Professional Scrum Master - Advanced

Professional Scrum Master™ – Advanced (PSM-A) course is a 2-day advanced Scrum Master class designed to support Scrum Masters in their professional development. The PSM-A class is intended for Scrum Masters with at least one year of experience who want to grow their knowledge and abilities as a Scrum Master. This course is one step in that journey. The course also includes a free attempt at the globally recognized Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II) certification exam. 

Unlike the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) course which focuses on how to use Scrum, the Scrum framework and the role of the Scrum Master, PSM-A is an advanced course helping students to understand the stances that characterize an effective Scrum Master and servant-leader while diving deep into how they serve the Scrum Team, Product Owner and organization. The class then teaches students about related practices and skills to enable them to have the right types of conversations and how to apply them to become better Scrum Masters.

The course includes two complimentary attempts at the globally recognized Professional Scrum Master II certification exam (PSM II), ensuring a second opportunity in case of an unsuccessful first attempt.

Group discount: 10% off for group bookings of 3 or more, automatically applied at checkout.

Pricing: Excludes VAT. VAT applies to UK customers only and will be added automatically at checkout.

See what previous attendees said about the course 

What You Will Learn

Over the 2 days, students will learn about areas critical to growing as a successful Scrum Master such as how the principles and values of Scrum help guide Scrum Masters in the decisions they make and how the Scrum Master can help change the environment of Scrum Teams, creating an environment for agility to thrive. The Scrum Master role is complex and often, a Scrum Master must be able to apply different stances in order to be effective, such as:

• The Scrum Master as a Teacher
• The Scrum Master as a Coach & Mentor
• The Scrum Master as a Facilitator
• The Scrum Master as a Change Agent

As a Scrum Master, being able to identify, and effectively apply, which stance would benefit your team the most depending on the situation or circumstance could prove to be the key to the success of your team.

As a Scrum Master, part of your role is to help management and other stakeholders across your organization to understand the benefits of Scrum and Agile. Therefore, you must have the information and background that is needed to gain credibility to be an effective change agent. Throughout the class, your PST will provide stories, exercises, facilitation techniques (such as “Liberating Structures”), resources and more.

There will also be time in class for the Professional Scrum Trainer (PST) to provide coaching on challenges that you and your classmates may be experiencing today or may in the future.

Course Objectives

• What practices, tools, skills and stances make an effective Scrum Master
• How the Scrum principles and values help guide Scrum Masters in the decisions they make
• How the Scrum Master acts as a servant-leader and improve their ability in this role
• What the Scrum Master can do to support Developers and Product Owners to become more effective
• Ways that the Scrum Master can help to change the environment making it more conducive for Scrum Teams to be successful with greater agility
• Provide tips and techniques for the Scrum Master to work with the rest of the organization in support of their Scrum Teams
• Improve effects on the organization of a successful Scrum Master
• Dealing with team conflict
• Removing impediments
• Communicating the importance of a "Done" Increment
• How to support the Scrum Team
• Understanding the challenges of middle management

Course Topics

• Effects on the organization of a successful Scrum Master
• Dealing with complexity and servant leadership
• Dealing with team conflict
• Removing impediments
• Facilitation techniques
• The Importance of a "Done"
• Increment
• The Sprint Goal
• Refresh the purpose of the Scrum Events
• The role of management in Scrum
• Successful product delivery
• Measurement in Scrum
• How to support the Product Owner
• Scrum Master as a change agent

Who Should Attend

The Professional Scrum Master - Advanced course is an advanced course specifically designed for experienced Scrum Masters who have a thorough understanding of the Scrum framework.  It is particularly beneficial for those people with at least one year of Scrum Master experience.

Certification & Assessments

All participants completing the Professional Scrum Master - Advanced course will receive a password to attempt the Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II) assessment. PSM-A class participants who attempt the PSM II assessment within 14 days of receiving their free password and do not score at least 85% will be granted a 2nd attempt at no additional cost. You are also entitled to a 40% discount on the PSM III assessment. These industry-recognized PSM certifications require a minimum passing score.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is this course online?

Yes, this course has been converted from a face to face training course to a "virtual" training experience. You can take this training from the comfort of your own home, but means you need to have internet.

How does the online experience differ from the face to face training?

We all adjusting to this new reality and need to social distance. We've been surprised by how similar the online experience is to the face to face one and how engaged the students have been throughout the day. The feedback has been excellent from students who've taken the online training, along with the assessment results.

What experience do I need to attend?

This an advanced course specifically designed for experienced Scrum Masters who have a thorough understanding of the Scrum framework. At least one year of Scrum Master experience is suggested.

What is included in the price?

The price includes course materials, the PSM II assessment, lifetime certification from Scrum.org and a 40% discount on the PSM III assessment.

How do I achieve the Professional Scrum Master I (PSM II) certification?

The PSM II certification is achieved by taking and passing an online assessment in your own time following the course. It can be taken from any internet-connected computer.

What is required to achieve the Professional Scrum Master II (PSM II) certification?

The PSM II assessment is comprised of 30 multiple-choice questions that must be completed in 90 minutes. The pass mark is 85%.

What are the course hours? Courses start at 09:00 and finish at 17:00 each day.

How many people will attend? Our courses are kept small to ensure a premium experience. But if our courses ever exceed 10 attendees, then we have a second trainer in our classes.

How should I prepare for the course? The only preparation required is to read the Scrum Guide.

I'm not sure if I have enough experience to take the course. What should I do? Email us at info@bagile.co.uk and we will advise you.

Can I claim PMI PDU credits for attending the course? Yes. You can claim 14 PDU's for attending a course.

Can I pay via credit/debit card? Yes. Please select the 'Pay with Credit/Debit card' option when you register.

Can I register now and pay via invoice later? Yes. Upon registering choose the option "Pay by Invoice" and we will get in touch. Or email us at info@bagile.co.uk with your details.

Can I register without paying VAT? For virtual format courses only and for those who live outside the UK. Upon registering, VAT will be automatically correctly applied, or not, on checkout.  Or email us at info@bagile.co.uk to find out more.

Where can I find your course booking and cancellation policies? Visit our public course policy page.

Where can I contact the trainer with further questions? You can email them at info@bagile.co.uk

Live virtual (online) class. You will need a PC/laptop that can run Zoom.us, headset/speakers, microphone, webcam and an internet connection to participate. Contact info@bagile.co.uk for more information.

The Advanced PSM course will use Mural / Miro for collaboration. The latest version of the Chrome browser provides the best performance.