Is the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM 1) worth it in 2026?
12% of scrum master job ads in the United States name the PSM (112 of 946, Adzuna, October 2026)
The Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I or PSM 1) is worth it if you pay for the exam yourself and the Scrum-master ads you read accept a Scrum credential. In October 2026, the exact phrase professional scrum master appeared in 12% of the 946 US Scrum-master ads we counted (Adzuna). The exam costs $200 per attempt; there is no renewal fee.
The PSM I is Scrum.org's first-level certification for Scrum masters, below the PSM II and PSM III. Scrum.org awards it for passing a test, not for attending a class, so no course is required. You pay per attempt, so a failed first try takes the price to $400 (our arithmetic).
Our count is a phrase match that can miss in both directions. Ads that write only PSM or PSM I are not counted, so on that side the share is a minimum. Ads that call the candidate a professional Scrum master, without meaning Scrum.org's credential, can be counted. Our methodology page explains how we match phrases and job titles.
Who should take it, by situation:
- You pay for it yourself, learn well from reading, and the ads you read accept any Scrum credential: take the PSM I.
- You are changing careers with no Scrum experience: the PSM I shows what you know about Scrum, not that you have done the job, so check whether your target ads also ask for experience.
- You are a developer, team lead or manager who wants proof of Scrum knowledge rather than a Scrum-master job: the PSM I fits that too; ask whether your employer pays.
- The ads for the jobs you want name only the CSM, or you want a live class: start with our CSM page.
- Your target employers run the Scaled Agile Framework: look at SAFe Scrum Master first.
- You lean toward the product-owner role: read PSM vs PSPO.
- You doubt you can score 85% in 60 minutes: take Scrum.org's free open assessments before you buy an attempt.
Show the numbers
| Item | Ads | Share of ads |
|---|---|---|
| Jira | 613 | 65% |
| Kanban | 304 | 32% |
| SAFe | 211 | 22% |
| CSM | 210 | 22% |
| PMI-ACP | 179 | 19% |
| Scrum Master | 150 | 16% |
| PSM | 112 | 12% |
Is PSM worth it for you?
Instant answer from October 2026 job ads. No email needed.
Sometimes asked for
12% of scrum master job ads in the United States name PSM (112 of 946 ads).
- Most-named alternative
- SAFe 22%
- Skill asked for most
- Jira 65%
- Official exam fee
- $200 source
Source: Adzuna job ads, October 2026.
On this page
- Is the PSM I worth it? What US job ads show
- How much does the PSM 1 (PSM I) cost?
- How hard is the PSM I exam?
- Are the open assessments like the real PSM I exam?
- PSM 1 vs PSM 2: how do the PSM I, PSM II and PSM III differ?
- Is the PSM II worth it?
- PSM or CSM: which should you take first?
- PSM I or PSPO I: which should you take first?
- Does the PSM I raise a Scrum master's salary? What PSM salary data exists
- What should you do after passing the PSM I?
- Sources
Is the PSM I worth it? What US job ads show
For US Scrum-master jobs, yes, if the ads you answer are among those that name it. In October 2026, the phrase professional scrum master appeared in 12% of the ads for US Scrum masters, from Adzuna listings with "Scrum master" in the job title.
The other US Scrum-master ads in our October 2026 Adzuna count did not contain the phrase professional scrum master, though some may name the PSM in a shorter form. Where an ad names no credential, the PSM I shows you have studied Scrum; it does not answer a stated requirement. The exam tests what you know about Scrum, not whether you have run a Scrum team.
The question comes up on r/scrum, including from a poster with an engineering-management background who wants a Scrum-master job (r/scrum). A Scrum credential earns its fee where the ads you answer name it.
Is the PSM I worth it in India or Sri Lanka?
In October 2026 (Adzuna), the phrase professional scrum master appeared in 10% of the ads for Indian Scrum masters. The base is small, so the share can move from month to month.
In the UK, the phrase appeared in 2 of the 67 UK Scrum-master ads in October 2026, too few to read as a share.
