scrum master assignments

Free Practice Exams for Scrum Masters 🧠⚡️

Welcome! As a visitor of ScrumPractice, you're likely to be on the exciting road of Scrum Mastery. To help you on this journey, ScrumPractice offers free test exams with questions tailored to specific knowledge levels.

Our questions and answers are curated by certified Scrum Masters. All questions are up-to-date with the latest edition of the Scrum Guide. Choose one of the free practice exams below to test your knowledge. Scrum on!

Level II Scrum Mastery ⛵️

Start Level II assessment

Level III Scrum Mastery 🚢

Start Level III assessment

Study guide: level II 🧑‍💻

A helpful guide in preparing for the PSM II assessment. Read the guide here.

Study guide: level III 🧙

A helpful guide in preparing for the PSM III assessment. Read the guide here.

Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®)

Whether you want to serve as a scrum master, are adopting scrum, or just need the skills to be more agile, our Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) course is the right place to start. You’ll gain a solid understanding of scrum and learn practical ways to apply it to your team and throughout your organization.

Scrum Mastery

What is a scrum master, the certified scrummaster course, why certify with scrum alliance.

The scrum master on a scrum team fosters an effective and productive working environment. One way they do so is by guiding others to understand scrum values and practices. Some of the common characteristics of a scrum master are:

• People-oriented
• High emotional intelligence
• Enjoys helping people grow and learn

A scrum master's day may include facilitating conversations, managing impediments to the team's progress, and coaching individual team members in the use of scrum; however, this accountability is certainly not limited to those activities! 

A scrum master's day-to-day activities and overall objectives will look different from organization to organization. When you work in this accountability, your duties and focus are derived from the goal of improving team and organizational agility.

If you're ready to grow more agile with scrum, our scrum master learning track is designed for you. As an introductory course, the CSM covers the scrum framework, including team accountabilities, events, and artifacts. You'll learn how to guide your team to apply scrum and gain a deeper understanding of the agile principles and values that are the foundation of this way of working.

The scrum master course equips you with knowledge you can apply to virtually any job role. You'll learn widely applicable agile principles as well as the details of working on a scrum team.

Beyond CSM, the Advanced Certified ScrumMaster and Certified Scrum Professional® - ScrumMaster courses set you apart from the crowd of agile professionals. You'll be able to prove your advanced proficiency and experience as a scrum master when you achieve these certifications, providing talking points with potential employers about what you can do to support agility at their organizations. The CSP-SM is also a great option if you aspire to become a trainer or agile coach.

See the CSM Learning Objectives for more course details.

Scrum master certification sets you apart from other job candidates. CSM certification from Scrum Alliance is one of the most well-known to employers. Here are a few other reasons to consider it:

• 95% of CSMs would recommend the certification to a friend (Indeed)
• 71% of CSMs took the course to advance their careers (Indeed)
• Scrum master certifications were the 9th most-requested professional certifications in recent years ( Indeed )

In the CSM course, you'll discover new knowledge and techniques for guiding a team through not only the practices of scrum but also the agile principles and values that support scrum.

What’s your next step?

What to expect in a CSM course

The CSM is one of the most demanded certifications by employers and recruiters. The certification course is taught by Certified Scrum Trainers®, who are highly vetted, intensely evaluated agile trainers globally. Each course covers core topics as described in the learning objectives , and trainers may include unique examples, exercises, and materials to bring the subject matter to life. 

You'll have access to the required scrum master test after you've completed the course. This test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions; you must correctly answer 37 of the 50 questions to pass the test and receive your certification. The cost of your course includes two test attempts.

CSM training gives you hands-on skills that you can immediately apply and leverage to expand your career opportunities. Once you complete the course, you will have everything you need to take and pass the CSM exam.

Who should take the CSM course

You should take the scrum master certification course if any of the following apply:

• You want a broad set of professional skills
• You want to increase your competitiveness as a job candidate
• You want to show employers and recruiters that you are committed to skill growth
• You want to know how to use one of the most popular agile frameworks
• You're interested in practicing an agile mindset, not simply following prescribed steps
• You want to work as an adept and effective scrum master
• You want to improve your practice of scrum
• You want to learn more about agility

Scrum has grown beyond its origins in software development. Professionals from a wide range of industries are applying scrum, including marketers, data scientists, HR representatives, and others who are looking for a better way to build products and services and deliver the most value to customers.

Earn the high demand skills employers want most

Not only does the CSM prepare you for a career as a competent and effective scrum master, it also puts you on the path to develop an array of in-demand skills:

• Communication
• Team dynamics
• Conflict resolution
• Cross-functional teamwork
• Leadership and coaching
• Continuous improvement

Learn more about the skills employers want most—download the latest skills report for free.

Certifications with substance

Choosing Scrum Alliance means you will earn a certification badge that is recognized by employers and recruiters globally.

Established in 2001, Scrum Alliance provides certifications with substance: Once you earn the badge, the renewal requirements include proof that you've continued to grow your knowledge—by reading books, watching webinars, attending events, etc.

Earn Scrum Education Units with every learning opportunity you complete. SEUs are required for certification renewal every two years. Instead of a one-and-done lifetime certification, you'll have a badge that proves to employers your commitment to continuously growing, evolving, and expanding what you know.

Testimonials from our members

The instructor was knowledgeable and provided clear explanations of the various concepts and practices associated with scrum, such as the scrum framework, the role of the scrum master, and techniques for facilitating effective scrum meetings.

Though I had knowledge of scrum before attending, I left feeling more equipped and confident that I would be able to excel in my current as well as future role(s) as a scrum master.

Register for CSM today!

Advance your career, unlock new professional opportunities, and acquire in-demand agile skills with the CSM.

Relevant resources

Get exclusive updates!

The scrum master course is 16 hours of training (with most classes spanning 2-3 days) based on the learning objectives , followed by an online multiple-choice test. After you complete the course, you have 90 days and two attempts to pass the test. The test must be completed in one hour. 

Certification is not required to get a job as scrum master, but certain employers ask for the CSM as part of a position's qualifications.

The time it takes to become a scrum master varies. Some scrum masters start at the entry-level, while other employers are looking for scrum masters with previous experience. Like any job, the time it takes to become employed as a scrum master is highly variable.

The price range for the scrum master certification course is $250-$2,495 USD*. When you browse the CSM courses, you'll see that trainers set the prices for the courses they offer. Price varies by region, format, and other market factors. Filter and sort by price to find a course that fits your budget but also take note of any additional offerings, resources, or benefits a specific course may offer.

*Price ranges are based on publicly available course prices on scrumalliance.org as of October 2023. Scrum Alliance does not control course prices, which may vary based on many factors, including, but not limited to: delivery method (online versus in-person), the course’s location, class size caps (limits on total students in session), additional resources provided (practice exams, copies of course material, etc.), taxes, and other market factors. Prices are listed in USD, but may be available in different currencies.

As a CSM, you can work on a scrum team as its scrum master or another type of scrum team member. As any type of team member, you can use what you learn in the course to improve your scrum practice.

A scrum master—certified or not—coaches their team to use scrum effectively. They lead by supporting the team, facilitating, managing impediments, and teaching. Scrum masters help their teams thrive in an agile environment.

The Certified ScrumMaster is worth the cost, time, and effort because you will receive an in-demand badge and membership when you pass the test. This badge on your resume presents an opportunity to highlight your agile knowledge and experience when you get into job interviews and promotion discussions. Many people use the certification as a stepping stone to get into roles and other opportunities where they can continue to build their scrum master experience and resume.

You can pursue scrum master openings even if you've never worked as one before. Many scrum masters gain experience on the job. The CSM certification kick starts your skills and the badge sets you apart from other job candidates without certification.

Have additional questions?

🚀 Access 100+ Ready-to-Use Templates and Get Inspired for Your Next Meeting →

How to Succeed as Scrum Master with a New Team + Checklist

Congratulations on landing your dream job as Scrum Master at a new company. You’re excited… and nervous. You’re inheriting a new team with old habits you might need to help them overcome.

How will the developers respond to your arrival? Can you quickly establish rapport with the Product Owner? Is it possible to create an instant connection?

Your first 30 days on the job are crucial for forging a strong bond and effective working relationship with your team. In this guide, we’ll help you manage the delicate dance of building trust and rapport while slowly but steadily bringing about change that delivers agile results.

