Scrum Master Plus Certification - Professional Level | Scrum Intelligence

Scrum Master Plus
★ Core Scrum Master Skills ★
Sprint Planning Set the goal
Daily Standups Stay aligned
Backlog Refinement Keep it ready
Retrospectives Improve each sprint
Why Scrum Master
Lead teams to deliver value every sprint
One of the most in-demand agile roles globally
Foundation

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps individuals, teams, and organisations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems. Created by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland, Scrum is the world's most widely adopted agile framework — used by over 58% of software organisations globally and across banking, healthcare, e-commerce, and government sectors.

Scrum breaks complex work into short focused cycles called Sprints — typically 1 to 4 weeks — and continuously inspects and adapts based on real feedback. This allows teams to deliver value early, change direction quickly, and improve continuously.

Official Definition · Scrum Guide 2020
"Scrum is a lightweight framework that helps people, teams and organisations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems."
Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland

The Three Pillars of Scrum

🔍
Transparency
All significant aspects must be visible to those responsible for the outcome.
🔎
Inspection
Practitioners regularly inspect artifacts and progress to detect undesirable variances.
Adaptation
When inspection reveals problems, the process must be adjusted as soon as possible.

The Five Scrum Values

C
Commitment
The Scrum Team commits to achieving goals and supporting each other — accountability for outcomes.
F
Focus
Primary focus on Sprint work and goals — eliminating multitasking and improving quality.
O
Openness
The team and stakeholders are open about all work and challenges they face.
R
Respect
Team members respect each other as capable, independent individuals — the foundation of trust.
C
Courage
The courage to do the right thing, surface impediments honestly, and have difficult conversations.

The Three Scrum Accountabilities

🎯
Scrum Master
Accountable for establishing Scrum. Coaches the team, facilitates events, removes impediments.
💡
Product Owner
Accountable for maximising product value. Manages the Product Backlog and Product Goal.
⚙️
Developers
Self-managing professionals committed to creating a usable Increment each Sprint.

The Five Scrum Events

🔄 The Sprint
The heart of Scrum — fixed-length event of 1 month or less. All other events happen within the Sprint.
📋 Sprint Planning
Initiates each Sprint. Team defines Sprint Goal and selects backlog items. Max 8 hours.
☀️ Daily Scrum
15-minute daily event for Developers to inspect progress and adapt the Sprint Backlog.
🔍 Sprint Review
Inspect Sprint outcome with stakeholders. Collaborative working session. Max 4 hours.
💬 Sprint Retrospective
Team inspects how the Sprint went and creates improvement plan. Max 3 hours.

The Three Scrum Artifacts

📋
Product Backlog
Commitment: Product Goal
Ordered list of everything needed in the product. Single source of work.
Sprint Backlog
Commitment: Sprint Goal
Sprint Goal + selected items + delivery plan. Created by Developers.
Increment
Commitment: Definition of Done
Concrete stepping stone toward Product Goal. Must be usable.

Why Scrum Matters — Industry Data

58%
of software organisations use Scrum
37%
faster time-to-market with agile
25%
salary premium for certified professionals
70%
of Indian IT companies use agile

Scrum vs Traditional Project Management

Aspect Scrum Traditional
PlanningAdaptive — evolves with learningPredictive — planned upfront
DeliveryIncremental — value every SprintSequential — value at end
ChangeWelcomed — competitive advantageResisted — formal process
CustomerContinuous — every SprintMinimal — start and end
TeamSelf-managing, cross-functionalHierarchical, specialised
Overview

About Scrum Master Plus

The Certified Professional Scrum Master Plus is designed for Scrum Masters who already have hands-on experience facilitating Scrum teams and want to deepen their skills, validate their expertise, and take on more complex Agile challenges. Where the Associate-level certification builds foundational knowledge, this Professional-level program focuses on advanced facilitation, coaching maturity, organizational change, and handling the messier realities of Scrum adoption — scaling challenges, distributed teams, stakeholder conflict, and technical debt.

