Becoming a certified Scrum Master is an impressive feat for anyone interested in agile project management. However, passing the Scrum Master PSM II exam can be a challenge, even for experienced Scrum Masters. This exam evaluates your knowledge and understanding of Scrum theory, practices, and principles, as well as your ability to apply them in complex scenarios. With the right preparation and mindset, though, you can pass the Scrum Master PSM II exam on your first try. In this article, we will share some expert tips, strategies, and practice tests to help you prepare effectively and boost your chances of success.
Table of Contents
Understanding the Scrum Master PSM II Exam
Before you begin preparing for the Scrum Master PSM II exam, it’s important to understand its format and content. The exam is a 90-minute online test with 30 multiple-choice questions that assess your ability to apply Scrum principles and practices in complex situations. The passing score is 85%, which means you need to answer at least 25 questions correctly. The exam fee is $250 per attempt, and you can take it multiple times if you don’t pass on the first attempt.
Tips for Preparing for the Exam
- Review the Scrum Guide: The Scrum Guide is the definitive source of Scrum knowledge and provides a comprehensive overview of the framework, accountabilities, events, and artifacts. Make sure you read and understand the Scrum Guide thoroughly before taking the exam.
- Take Practice Tests: Taking practice tests is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the exam format and content, as well as identify your knowledge gaps. Scrum.org provides a sample set of questions, however, it is limited to only 30 questions. For a list of more comprehensive questions, answers, and explanations, you can also use Exam Prep for PSM II.
- Join a Study Group: Joining a study group is an excellent way to learn from others, share your knowledge and experiences, and get feedback on your progress. You can find study groups on social media, online forums, or through your Scrum community.
- Attend a Training Course: Attending a Scrum Master training course can help you deepen your knowledge of Scrum and prepare for the exam. There are many training providers and courses available online and offline, so make sure you choose the one that suits your learning style and schedule.
Strategies for Managing Your Time during the Exam
- Read the Questions Carefully: If a question feels like a trick question, it’s likely you didn’t read it carefully enough. I’ve seen it happen time and time again where students incorrectly understand a question or answer because it wasn’t carefully read first. The vocabulary and grammar on the real exam has a high level of purpose.
- Manage Your Time Wisely: You have 90 minutes to complete the exam, which means you have around 3 minutes per question. However, some questions may require more time and attention than others, so manage your time wisely and don’t spend too much time on a single question.
- Do Not Skip Questions: If you encounter a difficult question, take your best guess, mark the question number, and move on to the next one. You can come back to it later if you have time.
Mastering the Exam Content
- Understand the Scrum Framework: Make sure you understand the Scrum framework, the accountabilities, events, and artifacts, as well as their interactions and dependencies. The Scrum Guide is the primary source of this knowledge, but you should also be able to apply it in complex scenarios. Practice applying Scrum in real-world situations to improve your understanding.
- Focus on the Principles: Scrum is based on agile principles such as transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Make sure you understand these principles and how they guide the Scrum framework. Some questions can be answered solely based on the principles.
- Know Your Role: As a Scrum Master, you have a specific role in the Scrum framework, which is to facilitate the Scrum process and help the team improve. Make sure you understand your role and accountabilities, as well as the interactions with other roles in Scrum.
Why Practice Tests are Essential
Practice tests are essential to help you prepare for the Scrum Master PSM II exam. They provide you with an opportunity to assess your knowledge and skills, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and gain confidence in your ability to pass the exam. There are many practice tests and questions on the internet to choose from, however, it’s difficult to know if they are kept up to date or even correct. The Exam Prep for PSM II was created to solve this problem and provide the best chance for passing the exam.
How to Use Practice Tests to Improve Your Scores
To get the most out of practice tests, you should use them as follows:
- Get a Baseline: Start by assessing your readiness for the Scrum Master PSM II exam by taking the exams the first time through just to see where you’re currently at. Don’t spend too much time preparing or getting a baseline as it’s just a starting point and will gradually improve.
- Focus on Your Weaknesses: After getting a baseline, focus on your weaknesses by reviewing the explanations provided for each question. Make sure you understand why certain answers are correct and others are not.
- Identify the Principles: Every question is linked to or based on an underlying concept or theory. Truly understanding the “what” and “why” of a question will reduce exam stress and make it significantly easier.
- Take Full-Length Practice Tests: Once you have mastered the questions and answers, take full-length practice tests to simulate the actual exam experience. Use the results to identify any remaining knowledge gaps and areas for improvement.
Conclusion
Passing the Scrum Master PSM II exam requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and mindset. You need to have a deep understanding of Scrum theory and practices, as well as the ability to apply them in complex scenarios. You also need to manage your time wisely during the exam and demonstrate true leadership. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this article and using resources like the Exam Prep for PSM II, you can increase your chances of passing the exam on your first try and becoming a certified Professional Scrum Master II. Good luck!
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Those who hold the PSM II certification have proven their ability to apply Scrum principles and practices in complex real-world situations. The PSM II assessment evaluates your ability to use Scrum to solve complex problems and optimize value delivery. The exam consists of 30 multiple-choice questions, and you have 90 minutes to complete it. The passing score for the PSM II assessment is 85%.
Official PSM II™ exam details:
- Passing score: 85%
- Time limit: 90 minutes
- Number of Questions: 30
- Format: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer and True/False
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Language: English only
- Fee: $250 USD per attempt
- Carefully read and understand the Scrum Guide.
- Read the PSM II subject areas and how it can be applied to the Scrum framework.
- Read the article Professional Scrum Competencies to understand framework application.
- Read the article Managing Products with Agility with a focus on how it applies to Scrum without compromising the fundamentals.
- Repeat the PSM I Open, PSPO I Open, PSD I Open, and Scrum Open .
- Take ScrumPrep’s Exam Prep for Scrum Master (PSM II™) practices questions and simulation exam until you consistently score 90-100%.
The time it takes to prepare for the exam depends on your previous experience with Scrum and your learning style. On average, it takes 1-2 months of preparing for the exam, however, it can be taken in less time depending on how much you’ve already mastered.
The exam is updated periodically to ensure that it remains relevant and up-to-date with the latest practices. Be sure to check for updates and changes to the exam content before taking the exam.
The PSM I and PSM II exams are both certification exams for Scrum Masters, but they differ in their level of difficulty and focus. The PSM I exam is designed to assess your fundamental understanding of Scrum, while the PSM II exam is more advanced and evaluates your ability to apply the Scrum framework and its principles in given complex scenarios and use cases.
Yes, you can take the exam multiple times if you don’t pass on the first attempt. However, you need to pay for each attempt.
Passing the PSM II assessment demonstrates your advanced knowledge of Scrum and your ability to apply it in complex situations.
Benefits of passing the PSM II assessment include demonstrating your ability to apply Scrum principles and practices in complex situations, which can lead to career advancement opportunities and a competitive edge in the job market. Additionally, passing the PSM II assessment can increase your earning potential, provide a foundation for further Scrum certifications, such as the PSM III or the SPS certification, and enhance your coaching and mentoring skills.
There is no prerequisite to taking the PSM II Certification assessment. You can take the PSM II assessment if you feel you already possess a high level of Scrum knowledge, in-depth Scrum experience, and applying Scrum to solve advanced, complex problems in the real world.
The certification does not expire, and there is no need for renewal. However, staying up-to-date with the latest techniques and skills are crucial for maintaining your professional edge.
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