Basic Certification Details (Official Information)

Certification Name: Professional Scrum Master™ I (PSM I). It validates your understanding and mastery of the Scrum framework, the responsibilities of a Scrum Master, and its practical application. Successful candidates are recognized as having a fundamental level of Scrum proficiency.

Exam Fee: 200 USD per attempt.

Exam Format:

* Total Questions: 80

* Types: Single-choice, multiple-choice, and true/false questions

* Duration: 60 minutes

* Passing Score: 85% (approximately 68 correct answers)

 Language Support: English; additionally, Japanese is provided via scrum.org, and Simplified Chinese via scrum.org.cn.

 Other Benefits:

* The exam password is valid indefinitely until used.

* Upon passing, a Credly digital badge is issued. The certification is lifetime-valid and requires no renewal.

Recommended Preparation Strategies and Practical Experience

Official Recommendations and Resources

* It is recommended to attend official Scrum.org training courses. Participants receive one free exam attempt and are eligible for a second free retake if the first attempt is unsuccessful within 14 days of receiving the password.

* Read the Scrum Guide multiple times and use mind maps, notes, and memory techniques to fully understand each concept.

* Use the Open Assessments provided by Scrum.org (such as Scrum Open) for practice until you can consistently achieve 100% accuracy multiple times in a row.

Community Preparation Experiences

* Community users have pointed out that about 5–10% of the real exam questions are very similar to or even identical with the Open Assessment, so it is useful to combine the two.

* Several candidates reported that after a few weeks of focused self-study—reading the Scrum Guide at least 4–5 times and repeatedly practicing the Open Assessment—they were able to score above 90% on their first attempt.

* Reddit forums caution that the real exam questions are more challenging than the Open Assessment. Achieving a perfect score in practice tests does not guarantee high scores in the real exam, and outdated question banks should be avoided.

Tips: Suggested Study Path

* Read and thoroughly understand the Scrum Guide at least 4–5 times to build a solid theoretical foundation.

* Practice extensively with Scrum.org Open Assessments (especially Scrum Open) with the goal of consistently achieving full marks multiple times.

* Plan your practice routine: for example, complete all questions first, then return to the difficult ones; simulate the 60-minute exam environment.

* Focus on key exam topics: empiricism, Scrum events and artifacts, team responsibilities, the Definition of Done, forecasting and release planning, etc.

* Avoid reviewing outdated question banks; only use the latest version of materials.

* Before the exam, ensure a stable internet connection and be ready to quickly reference resources such as the Scrum Guide or glossary during the test.