PSM I
PSM I is Scrum.org's foundational, lifetime-valid certification proving you understand the Scrum framework as written in the Scrum Guide. It is famously unforgiving: 80 questions, just 60 minutes, and a hard 85% pass bar — so candidates who treat it as a quick read-through often fail and forfeit the $200 attempt fee. This page breaks down exactly what's tested, how the open-book online assessment works, and how to get it done right the first time.
Pay Only After You Pass
No upfront fee — you settle only after your verified passing score. We advertise guaranteed results — 100% pass guaranteed or money back.
How the PSM I assessment is built — at a glance
80
A mix of multiple choice, multiple answer, true/false, and short scenario items, all drawn straight from the Scrum Guide and the Scrum framework.
60
About 45 seconds per question. The clock is the real enemy — there is no time to look up answers despite the open-book format.
85%
You must answer at least 68 of 80 correctly. The result is pass/fail with your percentage — there is no partial credit and no curve.
You buy a password from Scrum.org for $200, then start the assessment whenever you're ready from any browser. The 60-minute timer begins on launch and does not pause. You can flag questions and revisit them, but once you submit — or the clock hits zero — the result is final for that attempt.
Scoring is immediate. Pass at 85% or higher and you receive a printable PSM I certificate, a digital badge, and a permanent listing in the Scrum.org credential directory. Miss it and you forfeit the attempt fee — there is no free retake unless you bought through a Professional Scrum Master course.
Everything maps back to the Scrum Guide — these are the core areas the questions hit
How the events, accountabilities, and artifacts fit together as a single, intentionally lightweight framework — and why nothing in it is optional.
Empiricism and lean thinking, the three pillars of transparency, inspection, and adaptation, plus the five Scrum Values that underpin team behaviour.
Accountabilities of the Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Developers — and the self-managing, cross-functional nature of the one Scrum Team.
The Sprint and its four events — Sprint Planning, Daily Scrum, Sprint Review, and Sprint Retrospective — including timeboxes and purpose.
Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, and Increment — plus each artifact's commitment: Product Goal, Sprint Goal, and the Definition of Done.
What "Done" really means, how the Definition of Done creates transparency, and why an undone Increment quietly undermines empiricism.
Scrum.org does not publish numeric domain weights for PSM I, so the cards above show the assessment's stated focus areas rather than fixed percentages. The trickiest questions contrast common workplace habits with what the Scrum Guide actually says — for example, who owns the Sprint Backlog, or whether the Scrum Master is a manager.
One delivery mode — online, unproctored, open book
Unlike most certification exams, PSM I has no test center, no webcam, and no live invigilator. You launch it from a browser whenever you're ready after buying the $200 assessment password. There is no environment scan and no ID check — Scrum.org relies on the difficulty and time pressure to keep the bar meaningful.
You may keep the Scrum Guide and notes open, yet at roughly 45 seconds per question, looking things up mid-exam is a trap that drains your time. Candidates who pass have internalised the Guide so thoroughly that they only verify a handful of borderline items. Knowing the material cold beats browsing it.
No course attendance, prior certification, or experience is required to register. Anyone can buy the assessment password and sit it.
Each $200 password is one attempt. Buying through a Professional Scrum Master course includes one attempt plus a free second try if needed.
You see your score the moment you submit. A pass earns a credential held for life with no renewal fees and no expiry date.
PSM I is the standard entry credential for Scrum practitioners
No requirements to register — but the pass bar is genuinely steep
Difficulty: The concepts look simple, but PSM I trips people up with precise wording, and the 85% bar leaves room for only 12 wrong answers out of 80. The questions deliberately target real-world misconceptions, and the 60-minute clock punishes any hesitation — which is exactly the pressure point our help is designed to remove.
PSM I is a high-pressure, 60-minute test with an 85% bar and a non-refundable $200 attempt fee — the kind of exam where one careless misreading costs you the pass. Exam Assist pairs you with a vetted Scrum specialist and works on a pay-after-you-pass model, so the risk sits with us, not you. No upfront fee, guaranteed results: Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end, and you settle only after the verified result.
Tell us your target date, whether you've bought the Scrum.org password yet, and any past attempt history. Takes a couple of minutes over WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord.
We review your timeline and goal and tell you plainly whether it's realistic — before any money is discussed. If it isn't a fit, we say so.
Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end. You're matched with a Scrum specialist who maps the work around the Scrum Guide, the 60-minute timing, and the 85% threshold — discreetly and confidentially.
You only pay once your passing score is confirmed on your Scrum.org result. No verified result, nothing owed.
Tell us your target date and we'll give you an honest, no-obligation feasibility answer first.
Straight answers about the PSM I assessment
Book your exam help and explore sibling certifications
Pair with a vetted Scrum specialist on a results-first arrangement. No upfront fee — settle only after a verified passing score.
Book exam help PSM IIThe advanced Scrum.org certification for experienced Scrum Masters — the natural next step once you hold PSM I.
View exam CSMScrum Alliance's Scrum Master credential — the main alternative to PSM I, with a required course and a lower pass bar.
View exam CSPOScrum Alliance's product-side credential — a strong complement if your role leans toward the Product Owner accountabilities.
View exam PMI-ACPPMI's broad agile credential covering Scrum, Kanban, Lean, and XP — a natural complement once you hold PSM I.
View examGet expert PSM I help with no upfront fee — you settle only after your verified passing score. Honest feasibility answer first, results-first arrangement always.