Technology is evolving at a fast pace and products need to keep up or they will become obsolete. To keep up with the demand, the Agile process has been adopted by most successful product companies. Soon enough Scrum Masters became a crucial part of all product teams within the Agile process. Recently, we have seen the rise of Agile Coaches as well. However, a common confusion is does an organization need both? To understand this, let us look at the similarities and differences between a Scrum Master Certification and an Agile Coach Certification.
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Who is a Scrum Master ?
A Scrum Master is the facilitator for a team that follows agile principles. The role of the scrum master is in line with the Scrum framework. The idea is to establish a process where the team can self-organize and make quick changes. The Scrum Master, primarily, manages the flow of information that is needed to execute a plan successfully.
Also Read: How Scrum masters drive Agile change in US Realestate
Course Details
Being a Certified Scrum Master comes with standing and a declaration of your skills and potential in an industry that is looking for the next best candidate. The certificate is provided by Scrum Alliance, which is a prestigious body that supports and propagates the effective use of Scrum.
How to get the Scrum Master Certification?
To get the certificate, you must attend a 2-days classroom training, after which you will need to take the online CSM test by Scrum Alliance. On passing the test, you will be required to accept the license agreement. After all these steps are completed, you receive the designation of being a Certified Scrum Master from Scrum Alliance, along with a two-year membership.
Examination Details
In order to get passing marks, you must correctly answer 37 out of 50 questions on the test. The fee of the test is included within the course fee. However, if you fail the first two attempts, a fee of $25 is needed for the third attempt to be paid to Scrum Alliance. Anyone who fails three times must retake the entire course.
Who is an Agile Coach?
An agile coach primarily works outside the team and helps the team members hone their skills and take it to the next level. Very often, the coach is someone from outside the project or even the organization. They are the mentors who move on after having established the program which the teams will follow for the foreseeable future.
Course Details
Being a Certified Agile comes with the certification of being someone well versed in multiple scrum processes. The certificate is provided by the community-driven organization of ICAgile, which prides itself on being a consortium of experts and not just another certification body.
How to get the Agile Coach Certification?
To get the certificate, you must attend a 3-days classroom training, which is instructor-led. There is no specific test that ICAgile recommends. Instead, you must complete an ICAgile-accredited class. On finishing all these steps, you will receive an (ICP-ACC) Agile Coaching Certification. There is no fee involved in renewing this certification later.
Read More: Does Scrum Master Need to be Technical
Differences Between Scrum Master and Agile Coach
An Agile Coach and a Scrum Master work along similar lines. However, the scale and level at which they do it are entirely different. The most significant difference is perhaps that a Scrum Master works within the team, whereas an Agile Coach works outside the team. There are plenty of other prominent differences. A few of them are given below:
- A Scrum Master generally works with one team for various projects and is a part of the day to day progress of the project. The Agile Coach, on the other hand, works with multiple projects and guides many teams. Their focus is on creating a proper system for the team to follow.
- An Agile Coach is well versed with various Agile methods, which include Scrum, Kanban, Scaling Methods, and many more. The focus of the Scrum master is only on making the scrum method work.
Related Blogs: Various Tasks of A Certified Scrum Master
Scrum Master Vs Agile Coach
| Certified Scrum Master | Agile Coach | |
| Prerequisite | Completion of Certified CSM Test by a Certified Scrum Trainer | No Prerequisites |
| Duration | 2-Day Classroom Course | 3-Day Classroom Course |
| Governing Body | Scrum Alliance | ICAgile |
| Exam Pattern | 50 questions, 1 hour | No exam |
| Passing Criteria | 37/50 Questions Answered Correctly | Must complete certified classroom course |
| Cost | 24999 + taxes INR | 28999 +taxes INR |
| Average Market Salary | 10-13 lakh/- INR | 20-22 lakh/- INR |
To Summarise
Agile Coach and Scrum Master are both essential processes and a sensible company should take the help of both these processes depending on the requirement. Day to day activities are dealt with the help of a Scrum Master while the Agile coach helps get a structure.
Also Read: Scrum Master vs PMP
StarAgile's Training Courses
StarAgile offers extensive courses for Agile coach as well as Scrum Master. The faculty and the experience that StarAgile provides can prove to be crucial for growth in any of the two courses.
To understand more of how our classroom training works, check out our Certified Scrum Master Certification Training Course.
To understand more of how our classroom training works, check out our Agile Coaching Certification Training Course.
For more details about courses, please reach us at +91 – 95133 98330