📌 For the sake of simplicity, we’ve written this guide on the assumption that teams are running two-week sprints, and you’re hopping on board at the start of the first sprint. Timings don’t always align, so feel free to adapt the learnings here to your case. 

Week 0: Prepare before you begin (especially if you’re a first-time Scrum Master)

Whether you got your Scrum certifications last week, last year, or never, preparing for a new assignment with a refresher of the basics is always a good idea.

Resources and fundamentals you might want to revisit before starting your new role:

• The Agile Manifesto and its 12 principles
• The five Scrum values : Commitment, courage, focus, openness, and respect.
• Scrum roles and their responsibilities : Product Owner, Scrum Master, and Developers.
• The five Scrum events: Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, Sprint Retrospective, and the Sprint. 

Also take time to study the team’s history and documentation. Review existing team metrics and project artifacts to get a sense of the team’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.

Building relationships with all team members, including the Product Owner (PO), developers, and any other on-staff Agile Coaches , is essential in your new role. Before your first official meeting with the entire Scrum team , consider scheduling informal one-on-one meetings with each team member to learn their perspectives on the team’s performance, challenges, and successes.

During these conversations, ask open-ended questions to understand each individual’s role and how they contribute to the team’s work. These talks will help you identify how to support each person.

Week 1: Listen and observe

The first week is crucial for your later success because first impressions matter. Follow these steps to lay a strong foundation and build trust:

Get to know your team Introduce yourself to the team, share your background, and express your enthusiasm for working together. Have casual conversations with team members to learn about their roles, interests, and aspirations. Active listening and genuine interest are the magic words here for building rapport.

Observe and assess the team’s Scrum practices Observe how the team currently works before suggesting any changes! Here are some suggestions of what to pay attention to:

• Attend Scrum events that take place early in the Sprint, such as Sprint Planning and Daily Standups to understand the team’s current processes and how they collaborate.
• Prioritize observation over action in these first meetings and avoid making premature suggestions or changes.
• See how well the team adheres to Scrum principles, values, and practices. Also, see if the group has a team charter and how they use it.
• Look for potential impediments, communication gaps, or workflow inefficiencies.
• Observe how open or closed communication is in meetings to get a read on the current level of psychological safety in the team.
• Evaluate the team’s understanding and adoption of their roles and responsibilities.
• Consider the effectiveness of the team’s artifacts, such as the product backlog, sprint backlog, and user stories.
• See which agile metrics the team uses, how the team feels about them, and whether they’re helping the team reach their sprint goals and product goals and improve performance.

Support the Product Owner’s vision The Product Owner is responsible for aligning the team around a shared vision and goals. As a Scrum Master, your role is to ensure the team understands and embraces these priorities. Encourage team members to ask questions and seek clarification when needed, and promote transparency by reminding the Product Owner to explain the reasons for their decisions and priorities.

Week 2: Start facilitating and coaching

In your second week, focus on refining Scrum events and promoting continuous improvement.

Tweak the Daily Scrum Since the Daily Standup happens every day of a Sprint, any improvements you make to this event compound. Ensure that everyone has an opportunity to share updates, ask questions, and voice concerns. To identify obstacles, pay attention to recurring issues, team member feedback, and potential bottlenecks.

Based on the trust you’ve built during the first week, now is also a perfect moment to introduce a new tool or approach, like Parabol’s Daily Standup tool , which makes it easy for team members to give and see quick updates throughout the day instead of having to gather for long video-based updates in real time.

Sweat your first Sprint Review Managing stakeholder expectations is essential, especially for your first Sprint Review.

Before the event, talk to stakeholders to set their expectations for the session. For example, explain that the review will focus on the team’s progress during this sprint and what they might work on next, not long-term plans.

Find out which questions stakeholders may have for the team, and share this information with the group in advance so they can prepare themselves.

Make sure you’re up to date on the team’s progress. Become aware of obstacles, deferred items, and other issues so you can anticipate questions and facilitate a productive discussion.

Structure the Sprint Retrospective For your first retrospective, consider introducing Parabol’s retrospective tool , so you can follow a structured format that promotes participation from everyone. For less mature teams, Parabol acts as training wheels for retrospectives, guiding them through each meeting stage in a structured way.

With Parabol, you can open the virtual retro at the beginning of your second week. Doing so gives team members several days to add their ideas, comments, and concerns. Once it’s time for the retro, our tool guides you through an easy and collaborative process for topic organization, prioritization, and discussion.

“Parabol made me a master of retros! It’s helped our whole team learn how to lead effective retrospectives which has made our retros more valuable.” Matt Adesanya, Engineering Manager at Mollie

This first retrospective may also be perfect for introducing or revising the team charter. This document states why the team exists and what’s required to fulfill its purpose. It explains who the team members are, their roles, goals, and what resources and constraints they’ll work with. Setting a new team charter as you come on board can provide a useful refresher and help people more strongly commit to how they work together. 

Don’t forget to include a request for feedback on your performance as Scrum Master in the retro, demonstrating your commitment to continuous improvement and transparency.

Week 3: Accelerate your team’s performance

In the third week, focus on enhancing your team’s performance through bonding, a targeted workshop, and one-on-one coaching.

Bond outside of work The end of your second week or the start of the third is a good moment for an informal gathering so team members can connect and interact in a relaxed setting. Co-located teams can have lunch, dinner, or drinks together–remote teams can play online games like Codenames (word association), Tabletop Simulator (3D online board games), or Werewolf (video conference game).

You could also try running a retrospective-themed game to teach an agile concept or focus on process improvement.

Organize a workshop on a misunderstood agile principle or practice By now, you’ll have identified the aspects of Scrum or Agile your team struggles with. Use your observations to design a workshop addressing those challenges. Even better, give your team a choice of topics and let them pick the one they would benefit most from.

For example, many teams need help with agile estimation . They spend too much time on it or don’t get value from the few techniques they’re familiar with. A workshop can show the workings and benefits of estimation methods like t-shirt sizing, sprint poker, and Weighted Shortest Job First (WSFJ). Equipped with this knowledge, the team can start using these approaches to improve and accelerate their estimation efforts.

Other commonly misunderstood topics include story points , velocity , and the purpose of each Scrum event .

Give your team confidence to self-organize Create an atmosphere where team members feel confident expressing opinions, suggesting solutions, and taking calculated risks. An effective way to do this is by having one-on-one coaching sessions in which you help team members think through challenges and build their confidence.

Scrum emphasizes the importance of self-reliant, cross-functional teams that possess all the necessary skills to complete their work. You can help the team by training or pairing people with different skills. Team members can also teach each other through skill-sharing sessions or a mentorship program within the group.

Week 4: Measure, celebrate, and reflect on your progress

Assess how you measure progress and reflect on what the team has achieved in your first month working together. Here are several suggested actions that can work well in your fourth week:

Evaluate and adjust the agile metrics you use Now that you’ve worked with the team for a few weeks, assess the usefulness of the agile metrics they’re using. Do the numbers provide insights that help the team with their current goals and challenges? If not, choose one or two new agile metrics to focus on. For example, monitoring team happiness can be helpful during a team’s first month, while velocity only stabilizes after a few sprints and isn’t the best metric when you start working together.

Don’t forget to also ask team members how they feel about metrics. If a metric is causing undue stress and damaging morale, consider getting rid of it and replacing it with something that people feel driven towards. 

Celebrate and showcase the team’s progress Highlight achievements within the group by going for another lunch, dinner, drink, or team-building activity. Also, keep stakeholders informed, and encourage them to compliment the team if they’re happy with their work.

Reflect on your first month as a Scrum Master Assess your personal growth and development. Identify areas where you can improve your skills and knowledge to support the team better. Get their feedback and consider participating in training, meetups, or communities to enhance your abilities (see the resources section later in this article). You can even hold an evaluation of your performance through a dedicated retrospective.

Overcoming common Scrum Master challenges

If anyone ever said being a Scrum Master is easy, they’re wrong. A successful Scrum Master is a jack of all trades – coach, change agent, teacher, therapist, and student are just some of the hats you must wear. And no matter how much Scrum theory you read, the only path to mastery is putting it into practice by making mistakes and learning from them.

Here’s an overview of common challenges Scrum Masters face with new teams and how to overcome them.

Handling questions and skepticism about the Scrum framework

Even seasoned Scrum Masters sometimes struggle with the vagueness and nuances of Scrum, especially in new work environments where coworkers bring up questions and challenges you haven’t heard before.