We do not count job ads in Sri Lanka, which one poster asked about (r/PMCareers), so we cannot say whether employers there name the PSM I. On cost, the PSM I is the exam-only option: Scrum.org lists it at $200 per attempt in US dollars with no required course, while the CSM needs a class (our CSM page gives its price).
How much does the PSM 1 (PSM I) cost?
The PSM I costs $200 per attempt, and every attempt costs the same. Each exam password, Scrum.org's word for a voucher, is valid for one attempt only and has no expiration date, so you can buy it now and take the test later (Scrum.org, checked October 2026).
Scrum.org sets no limit on attempts and no waiting period between them, but each retake needs a new password. Free retakes go only to people who attended an instructor-led Scrum.org class and failed within a set time frame; self-paced training does not qualify. By our arithmetic, two attempts cost $400 and three cost $600.
Two routes include an attempt. Scrum.org sells its self-paced course with a test attempt for $279, which is $79 above the test alone, and each Scrum.org training class includes a free attempt.
Once you pass, the spending stops: the PSM I is a lifetime certification, and it comes with a free Credly digital credential. How that compares with the renewal bills of the CSM and SAFe Scrum Master is in our guide to Scrum master certifications.
Show the numbers
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Fees to get certified: Exam | $200 |
| Fees to get certified: One retake (optional) | $200 |
How hard is the PSM I exam?
Hard enough that Scrum.org calls its professional-level questions "quite difficult." The PSM I has 80 questions in 60 minutes, and the passing score is 85%. The formats are multiple choice, multiple answer and true/false, in English or Japanese at Scrum.org, or in Simplified Chinese through scrum.org.cn.
By our arithmetic, 85% of 80 questions is 68, so if every question counts the same, you can get about 12 wrong and still pass. Scrum.org's PSM I page gives the percentage, not how questions are weighted. The time works out to 45 seconds per question.
Scrum.org takes its questions on the rules, artifacts, events and roles of Scrum from the latest English Scrum Guide, currently the November 2020 version (scrumguides.org). It adds that reading the Scrum Guide alone is not enough to pass. After the test, you get a breakdown of your result by Scrum.org's Professional Scrum Competencies.
The exam is still current, a point raised on r/agile (r/agile): when we checked in October 2026, Scrum.org still sold the PSM I at $200, and the November 2020 Scrum Guide was still the version on scrumguides.org.
Show the numbers
| Item | PSM |
|---|---|
| Questions | 80 questions |
| Exam time | 60 minutes (1 h) |
| Passing score | 85% |
| Format | Multiple choice |
| Languages | 3 languages |
Are the open assessments like the real PSM I exam?
No, they are easier by design. Scrum.org calls its free open assessments tests of basic Scrum knowledge and says they "will not have the same level of difficulty" as its professional-level exams.
Scrum.org names Scrum Open as the practice assessment for the PSM I. Scrum.org says a consistent score of 95% or above means you "are aware of many of the fundamentals": a starting point, not proof that you are ready. How close the two tests are is a question on r/scrum too (r/scrum).
Scrum.org's own preparation advice starts with the Scrum Guide and its free open assessments, and it recommends a course without requiring one. For paid mock exams, a topic of another r/scrum thread (r/scrum), we name none, because we have not reviewed them. We give no study-time figure: the Reddit posts we collected hold too few first-hand reports for one.
PSM 1 vs PSM 2: how do the PSM I, PSM II and PSM III differ?
Each level is a separate exam with its own fee, and none requires the level below it. Scrum.org recommends the PSM I before the PSM II, and strongly recommends both before the PSM III. It describes the PSM I as proof that you understand Scrum as the Scrum Guide describes it, and the PSM II as an advanced level of Scrum mastery.
| Level | Exam fee per attempt | Questions | Time limit | Passing score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSM I | $200 | 80: multiple choice, multiple answer, true/false | 60 minutes | 85% |
| PSM II | $250 | 30, with partial credit on some | 90 minutes | 85% |
| PSM III | $500 | 24 essay questions, typed | 150 minutes | Pass or did not pass, graded in about four weeks |
Source: Scrum.org PSM I, PSM II and PSM III certification pages, checked October 2026. All three are lifetime certifications with no annual renewal fee.
