PSM 1 vs CSM: which Scrum master certification should you take?
PSM 1 vs CSM: take the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) if you want a course that includes the test and can accept a renewal every two years. Take the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) if you want a $200 exam with no required course or renewal. In October 2026, 210 of 946 US Scrum-master ads named the CSM and 112 the PSM (Adzuna).
The CSM is Scrum Alliance's foundational Scrum-master credential, taught by Certified Scrum Trainers who set their own course prices. Scrum.org issues the PSM I (also written PSM 1) and sells the exam directly, with classes optional. Our verdict: in the US, take the CSM if an employer pays or the course fee is no strain. If you pay for it yourself, or the ads you read accept either, the PSM I is $200 for the exam and never renews. UK and Indian samples are small, so read the ads you plan to apply to there.
Who should take which · Job-ad counts · Cost, exam and renewal · Four-year cost · Difficulty · Expiry · Both
Show the numbers
| Country | CSM | PSM |
|---|---|---|
| India | 32% | 10% |
| United States | 22% | 12% |
| United Kingdom | 9% | 3% |
CSM or PSM: which do employers name more?
Instant answer from October 2026 job ads. No email needed.
CSM is named in more job ads in the United States.
Source: Adzuna job ads, October 2026.
On this page
Which should you take, by situation?
- Applying in the US and the course fee is not a barrier (yours or your employer's): the CSM. In October 2026, 210 of 946 US Scrum-master ads named it and 112 named the PSM (Adzuna). In India the sample is small (193 ads), so check the ads you read.
- Paying for it yourself, or the ads you read accept either: the PSM I. The exam alone is $200, or $279 with Scrum.org's self-paced course. A CSM course costs $250 to $2,495, depending on the trainer.
- Your employer pays for a class: either. A CSM class is the only route to the CSM and its fee covers two test attempts; a Scrum.org class includes one PSM I attempt. Take the one your employer's trainer runs, unless the ads you target name the other.
- You want no renewal fees: the PSM I. Scrum.org lists it as a lifetime certification; the CSM costs $100 and 20 SEUs every two years.
- The ads you read name neither, or ask only for a Scrum certification in general: either works. The CSM's own issuer says certification is not required for a Scrum-master job, though some employers ask for the CSM.
- Applying in the UK, India or another country with few Scrum-master ads: our samples are small, so read the local ads before choosing; our Scrum-master job page has the counts for all 10 countries.
CSM vs PSM I: what do job ads name?
In the US, 210 of the 946 Scrum-master ads we counted in October 2026 named the CSM and 112 named the PSM (Adzuna). The table puts the same two counts side by side for the three countries we count. Only the US sample is large; the UK and India samples are small.
| Country | Scrum-master ads | certified scrum master (CSM) |
professional scrum master (PSM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 946 | 210 (22%) | 112 (12%) |
| United Kingdom | 67 | 6 (9%) | 2 (3%) |
| India | 193 | 62 (32%) | 20 (10%) |
Source: Adzuna API, job ads with "scrum master" in the title collected in October 2026, matched by the exact phrases certified scrum master and professional scrum master. "No share this month" means the sample for that country was too small to report one. Analysis: CertWorthIt. How we count.
We count phrases, not credentials. An ad may write the PSM as PSM I or PSM 1, which the exact phrase misses, so treat the comparison as a rough guide. An ad that writes only CSM or PSM, or spells the name certified scrummaster as one word, is missed, so both counts are minimums. One ad can contain both phrases and then counts in both columns.
The UK and Indian samples are small. With 67 UK and 193 Indian Scrum-master ads in October 2026, a few ads can move either share noticeably, so read those rows as a rough guide. Brazil, Spain and Mexico had too few ads for a share, and in France, Germany, Italy and Poland we counted only the general phrase scrum master certification.
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% |
How do cost, exam and renewal compare?