As a Professional Scrum Master, you move beyond running textbook Scrum events and start acting as a true change agent: coaching Product Owners on backlog strategy, helping Developers become genuinely cross-functional, and guiding leadership through the cultural shifts that real Agile transformation requires. This program sharpens those skills through advanced scenario-based learning on the Scrum Intelligence platform.

You can complete this certification as a standalone Scrum Intelligence CertiPlus credential, or pair it with an official Professional-level exam from Scrum Alliance (Advanced CSM), Scrum.org (PSM II), giving you a credential that reflects genuine, experience-backed Scrum mastery recognized across the industry.
What You Will Learn

Learning Objectives

1
Coach Scrum Teams toward higher performance and true self-management
2
Facilitate complex stakeholder conversations and resolve team conflict
3
Help Product Owners develop and communicate effective product strategy
4
Identify and address organizational impediments beyond the team level
5
Apply advanced facilitation techniques for distributed and hybrid teams
6
Recognize and correct common Scrum anti-patterns and "Scrum-but" implementations
7
Mentor other Scrum Masters and support broader Agile transformation efforts
8
Use empirical data (velocity, cycle time, flow metrics) to guide continuous improvement
Course Content

Detailed Syllabus

Module 1: Beyond the Basics — Advanced Scrum Theory

A deeper look at empiricism, the Scrum values in practice, and how Scrum principles apply under pressure, scale, or organizational resistance.

Module 2: Advanced Facilitation and Coaching

Coaching stances (teaching, mentoring, facilitating, coaching), difficult conversations, and techniques for building a genuinely self-managing team.

Module 3: Working with the Product Owner

Supporting backlog strategy, stakeholder management, and product vision — even when you are not the Product Owner yourself.

Module 4: Scaling and Organizational Impediments

Recognizing impediments that live outside the team, working with multiple teams, and an introduction to scaling frameworks such as SAFe and Nexus.

Module 5: Metrics and Continuous Improvement

Using velocity, cycle time, and flow-based metrics responsibly to guide retrospectives and long-term improvement, without falling into vanity-metric traps.

Module 6: Leading Agile Transformation

Change management fundamentals, working with leadership, and sustaining Agile culture beyond the initial rollout.

Module 7: Exam Preparation

Case-study practice and exam-readiness review for your chosen certification path.

Who Should Attend

Is This Right For You?

This certification is best suited for:

Current Scrum Masters with at least six months of hands-on team facilitation experience
Agile practitioners looking to formalize and validate their advanced skills
Professionals preparing for roles such as Senior Scrum Master, Agile Coach, or Release Train Engineer
Team leads transitioning fully into a dedicated Scrum Master career path
Holders of an Associate-level Scrum Master certification who are ready for the next step

Prerequisites

Valid CSM certification and at least 12 months of work experience as a Scrum Master.
Certification Assessment

Exam & Certification Details

📝
60
Questions
⏱️
90
Minutes
🎯
70%
Pass Score
🔄
2
Attempts
Certification Details
Exam FormatOnline proctored — take from any location with webcam
Question TypeScenario-based multiple choice
Passing Score70% — 42 out of 60 questions correct
Duration90 minutes
Attempts2 included in course fee
CertificateDigital certificate within 24 hours of passing
Digital BadgeLinkedIn-shareable badge within 48 hours
ValidityLifetime — no expiry, no renewal fee
LanguageEnglish
Practice Exams2 full-length practice exams included
The Scrum Intelligence CertiPlus Professional assessment uses case-study and scenario-based questions that go beyond definitions, testing how you would actually handle real team and organizational situations.

If you choose a combo option, you will also sit the official exam of your selected partner:

A-CSM (Advanced Certified ScrumMaster) from Scrum Alliance: builds on the CSM credential with a focus on team facilitation and coaching at an advanced level.
PSM II (Professional Scrum Master II) from Scrum.org: a rigorous, scenario-based exam testing advanced Scrum Master competencies.

