Top Scrum Certifications in 2025: Which One Should You Get and Why

Worldwide​‍​‌‍​‍‌ software organisations continue to use Scrum as the main framework for their agile project delivery. Companies give preference to applicants who, through a systematic and deliberate process, have demonstrated their Scrum proficiency by obtaining recognized certifications. A certification is an indication that you are familiar with the sprint operations, backlog management, and the principles of delivery through collaboration.

This manual provides a comparison of the most recognized Scrum certifications that will be available in 2025. We will review the credentials that represent the gaining of fundamental knowledge, as well as those that demonstrate strategic competencies on an enterprise level for different providers. Additionally, you will be able to determine the selection criteria based on the stage of your career, your role, and the organizational context.

What is Scrum Certification?

Scrum certifications are formal recognitions of one's knowledge and understanding of Scrum roles, principles, and iterative delivery practices. The credentials measure how well you understand sprint ceremonies, artifact management, and team facilitation techniques. Besides that, it measures your capability in leading teams toward continuous improvement and value delivery.

Mistaking general agile awareness for certified Scrum competence can be very costly in terms of losing time and money when hiring. Certifications are proof that one can facilitate daily stand-ups, sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives effectively. As a result, these professionals can deliver in the shortest time possible without their new employers having to extensively train them in the framework.

Scrum credentials are means through which one can be able to show that he is capable of managing product backlogs, removing impediments, and maintaining delivery predictability. They illustrate the communication skills with stakeholders, user story mapping, and estimation techniques such as planning poker. So, companies rely on certified practitioners to be the ones who will be in charge of sprints that will lead to the achievement of measurable business ​‍​‌‍​‍‌goals.

Certified Scrum Master (CSM) from Scrum Alliance

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌ CSM credential offered by Scrum Alliance is a globally recognized certification aimed at professionals new to Scrum or those who are changing to the management of the traditional way. The credential covers a comprehensive and systematic way of Scrum fundamentals, team roles, ceremonies, and basic practices.

To have a CSM certification, one should take a two-day training course, which is a Certified Scrum Training course. The program content includes servant leadership, team facilitation, and removing obstacles that impede sprint progress.

Professional Scrum Master (PSM) from Scrum.org

PSM is offered by Scrum.org and was created by Ken Schwaber, one of the original authors of Scrum. Conceptual mastery and rigorous testing are the main focus of this certification, while training is not mandatory. The PSM program consists of three levels - PSM I, II, and III - which provide an incremental skill development approach.

PSM is a certification that aligns with the goals of self-directed learners who also like to study independently rather than given instructions in a classroom. If the candidate is knowledgeable, then he/she can take the exam without attending a training course. Besides that, the test is heavily focused on theory and model application principles of Scrum.

PSM I is a certification that attests a person's knowledge of Scrum at a basic level and is thus compatible with team members and new Scrum Masters. PSM II shows on the candidate's portfolio advanced facilitation skills and the ability to lead as a servant for the experienced practitioners. PSM III provides evidence that the person has the highest-level expertise and is capable of coaching organizations for agile transformations at ​‍​‌‍​‍‌scale.

Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO) from Scrum Alliance

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌ CSPO qualification is aimed at professionals who are responsible for product strategy, prioritizing the backlog, and stakeholder alignment. The emphasis of this certification is on value maximization through efficient backlog grooming and communication, which is clear. To validate their proficiency, product managers, business analysts, and entrepreneurs mostly go for the CSPO.

The CSPO syllabus includes aspects like user story writing, defining acceptance criteria, and learning prioritization, along with business value. The candidates also get the knowledge of stakeholder management, vision sharing, and teamwork with the development department for the best results. Besides that, the certification program highlights the need to systematically break down customer requirements into sprint-worthy items.

Delivering a two-day CSPO training course by authorized instructors is a prerequisite for this certificate. The training equips one with methods of dealing with the most challenging priorities and also being transparent with sponsors throughout the process. Hence, CSPO is ideal for those who are the link between business strategy and technical agile execution.

PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)

PMI provides the ACP credential as a more comprehensive agile certification that embraces various frameworks. This multi-framework approach is ideal for those professionals who run hybrid project environments with different methodologies.

The PMI-ACP necessitates 21 contact hours of training in agile and 12 months of experience in projects of any nature. Moreover, candidates should have 8 months of experience in agile projects in the last three years. The questions in the exam are based on an array of agile approaches and not just exclusively on Scrum.

The certification is a great tool for experienced project managers who are planning a shift from predictive to adaptive delivery models. The credential gives the holder the ability to be agile in the use of different practices depending on the project context. Nevertheless, PMI-ACP has to be renewed every three years, and this is done through professional development units and a maintenance ​‍​‌‍​‍‌fee.

SAFe Scrum Master Certification

Scaled​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Agile Framework provides a certified Scrum Master for workers in big enterprises. SAFe stresses the coordination of the teams, the synchronization at the program level, and alignment of the portfolio at scale of the organization. So, this certification is suitable for Scrum Masters who are leading several teams or overseeing dependencies across agile release trains.

The SAFe Scrum Master program is a short course that prepares the students to participate in PI planning, facilitations of the team, and also to be able to execute Agile Release Train execution enablers. The candidates will get knowledge on how to support SAFe events, serve as a coach to teams in SAFe practices, and also work effectively with others. Additionally, the certificate also provides solutions for the problems that arise when you want to implement the agile method to work in a big, complicated organization.