“The Scrum framework is purposefully incomplete, only defining the parts required to implement Scrum theory. Scrum is built upon by the collective intelligence of the people using it. Rather than provide people with detailed instructions, the rules of Scrum guide their relationships and interactions.” The Scrum Guide 2020 edition

There are only two ways to solve this problem, and you need to do both:

• Seek learning. Read books, connect with peers, take training courses.
• Keep putting in the miles. No matter how much you read or hear, you’ll learn most from being in the arena.

💡 To further expand your agile coaching capabilities, check out Agile Coaching 101: How to Get Started and 7 Roles to Master .

Mastering servant leadership

This challenge is common when transitioning from a traditional project manager role to Scrum Master. You’ll need a mindset shift – embracing the principles of servant leadership rather than the directive approach that characterizes project management, with its one-way communication and top-down decision-making.

“A project manager and an agile coach are not even as much alike as a house cat and a jaguar. They are simply not in the same family. A project manager plans and controls, supervising throughout. A coach guides. A project manager’s success equals the success of the project. An agile coach’s success equals the team’s continual improvement and their pursuit of high performance. The two are focused on completely different things and thus act completely differently.” Lyssa Adkins in Coaching Agile Teams

To make this shift, adopt these two habits:

• Cultivate active listening. Pay close attention to your team members’ thoughts, ideas, and concerns. This skill allows you to understand their needs better and give guidance instead of issuing orders or instructions.
• Encourage self-organization. Ask open-ended questions that empower team members to take ownership of their work. For example, rather than assigning tasks, ask, “Who feels they have the skills to tackle this task?” This approach fosters autonomy and strengthens the team’s ability to self-organize.

Managing internal resistance to Agile change

Resistance to Agile and Scrum practices is a significant challenge for Scrum Masters, especially when teams and organizations tend to fall back on their traditional ways of working. To overcome this resistance, consider these tactics:

• Educate and inspire. Host workshops or lunch-and-learn sessions that illustrate the benefits of Agile, showcasing real-world examples of successful adoption. These sessions focus on building understanding and enthusiasm for Agile practices.
• Promote open communication. Schedule regular meetings with the Product Owner, development team, and other stakeholders to discuss challenges, updates, and concerns about Agile.
• Leverage allies and data. Identify agile ambassadors within the organization, and collaborate with them to create a shared vision of Scrum adoption. Use data on the team’s performance and success stories to demonstrate the benefits of Scrum in quantifiable terms, reinforcing your case for change and improvement.

Balancing multiple roles

Many Scrum Masters juggle multiple roles within a team or organization, leading to conflicting responsibilities and priorities. Striking a balance requires practice, organization, and clear communication.

Begin by defining and prioritizing your tasks, ensuring your Scrum Master duties remain uncompromised. Establishing boundaries is key–they prevent one role from casting a shadow over the other.

Consider this practical approach: designate specific days or time blocks for each role. For instance, reserve Mondays and Tuesdays for your Scrum Master responsibilities and Wednesdays and Thursdays for your other commitments. This separation helps you stay focused.

Also, be transparent with team members and stakeholders about your multiple roles. Work together to manage expectations and ensure everyone understands your commitments and priorities.

Staying effective in remote or hybrid work environments

Managing Scrum practices in remote or distributed teams can present unique challenges, such as timezone differences, communication barriers, and limited face-to-face interactions.

Parabol offers solutions tailored to these issues, allowing you to hold several Scrum events async–partially or even entirely:

• You can make Daily Standups async without the risk of your team’s updates gathering dust in a Slack channel.
• Our Retrospectives can automatically include icebreaker questions, and we offer you the flexibility to spread the event over days.
• Sprint Poker is the most entertaining and effective way for remote teams to estimate user stories–you can play it async if you like.

Essential Scrum Master resources

As a Scrum Master with a new team, you need all the help you can get. Here’s an overview of books, communities, and tools that can help you further expand and improve your mastery of serving, coaching, and guiding the teams you work with.

Must-read books for Scrum Masters

Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins offers an in-depth exploration of the agile coach’s role. It guides readers in adopting a new mindset to lead teams to extraordinary performance, covering essential topics like self-organizing high-performance teams, evolving leadership styles, and personal agile coaching journeys.

Scrum Mastery: From Good To Great Servant-Leadership by Geoff Watts goes into the qualities of exceptional Scrum Masters. The book provides guidance on enhancing team engagement, Scrum meetings, creativity, collaboration, and performance, offering practical advice on becoming a servant-leader who can inspire a Scrum team beyond just following rules.

Mastering Professional Scrum by Stephanie Ockerman and Simon Reindl is a helpful guide for improving your existing use of Scrum. The authors address common challenges, such as assessing current practices, delivering value with each Product Increment, and removing organizational agility impediments. This book benefits Scrum Masters, Development Team members, and Product Owners looking to refine their approach and deliver greater value.

Scrum Masters Reddit and other online communities

Online communities offer Scrum Masters valuable opportunities to connect, share knowledge, and learn. The Scrum Master Reddit community is an excellent platform for sharing challenges and best practices. Other options include LinkedIn groups, local Agile events, and Communities of Practice.

Scrum Master Communities of Practice are groups of professionals collaborating to develop their skills. You can find these communities within organizations or online. Well-known platforms like Scrum.org and Scrum Alliance host their own online Communities of Practice for global participation.

A daily checklist for Scrum Masters

There are countless things to remember, do, and keep track of as a new Scrum Master in your first 30 days with a team. Here’s a daily checklist you can run through during that period so you don’t forget anything critical.

1. Start your day with a plan: 

☑️ Review your daily schedule and prioritize task ☑️ Identify team members who might need extra support or guidance

2. Facilitate the Daily Scrum: 

☑️ Ensure the meeting is time-boxed to under 15 minutes ☑️ Make sure everyone shares updates, questions, and concerns

3. Observe and assess the team’s Scrum practices:

☑️ Take note of potential issues, communication gaps, or workflow inefficiencies ☑️ Evaluate the team’s adherence to Scrum principles, values, and practices

4. Support the Product Owner: 

☑️ Check in for clarification on priorities and goals ☑️ Offer help with backlog refinement or stakeholder communication

5. Address external impediments:

☑️ Resolve technical issues or external dependencies ☑️ Communicate with stakeholders to address problematic behavior

6. Nurture a positive team culture:

☑️ Encourage open communication and collaboration ☑️ Recognize individual contributions and celebrate small wins ☑️ Promote a blame-free environment for discussing challenges

7. Practice servant leadership: 

☑️ Schedule or hold one-on-ones with team members ☑️ Be accessible, empathetic, and offer guidance as needed ☑️ Support team members in resolving personal concerns or challenges

8. Reflect and adapt:

☑️ Reflect on your actions and decisions throughout the day ☑️ Assess yourself on the five Scrum values and choose one to focus on the next day

With this daily checklist in hand, you’ll never forget the essential responsibilities of your role as Scrum Master. You’ll set yourself up for long-term success with a team that consistently delivers value and continuously improves.

Useful Scrum Master templates and tools

Scrum Mastery is easier with the right tools and templates. Parabol offers several solutions to support you in this journey.

Sprint Poker

During planning poker, teams estimate the effort required for user stories or tasks by playing cards with different values from a customized deck. Parabol’s Sprint Poker tool simplifies this process for remote teams.

With Sprint Poker, all team members, including POs, developers, and Scrum Masters, have the same set of cards and look at the same user stories in real time. Votes remain anonymous until everyone has participated, preventing anchoring bias.

Our tool reveals your estimates once everyone has voted and can sync the results to Jira, GitHub, or GitLab for free.

Retrospectives

Parabol retrospectives allow you to run virtual retros partially or fully async. You follow a structured process where the team can group and vote on topics to build a focused agenda.

Our tool allows you to add anonymous replies to retrospective prompts. You can then hold a structured conversation about your team’s top issues and create trackable action items that sync with Jira, GitHub, or GitLab.

Retro templates

Parabol offers over 35 pre-built retrospective templates—pick one and start running your next sprint retrospective in minutes.

Each template offers a specific theme or approach tailored to different retrospective objectives, like Start Stop Continue , Mad Sad Glad , and a Scrum Values retro . We also have seasonal formats, like Christmas , Midsummer , and Lunar New Year .

Daily Standup tool

Run your synchronous or asynchronous daily standups directly within Parabol. Customize your prompts and see all team updates in one place.

As a Scrum Master in a new team, Parabol is the perfect way to get your team on track and learning positive behaviors for Scrum success.

Tim Metz crafts content at Animalz for the world’s most amazing startups. He’s passionate about deep work and work-life balance.

Parabol: One Tool For All Your Agile Ceremonies

Fluid Teams: The Next Evolution of Agile?

Agile · 6 min read

Agile Coaching 101: Everything You Need to Get Started

Agile · 15 min read

How Many Companies use Scrum in 2024? (+ Other Scrum FAQs)

The 5 Best Planning Poker Tools for Online Estimation [2024]

Agile , Backlog Refinement · 9 min read

What Are The Most Popular Agile Methodologies in 2023?

Team Coaching Exercises: Journey Lines, Market of Skills, and More

Agile · 9 min read

7 Agile Charts and Visual Tools To Track Your Progress

Agile · 8 min read

5 Scrum Benefits That Will Transform The Way You Work

Agile · 10 min read

How to Conduct a 360 Review

Agile , Project Management · 9 min read

.css-s5s6ko{margin-right:42px;color:#F5F4F3;}@media (max-width: 1120px){.css-s5s6ko{margin-right:12px;}} AI that works. Coming June 5th, Asana redefines work management—again. .css-1ixh9fn{display:inline-block;}@media (max-width: 480px){.css-1ixh9fn{display:block;margin-top:12px;}} .css-1uaoevr-heading-6{font-size:14px;line-height:24px;font-weight:500;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;color:#F5F4F3;}.css-1uaoevr-heading-6:hover{color:#F5F4F3;} .css-ora5nu-heading-6{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:flex-start;color:#0D0E10;-webkit-transition:all 0.3s;transition:all 0.3s;position:relative;font-size:16px;line-height:28px;padding:0;font-size:14px;line-height:24px;font-weight:500;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;color:#F5F4F3;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:hover{border-bottom:0;color:#CD4848;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:hover path{fill:#CD4848;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:hover div{border-color:#CD4848;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:hover div:before{border-left-color:#CD4848;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:active{border-bottom:0;background-color:#EBE8E8;color:#0D0E10;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:active path{fill:#0D0E10;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:active div{border-color:#0D0E10;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:active div:before{border-left-color:#0D0E10;}.css-ora5nu-heading-6:hover{color:#F5F4F3;} Get early access .css-1k6cidy{width:11px;height:11px;margin-left:8px;}.css-1k6cidy path{fill:currentColor;}

• What is a Scrum master and how do I bec ...

What is a Scrum master and how do I become one?

A Scrum master leads the Scrum team and keeps them focused on Scrum principles. Scrum masters also serve product owners and their organizations by sharing Scrum and Agile practices with others beyond the team. In this guide, we’ll outline what a Scrum master is and what they do.

In this guide, we’ll discuss what a Scrum master is and what their responsibilities are. If you’re a Scrum master, are looking to bring one on, or interested in becoming one, you can use this guide as a resource to better understand how a professional Scrum master works. 

What is Scrum?

Scrum is an Agile methodology based on Agile principles to help build highly-collaborative workflows. Scrum is built with values, goals, and guidelines to help your team with this rapid iteration. Which is really all a way of saying that Scrum is a type of Agile project management framework that—like other projects—needs a team or project lead. This is the Scrum master, who follows the fundamentals of the Agile framework to ensure that projects are a success.

What is a Scrum master?

A Scrum master is the leader of the Scrum team. They’re in charge of establishing the Scrum methodology and keeping team members focused on Scrum principles and practices. Scrum masters are often people-oriented and enjoy helping team members grow and improve. Scrum masters act as servant leaders. Instead of telling your team what to do, your job is to help the team become self-reliant through techniques like self-organization and conflict resolution . Unlike a traditional project manager, whose goal is to keep the team and project on track, your goal also includes keeping the team aligned with the Scrum model.

Scrum master vs. product manager

The Scrum master and product manager fill unique roles on the Scrum team. Below are a few key differences between the two roles.

As a product manager, your involvement with the team should be similar to that of the product owner in that your focus is on product creation and customer needs. As a product manager, you’ll focus on the “why” and the “what” of the product. They may offer input or change the order of the product backlog based on priorities.

As a Scrum master, you’ll focus on guiding and improving the team with Scrum methodologies. The Scrum master focuses on the “how,” helping the product manager understand the product backlog. They coach the team on Scrum to keep the backlog running smoothly.

Both the Scrum master and the product manager serve the team in unique ways, but it’s important to know how the two roles relate and overlap.

Scrum master vs. project manager

The project manager is the non-technical counterpart to the Scrum master. While both roles are problem solvers, the project manager is less involved in the team’s work, while the scrum master may actively participate in Scrum events and coach the team to success.

As a project manager, you oversee the success of a project. You manage the project timeline, define project scope, and assign tasks and dependencies as needed. Then, you check in on progress, identify roadblocks, and adjust timelines as needed.

As a Scrum master, you’ll coach the Scrum team as an Agile team member and a facilitator. Scrum masters lead a smaller Scrum team, but they also help identify and remove roadblocks, similar to what a project manager does.

The primary difference between project management and being a Scrum master is that a project manager focuses on the project itself, while a Scrum master focuses on the team (and their success).

What does a Scrum master do?

Scrum masters help keep projects organized and on track through a series of processes and steps. Here are the five Scrum master responsibilities that help the team.

1. Facilitates sprint planning meetings

Sprint planning meetings help your Scrum team decide which items from the product backlog to prioritize for the next sprint. These meetings are collaborative —they typically involve the Scrum master, product manager, and the team of developers, who are all encouraged to speak up.

During a typical sprint planning meeting agenda, the Scrum team:

Comes prepared with data and estimates to support your next sprint project.

Confirms estimates for items on the sprint product backlog.

Agrees on the product backlog items for the next sprint.

Assesses the team’s capacity for the next sprint.

Ends the meeting with a Q&A session.

These meetings emphasize collaboration, giving developers a chance to address what tasks they think deserve the most attention.

2. Holds daily stand-up meetings

Daily Scrum stand-up meetings are an essential part of the Scrum framework and will be your responsibility as Scrum master. As the Scrum master, you’ll facilitate these meetings and use them to assess progress toward the sprint goal. The main questions asked in daily stand-ups include:

What did you do yesterday?

What will you do today?

Is anything blocking your progress?

3. Removes roadblocks

Problem-solving is a key quality of any good Scrum master. As the leader of your Agile team, you’ll want to move the project along as quickly as possible and make it easier for your team members to get their work done. If you notice impediments that are blocking the work, your job is to solve the issue or find someone who can. A potential roadblock, for example, may include a lack of understanding between Agile teams and stakeholders. The Scrum master can solve this issue by inviting stakeholders to a few planning sessions so they’re more aware of how to be Agile.

4. Assists with product backlog

Scrum masters are leaders and team members. When there’s time to spare, you can roll up your sleeves and help your developer team work through the product backlog. The product backlog may involve features, tasks, bug fixes, technical debt , or knowledge acquisition. Because you have ample knowledge of Scrum and product development, you can jump in to help your fellow team members.

5. Conducts retrospectives

Retrospectives are sprint review meetings held after each sprint to evaluate what went well and what didn’t. These meetings give Scrum team members a chance to identify areas for improvement during future sprints. Some questions to ask during the retrospective include:

How did you do this sprint?

Where and when did it go wrong in this sprint

Which tools or techniques proved to be useful? If you could change one thing, what would it be?

Scrum master roles

As Scrum master, you may have many roles. You’ll relay information from upper management, meet the needs of external stakeholders, and monitor your Scrum team’s progress.

Below are just a few of the many hats Scrum masters wear:

Act as an Agile coach: As Scrum master, your primary job is to serve your team by being an Agile coach. In Agile, team members work in focused blocks of time to complete tasks. During these sprints, developers build, refine, and improve products as needed. As the Scrum master, you must remain flexible and open to ideas when coaching your team through this iterative process .

Collaborate with the product owner: Scrum masters support the product owner , who is mainly responsible for managing the product backlog. The product backlog is often composed of user stories , which can be complex and ever changing. As the Scrum master, you should help the team understand how to read user stories so they can effectively sift through product backlog items during the sprint planning process.

