Renewing your Certification

Scrum Alliance recommends that all certificants remain active in their learning journey. That’s why we offer renewal with continuing education credits (SEUs/PDUs) at every level of certification—from foundational (CSM®, CSPO®, CSD®) to advanced (A-CSMSM, A-CSPOSM) to professional (CSP®-SM, CSP®-PO, CSP®) and guide levels (CST®, CTC, CEC). 

We know that you could take other, less strenuous paths—just grab the cheapest and quickest set of initials to put on your LinkedIn profile. But we all chose Scrum Alliance certification because we know that true agility doesn’t come in an app and can’t be packaged in a box. 

True agility—sustainable agility—is a long journey of small, incremental steps—not a one-and-done transaction. Those who succeed rely on a continuous cycle of assessment, education, and improvement and lean into the Scrum values of focus, openness, respect, commitment, and courage. By remaining active with Scrum Alliance, you’ll find help, support, and encouragement along your learning journey as a part of the largest network of certified agilists in the world.

Remain Active with Scrum Alliance

Remaining active (or reinstating your active status) with Scrum Alliance has a few components:

  1. Earn an additional certification. Every time you advance in your agile journey and earn a new certification from Scrum Alliance, your current certifications will automatically renew.

  2. Every two years, demonstrate your engagement with the agile community. Whatever you have been doing in the past two years to keep learning and growing will work. One hour of effort equals one continuing education credit. (We call our credits Scrum Education Units® but they can be PDUs or any other form of CEU.)

    There are literally hundreds of ways to gain continuing education credits (SEUs, PDUs, etc.) for free:
    1. Read books, blogs and articles about any agile practice, principle, or framework. 
    2. Contribute to a local agile or Scrum User Group. 
    3. Participate in agile lunch-and-learns at your place of business.
    4. Come to live webinar events or watch pre-recorded webinars.
    5. Demonstrate learning in some other, creative way. 
    6. Watch our free Scrum Foundations e-learning videos.
    7. Enroll and participate in the free, online Path to Coaching program.
    8. Attend an agile or Scrum event.  
  1. Pay an administrative fee (see below). As a non-profit organization, we reinvest these fees in face-to-face engagement and increased understanding around the world via regional gatherings, user groups, research grants, scholarships, and more.

That’s it. Really.

Ready to renew?
 
Renew Now  


 

Foundational, Advanced, and Professional Renewal Requirements

The number of continuing education credits needed to renew varies by certification. (Effective 4 February 2019) 

Certification (Two-Year Term)

SEUs Required

Fee Per Term

Foundational : CSM®, CSPO®, or CSD®

20

$100

Advanced: A-CSMSM or A-CSPOSM

30

$175

Professional: CSP®-SM, CSP®-PO, or CSP®

40

$250
 


Need to calculate your necessary SEUs? Check out the SEU Calculator. 
 

Benefit from Your Engagement with Scrum Alliance

  • Link your Scrum Alliance digital badge to your LinkedIn account.
  • Start a local Scrum user group with support and backing from Scrum Alliance.
  • CSPs have complimentary access to our exclusive Comparative Agility tool.

We are always looking for ways to serve you better. We’d love to hear what else we can do to help you transform your world of work.
 

FAQs

I don’t have to be active to get or keep a job, so why should I renew?

True, you might not have to be active to get or keep your job. But you aren’t just trying to get or keep a job. You are trying to excel at your job—to stand out from the crowd and to bring sustainable agility to your own world or work. Part of being an excellent agilist is a commitment to lifelong learning and a connection to others throughout the world to help you learn and grow in your craft.
 

Renewing your certification and completing your SEUs/PDUs helps to remind you to set aside time for reading, writing, speaking, taking e-learning courses, or attending webinars—all options we offer for free and that will make you a better ScrumMaster, team member, or Product Owner. Maintaining your connection to Scrum Alliance means you are never alone on your journey.
 

I know Scrum already. Are you saying my knowledge expires?

Knowledge never expires. But by the same token, learning never stops. We live in a world of constant change, and if you aren’t working hard to stay ahead, you will fall behind.Scrum is no exception. The framework itself has evolved through the years and may well continue, so it’s important to remain up to date. That’s why we believe that being an engaged member of an agile community—which means completing continuing education activities like reading, writing, speaking, taking a free e-learning course, attending complimentary webinars, and more—will ultimately make you a better agilist and a more effective change agent in the world of work.

 

I paid for all of my employees to get their CSM. Why do I have to pay for them to renew it?

You invested a significant amount of money in acquiring an initial level of learning and knowledge for your employees. It makes sense to invest a tiny fraction of that money to ensure they maintain and increase their agile understanding. 

For you—and for us—learning isn’t a one-and-done event.  Learning is a lifelong journey. Encouraging your employees to retain active certification status is an easy way for you to hold your members accountable to their commitment to continuous improvement and to offer them opportunities to advance in their careers. It’s also a guarantee that they will be up to date on the latest agile advancements. 

We want every learner to find time to read, write, speak, or take the free Scrum Alliance e-learning courses/ webinars we offer—and we want them to do it throughout their learning journey. We believe you do too. 

 

What’s the difference between an active and inactive certificate holder?

At Scrum Alliance, active certificants are those who have made the choice to continue their learning journey through any number of means, including reading, speaking, writing, and continuing education. Active certificants build on a solid foundation of transactional learning to grow more agile and to build expertise in their craft. 

If someone is inactive, their certification expiration date has passed. All certificants have a 90-day grace period to renew before their certification becomes inactive.

 

I have multiple certifications? What do I do?

You will need to submit the full amount of required SEUs for your highest-level certification, but you will only be required to submit half the amount of required SEUs for each certification in a different track thereafter. Please visit our Help Center for specific examples.


Need to calculate your required SEUs? Check out the SEU Calculator
 

How do I maintain my guide-level certification? 

Maintain your active guide level certification with the appropriate set of renewal requirements. For specifics, please see the “Certified Scrum Trainer (CST®), Certified Enterprise Coach (CEC), and Certified Team Coach (CTC) Renewal Program 2018–19" document found on your dashboard under Coach Resources.

Renewing your guide-level certification also renews your other-obtained certifications as applicable.

Note: You will not be eligible to pay your annual CTC, CEC and/or CST fee – and maintain your active certification(s) – until you have fulfilled all renewal requirements.

The fee for your guide level certification is due annually. Near the end of each year, our accounting department will send you an invoice. If you have not received an invoice by the second week of January, please contact accounting@scrumalliance.org. For more information, please visit our Help Center.