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A Scrum Master certification is a credential showing that you have learnt how Scrum works and what a Scrum Master is responsible for, and that you have passed the certification body’s assessment. A certified Scrum Master is simply someone who holds one. There is no single official Scrum Master certificate: several certification bodies issue their own. The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) is one of them, alongside options such as the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) and Scrum Master Certified (SMC).
If you are comparing Scrum Master certification in South Africa, this guide explains what the main certifications involve (CSM, PSM, SMC, SAFe Scrum Master and the broader ACP), how to prepare for the exam and what to check before you book. BOTI’s Agile and Scrum training courses, from Scrum Fundamentals to Scrum Master and Product Owner, run in-house, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or online.
What does a Scrum Master do?
Scrum is a framework for delivering work in short, fixed-length cycles of a month or less, called sprints. In each sprint a small team plans the work, builds something usable, shows it to stakeholders and then looks back at how it worked so that the next sprint goes better. The Scrum team has three roles: the Product Owner, who decides what is most valuable to build next and keeps the product backlog in order; the developers, who do the work; and the Scrum Master.
The Scrum Master is responsible for helping the team use Scrum well. It is a leadership role but not a management one: the Scrum Master does not assign tasks or manage people’s performance. Instead, they serve the team, the Product Owner and the wider organisation, which is why the role is often described as a servant leader. In practice, a Scrum Master:
- facilitates the Scrum events: sprint planning, the daily scrum, the sprint review and the sprint retrospective
- coaches the team in Scrum practices, self-management and working across disciplines
- helps the Product Owner keep the product backlog clear, ordered and understood
- removes impediments, the obstacles that slow the team down and that it cannot clear on its own
- protects the team from interruptions during the sprint
- helps people outside the team understand which of their interactions with the team help and which do not
- works with managers and other Scrum Masters to help the whole organisation adopt Scrum
That list explains why the role is harder than it looks. A Scrum Master needs a firm grasp of Scrum, good facilitation skills and the confidence to challenge old habits, and that is where training and certification help.
What’s the need for a Scrum Master certification?
No law or licence requires a Scrum Master to be certified. Certification is useful for three practical reasons:
- It gives you a structured grounding in Scrum, so you learn the framework as it is meant to work rather than piecing it together from the habits of past teams.
- It gives employers and clients a recognised signal that you understand the role, which helps when they shortlist candidates.
- When a whole team trains together, for example SFC for the team and SMC for the Scrum Master, everyone shares the same language and practices.
A certificate is not the same as experience: it shows that you know the framework, but doing the job well takes practice with a real team.
What are the Scrum Master certification options?
These are the main Scrum Master certification options covered in this guide. Each is issued by a different certification body, and each body sets its own course requirements, exam, pass mark and renewal rules, which change from time to time, so check them before you book.
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)
The CSM is one of the oldest and most widely recognised entry-level Scrum Master certifications. Its defining feature is that training is compulsory: you attend a CSM course with an approved trainer and then sit the certification exam. Further levels follow for experienced Scrum Masters, up to the Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster (CSP-SM).
Professional Scrum Master (PSM)
The PSM takes the opposite approach: it is exam-focused. A course is recommended but not required, so you can prepare on your own and sit the assessment when you are ready. It has three levels, PSM I, II and III. PSM I is the entry level, and the higher levels test a deeper understanding of Scrum in complex team and organisational situations.
Scrum Master Certified (SMC)
SMC is the Scrum Master certification from SCRUMstudy, and it is the route BOTI teaches. It belongs to a family of related certifications: Scrum Fundamentals Certified (SFC) for people new to Scrum, SMC for Scrum Masters, Scrum Product Owner Certified (SPOC) for Product Owners, and SCRUMstudy Agile Master Certified (SAMC) for people who work across several agile approaches. BOTI’s two-day Scrum Master Certified (SMC) Training covers the Scrum Master role, from facilitating sprints and removing impediments to coaching the team, and prepares delegates for the SMC certification exam.
SAFe Scrum Master
The SAFe Scrum Master is for organisations that use the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) to coordinate many agile teams. It looks beyond the single team to the Scrum Master’s part in planning and delivery across teams, including the joint planning events that line up several teams’ work. It suits Scrum Masters in large organisations that have adopted SAFe.
Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP)
The ACP is not a Scrum Master certification as such. It is a broader agile certification that covers several approaches, including Scrum, Lean, Kanban, test-driven development and extreme programming, and it has entry requirements that include project experience. It tends to suit project managers in organisations that are moving from conventional project management towards agile ways of working.
Types of Scrum certifications
Scrum Master certifications are one part of a wider set. If you are planning your own development, or your team’s, it helps to see the types side by side:
| Type | Examples | Who it suits | BOTI course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scrum fundamentals | Scrum Fundamentals Certified (SFC) | Team members, managers and anyone new to Scrum | SFC Training (1 day) |
| Scrum Master | CSM, PSM I, SMC, SAFe Scrum Master | Scrum Masters, team leaders and project managers moving to Scrum | SMC Training (2 days) |
| Product Owner | Scrum Product Owner Certified (SPOC) and other Product Owner certifications | Product Owners, product managers and the people who manage a product backlog | SPOC Training (2 days) |
| Advanced Scrum Master | PSM II and III, CSP-SM | Experienced Scrum Masters and agile coaches | Not offered by BOTI |
| Agile beyond Scrum | SCRUMstudy Agile Master Certified (SAMC), ACP | Agile leads who combine Scrum with Kanban, Lean or extreme programming | SAMC Training |
| Kanban and OKRs | Kanban Essentials Certified (KEC), OKR Fundamentals Certified | Teams managing a flow of work, and leaders setting objectives and key results | KEC Training (1 day), OKR Fundamentals (1 day) |
How do I become a certified Scrum Master?
