How To Pass PSM I Scrum.org

How To Pass The Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) Assessment From Scrum.org

The Scrum.org Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) assessment is a 60-minute timeboxed assessment. You need to score over 85% to pass and gain the PSM I certification. The assessment contains 80 questions in English of multiple choice type.

You decide when and where to take the assessment. You are not required to attend an assessment centre and can take it online from a location of your choosing. There is no expiration date once you have purchased the assessment attempt.

Further details on what to expect from the assessment can be found on the Scrum.org PSM I assessment page.

Here are some tips on taking and passing the Scrum.org Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) assessment and gaining certification:

When you are ready to take the assessment:

  • Have the Scrum Guide, Scrum Glossary and our Scrum 1 Pager to hand and use them to look up what you need.
  • Answer all the questions even if you have to make an educated guess. The assessment is not negatively marked.
  • Read the questions and answers carefully. One word misread can lead you to the wrong answer.
  • Don’t spend too long on each question. If unsure of an answer, note down the question number and move on. Completing all the questions in the timebox can be challenging.
  • Be aware of the difference between “must” (a mandatory thing) and “should” (an optional thing).
  • Make sure you select the required number of answers as the platform will not prompt you. Choosing only 1 answer on a “Pick 2” style question is a quick way to drop points.
  • Come back to the hard questions at the end and use your time to think them over.
  • Aim to leave time to check all your answers before the end.
  • Google the question if really unsure, but be careful as this takes time and there are lots of unreliable sources out there.
  • Remember the Scrum Master is a coach and facilitator. They do not tell the team what to do or how to do it, except in matters relating to the Scrum framework.

You can resit the assessment if you need to, but you will need to purchase another attempt from Scrum.org. The only exception to this is if you attend a Scrum.org Professional Scrum Master course, and then fail the PSM I assessment within 14 days of completing the course. In this case, Scrum.org will provide you with a 2nd free attempt.

I hope this information will help you to pass. Let me know how you get on via the comments below and good luck!

Do You Want To Learn Scrum?

TheScrumMaster.co.uk Simple Guide To Scrum

TheScrumMaster.co.uk Simple Guide To Scrum
Do you want to learn Scrum? TheScrumMaster.co.uk can help you. Learn fast, learn slow, learn for free, learn online or however you like to learn. Our Simple Guide To Scrum has something for you.

TheScrumMaster.co.uk Ultimate Scrum Practice Assessments

TheScrumMaster.co.uk Ultimate Scrum Practice Assessments
All our Scrum Practice Assessments. 20+ assessments and 2000+ questions. The most comprehensive practice assessments available to help you prepare for the Scrum.org assessments.

Simon Kneafsey TheScrumMaster.co.ukHi, my name is Simon Kneafsey and I am a Professional Scrum Trainer with Scrum.org & TheScrumMaster.co.uk. I am on a mission to simplify Scrum & Agile for 1 million people. I have helped 10,000+ people so far, and I can help you too. Find out more & get in touch.

Scrum.org Launches Professional Scrum Product Backlog Management Skills Training Course

28th September 2023

Scrum.org Professional Scrum Product Backlog Management Skills (PSPBM Skills) Study Notes

27th September 2023

How To Pass The Professional Scrum Product Backlog Management Skills (PSPBM Skills) Assessment From Scrum.org

27th September 2023

Share this Post

Comments 68

  2. Hello everyone,

    If we missed the first try doing PSM1 assessment, do we have an other chance to do it for free ?

    Regards

    Reply
    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Mohamed,

      If you attend a Scrum.org course and receive the assessment invite as a result of that then you do get a free 2nd attempt if you take your 1st attempt within 14 days of the course (and are unsuccessful).

      If you do not attend a Scrum.org course and you purchase the assessment yourself you get 1 attempt only.

      I hope that helps.

      Simon

      Reply

  3. Hi,
    I am preparing for PSM1 certification. Will it be sufficient if I did the Open assessments from Scrum.org, the practise assessments and also the Ultimate Scrum Master (PSM1) assessment with 400+ questions from this site?
    Please advise.
    Thanks in advance

    Reply
    1. Post
      Author

      Hi Siva,

      It is impossible to say. How much do you know about Scrum already? What experience do you have with it and what efforts have you made to learn (beyond the assessments) about Scrum and the Scrum Master?

      You need knowledge and understanding about Scrum to pass the real Scrum.org assessments. The practice assessments can help you understand what level you are at and if you are ready, but may not be enough on their own to ensure you can pass.

      Simon

      Reply

  4. Hi,

    I have a quick question, why are the assessment questions for PSM I and PSPO put together in Ultimate Scrum Master & Product Owner Practice Assessment? Wouldn’t it be easier to divide these, since there is 500+ questions and for PSM I certification many of these are not necessary? It would be easier for people who plans to pass PSM I only to go through questions necessary for that test.

    Thank you in advance for reply.

    Reply
    1. Post
      Author

      1. Is it true? Question “An increment is…” expects answer from Sprint guide 2017, which is not true anymore in Sprint guide 2020

        Reply
        1. Post
          Author

          1. Your question about increment expects answer “The Increment is the sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and the value of the increments of all previous Sprints.”

            That is from old 2017 definition, where increment is single per sprint with all the value of all previous sprints. Citation of 2017:

            “The Increment is the sum of all the Product Backlog items completed during a Sprint and the value of the increments of all previous Sprints. At the end of a Sprint, the new Increment must be “Done,” which means it must be in useable condition and meet the Scrum Team’s definition of “Done.” An increment is a body of inspectable, done work that supports empiricism at the end of the Sprint. The increment is a step toward a vision or goal. The increment must be in useable condition regardless of whether the Product Owner decides to release it.”

            But in version 2020 inkrement is not defined as “all values until now” anymore. It is defined as every new value done and integrated separatelly in that inkrement. See citation from 2020:

            “An Increment is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. Each Increment is additive to all prior Increments and thoroughly verified, ensuring that all Increments work together. In order to provide value, the Increment must be usable.
            Multiple Increments may be created within a Sprint. The sum of the Increments is presented at the Sprint Review thus supporting empiricism. ”

            See full diff here: https://amazing-outcomes.de/en/what-we-offer/agile-resources/comparison-scrum-guide-2020-and-scrum-guide-2017#Increment2017

          2. Post
            Author

            Yes, the definition of an Increment changed in the latest Scrum Guide. But the old definition is still true. It is just explained in a different way now.

            So the answer to the assessment question is still valid, correct and the only correct option from the 4 options provided.

  7. Hi Simon, thanks for this free test!
    I was stumped when I got this true/false question incorrect – “Scrum master facilitates Daily scrum” . I thought the Scrum guide states that Scrum Master faciliates scrum events as needed.

    Reply
    1. Post
      Author

  8. Hi Simon:

    It has been an interesting read thus far on this site. I take away something here – No matter what you read, always refer to the Scrum Guide for clarifications. It will be great to have uploads of your videos on YouTube as Scrum is global and people need to know and embrace it for a better and safer world.

    Great Job.

    Reply
    1. Post
      Author

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *