Although both are Scrum Master certifications and may sound almost similar that's not the case. Both are quite different from each other from their origin to their application, difficulty, hierarchy to the demand for individual certificates in the market.
The CSM stands for Certified Scrum Master whereas PSM stands for Professional Scrum Master, we have discussed both these terminologies in detail below, what is CSM/PSM, how one could get certified, their eligibility criteria, governing bodies, exam patterns and which certification will be the best for you? Just hold on, take your seat and get ready to dig deep down to know more.
What is Scrum Framework?
Before going further, one should be aware of the basic terminology of what is scrum framework, it is a process that allows you to go through a complete development cycle with ease. You can work at your own pace but work towards the organisation's goal. Deliver the project on time but with job satisfaction. Yes, it is a practical way to work on software development by participating in daily stand-up meetings, accepting timelines for the sprint, discussing how to improve during the sprint retrospectives and closing backlogs one by one to finally deliver the product as per the customer expectation.
Explore our Certified Scrum Master Certification Chennai guided by Certified Scrum Trainers with over 15 years of experience and a 100% success rate. The course includes the CSM exam fee, offers a money-back guarantee, and provides 16 PDUs and SEUs.

What is CSM Certification?
The primary goal of this CSM certification course is to improve student understanding of Scrum methodologies and how they are used. It assists you in earning the title of Certified ScrumMaster®, a title granted by Scrum Alliance to practitioners who have finished a Certified Scrum Master certification course and proven their knowledge by passing the CSM exam.
Also Read: Best Scrum Practices
What is PSM Certification?
The professional Scrum Master certification helps a candidate understand the complexities of working with people and teams, preparing for product delivery, and mastering the role of a Scrum Master as a servant leader are all covered in the Professional Scrum Master certification course. The PSM course covers the core concepts of the Scrum and Agile movements through a combination of classroom lectures and team-based exercises using training materials provided by Scrum co-creator Ken Schwaber.
The PSM Certification has 3 Stages namely,
PSM I
PSM II
PSM III
Each stage has an individual PSM exam, syllabi, fees and certifications accordingly.
Also Read: Sprint in Agile
How to get CSM or PSM certification?
For CSM
Becoming a Certified Scrum Master is not rocket science, but it does require training and effort.
Follow these three steps, and you can become a Scrum Certified Master:
- Understand the Scrum Framework.
- Attend a Scrum Master Training Class or Workshop.
- Pass the Scrum Master Certification Exam.
Exam Difficulty Level: The exam difficulty level falls under the easy category. It is an open-book exam, in which a candidate needs to score 74% to clear the exam.
Unlock Your Potential! Explore different Scrum Master Certification Levels and elevate your Agile leadership today!
For PSM
To be a Professional Scrum Master™, you must undertake the Professional Scrum Master™ course, and after that, pass the Professional Scrum Master™ Certification examination. You need to follow the given steps to get certified.
- Understand about Scrum Framework and all the roles and responsibilities included in the Scrum guide.
- Enroll in one of the accredited PSM certification courses and be given open assessments multiple times and evaluate them each time.
- Join various Scrum forums, know the exam patterns and topics and increase your real-world knowledge.
- Register on time and give your exam with full confidence.
Exam Difficulty Level: The exam difficulty level falls under the moderate category, as compared to the CSM exam, there are 3 different levels, the time constraint is strict, and you have to attempt 80 questions in 60 minutes which counts to 45 seconds per question. The passing criteria is 84%.
Also Read: PSM 1 Exam Sample Questions
Difference Between CSM and PSM Certification
Although both are Scrum Master certifications and may sound almost similar that's not the case. Both are quite different from each other from their origin to their application, difficulty, hierarchy to the demand for individual certificates in the market.
The CSM stands for Certified Scrum Master whereas PSM stands for Professional Scrum Master, we have discussed both these terminologies in detail below, what is CSM/PSM, how one could get certified, their eligibility criteria, governing bodies, exam patterns and which certification will be the best for you? Just hold on, take your seat and get ready to dig deep down to know more.
What is Scrum Framework?
Before going further, one should be aware of the basic terminology of what is scrum framework, it is a process that allows you to go through a complete development cycle with ease. You can work at your own pace but work towards the organisation's goal. Deliver the project on time but with job satisfaction. Yes, it is a practical way to work on software development by participating in daily stand-up meetings, accepting timelines for the sprint, discussing how to improve during the sprint retrospectives and closing backlogs one by one to finally deliver the product as per the customer expectation.
Explore our Certified Scrum Master Certification Chennai guided by Certified Scrum Trainers with over 15 years of experience and a 100% success rate. The course includes the CSM exam fee, offers a money-back guarantee, and provides 16 PDUs and SEUs.

What is CSM Certification?
The primary goal of this CSM certification course is to improve student understanding of Scrum methodologies and how they are used. It assists you in earning the title of Certified ScrumMaster®, a title granted by Scrum Alliance to practitioners who have finished a Certified Scrum Master certification course and proven their knowledge by passing the CSM exam.
Also Read: Best Scrum Practices
What is PSM Certification?
The professional Scrum Master certification helps a candidate understand the complexities of working with people and teams, preparing for product delivery, and mastering the role of a Scrum Master as a servant leader are all covered in the Professional Scrum Master certification course. The PSM course covers the core concepts of the Scrum and Agile movements through a combination of classroom lectures and team-based exercises using training materials provided by Scrum co-creator Ken Schwaber.
The PSM Certification has 3 Stages namely,
PSM I
PSM II
PSM III
Each stage has an individual PSM exam, syllabi, fees and certifications accordingly.
Also Read: Sprint in Agile
How to get CSM or PSM certification?
For CSM
Becoming a Certified Scrum Master is not rocket science, but it does require training and effort.
Follow these three steps, and you can become a Scrum Certified Master:
- Understand the Scrum Framework.
- Attend a Scrum Master Training Class or Workshop.
- Pass the Scrum Master Certification Exam.
Exam Difficulty Level: The exam difficulty level falls under the easy category. It is an open-book exam, in which a candidate needs to score 74% to clear the exam.
Unlock Your Potential! Explore different Scrum Master Certification Levels and elevate your Agile leadership today!
For PSM
To be a Professional Scrum Master™, you must undertake the Professional Scrum Master™ course, and after that, pass the Professional Scrum Master™ Certification examination. You need to follow the given steps to get certified.
- Understand about Scrum Framework and all the roles and responsibilities included in the Scrum guide.
- Enroll in one of the accredited PSM certification courses and be given open assessments multiple times and evaluate them each time.
- Join various Scrum forums, know the exam patterns and topics and increase your real-world knowledge.
- Register on time and give your exam with full confidence.
Exam Difficulty Level: The exam difficulty level falls under the moderate category, as compared to the CSM exam, there are 3 different levels, the time constraint is strict, and you have to attempt 80 questions in 60 minutes which counts to 45 seconds per question. The passing criteria is 84%.
Also Read: PSM 1 Exam Sample Questions
Difference Between CSM and PSM Certification