, artifacts, events and accountabilities, and it is published free in over 30 languages at scrumguides.org.
You can take it today. There is no exam window, no proctor and no test centre. Buy a password, and Scrum.org sends it within a few minutes; the password has no expiration date and stays valid until used.
The market is large and verifiable. Scrum.org counted 769,610 PSM I certifications on 1 August 2026, alongside 58,052 PSM II and 1,337 PSM III, so recruiters searching the public certification list will find the credential immediately.
The cut score is published and unambiguous. You need 85 percent, which is 68 of 80 questions, and Scrum.org emails you a percentage breakdown by focus area whether you pass or fail, which tells you exactly where to study for a retake.
There is no retake queue. Scrum.org states there is no limit to how many times you can take an assessment and no waiting period between attempts, so a failed attempt costs 200 dollars and a day, not a month.
It is one attempt away from the harder tiers. PSM II costs 250 dollars and draws on five competencies rather than three, adding Developing and Delivering Products Professionally and Evolving the Agile Organization.
Exam Format & Structure
Duration
60 minutes
Questions
80 questions
Passing Score
85 percent, which is 68 of the 80 questions. Scrum.org applies the same 85 percent threshold to every Professional-Level assessment.
Question Types
- Multiple choice, where one option is correct
- Multiple answer, where more than one option is correct
- True or false
- Scenario-framed items that ask you to apply a Scrum Guide rule to a situation rather than recite it. Scrum.org warns directly that reading the Scrum Guide alone is not enough because questions ask test takers to interpret information and apply it to challenging situations.
Delivery Method
Online in a web browser, unproctored and unscheduled. You buy a password from Scrum.org, receive it by email within a few minutes, and start whenever you choose. Each password is valid for one attempt only and has no expiration date. Scrum.org does not release the specific questions you answered correctly or incorrectly; it sends a score and a percentage breakdown by focus area.
How scoring works
Score scale
A simple percentage from 0 to 100, calculated as the proportion of the 80 questions answered correctly. Scrum.org also reports a percentage for each of the focus areas covered on the assessment, so the result email contains one overall figure plus a breakdown.
Score needed to pass
85 percent, which is 68 of the 80 questions correct. The same 85 percent threshold applies to every Scrum.org Professional-Level assessment, including PSM II and PSPO I.
Roughly what that means raw
68 correct out of 80. You may lose 12 questions and still pass; the 13th ends the attempt.
When results arrive
Immediate. The assessment is scored automatically on submission, the result appears on screen, and Scrum.org emails the score with a per-focus-area summary. There is no separate unofficial and official release. On a pass, the name is added to Scrum.org's public certification list and a certificate plus a free Credly badge appear in the member profile.
How the scale is built
There is no scaled score, no item response theory and no equating. Your percentage is raw: correct answers divided by 80. Scoring is compensatory across focus areas, so a weak result in one competency can be offset by a strong result in another, and there is no minimum per focus area. Scrum.org publishes no penalty for a wrong answer, so an unanswered question and a wrong one cost the same. Scrum.org does not publish how partial credit works on multiple-answer items.
Pacing and time budget
80 questions in 60 minutes gives you 45 seconds per question.
12
20 of 80 questions, three minutes ahead of the 45-second average
25
40 of 80 questions, the halfway mark reached five minutes ahead of even pace
40
60 of 80 questions, still five minutes ahead
50
All 80 answered once, with the hard ones flagged rather than dwelt on
58
Flagged questions revisited and every answer committed, with no blanks left anywhere
| At this point | You should have answered |
|---|---|
| 12 | 20 of 80 questions, three minutes ahead of the 45-second average |
| 25 | 40 of 80 questions, the halfway mark reached five minutes ahead of even pace |
| 40 | 60 of 80 questions, still five minutes ahead |
| 50 | All 80 answered once, with the hard ones flagged rather than dwelt on |
| 58 | Flagged questions revisited and every answer committed, with no blanks left anywhere |
- Forty-five seconds per question is the average, but the item types do not cost the same. A true or false item on a timebox takes ten seconds; a multiple-answer scenario about what the Scrum Master should do can take two minutes. Bank time on the definitional questions so you can spend it on the applied ones.
- Build a ten-minute review buffer into your first pass by targeting 40 questions at minute 25 rather than minute 30, and holding that five-minute lead to the end. Candidates who pace exactly to the 45-second average arrive at the last ten questions with no time to reconsider anything.
- Flag rather than fight. If a question is still unresolved after 60 seconds, mark it, pick the answer that matches the Scrum Guide most literally, and move on. At a cut score of 68 out of 80, one question you agonise over can cost you two you would have got right.
