12 Best Scrum Certifications To Level Up Your Career In 2025
If you're looking for a way to move forward on your career path as a Scrum master, gain new agile skills, or add some shine to your resume, Scrum certifications are a step in the right direction.
I've summarized my picks for the best Scrum certifications with some notes about who and what each one is best for, so you can find the right one for the next step in your career.
Best Scrum Certifications Shortlist
- Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) - Best for a foundational understanding of Scrum
- Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO I) - Best for building product ownership skills
- Professional Agile Leadership (PAL I) - Best for developing agile leadership skills
- Professional Agile Leadership - Evidence-Based Management (PAL-EBM) - Best for improving evidence-based decision making
- Scaled Professional Scrum (SPS) - Best for scaling your Scrum teams
- Certified Scrum Professional-ScrumMaster (CSP-SM) - Best for advanced Scrum training
- Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) - Best for building agile product delivery skills
- Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) - Best for a globally-recognized Scrum certification
- Professional Scrum with Kanban (PSK I) - Best for specializing in Scrum with Kanban
- SAFe Scrum Master - Best for applying Scrum in the SAFe framework
- SCRUMstudy Agile Master Certified (SAMC) - Best for building skills in agile methodologies
- Registered Scrum Master (RSM) - Best for all levels of Scrum experience
Overviews Of The Best Scrum Certifications
1. Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) - Best for a foundational understanding of Scrum
Earning the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) certification affirms that you have a solid grasp of Scrum fundamentals, the core responsibilities of a Scrum master, and the capability to uphold Scrum values and effectively support Scrum Teams. It's also recognized industry-wide and signifies your foundational expertise in professional Scrum practices.
Issued by: Scrum.org
Focus:
- Scrum framework
- Scrum roles
- Scrum events
- Scrum artifacts
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education is required, but it's recommended that you take either Scrum.org's Applying Professional Scrum or Professional Scrum Master courses.
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: None
Renewability: This certification does not expire and does not require renewal.
Price: $200 per exam attempt
Who It’s For: This certification is perfect for aspiring Scrum masters, team leads, and project managers who want hands-on experience with Scrum.
2. Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO I) - Best for building product ownership skills
The Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I) certification establishes that you have a foundational understanding of the Scrum framework and the product owner’s role in driving product value.
Achieving this certification reflects your ability to align strategic goals with agile product management delivery methods and create impactful products. PSPO I signals that you have future-focused expertise in leading product ownership within the Scrum framework.
Issued by: Scrum.org
Focus:
- Product backlog management
- Product value maximization
- Stakeholder engagement
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education is required, but it's recommended that you take Scrum.org's Professional Scrum Product Owner course.
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: None
Renewability: This certification does not expire and does not require renewal.
Price: $200 per exam attempt
Who It’s For: This certification is ideal for product managers, business strategists, and aspiring product owners who want to strengthen their skills in value-driven product ownership and agile product management.
3. Professional Agile Leadership (PAL I) - Best for developing agile leadership skills
The Professional Agile Leadership (PAL I) certification allows you to discover the value agile offers to your business and validates your ability to drive organizational agility.
Earning this certification highlights your role in empowering agile teams to improve their performance and reflects a lifetime commitment to fostering agile transformation and resilience in your team.
Issued by: Scrum.org
Focus:
- Agile leadership
- Agile transformation
- Organizational agility
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education is required, but it's recommended that you take Scrum.org's Professional Agile Leadership Essentials course.
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: None
Renewability: This certification does not expire and does not require renewal.
Price: $200 per exam attempt
Who It’s For: This certification is best for managers, team leaders, and executives who want to improve organizational agility and implement agile practices.
4. Professional Agile Leadership - Evidence-Based Management (PAL-EBM) - Best for improving evidence-based decision making
The Professional Agile Leadership - Evidence-Based Management (PAL-EBM) certification demonstrates your proficiency in applying the evidence-based management framework to improve organizational performance.
It validates your ability to guide teams and help them set measurable goals, assess outcomes, and adapt strategies based on real data. PAL-EBM underscores your commitment to agile, data-informed decision-making.
