Learn the essentials of working as a ScrumMaster or Scrum team member in this course. While the Scrum Alliance provides a list of core concepts that must be covered in the class, each instructor creates his or her own material, allowing courses to differ based on the strengths, interests, and experiences of the instructor.

Course Description

This two-day course not only provides the fundamental principles of Scrum, it also gives participants hands-on experience using Scrum. This course puts theory into action through a variety of exercises. During the course, attendees will learn why such a seemingly simple process such as Scrum can have such profound effects on an organization. Participants gain practical experience working with Scrum tools and activities such as the product backlog, sprint backlog, daily Scrum meetings, sprint planning meeting, and burndown charts. Participants leave knowing how to apply Scrum to all sizes of projects, from a single collocated team to a large, highly distributed team.

Following successful completion of the course, you will be qualified and ready to pass the new Scrum Alliance certification test. This multiple-choice, online test is required to become a Certified ScrumMaster, which includes a one-year membership in the Scrum Alliance, where additional ScrumMaster-only material and information are available. For more information on the certification exam, see this page about the CSM exam.

You Will Learn

• Practical, project-proven practices
• The essentials of getting a project off on the right foot
• How to write user stories for the product backlog
• Why there's more to leading a self-organizing team than buying pizza and getting out of the way
• How to help both new and experienced teams be more successful
• How to successfully scale Scrum to large, multi-continent projects with team sizes in the hundreds
• Tips and tricks from the instructor’s ten-plus years of using Scrum in a wide variety of environments
• What you need to know to pass the Scrum Alliance certification test (for attendees of classes ending after September 30, 2009)

Combine This Class with Other Training

This class will be preceeded by an Effective User Stories class and followed by an Agile Estimating and Planning class in the same location. You can attend these classes separately or together.

What You Get

• High quality training from an industry expert
• Recognition by the Scrum Alliance as a Certified ScrumMaster after passing a short certification exam
• A hot lunch buffet and afternoon biscuits
• A one-year membership in the Scrum Alliance, a $50 value
• A printed and bound copy of the course materials

Onsite

Don’t see a date and location you like? Want to train a team or department without the hassle of travel? This course is available for onsite delivery. Contact Mike Cohn at (720) 890-6110 or by e-mail at Contact Mike Cohn.

Brochure

Download a PDF brochure with additional information.

Professional Development Units (PDUs)

PMPs: You can receive 15 PDUs for this course. 

• Overview of Scrum
  • Why Scrum works
  • What Scrum is
  • Origins
• Sprints
  • Potentially shippable
  • Architecture on a Scrum project
  • Sprint length and release sprints
  • Abnormal terminations
• The ScrumMaster
  • Responsibilities and mindset
  • Situational ScrumMastering
  • ScrumMaster as team member
• The Product Owner
  • Description and responsibilities
  • Sharing the vision
• Product backlog
  • User stories on the product backlog
  • Backlog-writing workshops
  • INVEST in your backlog
• Meetings
  • The daily scrum
  • Sprint review
  • Sprint retrospective
• Sprint planning
  • Prioritization and the sprint goal
  • Sprint planning meeting
• Release planning
  • Velocity
  • Estimating the product backlog
  • Release planning meeting
• Tracking progress
  • Burndown charts
  • Task boards
• The team
  • Composition and cross-functionality
  • Organizing
• Scalability
  • The scrum of scrums
  • Focus of initial sprints
  • Shared vs. specific product backlogs
  • Scaling the product owner
  • Getting started

Whether you’re a manager, programmer, tester, analyst, product manager, or someone interested in working on or with a Scrum team, this course is suited for you. You will leave with solid knowledge of how and why Scrum works. Through practical, hands-on exercises and small-group discussion you will be prepared to plan your first sprint immediately after this class.