Share knowledge with the organization: You’ll serve the organization as Scrum master by leading and training others on the Scrum methodology. Your expertise may be seen as a valuable resource, so you can offer to hold Scrum training sessions for other departments that plan to implement Scrum. When you help both internal team members and external stakeholders understand the Scrum guide, you can remove barriers between already established Scrum teams and other employees.

Scrum master skills

As a key figure in Agile software development, the Scrum master is responsible for guiding and optimizing team performance. Common Scrum master skills include facilitating daily stand-up meetings and promoting self-management to elevate the team's success.

Effective communication

Effective communication is a pivotal skill for Scrum masters. For example, in order to improve team understanding and collaboration, a Scrum master must clearly communicate goals and tasks during daily meetings. Clear communication benefits the team by keeping everyone on the same page and informed; it reduces misunderstandings and creates a more productive work environment.

Team management

A Scrum master also needs to be a capable team leader. They might lead a cross-functional team through a complex project and encourage self-management and accountability. Effective team management involves building a strong, self-sufficient unit that can overcome obstacles efficiently.

Implement Agile methodologies

Additionally, a Scrum master must have a strong understanding of Agile methods, such as Scrum and Kanban. For instance, they may use Agile software development practices to streamline processes and increase efficiency. These Agile skills can help teams by using adaptable, iterative methods that change based on the needs of the project, which can lead to higher output and quality.

Championing change and innovation

Being able to facilitate change and innovation are essential Scrum master skills. They might introduce new tools or processes, like a turndown or burn-down chart , to improve project tracking. This skill keeps teams at the forefront of industry advancements and safeguards continuous improvement and a competitive edge.

How to become a Scrum master

The path to becoming a Scrum master involves a combination of education, skill development, and, in many cases, certification. While everyone's journey will vary, we've identified the key steps to becoming a Scrum master.

Education requirements

Typically, a Scrum master begins with a foundational education in fields related to business or technology. This could involve a bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, business management, or a related field. However, a formal degree is not always mandatory, as many organizations value practical experience and offer specialized Scrum training. Additionally, familiarity with project management principles and a basic understanding of software development processes are beneficial. Further education, such as a master's degree in project management or IT, can also be advantageous, providing deeper insights into advanced methodologies and leadership skills.

Scrum master career path

The career path of a Scrum master often starts in roles closely associated with team and project management or software development. Initially, aspiring Scrum masters might find themselves in positions such as junior project managers, software developers, or business analysts. As an example, a professional might start as a software developer, gradually taking on more responsibilities related to project management. Over time, by gaining hands-on experience in Agile methodologies and team leadership, they transition into the role of a Scrum master. This career evolution includes leading Scrum meetings, managing project timelines, and eventually mentoring others in Scrum practices.

Scrum master certification

Certification is often an important step to becoming a Scrum master, especially for those interested in having more job prospects than others. Several certifications help prepare candidates for the responsibilities of a Scrum master and each caters to different experience levels and Agile methodologies.

Disciplined Agile Scrum Master

The Disciplined Agile Scrum Master certification focuses on the comprehensive application of Agile principles. It suits those who will apply Agile practices in complex, enterprise-level environments.

Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

The Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) is a widely recognized certification that provides foundational knowledge and skills in Scrum. CSM certification is ideal for beginners and focuses on Scrum roles and facilitating team collaboration.

Professional Scrum Master (PSM)

Professional Scrum Master (PSM) is another well-regarded certification that offers deep insights into the principles and process theory underpinning the Scrum framework. It’s suitable for those seeking to deepen their understanding and effectiveness in the Scrum master role.

SAFe Scrum Master (SSM)

The SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) certification is tailored for complex organizations implementing the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). It focuses on the role of a Scrum master within a larger, scaled Agile environment.

How much does a Scrum master make?

A Scrum master's salary can vary widely based on factors like location, experience, and industry. Generally, the role is well compensated due to the high demand for skilled Scrum masters in the Agile software development field. Still, the average salary ranges from $85,000 to $115,000 per year, according to data from Salary.com and LinkedIn. The median Scrum master salary in the U.S. is approximately $100,725 per year. Entry-level positions may start at a competitive salary, with the potential for significant growth as experience and certifications are gained.

Do you need a Scrum master?

Your team can determine whether you need a Scrum master by assessing the problems they face.

Does your dev team struggle to prioritize items in the product backlog? Development teams struggling to work through and prioritize items in their product backlog would benefit from a Scrum master who has in-depth knowledge of Scrum principles.

Does your team thrive under a coach instead of structured leadership? Some team members don’t do well under highly-disciplined leaders. With a Scrum master, the leadership style feels more like coaching and less like micromanagement.

Does your team need someone to facilitate check-in meetings? If you’re in need of someone to guide the Scrum team, identify problems, and facilitate regular meetings, you may need a Scrum master.

A Scrum master will improve workflow and team member involvement while keeping Scrum values top of mind.

Common pitfalls of the Scrum master

The Scrum master must work hard to focus their attention on various areas of the organization, and that’s not always easy to accomplish. Below are some common mistakes Scrum masters make when implementing the Scrum framework in a leadership role.

Playing Scrum police instead of coach: As Scrum master, there’s an emphasis on keeping your team aligned with the Scrum methodology. However, a common mistake Scrum masters make is focusing too much on enforcing the methodology and not enough on coaching their team. A Scrum master must find balance between being a good leader and keeping their team in line with Scrum practices.

Acting as team assistant: If you assist your team with the product backlog and take on other tasks unrelated to the Scrum process, you may not be focusing enough on the leadership side of the Scrum master role. While a Scrum master should assist team members, the Scrum master’s main goals are to improve workflows, coach Scrum team members, and facilitate sprints.

Focusing only on the team and not on the wider organization: The Scrum team is your priority as a Scrum master, but if you’re only focusing on your team members’ needs, then something is missing. Make sure you’re collaborating with your team, the product owner, and the wider company. As a Scrum master, you have the power to spread your knowledge of Scrum outward. With your help, your entire organization can become Agile.

Managing instead of facilitating: Although Scrum masters are in leadership roles, they are facilitators, not project managers. When holding daily stand-ups and other Scrum meetings, encourage team members to discuss topics openly.

These challenges are best avoided when a Scrum master understands their role and how it relates to other roles in the organization. Sometimes, the Scrum master roles can get confused with those of a product manager or project manager, but there are distinct differences in these roles.

Scrum master FAQs

Do you need scrum master certification.

You can take professional Scrum master courses from places like scrum.org, Scrum Alliance, or the Project Management Institute (PMI) to become a certified Scrum master (CSM), but do you need to? The answer is personal and will vary.

Courses on Agile Scrum methodologies are certainly helpful in giving you background knowledge, including the language and how to use them, but you don’t need to be a CSM for all Scrum master jobs. If you decide you want to become a CSM, you’ll follow a series of courses (levels) taught by a Scrum trainer, where you will need to pass a certification exam to move from one to the next.

How can a Scrum master support a problem solving workshop?

A Scrum master plays a pivotal role in facilitating problem-solving workshops. They help teams by guiding them through structured problem-solving techniques to identify root causes of process issues, brainstorm solutions, and create actionable plans—all while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

What is an Agile scrum master?


An Agile Scrum master is a key facilitator within an Agile project management framework, specifically within the Scrum methodology. They act as a bridge between the team and any impediments to their progress and ensure that Agile practices are followed and the team is working efficiently. The Agile Scrum master's role is not just to manage but to lead and coach the team in Agile principles, helping them self-organize and work collaboratively towards successful project completion.

What are the roles in the Scrum framework?‎

The Scrum framework has three primary roles: the Product Owner, the Scrum master, and the Development Team.

The Product Owner is responsible for defining the project goals and prioritizing the tasks.

The Scrum master facilitates the process, helps teams follow Agile practices, and addresses any obstacles.

The Development Team carries out the work necessary to deliver the project's product or service. Together, these roles collaborate closely to ensure efficient project progress and high-quality results.

What’s the difference between a Scrum master and an Agile coach?‎

The main difference between a Scrum master and an Agile coach lies in their scope and focus. A Scrum Master typically focuses on a specific team, helping them follow Scrum practices effectively and addressing challenges within that team.