The PSM II is offered in English and, through scrum.org.cn, in Simplified Chinese; every PSM III answer must be written in English. Scrum.org warns that a score below 90% on the PSM I and PSM II makes the PSM III very difficult.
Is the PSM II worth it?
It depends on the ads you answer, and we cannot measure that for the PSM II alone: the phrase professional scrum master matches an ad that asks for the PSM I, II or III alike. The PSM II costs $250 per attempt, needs no earlier certification and has no renewal fee. Scrum.org highly recommends, but does not require, its Professional Scrum Master Advanced class.
Our reading: start with the PSM I, which Scrum.org recommends first, and add the PSM II when ads for the jobs you want name it.
Show the numbers
| Country | PSM | Ads | Share of ads |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 112 | 946 | 12% |
| India | 20 | 193 | 10% |
| United Kingdom | 2 | 67 | 3% |
PSM or CSM: which should you take first?
Take the one that the ads for your target jobs name. In our October 2026 Adzuna count of US Scrum-master ads, the phrase certified scrum master, for Scrum Alliance's CSM, appeared in 22%. One ad can name both, so the two counts overlap.
The CSM phrase has the same limits as the PSM phrase: ads that write only CSM or spell it ScrumMaster are not matched, and a generic "certified Scrum master" can be. Read the two shares as rough signals, not as a ranking.
Scrum.org contrasts its exam with "other Scrum certifications that are awarded for attendance in a class." Our CSM page covers the CSM's course and renewal, and our CSM vs PSM comparison puts the two side by side.
Whether to do the CSM first and the PSM after, or which of the two to take, is a recurring r/scrum question (r/scrum, r/scrum). If an employer pays for a CSM class, that order costs you nothing up front. If you pay for both yourself, one Scrum credential that matches the ads is enough to start.
For anyone weighing which comes first (r/scrum), the PSM I and the PMP answer different ads: we count the PSM in Scrum-master ads and the PMP in project-manager ads. If you hold the PMP and are choosing among the PMI-ACP, the PSM and the CSM, as one poster was (r/pmp), our PMI-ACP vs PSM comparison covers the first two.
A project-management degree is a different kind of choice, one a poster weighed against picking up the PSM I and SAFe on the side (r/PMCareers). We have not measured what a degree adds, so we cannot rank one against the PSM I. What we do measure is which credentials employers write into Scrum-master ads: our Scrum-master job page lists them country by country, and our agile and Scrum field page covers product owners and agile coaches.
Show the numbers
| Country | PSM | CSM |
|---|---|---|
| India | 10% | 32% |
| United States | 12% | 22% |
| United Kingdom | 3% | 9% |
PSM I or PSPO I: which should you take first?
Take the one that matches the role: the PSM I for Scrum masters, the Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I) for product owners. On Scrum.org's pages the two exams have the same format and fee.
One r/scrum post covers preparing for the PSM I or the PSPO I with mock exams (r/scrum). Scrum.org draws the Scrum rules in all its exams from the same Scrum Guide, so in our reading, part of the study carries over. Our PSPO page and our PSM vs PSPO comparison cover the product-owner side.
Does the PSM I raise a Scrum master's salary? What PSM salary data exists
We cannot say: no source we found measures the pay of PSM holders, so we have no PSM salary or PSM certification salary figure. The Scrum.org certification pages we read give none, and we do not repeat salary claims without a sample or a method. The same goes for a PSM 1 salary or a "PSM manager" salary: neither is a job title we count.
The nearest official figure covers a broad US wage group that includes Scrum masters, certified or not. It is in the salary section of our Scrum master certification guide, with what it can and cannot tell you.