The inscription to this qualification shall be followed by an attendance at a two-day class and a pass in the online test. The SAFe certifications emphasize a target group of employees in organizations that have a systematic enterprise-wide implementation of the scaled agile framework. So, the value of the credential is evident in big firms where a SAFe adoption has been set up.

Certaining Scrum Certifications

Certaining is the platform that provides Scrum certifications, which are recognized globally, and they are meant for professionals at different career levels. There are three credentials offered by the platform that lead from one to another—CSFF™, CSPE™, and CSML™. These certifications target the knowledge and skills from the foundation level to the enterprise level, with no time limit and without the need for renewal or further education.

• Certaining Scrum Foundations & Fundamentals (CSFF™) is the certification that gives the core knowledge of Scrum to a professional who is new to an agile environment. It is a validation of the basic knowledge of Scrum and the lean principles related to the delivery. The scope of the program is wide and includes sprint planning, backlog management, teamwork dynamics, and incremental delivery fundamentals.
• Certaining Scrum Practitioner & Sprint Execution (CSPE™) is the certification that confirms that the certified person has an intermediate level of skill in creating and facilitating sprints as well as in resolving delivery-related problems. The main topics of this credential are advanced activities related to the backlog, including refinement, estimation, sprint planning, and user story mapping. The practitioners are displaying the competence to lead cross-functional teams even though the product goals remain their focus.
• Certaining Scrum Mastery & Leadership (CSML™) is the certification that serves as a confirmation of the holder's agreement with the highest standards of enterprise-level Scrum and organizational change. The credential pinpoints the manager’s advanced skill set, which includes, among others, facilitation, strategic alignment, and portfolio-level agility across multiple teams. Those who are certified, show the ability to extend the range of Scrum, efficiently deal with the systemic issues, and direct the transformation ​‍​‌‍​‍‌initiatives.

Comparing Certification Pathways Strategically

Various​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Scrum certifications have different effects on your career goals based on the focus of the role and your organizational context. Both CSM and PSM are aimed at establishing a basic understanding of Agile at the team level for a Scrum Master, who is the person facilitating the team. The CSPO focuses more on the product and business side, emphasizing concepts such as value delivery and the use of prioritization frameworks.

PMI-ACP acts as a link between different agile frameworks by showing the project managers the way to work in hybrid delivery environments. SAFe certifications are meant for professionals who want to scale agile practices across a large enterprise that has multiple portfolios. Certaining's three-tier system is a progression of skill development from the basic levels to the higher ones of strategic leadership.

You should also look at aspects such as the training that is required, the obligations that one has to fulfill when the certification needs to be renewed, the way the cost is structured, and whether or not the certification is recognized within your industry. Some credentials require that the candidates attend the classes, while others are more flexible in a way that they allow students to study on their own. Furthermore, the difference between a lifetime certification and a certification that needs to be renewed periodically greatly influences the long-term investment and maintenance that goes along with it.

Preparing Effectively for Scrum Certification Exams

Open the preparation phase by going through the official Scrum Guide written by the founders of Scrum.org with a fine-tooth comb. The key source of every Scrum certification is this one fundamental document, made very transparent and explicit. Learning the guide's principles, roles, events, and artifacts is essential baseline knowledge.

Work through the concepts academically by means of a mock test that is conducted under actual exam conditions and with the same types of questions. Such trials help identify knowledge areas that need to be strengthened before taking the certification exam for real. On top of that, they help you become acquainted with the structures of questions, the period of time you have at your disposal, and the way the evaluation is done.

Scrum certification is only the beginning of the journey to go on to gain as much experience as possible in coming up with and implementing a Scrum team at your workplace. Nothing helps a person understand better the sprint mechanics, backlog refinement, and team dynamics than the real-world application. So, practical work experience will immensely enhance your ability to go through scenario-based questions which call for your ​‍​‌‍​‍‌judgment.

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌ review should include various Scrum artifacts such as product backlog, sprint backlog, and increment definitions. Besides, you should also read about the ceremonies such as sprint planning, daily stand-ups, sprint reviews, and retrospectives. Moreover, one should also benefit from the article by knowing the role responsibilities of Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Development Team members.

To delve deep into Scrum topics, you may want to look into professional training courses by Certaining, whose content is coherent with one another. Systematic preparation guarantees not only a large coverage of the exam objectives but also that no important knowledge domains will be left out. Thus, guided programs help you prepare efficiently while being strictly focused on the requirements of the certification.

Scrum certifications are more than technical knowledge validations—they are a testament to your capability of facilitating collaboration effectively.

Choosing the right credential will establish you as a person that the teams can rely on when they face the complex delivery challenges. In addition, a certificate serves as proof of adherence to agile principles, which eventually lead to organizational success.

There are several different well-known routes leading to your goal, depending on the level of your present knowledge and the job you want. Introductory certifications mainly serve as a foundation, whereas advanced ones show the capabilities of the strategic leadership and the transformational skills. Hence, by choosing an exam that fits your professional development stage, you will actually end up with more of the preparation efforts paying off.

Use Certaining.org to find worldwide recognized Scrum certification programs and plan the next steps of your agile career wisely. Professionals who want to become more skillful, self-assured, and respected can rely on Certaining's validated Scrum certifications—CSFF™, CSPE™, and CSML™—to serve as their systematic development path. These credentials, equipped with a lifetime license and different online modes, put you in the best position to succeed today.

Becoming a globally recognized credential holder should be your next move on the agile road. Certaining's Scrum certifications are the answer to what employers want and you need. Drop by Certaining.org any time if you want to talk about development goals and possible certification ​‍​‌‍​‍‌options.