Issued by: Scrum.org
Focus:
- Evidence-based management
- Continuous improvement
- Measurement and metrics for agility
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education is required, but it's recommended that you take Scrum.org's Professional Agile Leadership - Evidence-Based Management course.
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: None
Renewability: This certification does not expire and does not require renewal.
Price: $200 per exam attempt
Who It’s For: This certification is designed for leaders and managers who want to use evidence-based management to improve customer outcomes, strengthen organizational capabilities, and drive business results in an agile setting.
5. Scaled Professional Scrum (SPS) - Best for scaling your Scrum teams
The Scaled Professional Scrum (SPS) certification demonstrates your knowledge of the Nexus Framework and coordinating multiple Scrum teams via a single product backlog.
This certification validates that you have the skills to deliver integrated increments that align with shared goals, scale Scrum effectively, and keep the team working together towards smooth delivery.
Issued by: Scrum.org
Focus:
- Nexus framework
- Scaling Scrum
- Multi-team coordination
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education is required, but it's recommended that you take Scrum.org's Scaled Professional Scrum course.
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: None
Renewability: This certification does not expire and does not require renewal.
Price: $250 per exam attempt
Who It’s For: This certification is intended for Scrum masters, agile coaches, and project managers who manage or work with multiple Scrum teams.
6. Certified Scrum Professional-ScrumMaster (CSP-SM) - Best for advanced Scrum training
Earning the Certified Scrum Professional-ScrumMaster (CSP-SM) certification reflects that you have a high level of Scrum expertise. You'll learn how to elevate your team's performance and foster organizational agility.
This credential showcases your advanced Scrum skills, a commitment to impactful leadership in agile environments, and a dedication to ongoing growth and excellence in agile.
Issued by: Scrum Alliance
Focus:
- Advanced Scrum practices
- Team dynamics
- Facilitation and coaching
Prerequisites:
- Education: You must possess an Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM) certification from Scrum Alliance, whether active or expired (it will automatically renew, along with your CSM, upon earning the CSP-SM).
- Work Experience: You must have at least 24 months of work experience as a Scrum master within the last five years
- Exam: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM)
Renewability: You must earn 40 Scrum Education Units (SEUs) every two years to renew your CSP-SM.
Who It’s For: This certification is for experienced Scrum masters that want to deepen their expertise, scale Scrum across teams, and improve their coaching skills.
7. Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) - Best for building agile product delivery skills
The Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) certification validates your expertise in maximizing product value and aligning development with customer needs.
Earning this certification demonstrates your proficiency in prioritizing and managing product backlogs, as well as making sure product increments are impactful in practice. The CSPO highlights your commitment to agile product success and continuous improvement in customer-centric delivery.
Issued by: Scrum Alliance
Focus:
- Product backlog management
- Product vision and strategy
- Stakeholder collaboration
Prerequisites:
- Education: Not required
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: None
Renewability: You must earn 20 SEUs every two years to renew your CSPO.
Who It’s For: This certification is best if you're in a product or service development role and you want to strengthen your ability to manage customer value and prioritize product delivery.
8. Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) - Best for a globally-recognized Scrum certification
The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification course establishes that you have a solid foundation in Scrum principles, can support agile team dynamics, and can integrate agile principles with software development practices.
This certification covers the core Scrum framework and its related roles, events, and ceremonies. Achieving the CSM signals your commitment to agile practices and improves your ability to drive team success in agile and software development environments.
Issued by: Scrum Alliance
Focus:
- Scrum framework
- Scrum roles
- Scrum events
Prerequisites:
- Education: Not required
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: None
Renewability: You must earn 20 SEUs every two years to renew your CSM.
Who It’s For: This certification is best if you are an aspiring Scrum master, or if you want to implement Scrum within your team or organization.
9. Professional Scrum with Kanban (PSK I) - Best for specializing in Scrum with Kanban
The Professional Scrum with Kanban (PSK I) certification demonstrates your comprehensive understanding of the use of Kanban practices within Scrum teams.