What should you do after passing the PSM I?
Make it visible, then let the ads choose your next exam. When you pass, Scrum.org adds your name to its public list of certified professionals and puts a certificate and badge on your member profile. The PSM I also comes with a free Credly digital credential.
Write the full name, Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I), on your resume next to the Credly link. Our reading: an employer that searches resumes for the phrase it put in its ad will then find it.
A poster who had just passed asked the same question (r/scrum). On Scrum.org's track, the next steps are the PSM II and PSM III; the PSPO I covers the product-owner role. Take one when the ads for the jobs you want name it. For the tools and skills those ads list, see our Scrum-master job page.
Sources
- Adzuna job-ad counts for Scrum-master ads in the US, India and the UK, October 2026; phrase counted:
professional scrum master; analysis: CertWorthIt. How we count. - Scrum.org, PSM I, PSM II, PSM III and PSPO I certification pages, checked October 2026.
- Scrum.org support: retakes, free retakes, password expiration, preparing for an assessment and open assessments, checked October 2026.
- The Scrum Guide, November 2020 version, checked October 2026.
- Reddit questions about the PSM from the posts we collected, linked in the sections where they are answered.
Edited by Elena Marsh · Data checked October 5, 2026
Questions people ask
Is the PSM 1 (PSM I) worth it in 2026?
The Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) from Scrum.org is worth it if you pay for it yourself and the Scrum-master ads you read accept a Scrum credential. The exact phrase professional scrum master appeared in 12% of the 946 US Scrum-master ads we counted in October 2026 (Adzuna). The exam costs $200 per attempt, needs no course and has no renewal fee (Scrum.org, checked October 2026).
How much does the PSM I cost?
The PSM I costs $200 per attempt, and a retake costs another $200, because each Scrum.org exam password is good for one attempt only. Scrum.org's self-paced course plus one attempt costs $279, and every Scrum.org training class includes a free attempt. There is no renewal fee: the PSM I is a lifetime certification (Scrum.org, checked October 2026).
What is the difference between PSM 1 and PSM 2?
The PSM I costs $200 per attempt and has 80 questions in 60 minutes; the PSM II costs $250 per attempt and has 30 questions in 90 minutes, with partial credit on some. Both need an 85% score to pass, neither requires a course, and both are lifetime certifications. Scrum.org recommends the PSM I before the PSM II but does not require it (Scrum.org, checked October 2026).
How many questions can you miss on the PSM I?
About 12, if every question counts equally. The PSM I has 80 questions in 60 minutes and a passing score of 85% (Scrum.org, checked October 2026). By our arithmetic, 85% of 80 is 68 correct answers, which leaves 12 wrong answers, and the time works out to 45 seconds per question. Scrum.org's PSM I page gives the percentage, not how questions are weighted.
Do you need a course to take the PSM I?
No. Scrum.org says attending a course is not a prerequisite for the PSM I, though it strongly recommends one. Its classes include a free attempt, and only people who attended an instructor-led Scrum.org class can get a free retake, if they fail within a set time frame. Without a class, every PSM I attempt costs $200 (Scrum.org, checked October 2026).
Does the PSM I expire?
No. Scrum.org calls the PSM I a lifetime certification with no annual renewal fee, and the same applies to the PSM II and PSM III. Exam passwords have no expiration date either; each one is valid for a single attempt (Scrum.org, checked October 2026).
Do employers in India name the PSM I?
Some Indian Scrum-master ads do. In October 2026 (Adzuna), the phrase professional scrum master appeared in 10% of the ads for Indian Scrum masters; the sample is small. Scrum.org prices the PSM I exam in US dollars, at $200 per attempt.
Does the PSM I raise your salary?
No source we found measures pay for holders of the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) certification, and the Scrum.org pages we read in October 2026 give no salary figure. We do not repeat PSM salary figures that give no sample or method. The nearest official pay figure covers a broad US wage group that includes Scrum masters, certified or not, so it cannot show what the PSM I adds.