An Agile coach, on the other hand, works at a more strategic level, often with multiple teams or entire organizations. They provide guidance on a broader range of Agile methodologies, not just Scrum, and help in the larger-scale implementation of Agile practices across teams or the organization.

Facilitate team success with a Scrum master

Scrum masters help facilitate team success and encourage other members of the organization to adopt an Agile mindset as well. 

Running a Scrum team is easier when you have the right tools to assist you. With Agile management software, you can plan sprints, track product launches, and collaborate with your team.

Related resources

Smooth product launches are simpler than you think

How Asana uses work management to streamline project intake processes

6 ways to develop adaptability in the workplace and embrace change

How to run more effective stand-up meetings

Jira Software

Project and issue tracking

Content collaboration

Jira Service Management

High-velocity ITSM

Visual project management

• View all products

Marketplace

Connect thousands of apps and integrations for all your Atlassian products

Developer Experience Platform

Jira Product Discovery

Prioritization and roadmapping

You might find helpful

Cloud Product Roadmap

Atlassian Migration Program

Work Management

Manage projects and align goals across all teams to achieve deliverables

IT Service Management

Enable dev, IT ops, and business teams to deliver great service at high velocity

Agile & DevOps

Run a world-class agile software organization from discovery to delivery and operations

BY TEAM SIZE

Small Business

BY TEAM FUNCTION

Software Development

BY INDUSTRY

Telecommunications

Professional Services

What's new

Atlassian together.

Get Atlassian work management products in one convenient package for enterprise teams.

Atlassian Trust & Security

Customer Case Studies

Atlassian University

Atlassian Playbook

Product Documentation

Developer Resources

Atlassian Community

Atlassian Support

Enterprise Services

Partner Support

Purchasing & Licensing

Work Life Blog

Atlassian Presents: Unleash

Product updates, hands-on training, and technical demos – catch all that and more at our biggest agile & DevOps event.

• Atlassian.com

Agile scrum roles and responsibilities

The truth about scrum roles, titles and responsibilities

Browse topics

What are the three scrum roles.

Scrum has three roles: product owner, scrum master, and the development team members. While this is pretty clear, what to do with existing job titles can get confusing. Many teams ask if they need to change their titles when adopting scrum. The short answer is no.

In this article, we’ll define scrum roles and how you can fold them into your organization, without printing new business cards.  

Scrum roles vs. job titles

The three scrum roles describe the key responsibilities for those on the scrum team. They aren’t job titles. This means that any job title, even your existing ones, can perform one of the roles. Because the essence of scrum is empiricism, self-organization, and continuous improvement, the three roles give a minimum definition of responsibilities and accountability to allow teams to effectively deliver work. This allows teams to take responsibility for how they organize and to keep improving themselves.

Building a scrum team

Scrum is a framework for teams to build their processes on top of. It provides the basic structure for regular meetings, artifacts, and who does what.

What it doesn’t do is provide a one-size-fits-all model for teams to work within. For example, if the team is working on a web insurance application, they will need people who know the technology, the back-end systems, and the business domain. If, on the other hand, the team is working on the next generation of Donkey Kong , the skills needed would be very different. They would include a graphic designer, sound engineer, and graphics developer. Because the problems are different, the team structures and skills needed are also different.

This gets even harder the more complex the problem a team is trying to solve. As the old saying goes ‘you don’t know what you don’t know, until you know you don’t know it’. Teams might not know the skills or amount of work needed up front, and need the flexibility to change course once they know more.

To provide some structure to this complex, ever-changing, and often annoying world, scrum gives a lightweight structure with the three scrum roles of development team member, product owner, and scrum master.

The development team: Redefining “developer”

The development team includes the people that do the work. At first glance, you may think the “ development team ” means engineers. But that’s not always the case. According to the Scrum Guide , the development team can be comprised of all kinds of people including designers, writers, programmers, etc.  

You can think of it in the same way as when you have a house project and you hire a developer. They develop the project and do the work. Yes, this might mean they lay bricks, do plumbing, even dig holes, but the person is known as a developer. So, that means the ‘developer’ role in scrum means a team member who has the right skills, as part of the team to do the work.

Scrum myth: Scrum developer means that only coders can be part of a scrum team

The development team should be able to self-organize so they can make decisions to get work done. Think of a development team as similar to a production support team that is called in during the night because something has gone wrong. The development team, like the production support team, can make decisions and deliver the fix/value for the problem at hand. Self-organization isn’t about disrespecting the organization, but rather about empowering the people closest to the work to do what’s needed to solve the problem.   

The development team’s responsibilities include:

• Delivering the work through the sprint.
• To ensure transparency during the sprint they meet daily at the daily scrum ( sometimes called a standup). The daily scrum provides transparency to the work and provides a dedicated place for team members to seek help, talk about success and highlight issues and blockers. The scrum master might facilitate the daily scrum, but ultimately it is the responsibility of the development team to run this meeting. It is their meeting to help them, as a group, to inspect and adapt the work they are doing and work in a more effective way.

The product owner: Setting clear direction

Scrum product owners understand the customer and business requirements, then create and manage the product backlog based on those requirements. Since agile teams are, by design, flexible and responsive, it is the responsibility of the product owner to ensure that they are delivering the most value. The business is represented by the product owner who tells the development what is important to deliver. Trust between these two roles is crucial.

The product owner should not only understand the customer but also have a vision for the value the scrum team is delivering to the customer. The product owner also balances the needs of other stakeholders in the organization.  

So the product owner must take all these inputs and prioritize the work. This is probably their most important responsibility because conflicting priorities and unclear directions will not only reduce the effectiveness of the team but also could break the important trust relationship that the business has with the development team.

Agile teams are designed to inspect and adapt. That means a change in priority may lead to a massive change to the team structure, work products, as well as the end result. It is, therefore, crucial for scrum teams to be successful and that only one person sets the priority. That person is the product owner.

The Scrum Guide defines the product owners responsibilities as:

• Managing the scrum backlog - This does not mean that they are the only one putting in new product backlog Items into the backlog. But ultimately they are responsible for the backlog that the development team pulls to deliver from. That means the product owner should know about everything that is in the backlog and other people that add items to the product backlog should ensure that they communicate with the product owner. We even offer a free scrum template that makes it easy to get your backlog up and running.
• Release management - The sprint is not a release cycle, but instead a planning cycle. That means that scrum teams can deliver at any time. Ideally, they would deliver frequently throughout the sprint allowing the sprint review to review real customer usage and feedback. However continuous delivery is not always possible and other release models are required. It is important for the product owner to know when things can and should be released.
• Stakeholder management - Any product will have many stakeholders involved ranging from users, customers, governance and organizational leadership. The product owner will have to work with all these people to effectively ensure that the development team is delivering value. That can mean a large amount of stakeholder management and communication.

Scrum myth: The product owner creates all the requirements, writes all the acceptance criteria and builds all the stories.

The scrum master: Holding it all together

The scrum master is the role responsible for gluing everything together and ensuring that scrum is being done well. In practical terms, that means they help the product owner define value, the development team deliver the value, and the scrum team to get to get better. The scrum master is a servant leader which not only describes a supportive style of leadership but describes what they do on a day-to-day basis.

They serve the product owner by helping them better understand and communicate value, to manage the backlog, help them plan the work with the team and break down that work to deliver the most effective learning. Serving the development team, the scrum master helps them self-organize, focus on outcomes, get to a “done increment,” and manage blockers. The scrum master also serves the organization at large, helping them understand what scrum is and create an environment that supports scrum.

Scrum myth: The scrum master has to run the daily scrum. In fact, the scrum master does not run any of the events just ensures they happen and that they are successful.

The scrum master focuses on:

• Transparency - To effectively inspect and adapt it is important that the right people can see what is going on. But this is actually much harder than it looks. The scrum master is tasked with ensuring that the scrum team works in a transparent way. Examples include creating story maps and updating Confluence pages with retrospective ideas.
• Empiricism - A fundamental for scrum and agile approaches the idea that the best way of planning is to do work and learn from it. The empirical process is not easy and requires the scrum master to coach the scrum team on breaking down work, describing clear outcomes, and reviewing those outcomes.
• Self-organization - Telling a development team they can self-organize does mean that the team will self-organize. In fact, self-organization comes over time and requires help and support. The scrum master will encourage team members to step outside their comfort zone and try different things and use practices such as ‘ delegation poker ’ to expose and challenge predefined ideas about role boundaries and responsibilities.
• Values - Scrum defines 5 values of courage, focus, commitment, respect, and openness not because they are nice to have, but because they create an environment of physiological safety and trust. This environment is necessary for agility to thrive. Following the values is the responsibility of everyone in the scrum team, but the scrum master takes an active role in encouraging and reminding everyone of the importance of those values.

