Scrum.org Professional Scrum Developer (PSD I)

The Professional Scrum DeveloperTM (PSD) assessment is available to anyone who wishes to validate their knowledge of how to build complex software products using Scrum. Those that pass the assessment will receive the industry recognized PSD Certification to demonstrate their mastery of the content.

What is a Professional Scrum Developer

Professional Scrum Developers are members of the Scrum Team and demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Scrum and their ability to build software using Scrum in real-world situations.  The value of certification is intimately tied to the demonstration of knowledge needed to achieve it. By that measure, the PSD assessment is significantly more valuable than available alternatives for Scrum. And, we strive to ensure that they remain valuable and relevant through frequent inspection and adaptation of the assessment content.

Become A Professional Scrum Developer

It is not mandatory that you take a Scrum.org Professional Scrum training class to take one of our assessments, although it is highly recommended that you take the Applying Professional Scrum for Software Development training class. We believe that certification is more than just a way to show that you attended a class and that is why Scrum.org Professional certifications are so highly regarded in the industry. Therefore, we make assessments available to anyone as a way for you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of the role of Scrum Developer in detail.  Each Scrum.org training class includes a free attempt at the corresponding assessment.

Scrum.org Professional Scrum Developer (PSD I)

Prepare for the Assessment

The PSD I assessment is grounded in the Professional Scrum Developer subject areas and study material is available in the Software Developer Learning Path. The assessment is exhaustive and rigorous. Many questions ask you to think about or interpret the meaning from the Scrum Guide, apply content from the Software Developer Learning Path, the PSD I Suggested Reading, and in some cases, apply your own experience. Those that pass the PSD I assessment will receive the industry recognized PSD I certification.

Scrum.org PSD I Exam Summary:

Exam Name	Scrum.org Professional Scrum Developer
Exam Code	PSD I
Exam Fee	USD $200
Exam Duration	60 Minutes
Number of Questions	80
Passing Score	85%
Format	Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer and True/False
Books / Trainings	Applying Professional Scrum for Software Development
Sample Questions	Scrum.org PSD 1 Exam Sample Questions and Answers
Practice Exam	Scrum.org Certified Professional Scrum Developer (PSD I) Practice Test

Scrum.org Professional Scrum Developer Syllabus Topics:

