6 Best Certifications to Verify Your Agile Skills
As the field of project management continues to grow, more and more professionals are looking for certifications to help advance their careers. Scrum, in particular, has become increasingly popular in recent years, and there are a number of certifications available to demonstrate proficiency in this Agile methodology. But which scrum or project management certifications are the best?
In this blog post, we'll compare and contrast six different certifications to help you make an informed decision.
Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
The Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification is offered by the Scrum Alliance and is one of the most popular scrum certifications available. The CSM is designed to validate the recipient's knowledge of scrum principles and their ability to apply those principles to real-world situations. To obtain the CSM certification, candidates must complete a two-day training course and pass an online exam.
Professional Scrum Master (PSM)
The Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification is offered by Scrum.org and is another popular option for scrum professionals. Like the CSM, the PSM certification is designed to validate the recipient's knowledge of scrum principles and their ability to apply those principles to real-world situations. However, the PSM certification is more focused on practical application and requires candidates to demonstrate their ability to apply scrum principles in real-world scenarios. To obtain the PSM certification, candidates must pass an online exam.
Project Management Professional (PMP)
The Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) and is one of the most widely recognized project management certifications available. The PMP certification is designed to validate the recipient's knowledge of project management principles and their ability to apply those principles to real-world situations. To obtain the PMP certification, candidates must have a certain amount of project management experience and pass an online exam.
Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP)
The Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP) certification is also offered by PMI and is designed to validate the recipient's knowledge of Agile principles and their ability to apply those principles to real-world situations. While the PMP certification focuses more on traditional project management principles, the ACP certification is designed specifically for Agile professionals. To obtain the ACP certification, candidates must have a certain amount of Agile experience and pass an online exam.
Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)
The Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) certification is another option offered by the Scrum Alliance. The CSPO certification is designed to validate the recipient's knowledge of scrum principles from a product owner's perspective. To obtain the CSPO certification, candidates must complete a two-day training course and pass an online exam.
SAFe® 5.0 Scrum Master (SSM)
The SAFe® 5.0 Scrum Master (SSM) certification is offered by Scaled Agile, Inc. and is designed for professionals working in larger organizations that are implementing the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). The SSM certification is designed to validate the recipient's knowledge of scrum principles in the context of the SAFe framework. To obtain the SSM certification, candidates must complete a two-day training course and pass an online exam.
So, which certification is the best? It really depends on your specific career goals and the context in which you work. If you are a scrum professional, the CSM or PSM certification may be the best option for you. If you work in a larger organization that is implementing SAFe, the SSM certification may be a better fit. If you are more focused on traditional project management, the PMP or ACP certification may be the way to go. And if you work as a product owner, the CSPO certification may be the best training for that job title. Whatever certification you choose, there is potential for career growth and additional Agile training!