Show the numbers
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Fees to get certified: Exam | $200 |
| Fees to get certified: One retake (optional) | $200 |
Scrum master certification: CSM vs PSM side by side
The CSM is a course with a test at the end; the PSM I is a test you can take without any course. That changes what each price buys, so the price row below labels what you get for it.
| Feature | CSM (Scrum Alliance) | PSM I (Scrum.org) |
|---|---|---|
| Course | Required: 16 hours with a Certified Scrum Trainer, most classes over 2 to 3 days | Not required; Scrum.org recommends one |
| Price | $250 to $2,495 for the course including the exam (mandatory), set by each trainer | $200 for the exam only (no instruction; one attempt); $279 with Scrum.org's self-paced course; a Scrum.org class includes one attempt |
| Test | 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes; online, not proctored, open book | 80 questions in 60 minutes: multiple choice, multiple answer and true/false |
| Passing score | 37 of 50 (74%) | 85% (68 of 80) |
| Retakes | Two attempts within 90 days included; then $25 per attempt | $200 per attempt, with no limit and no waiting period |
| Test languages | 13, including English, Spanish, German and Japanese | English and Japanese; Simplified Chinese through scrum.org.cn |
| Renewal | Every two years: 20 Scrum Education Units (SEUs) and $100 | None; lifetime certification |
| Included | Two-year Scrum Alliance membership | Credly digital credential |
Source: Scrum Alliance CSM page, Scrum Alliance support articles and renewal page, checked October 5, 2026. Scrum.org PSM I page and Scrum.org support pages, checked October 3 and 5, 2026. Prices in US dollars.
"Proctored" means someone watches you take the test. A Scrum Education Unit (SEU) is Scrum Alliance's unit of continuing education. Credly is the service that hosts the digital credential.
The CSM price range is the one Scrum Alliance publishes, and it rests on public course prices from October 2023. The issuer says it does not control what trainers charge, so check the course listing before you budget.
A Scrum.org class works differently from a CSM class: it is optional, and its fee includes one free PSM I attempt. A free retake goes only to people who attended an instructor-led Scrum.org class and failed within the time frame Scrum.org sets. Without a class there is no free or discounted retake.
What each costs over four years
If you pass on the included attempts, the CSM costs $350 to $2,595 over four years: the course plus one $100 renewal at month 24. A second renewal, due at month 48, covers the fifth and sixth years and brings the CSM to $450 to $2,695 for six years. The PSM I stays at $200 for the same period, or $279 with the self-paced course. The CSM total includes a 16-hour class with a trainer; the PSM I total is the exam alone.
| Certification | First purchase | Renewal at 24 months | Four-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSM | $250 to $2,495 (course including the exam) | $100 | $350 to $2,595 |
| PSM I, exam only | $200 | None | $200 |
| PSM I with self-paced course | $279 | None | $279 |
Source: Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org fees above, checked October 5, 2026. Analysis: CertWorthIt. The CSM range uses Scrum Alliance's October 2023 course prices. The CSM figure buys 16 hours of instruction; the $200 PSM I figure buys the exam only. A Scrum.org class, priced by each trainer and not in our data, is the like-for-like match for the CSM course.
Each CSM renewal also needs 20 SEUs, which take time to earn. Failing changes the totals: a second PSM I attempt adds $200, while a CSM candidate pays nothing extra for the two included attempts and $25 for each attempt after that, or after 90 days.
Is PSM 1 harder than CSM?
On the published rules, the PSM I has the stricter passing score and time limit. Scrum.org sets its passing score at 85% on 80 questions in an hour, about 45 seconds per question. Scrum Alliance sets the CSM pass at 37 of 50 questions (74%) in an hour, about 72 seconds per question. Neither body publishes a pass rate, so we cannot say how many people pass either test.
The CSM test also comes after 16 hours of class, and it is open book: Scrum Alliance lets you use the Scrum Guide and your course materials during the test. It is taken online and is not proctored. Scrum.org says its certification requires proof of knowledge and that reading the Scrum Guide alone is not enough to pass its assessments. The CSM also requires a passed test, but one taken after the class, with the Scrum Guide open.
Passing score and time limit are not the whole measure of difficulty: the PSM I mixes multiple-answer and true/false items, and the CSM test follows a 16-hour class. This ranks the rules, not the questions, and any pass rate quoted by a course seller is that seller's own figure. Scrum.org sells the exam as a password that never expires and covers one attempt, so you can take it whenever you are ready. Our PSM I page covers how people prepare for it.
