The apparent confusion around CSM or PMP has been going on for a while. The project management world has changed a lot in the last 20 years. Many new project management certifications came out. The professionals are perplexed and ask the question about which certification they should get?
The answer to this question is not that simple. All certifications are valuable because they serve a purpose. So, which one is best will be based on the personal circumstances and career aspirations of every individual certification seeker.
Though there are several agile certifications, CSM is the most popular one. Therefore we will discuss CSM and PMP in this article. CSM stands for Certified Scrum Master, while PMP is an abbreviation of Project Management Professional.
Discussion in this article assumes that your organization prefers the Scrum method over other agile methods
CSM or PMP: Description
Many people see these two certifications as if they compete. However, when we compare what they present, we see some clear distinctions.
The description for CSM says it is a certification that will prepare you to…
“help your Scrum Team perform at their highest level. Through the certification process, you’ll learn the Scrum framework and gain an understanding of team roles, events, and artifacts…”
PMP is not specific to any industry or function. It relates to all types of projects that the stakeholders want to manage. Anyone who is involved in a project, in addition to the project manager, will benefit from PMP certification.
The article ‘What is PMP certification? Who is it for?’ provides more details.
Wade Harshman points out a noteworthy fact that the scrum guide is the size of the description of the project manager in the PMBOK guide. The material and knowledge covered by the PMP exam are manifold than the CSM exam. The reason is that PMP encompasses all types of projects: small to the large, waterfall to agile to hybrid, across industries and functions.
CSM or PMP: Comparison
PMP certification is more generalist in nature, where it tests a candidate’s understanding and knowledge of the project management domain and framework. The framework includes agile methods. In contrast, CSM is a methodology focused on testing the competency in implementing the scrum method.
The requirements for these certifications are different from each other. The following figure gives you a comparison.
CSM or PMP: Certification effort
There is a big difference in terms of how much effort is needed to pass the exams.
CSM exam can be taken at the end of the 2 -3 days long course with a minimal review of the class material. As the exam is quite easy with a very high percentage of participants passing on their first try, there is no need to spend time studying and reviewing the material.
On the other hand, the PMP exam typically requires 1-3 months of preparation. A PMP candidate is to create a study plan then exert the effort to learn and practice as per that plan.
Indeed one big reason is that the material covered by the PMP exam is substantially more than the CSM exam. Another reason is that a large number of PMP exam questions are situational questions that ask for the application of theory. This challenge requires a thorough understanding of the concepts.
CSM or PMP: Which one to choose?
In some cases, the decision is not that complicated. Yet, in others, it might require some exhaustive analysis to decide in favor of one. We discuss a few common scenarios below in the context of personal circumstances and preferences. We think you can still extend these cases to apply your situation if it does not fall under any of these scenarios.
Case 1: Beginner in project management
If you are in the early years of your project management career, your choice may be quite obvious. As mentioned in the comparison section above, one eligibility requirement for the PMP exam is that the candidate must have 3-5 years of experience in leading and managing projects. Now, if you have do not have the experience or it is not enough to meet the requirement, then evidently, you cannot take the PMP exam.
At this time, you can go for the CSM certification. You can decide a few years later if you should get the PMP certification. Your decision will benefit from the latest happenings on the certification front.
Case 2: Mid-career in project management
Someone with several years of experience in leading and managing projects will need some introspection, as well as a comparison of which of the two certifications will meet the current goals. So we will use several scenarios to look into case 2.
Scenario A
You have multi-year project management experience working on mostly agile projects in the software development industry. You are contemplating CSM or PMP decision.
If you plan to keep working on agile projects within the same industry, then you may want to first go for CSM certification.
However, if you feel some stagnation in your career and you plan to take on a much larger size, longer duration, and diverse projects, then PMP will be a better choice to go with before you take the CSM. We would recommend getting both certifications.
Scenario B
You are working in the construction industry as a project manager with about 10 years of experience. Having heard good things about both CSM and PMP certifications, you decided to obtain one of these two certifications. You plan to continue working in the same industry. Besides, it is highly unlikely that you will be able to start working in other industries without some sort of education and exposure.
We will recommend that you should take the PMP route. CSM may not provide you any benefit soon because neither construction projects are transforming to agile methods, nor are you planning to leave the industry.
Scenario C
You have over 14 years of experience in diverse functions and have worked on projects in construction, information technology, marketing, and social services. These projects deployed waterfall, agile, and hybrid approaches. You do not have any intention to stick to one industry or function. At this time, you are looking into various certifications and thinking of either CSM or PMP.
You may decide to go first for any of the two certifications. As discussed earlier, effort-wise PMP will require a significant investment of time. However, you can take the CSM exam on the last day of the 2-3 days course. Current course content shows that PMP covers a few agile concepts that overlap with CSM.
We would recommend that you take both certifications to make your profile and resume stronger than before. You will be better prepared to take on diverse projects.
Scenario D
You have 7-10 years of experience exclusively in the waterfall or agile life cycle, but not both. When you lost your job, you started thinking of upgrading your resume by getting a certification.
You have heard many good stories, but you are unsure which one will be better for you. You are open to work on projects with a new lifecycle that you never worked on before.
This scenario is a bit complicated. It is hard for us or anyone else to recommend one or the other certification. However, there is one crucial point you should consider assuming that you are eligible for both certifications. Finding a job in an industry or domain with zero knowledge and experience solely relying on certification may not bear the fruit you are expecting. In other words, if you have never worked on an agile project before, a CSM certification may not open a door at the same level as your career. You may have to downgrade to start working at the beginner level. Think of it as a second career though you are fundamentally still doing project management.
Therefore, if your immediate target is to get a job, go for CSM if you have agile experience and PMP if you have experience in the waterfall life cycle.
Case 3: Highly experienced in project management
You are in the later part of your project management career and maybe thinking of getting a certification but undecided which one.
First, you should read the article ‘Is PMP certification worth it? Find out in 4 steps’ and identify your reason for the motivation.
It is possible that your organization is taking on more and more agile projects, and you see this as an opportunity to move into the agile realm. This move is a good idea. We would recommend that you should get the CSM certification.
If you are planning to make a move from an employee to freelance or consultant, then we suggest that you should take at least one but preferably both certifications.
Conclusion
To sum up the discussion, we compared CSM and PMP certifications for different scenarios.
In some cases, the decision seems quite simple in favor of one option or the other. However, in most scenarios, the decision of which one first requires a thorough evaluation. We have given our thoughts, but you should look at all the circumstances and then select the best choice.
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