- Never leave a blank. Scrum.org publishes no penalty for a wrong answer, so an unanswered question is a guaranteed loss and a guess is not.
- Do not plan to look things up. The test is unproctored and the Scrum Guide is a short document, but at 45 seconds a question, three lookups is roughly 10 percent of your total time. Treat the second tab as a safety net for one or two disputed timeboxes, not as a research method.
Where the marks are
The Scrum Team and its three accountabilities
not published
Product Owner, Developers and Scrum Master, with one Product Owner and one Scrum Master per team and no sub-teams or hierarchies. Questions probe the boundaries: who orders the Product Backlog, who selects work into the Sprint Backlog, and who may cancel a Sprint.
Scrum events and their maximum durations
not published
Eight hours for Sprint Planning, 15 minutes for the Daily Scrum, four hours for the Sprint Review, three hours for the Sprint Retrospective, one month or less for the Sprint. Pure recall, no interpretation, and worth several marks.
The three artifacts and their three commitments
not published
Questions name one half of the pair and ask for the other, or ask what an artifact is for. Product Backlog to Product Goal, Sprint Backlog to Sprint Goal, Increment to Definition of Done is the single most testable structure in the guide.
Scrum Master accountabilities and stances
not published
Framed as what should the Scrum Master do, with three plausible-sounding wrong answers drawn from command-and-control habits. The Scrum Guide's three service lists, to the team, the Product Owner and the organisation, are the answer key.
Developing People and Teams: self-managing teams, facilitation, coaching
not published
A whole competency of its own, tested through scenarios where a team asks to be told what to do or a manager tries to assign work. Answers turn on self-management and on what an impediment actually is.
Managing Products with Agility: Product Backlog management, product value, stakeholders
not published
The competency PSM I candidates neglect because it looks like Product Owner material. Refinement as an ongoing activity, ordering authority, and the definition of a product all appear.
What Scrum does not prescribe
not published
Scrum.org's own preparation page tells candidates to know which agile practices are not part of Scrum. Story points, velocity, burndown charts, planning poker and the three Daily Scrum questions are all complementary, not required.
Empiricism, the three pillars and the five values
not published
Transparency, inspection and adaptation, plus Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect and Courage. Short, finite, and the framing behind many why questions where every option is factually true but only one is the Scrum reason.
| Topic | Weight | Why it scores |
|---|---|---|
| The Scrum Team and its three accountabilities | not published | Product Owner, Developers and Scrum Master, with one Product Owner and one Scrum Master per team and no sub-teams or hierarchies. Questions probe the boundaries: who orders the Product Backlog, who selects work into the Sprint Backlog, and who may cancel a Sprint. |
| Scrum events and their maximum durations | not published | Eight hours for Sprint Planning, 15 minutes for the Daily Scrum, four hours for the Sprint Review, three hours for the Sprint Retrospective, one month or less for the Sprint. Pure recall, no interpretation, and worth several marks. |
| The three artifacts and their three commitments | not published | Questions name one half of the pair and ask for the other, or ask what an artifact is for. Product Backlog to Product Goal, Sprint Backlog to Sprint Goal, Increment to Definition of Done is the single most testable structure in the guide. |
| Scrum Master accountabilities and stances | not published | Framed as what should the Scrum Master do, with three plausible-sounding wrong answers drawn from command-and-control habits. The Scrum Guide's three service lists, to the team, the Product Owner and the organisation, are the answer key. |
| Developing People and Teams: self-managing teams, facilitation, coaching | not published | A whole competency of its own, tested through scenarios where a team asks to be told what to do or a manager tries to assign work. Answers turn on self-management and on what an impediment actually is. |
| Managing Products with Agility: Product Backlog management, product value, stakeholders | not published | The competency PSM I candidates neglect because it looks like Product Owner material. Refinement as an ongoing activity, ordering authority, and the definition of a product all appear. |
| What Scrum does not prescribe | not published | Scrum.org's own preparation page tells candidates to know which agile practices are not part of Scrum. Story points, velocity, burndown charts, planning poker and the three Daily Scrum questions are all complementary, not required. |
| Empiricism, the three pillars and the five values | not published | Transparency, inspection and adaptation, plus Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect and Courage. Short, finite, and the framing behind many why questions where every option is factually true but only one is the Scrum reason. |
The numbers
200 US dollars per attempt, taxes calculated at checkout
Attempt fee
Source: Scrum.org, Professional Scrum Master I Certification page
85 percent, which is 68 of 80 questions
Passing score
Source: Scrum.org, Professional Scrum Master I Certification page and the support article How Do I Get a Professional Scrum Certification
80 questions in 60 minutes, mixing multiple choice, multiple answer and true or false
Format and timebox
Source: Scrum.org, Professional Scrum Master I Certification page, Certification Details section
769,610
PSM I certifications issued
Source: Scrum.org, Professional Scrum Certified Count, data last updated 1 August 2026
Over 1,212,100, including 58,052 PSM II and 1,337 PSM III
All Professional Scrum certifications issued
Source: Scrum.org, Professional Scrum Certified Count, data last updated 1 August 2026
None. Scrum.org does not publish a pass rate for PSM I or for any Professional-Level assessment
Published pass rate
Source: Scrum.org certification and support pages, which publish fee, cut score, question count and certification totals but no pass rate
Scrum Open, free, 30 questions drawn at random from a larger pool, with feedback given during the test
Practice assessment
Source: Scrum.org, Scrum Open assessment page
If you fail
Wait before retaking
None. Scrum.org states there is no period of time you must wait before making another attempt. You can buy a second password and retake the assessment the same day.