Show the numbers
| Item | CSM | PSM |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 50 questions | 80 questions |
| Exam time | 60 minutes (1 h) | 60 minutes (1 h) |
| Passing score | 37 of 50 | 85% |
| Format | Multiple choice | Multiple choice |
Does either certification expire?
The PSM I does not. Scrum.org lists it as a "lifetime certification" with no renewal fee. The CSM runs on a two-year cycle from the date you earn it, and each renewal takes 20 SEUs and $100.
Scrum Alliance emails you 90 days before the CSM expires, and says a missed renewal will never get the certification revoked. Our CSM page explains what happens if you let it lapse.
"I'd vouch for PSM because they're issued by scrum.org and they don't require any renewal," one r/scrum commenter wrote (r/scrum, July 2025). Another commenter in the same thread wrote that "the experience is more important than the certification" (r/scrum, July 2025).
Should you get both?
Only if the ads for the jobs you want name both, or an employer pays for one of them. Both credentials cover Scrum, so the second one goes over the same subject again.
Holding both costs $550 to $2,795 over four years at the fees above: the CSM's $350 to $2,595 plus the PSM I's $200. For a CSM holder, the PSM I adds a $200 exam and nothing to renew. For a PSM I holder, the CSM adds the course price and a $100 renewal every two years.
To weigh other Scrum credentials, our page on Scrum master certifications compared adds SAFe Scrum Master. We also compare CSM vs SAFe, CSM vs PMI-ACP and PSM vs PMI-ACP.
If you are new to Scrum, start with Scrum master certifications compared; we have no data on preparation time or on whether a certificate gets you an interview without experience. Every agile and Scrum credential we track is on our agile and Scrum field page.
Questions people ask
Scrum master certification CSM vs PSM: which should you take?
Take the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) if you apply for Scrum-master jobs in the US and the course fee is not a barrier. Take the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) if you pay for it yourself, want no renewals, or the ads you read accept either. In October 2026, 210 of 946 US Scrum-master ads contained the phrase certified scrum master and 112 contained professional scrum master (Adzuna). The UK and India samples are small (67 and 193 Scrum-master ads), so read the ads you plan to apply to. Ads that write only the abbreviations are not counted. The CSM course costs $250 to $2,495 and the credential renews every two years for $100; the PSM I exam costs $200 and does not expire (Scrum Alliance and Scrum.org, checked October 5, 2026).
Is the PSM I harder than the CSM?
On the published rules, the PSM I has the stricter passing score and time limit. Scrum.org's PSM I has 80 questions in 60 minutes and a passing score of 85%, so you need 68 correct answers. The Scrum Alliance CSM test has 50 multiple-choice questions in 60 minutes, and 37 correct answers (74%) pass; it is open book and not proctored. The CSM course fee includes two test attempts within 90 days, while each PSM I attempt costs $200. Neither Scrum Alliance nor Scrum.org gives a pass rate on the pages we read (checked October 5, 2026).
How much do the CSM and the PSM I cost?
The CSM costs $250 to $2,495 for the required course, which includes the test. Trainers set the price, and Scrum Alliance bases that range on public course prices from October 2023. The PSM I costs $200 per exam attempt with no course required, or $279 with Scrum.org's self-paced course. Over four years, with a pass on the included attempts, the CSM comes to $350 to $2,595 with one $100 renewal, while the PSM I stays at $200 (fees checked October 5, 2026).
Does the CSM or the PSM I expire?
The CSM must be renewed every two years with 20 Scrum Education Units (SEUs) and a $100 fee; Scrum Alliance says a missed renewal never gets the certification revoked. The PSM I is a lifetime certification with no renewal fee, according to Scrum.org (both checked October 5, 2026).
Can you take the PSM I without a course?
Yes. Scrum.org sells the PSM I exam on its own for $200 per attempt and says attending a course is strongly recommended but not a prerequisite. The CSM has no exam-only route: Scrum Alliance gives access to the test only after its 16-hour course with a Certified Scrum Trainer, and prior experience or other Scrum certifications do not replace the course (checked October 5, 2026).