CSM vs PSM1

Which route to take?

This is the question that I've been asking myself for some time now. Do I go down the Scrum Alliance route and take the Certified ScrumMaster course, or the Scrum.org route and the Professional Scrum Master training?

The CSM route seems to be the 'easier' route, a two day course and then an example where the pass grade is 69% and this is why I say it's easier, because the PSM1 exam has a pass grade of 85%

The cost of the two routes also has an effect on which path to take. The CSM is a minimum of £995 + VAT if taken in Leeds, and it's more if taken in London. Where with PSM1 you can do a course but you can just take the exam for $150.

I've taken the online exam prep course for PSM1 and now getting around the 90% mark, which means that I could take the course now and pass, but would I lose out on anything if I didn't take the CSM course?

Of course if during the changes at my current company means that there is an 'Agile' role been created then I could get the company to pay for the CSM course and I could pay myself for the PSM1 exam? This way I wouldn't have to make a choice and could have both? But then would this just delay the choice I have to make if/when I wanted to take the A-CSM or PSMII

Agile Bert - Who is Bert and why?

I thought that it was about time that I started blogging about my 'Agile' life. I've been a programmer/developer/engineer for the last 20 years, and it's time for the next phase of my career, which I'm hoping it will be more around helping companies and people adopt and improve their working practices by using the agile principles!

You may be thinking that I'm called Bert, but that's not the case I'm actually called John. I came to be called Bert when I work in Leeds many years ago. One of the developers on the day that I started for this company, what to call me Albert, due to my surname been Hall - make it Albert Hall. This was something that I just wasn't up for, it's not that I have anything against the Royal Albert Hall, I just didn't and still don't like the name Albert. So I said that if you short it to Bert then that would be OK with me, and it has stuck since then!

I'm hoping that the company that I'm currently working for will provide good opportunities to expand my agile knowledge and practices, as we are currently going through a restructuring and change in working practices to meet the challenges that are facing us.

I plan on blogging more on this 'Agile' journey that I've embarked on. You never know I could discover something on my travels!!