The 21st century has become an age of learning, thanks to the cloud platform and other technologies. It is possible to enroll in all kinds of short-term and long-term courses for advancing your knowledge. It helps that diverse institution bring together teams of expert tutors for providing the requisite guidance. One such is Simplilearn. Amongst the many training programs that it conducts, one is Certified Scrum Master.
A Briefing about Scrum and Sprint
Scrum’s founders, Jeff Sutherland and Ken Schwaber, intended it to be a framework for initiating splendid teamwork. Of course, there is a leader to take charge too. Under this individual’s able guidance, team members come together to tackle complex problems effectively. Such issues arise while developing a specific product. The motto is to ensure that it is sustainable and offers the highest possible value to the stakeholders.
Even the duration of the project is fixed. It is generally a month, or even lesser. As an IT professional, you refer to this time-box as a sprint. When the team completes the project, everyone feels the need to evaluate individual and group performances that took place during the sprint. This is the sprint review.
Sprint Review is Essential
The purpose of the sprint review is to encourage each team member to give feedback. It could be positive or negative in nature. Since the leader ensures that the atmosphere remains informal and friendly, without taking status/positions into the picture, everybody feels comfortable. The collected data/feedback undergoes analysis. Thereafter, all the members extend their cooperation in making recommendations. These recommendations may involve finishing incomplete tasks, rectifying mistakes, etc. It is up to the leader and the team members to ensure that everyone does whatever is necessary, prior to the next sprint review.
The meeting generally goes on for four hours. Every member of the team must be present. Even the key stakeholders may attend. However, the product owner makes the decisions regarding which stakeholders to invite for the sprint review. Note that the product owner is not the scrum master. Instead, it is the person who ensures that the product, which the development team creates, offers maximum value to the stakeholders. The product owner is a product designer, project manager, market analyst, business strategist, and customer liaison, all rolled into one!
The Meeting
During the sprint review, various personalities take up various presentations. For instance, the product owner categorizes product backlog items into done and not done. The backlog is all about allotment of tasks to diverse team members, completion/non-completion of these tasks, resources that were/were not brought into play, etc. Based upon the progress made thus far in the concerned project, he/she also extends opinions on target and delivery dates.
The backlog focuses on tasks that team members must take up, resources to use, etc.
The development team replies to queries related to tasks completed and the product increment. It also points out things that worked well and those that did not work well. Finally, it provides an explanation about how it resolved problems that cropped up along the way.
As for the team, it regards the outcome of the sprint review as a guideline for future sprint planning. It does not harp on past mistakes. Instead, it plans for future strategies. The group also awards some thought to how changing market trends might affect the performance of the product. In short, everything connected to the product, including a timeline of launch, budget brought into play, the product’s potential capabilities, etc., enters the discussion. Thus, a sprint review offers a revised product backlog.
Certified Scrum Master
You may attain this certificate only with the blessings of the Scrum Alliance! This certification will prove that you have a good understanding of scrum methodologies. It also proves that you know how to implement them.
Eligibility
If you are keen to move up the IT ladder of success, you may pursue a career as a professional scrum master. However, apply for the training program and clear the exam first! Alternatively, you may be a manager of a scrum team. In case you are already a member of a scrum team in your current workplace, you might wish to become its leader. Encourage the other team members also to sign up for the program. Finally, you might belong to a team, which has no acquaintance with scrum. However, the leader might wish to convert his/her team into a scrum team. Well, then, CSM is perfect for all of you!
Online Classes
As mentioned earlier, you may study for the course from any geographical location. There is self-paced learning, wherein you take classes in alignment with your convenience and comfort level. The other choice is blended learning, wherein you study on your own, as well as contact a personal mentor whenever necessary. You also gain access to interactive classes, wherein highly qualified professionals will instruct you and give apt guidance.
Examination
As per the rules of the Scrum Alliance, merely attending a training program will not do for awarding a certificate. You will have to sit for an exam at the end of it. You may appear for it online. The Alliance outlines all the 50 questions in the multiple-choice format. Since the pass percentage is 75%, you will have to obtain 37 correct answers. Otherwise, the examiner labels you as a failure. The good thing is that you may re-appear for the examination, albeit just once more.
Certification
Once you clear the examination, you need to worry no further! The Scrum Alliance will be happy to declare you a certified scrum master! However, the Alliance also requires you to affix your signature to the Scrum Alliance’s license agreement. As soon as the organization confirms your license, ensure that you complete your profile on its website.
Now, you don’t need to remain content with basic certification for the rest of your career. You are welcome to attempt examinations for advanced courses too.