The scrum master serves the product owner in sprint planning and sprint reviews, ensuring that value is clearly being described and direction set. They serve the development team in the daily scrum by ensuring that work is happening and that blockers are being removed. They also take responsibility for blockers that are outside of the team's ability to resolve. The scrum master ensures that every opportunity to improve is made transparent to the scrum team and the retrospective has a clear set of outcomes that can be executed.

Get started with agile scrum roles

The three scrum roles are pretty simple in describing the three major areas of responsibility on any scrum team, but often it is hard to map them to your own job title. So here is a starter:

• If you have lots of great skills for delivering customer value and that is what excites you, then you should be a scrum development team member. In fact, the team is the most important element of any agile organization as they actually deliver value to customers and stakeholders. That means that seniority is determined by how much you deliver value or help others do it.
• If you are passionate about the customer, managing stakeholders, and the business domain, then the product owner role would be best suited to your desires. In most organizations, this person needs to have the respect and trust of the business, so they can make decisions. The role also requires some level of politicking as you negotiate trade-offs and keep everyone happy.
• If you want to help teams work effectively together and also want to change the world with scrum and agile, then the scrum master role is for you; a very people-centric role with a heavy emphasis on coaching, teaching, and facilitation.

Dave West is the product owner and CEO at scrum.org . He is a frequent keynote at major industry conferences and is a widely published author of articles and research reports. He also is the co-author of two books, The Nexus Framework For Scaling Scrum and Head First Object-Oriented Analysis and Design. Reach out to Dave on twitter @DavidJWest

Kanban - A brief introduction

An introduction to kanban methodology for agile software development and its benefits for your agile team.

Scrum Cheat Sheet – a Quick Review of Terms & Practices

Passionate content marketer looking to bring better solutions to the project management space. 2020 - Present Marketing specialist at Teamhood. 2014 - 2020 Marketing manager for Eylean.

Scrum is one of the most popular Agile frameworks . Most of this is due to its ability to provide clear guidance and rules for teams that use it. However, remembering all of these rules is not easy. And sometimes you just need a quick reminder to get back on track. So grab this Scrum cheat sheet and stay sure of what you are doing!

In the Scrum cheat sheet, you will find all of the most important terms and practices explained in a simple and efficient manner. Making it easy to check something and get back to work immediately.

Here is the full Scrum cheat sheet .  Use the Download button at the bottom for your copy.

Download the Scrum Cheat Sheet PDF

You can unsubscribe anytime. For more details, review our Privacy Policy.

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Scrum has been the most popular Agile framework for quite some time now and this is not going to change any time soon. The framework is easy to understand and covers various business management aspects, making it easy to pick up and keep up. Compared to  Kanban board which provides only vague guidance for its practitioners, Scrum rules are more extensive. However, this is just what most new Agile practitioners are after and they pick Scrum in order to have a good start with Agile.

If you want to learn more about the framework read –  What is Scrum ? Here are the most important Scrum terms and practices and below you will find the Scrum cheat sheet.

Main Components

Empirical scrum pillars:  .

• Transparency – The emergent process and work must be visible to those performing and receiving the work. 
• Inspection – Scrum artifacts progress toward agreed goals must be inspected frequently and diligently (to detect potentially undesirable variances or problems). 
• Adaptation – If any aspects of a process deviate outside acceptable limits or if the resulting product is unacceptable, the process or the materials must be adjusted. 

Scrum values  

• Commitment 
• Focus 
• Openness 
• Respect 
• Courage 

Task assignment

Team members self-assign tasks by choosing them from the Sprint backlog. This is usually done before the Sprint begins, but the assignments can change during the iteration.

Scrum Team – a cohesive unit of self-managing professionals focused on one objective at a time, the Product Goal. 

Composed of 1 Scrum Master, 1 Product Owner , and Developers. Typically, 10 people or less.  

The Developers

Developers – the people in the Scrum Team that are committed to creating any aspect of a usable Increment each Sprint.  

Deliver a Product increment. 

The Product Owner

Product Owner – accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team.  

Delivers value and manages the Product Backlog. 

The Scrum Master

Scrum Master – accountable for establishing Scrum as defined in the Scrum Guide within the team and the organization.  

Facilitates Scrum implementation. 

Scrum events    

The Sprint – fixed-length event of one month or less where work is performed to achieve the Sprint Goal which is a concrete step toward the Product Goal. Includes 4 formal events – Sprint Planning, Daily Scrums, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective.  

All Scrum events are time-boxed, values written below are recommended for a 4-week Sprint.

Scrum Artifacts

Product Backlog – is an emergent, ordered list of what is needed to improve the product. 

Commitment – Product Goal 

Product Goal – describes the future state of the product which can serve as a target for the Scrum Team to plan against. 

Sprint Backlog – is a plan by and for the Developers on what work they plan to accomplish during the Sprint to achieve the Sprint Goal. 

Commitment – Sprint Goal 

Sprint Goal – is the single objective for the Sprint. 

Product Increment – is a concrete stepping stone toward the Product Goal. It is not just what you did last Sprint. It is the WHOLE product. 

Commitment – Definition of Done 

Definition of Done – is a formal description of the state of the Increment when it meets the quality measures required for the product. 

Visual work management for high performing teams.

Create your custom Scrum board

Using Teamhood for Scrum

Teamhood is a visual project management tool optimized for Agile project management. Thus, it is a great tool to visualize and track your Scrum projects. Simply choose a Scrum template and you will get a workspace ready for your project. In this predesigned workspace, you will find:

1 – Product Roadmap. To easily plan out where you plan to take the product in the next year. The roadmap is divided into quarters, making it easy to note down important steps in product development and draw dependencies to see what should come first.

2 – Product Backlog. To identify how the Roadmap will be implemented and prepare tasks for the Sprint Backlog. The Product Backlog in Teamhood is divided into three sections – Features/User Stories, Bugs, and Tasks. Thus allowing you to categorize items according to their type. Additionally, each item can be assigned different statuses to see what is ready to be pulled in the Sprint Backlog. The predefined statuses are – New items, For grooming, Priority 2, and Priority 1, you can also always add or delete any status in this view.

3 – Sprint Backlog and task board. Once the tasks are ready for the Sprint, they can be moved to the Sprint board in Teamhood. They should be added first to the Sprint Backlog column, evaluated and then the team can start working. All the sub-items are tracked in the secondary process steps for more clarity. The board is also divided into several rows, making it easy to see past Sprints and plan the ones ahead.

4 – Releases and Retrospectives views. The last two boards in the Teamhood Scrum workspace are dedicated to tracking releases and reflecting on the process. The release board helps you track what features or improvements have been made during each Sprint. While the Retrospective board helps review the process, identify what should be improved, and commit to actions for the next Sprint.

Teamhood is equipped with various project management tools and features that make Scrum easy. Try it out now for comprehensive task details, actionable Agile metrics, easy task estimation, scope limits, and task assignments. Complete with automated time tracking and a Portfolio view, Teamhood is a Scrum powerhouse.

Scrum is a great choice for teams that want to move fast and react to the changing environment. Planning, completing, and reviewing the work in short iterations allows to quickly test out new ideas and deliver a final result that is done in accordance with the customer feedback. Scrum was created for small collocated teams but has since proven to be a great candidate for scaling. Great for Agile beginners it may very well be your intro into Agile and with this Scrum master cheat sheet you are sure to do great!