Attempt limit
None. Scrum.org states there is no limit to how many times you can take an assessment. Each password is good for one attempt only, so the number of attempts equals the number of passwords you buy.
Retake fee
200 US dollars, the full price again, for anyone who self-studied. The one exception is participants of official Scrum.org instructor-led classes, who receive a free second attempt if they take and fail the assessment within 14 days of the class. Scrum.org states in writing that this does not apply to self-paced training.
Your failed attempt leaves you with a percentage score for each focus area, and that is the only diagnostic you will get, since Scrum.org does not disclose which specific questions were answered correctly or incorrectly. Passwords have no expiration date, so buying a retake password early costs nothing in shelf life. Beginning a session consumes the password whether or not you finish, so do not open the assessment to look at it. There is no failed-attempt record on the public certification list; Scrum.org lists certification holders only.
Exam Domains & Topics
Focus areas Empiricism and Scrum Values inside the Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework competency. Scrum.org publishes the focus areas covered by PSM I but does not publish a percentage weight for any of them.
Key Topics to Master:
- The three empirical pillars: transparency, inspection and adaptation, and the Scrum Guide's statement that inspection without transparency is misleading and wasteful
- Scrum's foundation in empiricism and lean thinking, and why knowledge comes from experience rather than from up-front plans
- The five Scrum Values: Commitment, Focus, Openness, Respect and Courage, and how each shows up in team behaviour
- Why Scrum is described as a lightweight framework that is simple to understand and difficult to master
- Iterative and incremental delivery as a way to optimise predictability and control risk
- Recognising which common agile practices are complementary rather than part of Scrum, a distinction Scrum.org's own PSM I preparation page tells candidates to study
The Scrum Team focus area. Covers the three accountabilities, team composition and the boundaries between them.
Key Topics to Master:
- One Scrum Master, one Product Owner and Developers, with no sub-teams and no hierarchies inside the Scrum Team
- Team size: the Scrum Guide says typically 10 or fewer people, and that larger teams should consider reorganising into multiple cohesive Scrum Teams sharing one Product Goal, Product Backlog and Product Owner
- The Product Owner as one person, not a committee, whose decisions the whole organisation must respect
- The Scrum Master as a true leader who serves the Scrum Team, the Product Owner and the organisation
- Developer accountability for the Sprint Backlog, for instilling quality through the Definition of Done and for adapting the plan each day toward the Sprint Goal
- Cross-functionality and self-management: the team chooses who does what, when and how
The Events focus area. The Sprint plus the four events inside it, each with a published maximum duration for a one-month Sprint.
Key Topics to Master:
- The Sprint as the container for all other events, fixed length, one month or less, with a new Sprint starting immediately after the previous one concludes
- Sprint Planning timeboxed to a maximum of eight hours for a one-month Sprint, covering why the Sprint is valuable, what can be done, and how the chosen work will get done
- The Daily Scrum as a 15-minute event for the Developers, held at the same time and place every working day
- Sprint Review timeboxed to a maximum of four hours for a one-month Sprint, and defined as a working session rather than a presentation or a gate to releasing value
- Sprint Retrospective timeboxed to a maximum of three hours for a one-month Sprint, and the event that concludes the Sprint
- Sprint cancellation: only the Product Owner has the authority to cancel a Sprint, and only when the Sprint Goal becomes obsolete
The Artifacts and Done focus areas. Three artifacts, each with exactly one commitment attached to it.
