The A-CSM® expands on the CSM® certification to provide Scrum Masters and agile leaders with practical tools and skills designed to enhance their effectiveness in teams and organizations. Upon completion of the A-CSM® course and 12 months of Scrum experience, students will be conferred the A-CSM® certification from Scrum Alliance. The A-CSM® certification is the next step to achieving the CSP-SM certification.

This course is designed for the Scrum Master who has the desire to grow their skillset and become more confident in the concepts and techniques necessary to progress in their career. For those looking to differentiate themselves from the pack, A-CSM® certification arms Scrum Masters with new skills and an industry-recognized distinction from other Scrum Masters. Agile coaches, consultants, program and project managers, facilitators, and technical leaders can all benefit tremendously by building on their CSM® certification with the A-CSM®. Below is a summary of the topics covered in our A-CSM® course. The learning experience covers all elements of the Content Outline and Learning Objectives identified by Scrum Alliance, presented in an interactive and exercise-based format.

Pre-Course Homework

Prior to attending class, students will complete a homework assignment designed to familiarize them with concepts that will be covered during the course, and explore real-world experiences in preparation for class discussions. Students are asked to set aside up to three hours to complete this pre-course assignment.

Scrum Reset

This module focuses on the fundamental aspects of Scrum that students learned during their CSM® course. It concludes with a quiz that reinforces knowledge in the topics that form the basis of the rest of the course.

Foundations

This module concentrates on the foundational elements of Scrum, and agility as a whole. It includes focusing on values and principles, discussing Scrum at a high level, and exploring alternatives to Scrum.

Self

This module is oriented towards the learner themselves, including personal reflection and evaluation relative to Scrum values. It then shifts towards learning, demonstrating, and practicing facilitative listening and the neutral coaching stance.

Facilitation

This module explores a mix of facilitation techniques and concepts. Highlights include interactive demonstrations of coaching techniques and the journey to developing a Product Backlog from the Product Vision.

Discussions

This module contains exercises to help participants in the conversations they are sure to be a part of. Students facilitate discussions around the Definition of Done, and develop a Lean Coffee session to discuss their own techniques to improve organizations.

Teamwork

This module highlights the role of the Scrum team. Exercises focus on attributes of an excellent agile team, and how this team would approach various challenges and impediments.

Organization

This module branches out from the team and looks at more organizational concepts, including technical practices and scaling frameworks. The module finishes with a focus on group dynamics and team-based decision-making techniques.

Presentation

Teams of participants evaluate a set of artifacts and case studies, similar to a scenario they may confront in the real-world. Based on their learning's and practical application of Scrum, each team creates, refines, and delivers an oral response, showcasing their strategic and tactical approach to the rest of the class.

Certification Eligibility

The A-CSM® is an advanced course intended for experienced and practicing Scrum Team members. Anyone may attend the course, however students must fulfill the following criteria for A-CSM® certification:

1. Students must have an active Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®) certification with Scrum Alliance.
2. Students must participate in the full two days of class. Missing more than 30 total minutes of class may result in loss of eligibility.
3. To complete the certification process, students must have, and upload to their Scrum Alliance profile, at least 12 months of role-specific experience. This is evaluated directly by Scrum Alliance to determine fulfillment of this certification requirement.

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