Related posts

Task Management 101. Tips and Skills You Should Know

5 Wasteful Agile Practices You Need to Drop

7 Best Scrumban Software of 2024

9 Agile Templates To Improve Your Process

The Agile Productivity Paradox: Get More Done with Less Work

• Privacy policy
• Terms of use
• Security and compliance
• Release notes
• Engineering Projects
• Agencies & Services
• IT & PMO
• Kanban System
• Agile Development
• Knowledge Base
• Product Videos
• Project Management
• What is Kanban
• Kanban Swimlanes
• Scrum vs Kanban

Comparisons

• vs Microsoft Project
• vs Businessmap
• vs KanbanFlow vs Trello
• vs KanbanTool vs Trello
• vs Notion vs Asana
• vs Jira vs Businessmap
• vs MS Planner vs Trello

Featured in our Blog

• 24 Best Kanban Tools of 2024
• 23 Free Kanban Software in 2024
• 20 Best MS Project Alternatives 2024
• 21 Best Workload Management Tools
• Best Resource Management Tools 2024
• Digital Kanban Board
• Compare Kanban, Scrum and Scrumban
• Kanban Gantt Chart
• Best Kanban Boards with Time Tracking
• Explore our Blog

© 2019-2024 Teamhood ®

Privacy policy | Terms of Use

Guide to Building a Career as a Scrum Master

• Website for Venkatesh Rajamani
• Contact Venkatesh Rajamani
• Twitter for Venkatesh Rajamani
• LinkedIn for Venkatesh Rajamani
• Facebook for Venkatesh Rajamani

Are you interested in becoming a Scrum Master, but you are yet to have any experience?

People frequently ask me – if I don’t secure a job, how will I gain experience?

In the last seven years, I have assisted several interested and enthusiastic professionals to become Scrum Masters. In fact, in my first job, at Hewlett Packard, I was a Software Engineer. After that, I gradually elevated to the role of a Scrum Master. 

In this blog, I will share my valuable experience in my journey toward becoming a Scrum Master. I would also share stories of various professionals, including women, who successfully got a Scrum Master’s job even after a career break. 

The tips and strategies I will share helped several professionals understand both the fundamentals and experience of the Scrum Master’s role. Moreover, various professionals also experienced the essence of these concepts in their professional lives. 

They became more confident in their job search, presenting themselves as better, more deserving candidates. The job of a Scrum Master is both exciting and challenging. Once you take this journey seriously and succeed in an assignment, you would be content with the results. It makes me genuinely satisfied, as I have inspired some talented people with my experience. So, coming  back to the core question – How is it possible to get the job of a Scrum Master without relevant experience – I would like to share ten valuable tips that effectively help you get the desired results. 

A known devil is better than an unknown angel. 

A highly productive first step is nurturing the willingness to experiment by finding the most appropriate opportunities under your current company. Next, you need to be straightforward and request your employer about playing the role of a Scrum Master, getting associated with one of the teams. 

You have to locate a team that is new to the Agile framework and try out few things such as:

• Introducing the fundamental ideas of Sprint 
• Practising various Facilitation techniques to facilitate different Scrum events
• Showing the stakeholders the functionalities and attributes of working software and getting their feedback
• Introducing the concept of Scrum Board
• Implementing a set of modern techniques to facilitate retrospectives

When you experiment with the activities mentioned above and strategies, you can obviously mention the details on your resume, enriching it. 

Pen down a Plan for Personal Development 

After you have already experimented with a few basic Scrum techniques, it is essential to visualise personal development properly.  For example, after a couple of years, you would like to be in a Scrum Master’s role, helping your Organization radically re-imagine the kind of work done.  A clear, crisp and well-designed plan is also vital for your mental health in the long run, which would help you progress further in your career. 

Under the personal development plan, you can consider:

• Setting clear goals for yourself
• Smartly prioritising those goals 
• Marking the deadlines for achieving the set goals
• Recognising threats, along with opportunities
• Constantly developing your skills and expanding your knowledge
• Utilising the support network you have
• Measuring your progress

Your CV is hugely important – start building it

There is no need to panic if you don’t have any significant experience as a Scrum Master. But, it is pretty essential to particularly highlight the contributions you have made in various Agile teams.

For example, you can mention how the team benefitted from your practices. 

My experience from the fields

“I had started my professional career as a Software Engineer. To my employer, I had expressed my clear and honest intentions to work in different Scrum teams. I expressed my interest to become a full-time Agile team member. I gradually learned the fundamental practices of Scrum. In my next job, I applied some of the Scrum practices that I could pick up. That was a genuinely defining moment for me, as an aspiring Scrum Master.”

It is highly essential to project your experience as a member of the Scrum team. Mention in your CV the exact practices that you had employed in the Scrum team. Talk about how did you slowly seed your thoughts in teams. Also, keep in mind not to falsify facts in your resume. Mention precisely the scrum practices you did and not the ones you did not. 

Get appropriate training and get certified.

Earning too many certificates is not the answer to every question. Personally, I don’t vouch for it. But, acquiring a recognised credential certainly indicates two main things:

• Strengthening the fundamental knowledge you possess
• Creating a learning mindset by investing productively in yourself 

I would recommend receiving a certificate from Scrum.org (PSM). 

Some many other organisations and institutes provide certificates on Scrum. I don’t recommend any of those. It would be best if you were alert from being tricked by an impostor. When searching for an experienced trainer, you need to connect with someone who has previous work experience as a Scrum Master.

Writing a Resume

This could be the trickiest part of your preparation. You have to ensure that your application, rather CV, gets shortlisted for the role of Scrum Master in a company that you have targeted. Moreover, companies nowadays rely on advanced software that screens resume. Hence, you have to take a highly pragmatic and professional approach.

You need to ensure highlighting some essential keywords while writing your resume, such as ‘Scrum Master’, ‘Facilitation’, ‘Retrospectives’, ‘Agile Teams’, ‘Metrics’, ‘Coaching’, etc. 

Most modern software tools and products, including LinkedIn, will scrutinise and scan the resumes based on these keywords. So keep in mind to logically connect all these terms in your resume. Also, don’t forget to highlight some key contributions in your resume. 

Doing all these things would increase the probability of your resume getting shortlisted. 

Focus on the question – Why an employer should hire you?

Given all other achievements and qualities are on the same platform, a person with more experience would definitely get hired as a Scrum Master. However, since you lack that experience, you have to innovatively highlight your attributes and stints relevant to the role you are applying for, making you a perfect fit. 

For example, suppose you are applying to the E-commerce industry for the role of Scrum Master. Accordingly, you need to demonstrate your qualities and experience relevant to that specific industry. You can also highlight pertinent blogs you have penned for clients. It is also acceptable to mention a community event that you have organised or facilitated. 

Finding volunteering opportunities in communities 

If you cannot get enough relevant opportunities under your employer, you need to search for volunteering opportunities in various communities.  

This could be a non-profit at the regional or national level. 

At tryScrum, our trainers were once community members. They began their journeys as members of our Studios before they became full-time Scrum trainers. Community forums help you in building a network among several Scrum Masters.

45% of all your opportunities will be from networking and relevant communities (Source: ‘ The Stages of Scrum Mastery research ’).

You have to become creative to gain experience. I have known people who struggled in the initial stages but never gave up, ultimately achieving the position of a Scrum Master. 

Your Network is Your Networth 

It is considered that good networking gets you the job that you are desiring and searching for. However, it is also a matter of luck – being present at the right spot, with the right people and at the right time. 

Keep in mind that if getting your current job requires networking, then certainly getting a Scrum Master’s job would require even more vital networking. 

Ensure that your colleagues and close friends know very well about your job search intentions. In addition, try to utilise the potential of various groups, forums and professional networks.

Patience is undoubtedly a valuable virtue. In conclusion, I would always say you remain patient in your job search. Shifting to an entirely new position in your professional career could take some time. Therefore, you have to be persistent. 

More Readings

www.tryscrum.com/blogs 

Numerous organisations can help you get valid certificates and help you build an illustrious career. Remember that you have to keep on learning and expanding your knowledge relentlessly. You can explore the following:

• Scrum.org (PSM II / PSM III)
• ICAgile (ACC or ENT or CAT)
• ICF (ACC / PCC)
• CPCC (Co-active Coaching)

What could I have covered in this blog which I didn’t cover? Could you please post your suggestion as comments?

Best of luck!

tryScrum Community Opportunities

• Scrum Master Studio
• Product Owner Studio
• Agile Leader Studio

About tryScrum

tryScrum is a professional coaching and consulting company. The company aims to challenge prescience thinking, which will help in the process of transformation. The company has provided its course to over 3500+ individuals and still strives to deliver its services by offering elite leadership training and many other available fields.

For more information, please visit www.tryscrum.com .

What did you think about this post?

Share with your network.

• Share this page via email
• Share this page on Facebook
• Share this page on Twitter
• Share this page on LinkedIn

View the discussion thread.