Key Topics to Master:
- Product Backlog and its commitment, the Product Goal, described as the long-term objective the team must fulfil or abandon before taking on the next
- Sprint Backlog and its commitment, the Sprint Goal, which must be finalised before Sprint Planning ends
- Increment and its commitment, the Definition of Done, and the rule that work is not part of an Increment unless it meets that definition
- Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint, and an Increment may be released to stakeholders before the Sprint ends
- What happens to an item that fails the Definition of Done: it returns to the Product Backlog and cannot be presented at the Sprint Review
- Where the Definition of Done comes from when the organisation supplies a minimum standard, and the Scrum Team's obligation to meet or exceed it
A separate competency in Scrum.org's model, covering the focus areas Self-Managing Teams, Facilitation and Coaching.
Key Topics to Master:
- Self-managing teams: what a Scrum Master does when a team asks to be told what to do
- Facilitation of the five Scrum events without turning the Scrum Master into a chairperson or a status collector
- Coaching and mentoring the Scrum Team in self-management and cross-functionality
- Removing impediments to the Scrum Team's progress, and distinguishing an impediment from an ordinary problem the team should solve itself
- Causing the removal of barriers between stakeholders and Scrum Teams
- The Scrum Master's service to the organisation, including leading and coaching Scrum adoption and planning it
The third competency PSM I draws on, covering Forecasting and Release Planning, Product Value, Product Backlog Management, and Stakeholders and Customers.
Key Topics to Master:
- Product Backlog refinement as an ongoing activity rather than an event, breaking items down and adding detail
- Forecasting and release planning without commitments to fixed scope and fixed date, and why Scrum prescribes no estimation technique
- Product value and the Product Owner's accountability for maximising the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team
- The definition of a product: a vehicle to deliver value with a clear boundary, known stakeholders and well-defined users or customers
- Stakeholder collaboration at the Sprint Review and the adaptation of the Product Backlog that follows it
- Ordering the Product Backlog, and why ordering by the Product Owner outranks any prioritisation scheme imposed from elsewhere
Recommended Study Plan
- 1Download the November 2020 Scrum Guide from scrumguides.org and read it once without stopping to take notes.
- 2Take the free Scrum Open assessment at scrum.org, 30 questions drawn at random from a larger pool, and record your score. Scrum.org gives feedback during this test, unlike the paid one.
- 3Bookmark Scrum.org's Suggested Reading for Professional Scrum Master I page, which lists the exact focus areas PSM I draws on.
- 4Write down every term in the Scrum Guide you could not define from memory. Expect Product Goal, Definition of Done, Sprint Goal, refinement and self-management to be on that list.
- 5Read Scrum.org's Accountabilities in Scrum article to fix the 2020 change from roles to accountabilities in your head.
- 1Reread the Scrum Theory and Scrum Values sections of the Scrum Guide and write out transparency, inspection and adaptation with one example of each from your own workplace.
- 2Work through Scrum.org's five-part Maximize Scrum blog series on Focus, Openness, Courage, Commitment and Respect.
- 3Download the Scrum Values poster from Scrum.org and pin the five values where you can see them.
- 4Build a one-page table listing practices you have used that Scrum does not prescribe, such as story points, burndown charts, planning poker and the three questions in the Daily Scrum. Scrum.org's own prep page tells you to know what is and is not part of the framework.
- 5Retake the Scrum Open and note which questions you now get right for the right reason rather than by elimination.
- 1Memorise the composition rule: one Scrum Master, one Product Owner, Developers, no sub-teams, no hierarchies, typically 10 or fewer people.
- 2List the Scrum Guide's stated Scrum Master services to the Scrum Team, to the Product Owner and to the organisation, three lists, and be able to say which service belongs to which list.
- 3Read Scrum.org's The 8 Stances of a Scrum Master and Evolution of the Scrum Master.
- 4Answer this in writing: who decides how many Product Backlog items enter the Sprint, and who decides how the work gets done. Both answers are in the Scrum Guide and both appear on the test.
- 5Practise explaining the whole framework aloud to someone who has never used Scrum, in under five minutes. Scrum.org's prep page recommends this exercise by name.
- 1Write the five events and their maximum durations for a one-month Sprint from memory: Sprint one month or less, Sprint Planning 8 hours, Daily Scrum 15 minutes, Sprint Review 4 hours, Sprint Retrospective 3 hours.
- 2Learn the ordering rule: the Sprint Review is the second to last event and the Sprint Retrospective concludes the Sprint.
- 3Read Scrum.org's Sprint Review: Much More Than a Demo and the Scrum Myth article on whether the Scrum Master must attend the Daily Scrum.
- 4Learn who can cancel a Sprint and on what grounds, because the Scrum Guide gives that authority to exactly one person.
- 5Take the Scrum Open twice this week and target 100 percent both times.
- 1Map each artifact to its commitment three times from blank paper: Product Backlog to Product Goal, Sprint Backlog to Sprint Goal, Increment to Definition of Done.
