Good news: PSM I has no formal prerequisites — it's open to anyone willing to learn. Here's what that means and the background Scrum.org recommends.
While there's no hard requirement, the background Scrum.org recommends helps the scenario questions feel intuitive rather than abstract.
PSM I none — psm i is valid for life, with no renewal fees or continuing-education requirements — once you pass, it's yours.
Meeting the requirements gets you to the exam; passing it is a separate job. PSM I is an application exam, so the fastest route is targeted practice with explanations, not just reading. ExamDeck gives you original PSM I questions, per-area readiness, and a spaced-repetition error log — 6 free to start.
Because the exam tests the exact 2020 Scrum Guide, not how Scrum is practised at work. Common workplace habits — velocity, story points, mandatory Daily Scrum questions — aren't in the Guide, and the 85% pass mark leaves little room for folklore.
PSM I (Scrum.org) requires no course, costs $200, is passable by self-study and never expires. CSM (Scrum Alliance) requires a paid course and biennial renewal. For self-driven learners PSM I is usually the better value.
80 questions — multiple choice, multiple answer and true/false — in 60 minutes, taken online directly through Scrum.org (no test centre required, English).
The passing score is 85%. Aim for a consistent 80–85% on realistic practice exams before booking.
Scrum.org does not publish official pass rates, so any exact percentage quoted online is unverified. The readiness signal that actually predicts passing: consistently holding 80–85% on realistic, full-length practice exams before you book.
No prerequisites — anyone can buy an attempt and take it online, anytime. No mandatory course (unlike CSM): self-study of the Scrum Guide plus serious practice is a normal path.
$200 USD per attempt, purchased directly from Scrum.org (verify current pricing on scrum.org). No membership needed; a failed attempt means buying another.
For most candidates, commonly reported 20–40 hours for practitioners (the 85% pass mark punishes casual prep). What matters most is practising questions and analysing why each option is right or wrong — not just reading.
None — PSM I is valid for life, with no renewal fees or continuing-education requirements.
No — every question is original, written to test the concepts and reviewed before it ships, with an explanation linked to the source for every option. Dumps are stale, often wrong, and against Scrum.org's policies.