This certification provides an interactive learning experience and assesses your knowledge of applying Scrum with Kanban techniques. Earning your PSK I signifies expertise in agile workflows and balanced Scrum and Kanban methodologies.
Issued by: Scrum.org
Focus:
- Kanban practices
- Scrum framework
- Workflow management
Prerequisites:
- Education: No formal education is required, but it's recommended that you take Scrum.org's Professional Scrum with Kanban course.
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: None
Renewability: This certification does not expire and does not require renewal.
Price: $200 per exam attempt
Who It’s For: This certification is well-suited for Scrum masters, agile coaches, or team leaders that want to integrate Kanban practices into the Scrum framework.
Find more Kanban certifications here.
10. SAFe Scrum Master - Best for applying Scrum in the SAFe framework
The SAFe Scrum Master certification emphasizes your expertise in leading agile teams within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and driving effective agile practices at the enterprise-level.
This certification affirms your ability to manage team dynamics, facilitate key agile events, and support the agile release train via cross-functional collaboration.
Issued by: Scaled Agile
Focus:
- SAFe framework
- Scrum practices in SAFe
- Agile release trains
Prerequisites:
- Education: Not required
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: None
Renewability: You must renew your certification every year.
Who It’s For: This certification is for Scrum masters, agile coaches, and team leaders who want to implement Scrum in a SAFe environment.
11. SCRUMstudy Agile Master Certified (SAMC) - Best for building skills in agile methodologies
The SCRUMstudy Agile Master Certified (SAMC) certification validates your proficiency in understanding and applying agile methodologies to meet dynamic project demands.
It demonstrates that you have a strong grasp of the adaptive planning and iterative approaches that are essential for effective agile project delivery.
Issued by: SCRUMstudy
Focus:
- Agile methodologies
- Scrum, Kanban, and lean practices
- Agile project management
Prerequisites:
- Education: Not required
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Not Required
- Other Certifications Required: None
Renewability: This certification does not expire and does not require renewal.
Who It’s For: This option is best if you're focused on agile project delivery and expanding your expertise in multiple agile methodologies.
12. Registered Scrum Master (RSM) - Best for all levels of Scrum experience
The Registered Scrum Master (RSM) certification provides practical training and actionable strategies to help you lead high-performing Scrum teams. You'll complete hands-on exercises that will strengthen your skills in Scrum fundamentals, expand your knowledge of Scrum, and emphasize the accountabilities of a Scrum master.
It will equip you to manage and optimize Scrum processes within software development environments, and it signifies your proficiency in Scrum implementation and your ability to drive productivity within agile frameworks.
Issued by: Scrum Inc.
Focus:
- Scrum implementation
- Team collaboration
- Continuous improvement
Prerequisites:
- Education: Not required
- Work Experience: Not required
- Exam: Not required
- Other Certifications Required: None
Renewability: This certification does not expire and does not require renewal.
Price: $1,995
Who It’s For: This option is best for individuals of any Scrum experience level, including aspiring and current Scrum masters, who want hands-on training in leading high-performing teams and applying Scrum values.
FAQs about Scrum Certifications
What is a Scrum certification?
A Scrum certification is a credential that validates your knowledge and understanding of the Scrum framework, a popular agile methodology used to manage complex projects.
Why should I get Scrum certified?
Obtaining a Scrum certification can help your career prospects, as it demonstrates your expertise in agile practices. This makes you a valuable asset to organizations that use Scrum or other agile methods.
How can I become Scrum certified?
To become Scrum certified, you need to complete a course offered by a recognized provider and pass an examination to demonstrate your understanding of Scrum principles and practices.
What are the different types of Scrum certifications?
There are several types of Scrum certifications, including Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), and Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO). Each focuses on different roles within the Scrum framework. The one you choose should be most relevant to the career path you’re pursuing.
How long does it take to get Scrum certified?
The time it takes to get Scrum certified can vary, but it generally involves a few days of coursework followed by preparation for the certification exam.
Other Useful Resources
Here are a few other useful resources to check out:
- Best Scrum courses
- Scrum ceremonies guide
What’s Next?
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