- 2Read the Increment and Definition of Done sections of the Scrum Guide twice and write out what happens to an item that does not meet the Definition of Done.
- 3Read Getting to Done: Creating Good Sprint Goals on Scrum.org and draft three Sprint Goals for work you actually did last month.
- 4Work out from the Scrum Guide whether an Increment can be released mid-Sprint, and find the sentence that settles it.
- 5Take the Product Owner Open assessment. Scrum.org recommends it for PSM I candidates because artifact questions are often written from the Product Owner's side.
- 1Read Scrum.org's Resources for Growing as a Scrum Master learning series, concentrating on the facilitation and coaching material.
- 2Read chapters on self-management and impediments in Mastering Professional Scrum by Stephanie Ockerman and Simon Reindl, which Scrum.org lists in its suggested reading.
- 3Write ten scenario questions of your own in the form what should the Scrum Master do, and answer each with a Scrum Guide sentence rather than an opinion.
- 4Read the ScrumBut page on Scrum.org and identify at least two ScrumButs in the team you work with now.
- 5Take the Scrum Developer Open assessment for a third perspective on the same framework.
- 1Read the Product Backlog and Product Goal sections of the Scrum Guide alongside Scrum.org's How Do You Define a Product resource.
- 2Learn what the Scrum Guide does and does not say about estimation, refinement time and velocity. It prescribes no technique and sets no refinement percentage.
- 3Read Scrum: A Pocket Guide by Gunther Verheyen, another title on Scrum.org's suggested reading list, for the chapter on forecasting and release planning.
- 4Practise ordering a real backlog of at least 20 items and defend the order in one sentence each.
- 5Run a timed set of 80 mixed questions from open assessments and blog quizzes in 60 minutes to rehearse the pace.
- 1Score 100 percent on the Scrum Open three times in a row, finishing each in under 15 minutes.
- 2Read the Scrum Guide once more in a single sitting the day before your attempt.
- 3Set up the test conditions in advance: a wired or stable connection, a browser with the Scrum Guide open in a second tab, and 75 uninterrupted minutes booked out even though the timebox is 60.
- 4Buy the 200 dollar password only when your open assessment scores are consistently at 100 percent, since the password is valid for one attempt and does not expire.
- 5Take the test. Aim to reach question 40 by minute 25 and to finish your first pass by minute 45, leaving 15 minutes for flagged items.
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Best Study Resources
The Scrum Guide, November 2020 edition
Official body of knowledgeThe definitive source. Scrum.org confirms that all of its assessments use the most recent English version of the Scrum Guide for questions on rules, artifacts, events and accountabilities. Written by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, released 18 November 2020, and published free in more than 30 languages at scrumguides.org.
Free
Scrum Open assessment
Official practice testThirty questions drawn at random from a larger pool. Unlike the paid PSM I, it gives feedback during the test, so it works as a study tool rather than only a score. Scrum.org warns that the Open assessments are easier than the professional-level ones, so treat 100 percent here as a floor and not a finish line.
Free
Product Owner Open and Scrum Developer Open assessments
Official practice testsScrum.org recommends both to PSM I candidates by name, on the grounds that seeing the same framework from the other two accountabilities exposes gaps the Scrum Open does not reach.
Free
Suggested Reading for Professional Scrum Master I
Official study indexScrum.org's own preparation page. It names the three competencies and their focus areas, links a five-part blog series on the Scrum Values, articles on accountabilities and each event, and a short book list. Start here before buying anything.
Free
Professional Scrum Competencies
Official referenceThe framework Scrum.org uses to build every class and certification. Your result email reports a percentage per focus area drawn from this model, so reading the competency pages tells you what the score report will actually be measuring.
Free
Mastering Professional Scrum, by Stephanie Ockerman and Simon Reindl
BookListed on Scrum.org's PSM I suggested reading page. Aimed at practitioners hitting real obstacles, which matches the applied style of the harder PSM I questions better than a glossary-style study guide does.
Paid, priced by retailer
Scrum: A Pocket Guide, by Gunther Verheyen
BookAlso on Scrum.org's suggested reading list. Short, and useful for the reasoning behind the rules, which is what separates a 78 percent from an 86 percent on this test.
Paid, priced by retailer
Professional Scrum Fundamentals, self-paced
Official self-paced courseOne of the three learning formats Scrum.org lists on the PSM I page. Note the limit: Scrum.org states explicitly that the free second attempt after a failed test applies to instructor-led classes only and does NOT apply to self-paced training.
Paid, priced by Scrum.org
Professional Scrum Master instructor-led class
Official courseIncludes a free attempt at PSM I, and a free second attempt if you take the test within 14 days of the class and do not pass. Worth costing out against the 200 dollar attempt fee if you expect to need two tries.