Topic	Details
Understanding and Applying the Scrum Framework	Empiricism ◉ A cornerstone to Scrum and Agile. A practitioner will be able to apply the concepts of the empirical process to the problems they encounter. That means they can describe problems in terms of learning, break problems down into the smallest increments that will generate valuable evidence, and execute in an empirical way. By learning and practicing the skills in this Focus Area, a practitioner will become an expert in the application of scientific methods to complex problems, understanding why and how to apply an empirical process. Scrum Values ◉ For agility to thrive, the culture of the organization must support the fundamental concepts of agility. A practitioner will understand both the Scrum Values - Focus, Respect, Openness, Commitment, and Courage - and demonstrate that they can apply them in the reality of organizations whose values do not match those of Scrum. By living the Scrum Values and helping others to apply them, learners will create an environment where empirical process, self- organization, and continual improvement will be more successful. Scrum Team ◉ The Scrum Team consists of one Product Owner, one Scrum Master, and Developers. The skilled practitioner will understand how accountability is shared amongst team members and how they take on work in the context of their Product Goal. Events ◉ The Scrum framework describes 5 events: The Sprint, Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and the Sprint Retrospective. All events are time-boxed and enable progress through adaptation and transparency. The practitioner will understand the events and be able to practice each event, but more importantly be able to apply these events in complex situations and at scale. The events are used to uphold empirical process control, through the three pillars of Scrum: transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Artifacts ◉ The Scrum framework describes 3 artifacts. The Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment. These artifacts provide the team with a minimal set of materials to plan, execute, and review the Sprint. The Practitioner will understand these artifacts and how to implement them in complex, real-world situations. They will also understand the relationship of these artifacts relative to other practices and techniques and how to integrate them into an organization's own process. Done ◉ The objective of each Sprint is to deliver an Increment. The Definition of Done (DoD) provides a way for the team to make what done means transparent. In this Focus Area, the practitioner will be able to describe what a DoD is, apply it to their particular context, and understand how the DoD enables the benefits of agile. They will also be able to describe the implications of the necessary trade-offs and compromises required to deliver Increments within their organization. Scaling ◉ Scrum is designed to work at the team, product, and organization level. The practitioner will be able to apply Scrum in increasing levels of complexity and scale. They will be able to demonstrate when to scale and when not to scale and appreciate scaling practices and complementary frameworks that help organizations scale Scrum. The ultimate level of proficiency within this Focus Area is the ability to know what, and what not, to compromise in pursuit of a scaling approach by understanding the trade-offs and benefits of particular concepts and practices. Ultimately, the practitioner will demonstrate that they can scale Scrum and still keep its essential qualities of empiricism, self-organization, and continuous improvement. The practitioner should also be able to demonstrate the results of good scaling practices from both an organization and business perspective.
Developing People and Teams	Self-Managing Teams ◉ A fundamental foundational element to Scrum; cross-functional, self-managing and empowered teams are the engine to delivering value. Practitioners need to understand what self-management is and how to apply it to their context. They should also understand how to incrementally introduce self-management, the practices that can help it thrive, and the measures that help one determine if a team is able to be empowered to self-manage. Facilitation ◉ Making decisions, sharing ideas, and being transparent is easy to agree to, but in reality, it is hard to do. Facilitation is a set of practices that help support the collaboration, communication, and creativity of teams and individuals. The practitioner should understand the value of facilitation, and have a collection of techniques they can apply. They should also have experience applying them in different situations with varying levels of complexity. Leadership Styles ◉ There are many different leadership styles ranging from traditional ‘command and control’ to more collaborative or even Machiavellian. Understanding the right style to use at a given time and how different styles can influence - in a positive or negative way - the agile agenda of empiricism, empowerment, and improvement is a key Focus Area. Practitioners should understand the concepts of leadership styles and be able to apply a particular style when the situation calls for it. They should also be able to demonstrate their ability to decide on the right style and understand its impact on the organization. Coaching ◉ The ability to unlock new ways of thinking is important for any agile practitioner who aims to enable sustaining change and transformation within teams and organizations. Coaching is a non-directive way of meeting a person where they are, helping them connect with their existing talent and wisdom and leading them to find within themselves what it takes to try new things. Agile practitioners should understand the range of skills and capabilities needed to create value when coaching and be able to discern when a coaching stance is the best way to support people and teams. Mentoring ◉ There are many ways to support people in their personal growth and improvement in their work. Mentoring is particularly useful because it brings forward personal stories and experiences that aid another person in uncovering their own way to accomplish something. Practitioners share their experience with a given topic or technique, helping someone who is less experienced to understand and grow.. The practitioner should understand the value of mentoring and how it is different from other approaches for supporting people in their development. Teaching ◉ The ability to inspire others to learn and share information in an effective, repeatable, and efficient manner is a key aspect to any agile practitioners' skills. The practitioner should understand the value of teaching and appreciate the means of measuring the success of their teaching. They should understand different learning approaches and understand when to apply different techniques in different contexts.
Managing Products with Agility	Forecasting and Release Planning ◉ Complex problems and the application of an empirical process requires a specific way of planning, estimating, and forecasting. Practitioners should be able to apply agile forecasting and release planning techniques, and understand the value of different approaches. They should understand which approaches work better in different situations. They should also understand how releases should be planned while dealing with complexity, dependencies, and value creation. Product Vision ◉ The product vision defines the purpose that the product aspires to fulfill. It is defined by the value that the product strives to deliver. Practitioners should be able to describe what a product vision is and what techniques should be employed to both build a vision and make it transparent. They should also understand how to use a product vision to drive strategy and execution, and how to build a vision that motivates, communicates, and provides constraints for delivery. Product Value ◉ The ultimate goal is to deliver value to the customer and stakeholders. But value is complex, made up of long-term and short-term impact, internal and external value, and indirect and direct value. The practitioner should be able to understand how to define value for context, and apply it to the work they and the team do. They should be able to manage others' understanding of value and apply different techniques and practices for defining, communicating and measuring value. They should understand the connection between value and empirical process, and how value should be the driving factor of the Product Goal. Product Backlog Management ◉ The Product Backlog is a key artifact within Scrum. It is an ordered list that describes what is needed in the product. The Product Backlog provides transparency into what is happening to the product for the team, organization, and stakeholders. The practitioner should be able to describe what a Product Backlog is and apply a variety of techniques for managing the backlog. They should also understand how to make the Product Backlog transparent and how to manage stakeholder expectations associated with the backlog. Business Strategy ◉ A product lives within the context of a business strategy. That strategy describes how the Product Vision will be executed in a broader context. A practitioner will understand techniques for exposing business strategy and show how it drives the product. They will understand approaches, such as Lean Startup and Design Thinking, and how those affect the flow of ideas from strategy to execution. They will understand how an empirical process affects the execution and feedback of a strategy. Stakeholders and Customers ◉ Effectively working with stakeholders and customers is a key skill for everyone on the Scrum Team. Scrum changes the nature of the interactions, encouraging more frequent collaboration and more open dialogue. The practitioner will understand the implication moving to an Agile approach will have to their stakeholders and customers and also become familiar with practices and stances that will help them work and collaborate in a more agile way.