Each partner sets its own prerequisites, format, and passing criteria — check the partner's official site for current requirements before booking your exam.
Career Outcomes

Your Career After Certification

Entry Level (0-2 yrs)
₹6–10 LPA
With CertiPlus + CSM
Mid Level (3-5 yrs)
₹10–18 LPA
Senior Scrum Master
Senior (6+ yrs)
₹18–28 LPA
Agile Coach / Lead

Data from Naukri, LinkedIn Salary Insights, Glassdoor India 2024-2025. Individual outcomes vary.

A Professional-level Scrum Master credential signals to employers that you can handle real-world complexity, not just textbook Scrum. It can support your progression into:

Senior Scrum Master or Lead Scrum Master positions
Agile Coach roles supporting multiple teams
Release Train Engineer (RTE) positions in scaled Agile environments
Agile Delivery Manager or Agile Program Manager roles

Professionals with proven, advanced Scrum Master experience are consistently sought after as organizations mature their Agile practices — but actual compensation and role availability vary by region, industry, and company size.
FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need the Associate certification before taking this one?
It is not mandatory, but it is recommended if you are new to Scrum. If you already have hands-on Scrum Master experience, you can start directly at the Professional level.
How much real-world experience do I need?
We recommend at least six months of hands-on experience facilitating a Scrum team, though the exact prerequisite for partner exams like PSM II or A-CSM is set by Scrum.org and Scrum Alliance respectively.
Can I take this if my organization uses a scaled framework like SAFe?
Yes. This certification covers core Scrum Master skills that apply regardless of scale, and Module 4 specifically addresses working across multiple teams and scaling considerations.
What is the difference between PSM I and PSM II?
PSM I validates foundational Scrum knowledge, while PSM II (available as a combo option here) tests advanced, scenario-based application of Scrum Master skills. PSM II is intended for practitioners with real team experience.
Is the Scrum Master Plus (Professional) training live or self-paced?
Entirely self-paced. Your course material is available online as soon as you enrol and you work through it whenever it suits you. There are no fixed class timings, no need to take leave from work, and the assessment is taken online at a time you choose.
How long is the Scrum Master Plus (Professional) credential valid for?
Two years from the date of issue. We send renewal reminders as the expiry date approaches, and renewal keeps the same credential ID so anything you have already shared — your CV, LinkedIn profile or email signature — stays accurate. Expired credentials show as expired on our public verification page until renewed.
How can an employer verify this certification?
Every certificate carries a unique credential ID and a QR code. An employer can scan the code or enter the ID on our public verification page and immediately see the holder's name, the certification, the issue date and the current status. Because verification is live rather than a static PDF check, suspended, revoked or expired credentials show accordingly.
Do I get a digital badge with the Scrum Master Plus (Professional) certification?
Yes. Alongside your certificate you receive a digital badge you can download from your dashboard and add to your LinkedIn profile, CV or email signature. A one-click LinkedIn share is included, and it carries your verification link so anyone viewing the post can confirm the credential.
What happens if I do not pass the assessment first time?
Your first two attempts are included in the enrolment fee, so a single difficult sitting does not mean paying again. You keep full access to your course material and can retake the assessment once you have reviewed the areas you found hard.
Is the exam fee included in the 299 US dollar price?
Yes. The US $299 covers the complete course material, the CertiPlus assessment, your first two attempts, your digital certificate and your digital badge. Nothing is added at checkout. If you choose a combination option that includes an official partner credential, that partner's exam fee is shown separately and clearly before you pay.
How many hours of study does Scrum Master Plus (Professional) require?
Around 16 hours of material in total. Because the course is self-paced you can spread that across a few weeks of evenings, or work through it in a more concentrated block if you have the time available. Most people complete it within two to three weeks.
Quick Facts
LevelProfessional
TrackScrum Master
Duration16 Hours
ExamIncluded
Attempts2 Included
BadgeDigital ✓
ValidityLifetime
LanguageEnglish
Combine With

Earn alongside an officially recognised certification for maximum career impact.

🎓
ACSM (by Scrum Alliance)
Learn more ↗
🎓
PSM2 (by Scrum.org)
Learn more ↗
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🎓
Aria - Scrum Intelligence
🎓
Hi! I am Aria. Ask me about certifications, enrollment or salaries!
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