Paid, set by the Professional Scrum Trainer
Scrum.org forum
CommunityModerated by Professional Scrum Trainers, who answer rules questions with Scrum Guide citations. Useful for settling the ambiguous cases that trip candidates up, such as whether the Scrum Master must attend the Daily Scrum.
Free
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Studying an old version of the Scrum Guide
The 2020 edition removed the three questions from the Daily Scrum, replaced roles with accountabilities, dropped the Development Team as a separate entity, and added the Product Goal. Anything written before 18 November 2020, including much of the free material still circulating, will teach you answers the test marks wrong.
Treating 85 percent as if it were a normal 70 percent pass mark
You may miss 12 of 80 questions and no more. At 70 percent you would have 24 to spare. Plan your revision around eliminating whole categories of error rather than accepting a few losses, because there is almost no margin.
Scoring 100 percent on the Scrum Open and buying the password the same day
Scrum.org says in writing that the Open assessments are study tools and will not have the same level of difficulty as the professional-level assessments. Use the Open as a gate you must clear, not as evidence you are ready.
Answering from how your company runs Scrum
The test scores the Scrum Guide, not your organisation. If your team has a Scrum Master who assigns tasks, a Product Owner who is a committee, or a Sprint that ends with a hardening week, those habits will actively cost you marks.
Confusing artifacts with their commitments
Three artifacts, three commitments, one each: Product Backlog to Product Goal, Sprint Backlog to Sprint Goal, Increment to Definition of Done. Questions often name one and ask for the other, and this pairing is the most reliably testable structure in the whole guide.
Guessing at timeboxes
For a one-month Sprint the maxima are 8 hours for Sprint Planning, 15 minutes for the Daily Scrum, 4 hours for the Sprint Review and 3 hours for the Sprint Retrospective, and the Sprint itself is one month or less. These are free marks and there are usually several of them.
Reading multiple-answer questions as single-answer questions
Scrum.org lists multiple answer as one of the three item types. Check how many options a question expects before you move on. In a 60-minute test where 68 correct answers are required, a misread instruction is the cheapest way to lose a mark you knew.
Running out of time on the last 20 questions
Eighty questions in 60 minutes is 45 seconds each. Candidates who read every scenario twice arrive at question 60 with 8 minutes left. Flag anything that takes more than 60 seconds, move on, and come back.
Assuming a failure gives you feedback on specific questions
Scrum.org does not release which questions you answered correctly or incorrectly. You get a score and a percentage per focus area, and nothing more. Plan your retake study from the focus area breakdown, because that is all the information you will ever get.
Expecting a discounted retake without having taken a class
Scrum.org grants free retakes only to participants of official instructor-led classes who take and fail the assessment within the stated window, and states that this does not apply to self-paced training. If you self-studied, a second attempt costs another 200 dollars.
Exam Day Tips
- 1
There is no test centre, no proctor and no appointment. You choose the hour, so pick one where 75 uninterrupted minutes are realistic, not the 60 the timebox allows.
- 2
Buy the password before the day. Scrum.org sends it by email within a few minutes of the order, it has no expiration date, and it is valid for exactly one attempt, so there is no reason to be waiting on an inbox with the clock about to start.
- 3
Use a wired connection or the most stable wifi you have, and close everything else. The test runs in a browser and the 60-minute timebox does not care why you dropped out.
- 4
Keep the Scrum Guide open in a second browser tab. Scrum.org does not prohibit reference material for this unproctored assessment, but at 45 seconds a question you can only afford to look up two or three things, so treat it as insurance rather than a strategy.
- 5
If you want to sit the test in a language other than English, Japanese or Simplified Chinese, set up the Google Translate plugin in Chrome beforehand and follow Scrum.org's published instructions exactly. Scrum.org permits it but does not guarantee the translation.
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Answer every question. Scrum.org publishes no penalty for a wrong answer, so a blank is strictly worse than a guess on a test where you need 68 right.
- 7
Set two mental checkpoints: 40 questions done by minute 25, all 80 seen by minute 45. That leaves 15 minutes for flagged items, which is roughly the time you need for a dozen hard ones.
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Read multiple-answer questions twice and single-answer questions once. The item types are mixed, and the instruction is the part candidates skip.
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If you need accommodations for a physical or intellectual disability, contact [email protected] before you buy a password. Scrum.org says it examines each case individually and will advise on next steps.
- 10
Expect your result immediately on screen and by email, with a percentage for each focus area. If you pass, your name goes onto Scrum.org's public certification list and a Credly badge is issued at no extra charge.
