Scrum · Exam difficulty
Is the PSM I exam hard?
Short answer: the content is small, the exam is not easy. 85% to pass leaves room for only 12 mistakes, and the questions punish half-remembered Scrum Guide wording. Here's what that means in practice.
Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) from Scrum.org is the most popular Scrum Master certification. It tests whether you understand the Scrum Guide deeply enough to apply it — not just recite it.
The honest difficulty rating
Moderate. The Scrum Guide is only about 13 pages, so the syllabus is small. The difficulty comes from three things: the high passing score, the tight time limit, and answer options that are almost right. People with years of "real-world Scrum" often do worse than newcomers, because their company's version of Scrum differs from the Guide.
The exam at a glance
- Questions: 80.
- Time: 60 minutes — 45 seconds per question.
- Passing score: 85% (68 correct).
- Question types: multiple choice, multiple answer, true/false.
- Cost: $150–200 per attempt depending on the current Scrum.org price, taken online.
- Prerequisite: none — no course required.
- Validity: lifetime, no renewal fee.
What actually trips people up
Accountabilities
Who is accountable for the Product Backlog, who owns the Sprint Backlog, who removes impediments. Many wrong answers give the Scrum Master authority they don't have.
"Must" vs. "should" vs. "can"
The Guide is precise about what is mandatory. The Daily Scrum is 15 minutes and for the Developers; the Sprint Goal is created during Sprint Planning; a Sprint is one month or less. Options that sound sensible but add rules the Guide doesn't have are wrong.
Commitments
Product Goal, Sprint Goal and Definition of Done — which artifact each commits to, and what happens to work that doesn't meet the Definition of Done.
The clock
45 seconds per question is enough only if you don't need to look things up. Searching the Guide mid-exam is the most common way to run out of time.
How long to study
One to three weeks. Read the Scrum Guide three times — slowly — then switch to timed practice exams and reread the Guide sections behind every mistake.
How to know you're ready
When you consistently score 95% or more on timed practice exams, book it — the margin protects you against the trickier wording on the real exam. Start with our free PSM I practice questions.
Already thinking about the next step? See PSM I vs PSM II: which first?
Practice exams
Pass PSM I on the first try
Timed practice exams aligned with the 2020 Scrum Guide — every answer explained.
Get PSM I Practice Exams on Udemy →Full question banks on Udemy · free sample questions here need no signup
Common questions
Is PSM I hard?
The content is small but precise. The 85% bar and 45 seconds per question make it harder than it looks.
Is PSM I open book?
It's taken online without a proctor, but there's no time to look things up. Treat it as closed book.
Do I need a course?
No. A Scrum.org course is optional; you can buy the assessment directly.
Does PSM I expire?
No. It's a lifetime certification.
