Confused about Scrum

I can't provide much information except, I've completed the PSM 1 and found that very aligned with the Scrum Guide and therefore Scrum.  I've watched someone take the CSM and found at least one of the questions did not align with the Scrum Guide (I believe it implied, if not outright saying, the PO can participate at the Daily Scrum). 

Personally, I'd lean towards Scrum.org's PSM. 

Hi citi market,

I am certified under all three schemes. In short, CSM is a good starting point, however the certification is ridiculously easy and with no real market value to be honest. The seminar itself is good to get a very basic knowledge of scrum. PMI-ACP is not focusing on Scrum but on other framewroks/methodologies as well such as Kanban, XP, Crystal etc. I didn't find the exam to be very challenging. Someone with some "agile experience" and preparation can pass it easily.

If you really wish to lean more about Scrum, then I strongly advise you to follow the PSM track. Especially the preparation for the PSM II and PSM III exams helped me to see and understand the broader picture. In short: go for PSM I, II and III.

Of course, keep in mind that just being certified is not a panacea. Keep challenging your knowledge while collecting new experiences and validating your experimentation results.

Good luck :-)

Thanks for your input very helpfull

I think the PSM is a better certificate mainly due to the fact that the certification exam is a tough exam. Higher passing rate, it is timed, you cannot stop in the middle of the exam and go back to where you left off. The CSM has a low passing rate (like 60 something %), not timed, and you can stop in the middle of the exam and go back whenever you want to complete. 

The challenge is breaking into a Scrum role with just the certification because many recruiters do not know the difference and since the CSM has been around longer, that is what they look for. Those in the Scrum world know the PSM is a better certification.