Career Paths & Salary Ranges
Scrum master
The role the certification is named for: facilitating the five events, coaching self-management and removing impediments. BLS counted 1,046,300 jobs in this occupation in 2024, with about 78,200 openings projected per year through 2034.
USD 100,750 median; lowest 10 percent under USD 59,830, highest 10 percent over USD 165,790 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2024, project management specialists, SOC 13-1082)
Scrum master in professional, scientific and technical services
Consultancies and technology services firms, the largest employing industry for the occupation. You often run Scrum for a client's team rather than your employer's, which makes the stakeholder and Product Backlog focus areas the part of PSM I you use daily.
USD 106,130 median for project management specialists in that industry (BLS OEWS, May 2024)
Scrum master in finance and insurance
The highest-paying of the largest industries for this occupation. Regulated delivery environments where most of the job is organisational impediments, which is the Developing People and Teams competency rather than event mechanics.
USD 111,350 median for project management specialists in that industry (BLS OEWS, May 2024)
Product owner
The adjacent accountability on the same Scrum Team. Scrum.org runs a separate Professional Scrum Product Owner track, and the Managing Products with Agility competency that PSM I already covers is shared with it.
USD 101,190 median (BLS OEWS, May 2024, management analysts, SOC 13-1111)
Software development team lead
A common destination for engineers who take PSM I to understand the framework their team already uses. Scrum.org's Professional Scrum Developer assessment is the technical continuation of the same competency model.
USD 131,450 median (BLS OEWS, May 2024, software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers, SOC 15-1250)
Agile coach or delivery manager
Working across several teams and on organisational design. Scrum.org's route here is PSM II at 250 dollars, which adds the Developing and Delivering Products Professionally and Evolving the Agile Organization competencies, then PSM III. Only 1,337 PSM III certifications existed on 1 August 2026.
USD 171,200 median; lowest 10 percent under USD 104,450, highest 10 percent over USD 239,200 (BLS OEWS, May 2024, computer and information systems managers, SOC 11-3021)
Prerequisites & Requirements
- None. Scrum.org states that while attending a course is strongly recommended, attendance is not a prerequisite for taking the PSM I assessment.
- No work experience requirement, no degree requirement, no minimum age published by Scrum.org, and no sponsoring employer.
- A Scrum.org account, used to buy the password, launch the assessment and hold the certificate and badge in your member profile once you pass.
- A 200 US dollar payment for the assessment password. Additional taxes may apply and are calculated at checkout.
- A computer with a browser and a stable internet connection. The assessment is delivered online with no proctoring software and no test centre booking.
- Working knowledge of English, unless you take the Japanese version at Scrum.org, the Simplified Chinese version through scrum.org.cn, or use the Google Translate plugin under Scrum.org's published instructions.
- For accommodations relating to a physical or intellectual disability, an email to [email protected] before purchase. Scrum.org examines each case individually.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the PSM I assessment cost?
200 US dollars per attempt, paid to Scrum.org, with additional taxes calculated at checkout. That buys one password, valid for one attempt. Scrum.org does not sell bundles of attempts to individuals at a discount, although it does allow bulk password purchases for organisations buying attempts for multiple people in one order.
What score do I need to pass?
85 percent, which is 68 of the 80 questions. Scrum.org applies the same 85 percent threshold to all of its Professional-Level assessments. There is no scaled score, no curve and no equating: the percentage you see is the raw proportion of questions you answered correctly.
What happens if I fail?
Nothing beyond the loss of the 200 dollars. Scrum.org states there is no limit to how many times you can take an assessment and no period of time you must wait before making another attempt, so you can buy a new password and retake it the same day. You keep the focus area percentage breakdown from the failed attempt, which is the only diagnostic information Scrum.org releases.
Is there a discounted or free retake?
Only for people who attended an official Scrum.org instructor-led class. Scrum.org grants a free second attempt to class participants who take and fail the assessment within 14 days of the class, and states in writing that this does NOT apply to self-paced training. If you self-studied and failed, the retake costs another 200 dollars at full price.
How long is the certification valid?
For life. Scrum.org lists PSM I as a lifetime certification with no annual renewal fee. There are no continuing education units, no professional development credits and no recertification exam, which is a genuine difference from credentials such as the PMP or the SHRM-CP that require periodic recertification.
Do I have to take a course first?
No. Scrum.org states that attendance is not a prerequisite, although it strongly recommends a course. This is the clearest structural difference from Scrum Alliance's Certified ScrumMaster, which cannot be attempted without first completing a course delivered by a Certified Scrum Trainer.
How does PSM I compare with the CSM?
