I focus on agile development practice and have extensive work experience in IT software development and project management. Currently obtained PMP, the next step is to commit to agile practice and agile certification. During this period of time, small partners have been asking about the training and certification for agile-related work. After learning, I will organize this information for your reference.
1. Certified products and institutions
1.1 EXIN: EXIN Agile Scrum Foundation & Master
This qualification includes the basic exam EXIN Agile Scrum Foundation and the advanced exam EXIN Agile Scrum Master. EXIN Agile Scrum This is a certification exam designed for professional ICT professionals who lead and participate in projects. It is especially suitable for professionals in the fields of project management, software development, business management, and IT service management.
- EXIN Agile Scrum Foundation verifies a professional's mastery of agile methodology and Scrum practical knowledge.
- EXIN Agile Scrum Master verifies the skills of agile planning and monitoring, as well as the skills required for the role of Scrum Master. The form of practical homework is adopted in the Master exam to ensure that the examinee's ability to complete the task is accurately examined, and the practical value of this qualification is also enhanced.
1.2 Scrum Alliance: CSM/CSPO/CSD—CSP—CST/CSC
The CSM certification course is more comprehensive than the other two foundation-level certifications. It focuses on the role of ScrumMaster. Students must participate in a two-day ScrumMaster certification training course, then take the CSM exam, and obtain certification after passing the exam.
The CSPO Certified Product Owner course will explain the Scrum method in detail from the perspective of the product owner. The content includes basic tools, implementation skills, and how the product owner helps the team deliver excellent products that customers really need. No exam is currently required.
CSD focuses on providing developers with engineering skills to make working software. Exams are not currently required. After participating in CSD training courses, they can obtain certification qualifications.
In addition, the Scrum Expert (CSP) is a professional-level certification. The CSP must have rich Scrum experience and professional skills. To obtain the CSP certification, you must first pass the CSM, CSD or CSPO certification.
Scrum Trainer (CST) and Certified Scrum Coach (CSC), CST and CSC must have the experience and ability to do Scrum training for other teams or guide other teams to use Scrum. To obtain CST and CSC certification, you must first pass CSP certification.
1.3 Scrum.org: PSD—-PSM I&II—-PSPO I &II
Scrum.org: Basically the same as the target group of the Scrum Alliance, and more open. Practitioners of various Scrum methods are mainly carried out in the United States and the United Kingdom. Scrum.org has no hard and fast requirements. It requires completion of self-study guidance and an open assessment.
1.4 PMI: PMI-ACP (Agile Certified Practitioner)
The ACP exam is an agile project management exam launched by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in 2011.
The PMI-ACP certificate recognizes the knowledge that the certificate holder has for the principles, practices, tools, and skills of different agile methods, and does not limit practitioners to a certain agile method. Unlike other agile certifications based only on exams or training, PMI-ACP requires applicants to participate in a variety of agile trainings, have a wealth of agile project work experience, general project work experience and pass the exam. PMI-ACP is globally recognized and is applicable to any industry, including those engaged in or not engaged in Internet technology (IT) and software development or maintenance.
2. Comparative analysis table
| Certification classification | Audience | Exam requirements | Training requirements | Exam type | Test language | Certificate validity period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXIN Agile Scrum | Mainly for professionals in the fields of project management, software development, business management and IT service management. Especially suitable for those who lead or participate in the project. | No hard prerequisites, relevant agility and project experience are necessary | Foundation level does not require training; Master level requires training and has practical work | 90 minutes, 40 objective questions, 65% (26 of 40) passed; closed book, no electronic devices | English, French, Dutch, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese six languages | No need to re-certify |
| Scrum Alliance | Basically the same as the target audience of Scrum.org, any scrum practitioner who can benefit from the Scrum methodology. | Relevant work experience is required; membership fees must be paid for this certification to become a member of the Scrum Alliance | Obtain the Scrum Master qualification and require two days of training by an authorized Scrum Trainer | 60 minutes; 35 objective questions; 69% (24 of 35) passed | English | Need to recertify every three years |
| Scrum.org | It is basically the same as the target group of the Scrum Alliance, and is more open. Practitioners of various Scrum methods are mainly carried out in the United States and the United Kingdom. | No hard requirements, complete self-study guidance and pass open assessment | No training required | 60 minutes; 80 closed questions, 85% (68 of 80) passed | English | No need to re-certify |
| PRINCE2 AgileTM | EXIN certified PRINCE2 AgileTM Practitioner is for practitioners who have used PRINCE2 in practice and are interested in and demanding agile methods in their projects | Obtained the PRINCE2 Practitioner certificate | Request authorized training | 2.5 hours; 60% pass | English | Need to recertify every five years |
| PMI-ACP | People who adopt agile practices among the American project management crowd | 2,000 hours of comprehensive project experience; 1,500 hours of agile project experience or project experience using agile methodology | 21 hours of authorized training required | 3h; 120 objective questions; 68.5% (69 of 100) passed | English, Chinese | Every three years, 30 PDUs and renewal fees must be submitted to complete the certificate update |