Whichever certification you choose, the route has the same six steps:
- Learn the fundamentals. Read the Scrum Guide, the short official description of Scrum, and the Agile Manifesto, and make sure you understand the Scrum roles, events and artefacts. A one-day fundamentals course is a quick way to do this.
- Choose your certification. Look at the job adverts you are interested in, or ask your employer or clients which certification they recognise.
- Take the course. Some certifications require a course with an approved trainer before the exam. For others the course is optional, but it is still the most structured way to prepare.
- Prepare for and sit the exam. Each certification body sets its own exam format, pass mark and rules for retakes, so read its current candidate information rather than relying on a summary. Expect questions on Scrum roles, events and artefacts and on how to apply them in real situations.
- Apply it on a real team. The certificate shows that you know the framework. Facilitating real sprints, retrospectives and difficult conversations is how you learn the role.
- Keep it current. Some certifications must be renewed periodically, usually with proof of continuing education; others do not expire. Check the renewal rules before you book.
How to get certified in CSM
The CSM follows the same steps with one difference: the course is compulsory. You attend a CSM course with an approved trainer and then pass the CSM exam.
Scrum Master certification in South Africa
Scrum Master certifications are international, so you can earn them through training delivered in South Africa, either in person or online.
It is worth being clear about what these certifications are not. CSM, PSM, SMC and the others are international industry certifications. They are not SETA or QCTO accreditation, and they carry no NQF credits.
For Scrum training in South Africa, BOTI’s courses follow the SCRUMstudy route:
- Scrum Fundamentals Certified (SFC) Training (1 day): a beginner’s grounding in Scrum roles, events and artefacts, preparing delegates for the SFC exam.
- Scrum Master Certified (SMC) Training (2 days): the Scrum Master role, from facilitating sprints and removing impediments to coaching the team.
- Scrum Product Owner Certified (SPOC) Training (2 days): the Product Owner role, with product vision, a prioritised backlog and stakeholder alignment.
- SCRUMstudy Agile Master Certified (SAMC) Training: Scrum, Kanban, Lean and extreme programming, and how to choose the right approach for the work.
- Kanban Essentials Certified (KEC) Training (1 day): set up a Kanban system, limit work in progress and keep work flowing.
- OKR Fundamentals Certified (OKRFC) Training (1 day): write clear objectives and measurable key results, and align teams to strategy.
Each runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or online. For related project management courses, see the Project Management, Agile & Process Improvement category.
Scrum Master certification online
If your team works remotely or across several offices, Scrum Master training online lets people join from wherever they work. BOTI runs SMC and its other Scrum courses online as well as in person. Whichever certification you choose, check that the online course meets the certification body’s requirements, because some certifications set rules for how the training is delivered.
Which Scrum Master certification should you choose?
No single certification suits everyone. These questions will help you decide:
- What does your employer or client ask for? If the job adverts you are targeting, or your clients, name a certification, start there.
- Do you want a course or an exam? The CSM includes a compulsory course; the PSM lets you prepare on your own and prove your knowledge through the exam.
- How large is the organisation? If it runs many agile teams under SAFe, the SAFe Scrum Master is designed for that setting.
- Do you need more than Scrum? If your teams mix Scrum with Kanban or Lean, look at SAMC or the ACP.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get Scrum Master certification in South Africa?
Yes. Scrum Master certifications are international, so you can earn them through training delivered in South Africa or online. The main options covered in this guide are the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), the Professional Scrum Master (PSM), the SAFe Scrum Master and Scrum Master Certified (SMC). BOTI runs two-day SMC training in-house, at its Sunningdale venue in Johannesburg, or online.
What is CSM certification?
CSM stands for Certified ScrumMaster, one of the oldest and most widely recognised entry-level Scrum Master certifications. To earn it, you attend a CSM course with an approved trainer and then pass the CSM exam. The certification body sets the course, exam and renewal rules, so check its current requirements before you book.
What is the difference between CSM and PSM?
The CSM requires you to attend a course with an approved trainer before you sit the exam. The PSM is exam-focused: training is recommended but not required, and it has three levels, PSM I, II and III, with PSM I as the entry level. Their renewal rules also differ, so compare them with each certification body before you choose.
Which Scrum Master certification should I choose?
Choose by where you will work. The CSM is one of the most widely recognised entry-level certifications and includes trainer-led training. The PSM suits people who prefer to prove their knowledge through a demanding exam. The ACP suits organisations moving from conventional project management towards agility, and the SAFe Scrum Master suits large organisations scaling Agile. Scrum Master Certified (SMC), the route BOTI teaches, belongs to a family of certifications that runs from Scrum Fundamentals to Product Owner and Agile Master. Check which certification your employer or clients ask for.
Do Scrum Master certifications expire?
Some do. Several Scrum Master certifications must be renewed periodically, usually with evidence of continuing education and a renewal fee, while others do not expire. Each certification body sets its own renewal rules and can change them, so check the current rules of the certification you choose before you book the course.
For teams in South Africa that want a Scrum Master certification, BOTI’s two-day Scrum Master Certified (SMC) Training covers the Scrum Master role and runs in-house at your premises, at BOTI’s venue in Sunningdale, Johannesburg, or online. SMC is an international certification; it is not a SETA or QCTO accreditation and carries no NQF credits.