PSM I costs 200 dollars, has no course requirement, asks 80 questions in 60 minutes and needs 85 percent. Scrum Alliance's CSM requires a course, then a 50-question multiple-choice test where you must answer 37 correctly, and the course fee includes two test attempts. PSM I is cheaper to attempt and harder to pass; CSM guarantees classroom time and a lower bar.
Can I use the Scrum Guide during the test?
The assessment is unproctored and browser-based, and Scrum.org does not run monitoring software or prohibit having the guide open. Practically, 80 questions in 60 minutes is 45 seconds each, so looking things up more than two or three times will cost you the test. Scrum.org does require you to agree to its Standard of Conduct for assessments when you take one.
How long do I have to use the password after buying it?
Indefinitely. Scrum.org states that test passwords do not expire and remain valid until used. Each password is good for one attempt only, so do not start a session you are not ready to finish, because closing the browser does not give the password back.
What languages is the test available in?
English by default. Scrum.org also offers a Japanese version through its own site and a Simplified Chinese version through scrum.org.cn. For other languages, Scrum.org permits the Google Translate plugin in Chrome, publishes instructions you must follow, and states that it cannot guarantee the quality of the translation while noting that feedback on it has been good.
What is the pass rate?
Scrum.org does not publish a pass rate for PSM I. It publishes the fee, the cut score, the question count, the time limit and the total number of certifications issued, but not the proportion of attempts that succeed. Any specific percentage you find quoted is an estimate from a third party, not a vendor figure.
What ID do I need on the day?
None. There is no identity check, because the assessment is unproctored and taken wherever you choose. Scrum.org instead protects the credential through its Standard of Conduct, which you agree to when you take a test, and through the difficulty of the questions themselves. This also means there is no ID rule to fail, unlike proctored exams delivered at Pearson VUE or Prometric centres.
How quickly do I get my result?
Immediately. The assessment is scored automatically the moment you submit, and Scrum.org emails your score and a summary. There is no unofficial-then-official sequence and no waiting period. If you pass, your name is added to Scrum.org's public list of certified professionals and a certificate and Credly badge appear in your member profile.
Will Scrum.org tell me which questions I got wrong?
No. Scrum.org states that to protect the integrity of the certification process it does not share information about which specific questions were answered correctly or incorrectly, and compares this to the practice of PMI, Microsoft and the College Board. What you get instead is a percentage score for each focus area covered on the assessment, which Scrum.org says is designed to point you at your weakest areas.
Are accommodations available for a disability?
Yes. Scrum.org says it takes accommodations for physical or intellectual disabilities seriously and examines each case individually, and asks candidates to contact [email protected] describing their circumstances so it can advise on next steps. Because the assessment is unproctored and taken at home, some adjustments other exam bodies handle formally are already available by default.
Which version of the Scrum Guide does the test use?
The most recent English version, which is the November 2020 Scrum Guide released on 18 November 2020. Scrum.org states this directly and adds that the guide alone is not enough, because questions ask candidates to interpret information and apply it to challenging situations, so experience and other reading are typically needed as well.
How many people hold PSM I?
769,610, according to Scrum.org's Professional Scrum Certified Count page with data last updated on 1 August 2026. The same page reports over 1,212,100 Professional Scrum certifications in total, 58,052 PSM II and 1,337 PSM III, and notes that PSM I has been available since 2009.
Should I go straight to PSM II?
Not usually. PSM II costs 250 dollars and draws on five competencies rather than three, adding Developing and Delivering Products Professionally and Evolving the Agile Organization, and Scrum.org says candidates should have advanced Scrum knowledge and in-depth Scrum Master experience before attempting it. The certification counts show the gap: 769,610 PSM I holders against 58,052 PSM II.
How long should I study for?
Scrum.org publishes no recommended study time. A reasonable structure for someone already working on a Scrum Team is six to eight weeks at four to six hours a week, built around repeated readings of the Scrum Guide and repeated runs at the Scrum Open. Someone with no exposure to Scrum should add the Professional Scrum Fundamentals self-paced course or an instructor-led class before booking an attempt.
Is there a limit on how many times I can attempt it?
No. Scrum.org states there is no limit to how many times you can take an assessment, nor any waiting period between attempts. The only constraint is financial, since each attempt requires a separate 200 dollar password.
Success Stories
“Read the Scrum Guide five times. Took Scrum Open until I got 100% consistently. The real exam was harder but similar style. Know the Guide inside out.”
Mark D.
Scrum Master
“Coming from CSM, PSM was more challenging. The Scrum Guide is your bible. Answer based on what Scrum.org says, not what your company does.”
Jennifer W.
Agile Coach
“No training needed but study seriously. Mikhail Lapshin's practice tests were helpful. The 85% threshold means you need solid understanding.”
Alex T.
Tech Lead
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