Scrum alliance vs Scrum.org

Collaborative teamwork is necessary for success. Nowadays, workplaces focus on building an environment that can get every stakeholder on board, to heighten the creative spirit, and bring innovative ideas to the table.

Collaborative teamwork is necessary for success. Nowadays, workplaces focus on building an environment that can get every stakeholder on board, to heighten the creative spirit, and bring innovative ideas to the table.

Scrum, an elaborate structure that allows teams to work together has soared in popularity. It enables cooperation and participation, in an organized manner.

In a nutshell, Scrum defines an array of tools, roles, and meetings that jointly work together for efficient management. Agile methods of organizing a workplace with Scrum are beneficial, but a burning question remains in the mind of a person considering a certification. Which company do you certify with: Scrum.org or ScrumAlliance.org? To answer this question, below we have made a nuanced comparison of the merits and shortcomings of both companies.

Scrum Alliance

The Scrum Alliance certification is desirable for various reasons. There are three basic level certifications offered by Scrum Alliance: Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Certified Product Owner, or Certified Scrum Developer (CSD). You can take the test online after taking a two-day Scrum course, or alternatively attend an in-class training and examination.

The requirement for passing the certification is getting the exam question right 65% of the time. Most people are geographically bound in their regions, and cannot take the two-day Scrum course. Given the complexity of remote education, make sure you consider the training provider experience and their customer reviews. You could also consider time in the market and one of the first CSM courses in Sydney with impeccable track history and thousands of happy customers.

Scrum.org

Scrum.org has a more flexible training process, as it does not require prior training before taking the certification exam. Even though there’s the freedom to take the exam without prior training, it doesn’t take away from the difficulty of the exam, as the passing benchmark is set at 85%. This is considerably higher than the ScrumAlliance passing barrier of 65%.

The courses are named differently as compared to ScrumAlliance. Though the training material is largely the same, a certification offered by scrum.org is called a Professional Scrum Master (PSM).  Scrum.org has three tiers for the PSM certification that range from bottom to top, all in different price points.

The first level of PSM is priced at $150, the next at $250, and the last for $500. Candidates have the freedom to directly appear for the third tier, without having to certify for the first and second.

Quality Of Content

When it comes to the organization of course content, there is a significant difference between the scrum certifying bodies. Scrum.org has a content-making regime, that brings different trainers from all around the world to collaborate. This ensures a consistent and accurate quality of testing material, which includes the learning experience of different global perspectives and trainers.

On the other hand, the course content curated by ScrumAlliance is produced by individual trainers. Though this can sometimes include the most elaborate learning experiences and innovative dimensions, it is not consistent. The quality and learning experience varies trainer to trainer and cannot be generalized.

Final Say

In the world of Scrum, there are two front-runners, Scrum.org and ScrumAlliance, and both have their selling points and shortcomings. The decision of choosing a scrum certification depends on the nature of the applicant. If you are looking for a detailed certification, that you can pass without prior training, or sitting in a mandatory course then go for scrum.org. On the other hand, if you are looking to pass the certification easily, then ScrumAlliance is a better pick, as their passing benchmark is considerably lower.