Passed PSM I - Some Thoughts

I passed the PSM I today with a score of 92.5%. This was a DIFFICULT exam. The open assessment topics were barely touched upon, and I took the open assessment many times until I was able to get 100% every time, several times in a row. If you can't do this, don't even attempt the real thing!

The suggested reading material was invaluable, as well as participation in these forums. However, there is still NO BETTER substitute than actual hands-on experience, sorry to say.

A few things about the quality of the test...

I would consider this is a somewhat subjective exam (contrast with math problems which are completely objective). So, there is always room for ambiguity when English language is involved. One thing to keep in mind is that there may be more than one "correct" answer, but there is a "best" answer, and that's what the exam looks for.

There were several questions about "Sprint 0". This is not mentioned very often in the literature, and I think the the presence of these questions exist to highlight a philosophical distinction between Scrum and Waterfall. There is no such thing as Sprint 0.

Many other questions drew attention to the fact that the Development Team is autonomous. That is, the Scrum Master is not a babysitter or a boss. They are a servant leader.

I'm happy to answer any questions about the exam if I can.

Now, onto PSPO!

- Mark