Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)

Pass rate

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Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) Pass Rate

CSM

The score you need to pass the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) certification exam, what the cut score actually means, and how to read your mock results against it.

74% to pass
50 questions
2/10 difficulty

The number you need to hit

Published cut score for this certification.

Passing score
74%
74% (37 of 50 correct)
Margin
26%
room for wrong answers, on a flat mock
Wrong answers allowed
13
out of 50 questions

Pass score vs pass rate

Two different numbers that get mixed up constantly.

Pass score (cut score)

The scaled score the vendor publishes. For the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) it is 74%. This is the number you can actually prepare against, and it is the one that decides your result on exam day.

Pass rate (percentage of candidates)

The share of candidates who pass. Scrum Alliance generally does not publish this for individual exams, and the numbers you find online usually come from candidate self-reported surveys. We would rather tell you nothing than tell you a figure we cannot source.

Where you lose points

The exam is not scored flat. Each domain carries its own weight, so a domain where you lose everything can sink a score that looks fine on paper.

Scrum Team20%

Losing this domain entirely costs you 20% of the exam, and it has 10 practice questions here.

Scrum Events20%

Losing this domain entirely costs you 20% of the exam, and it has 10 practice questions here.

Scrum Artifacts20%

Losing this domain entirely costs you 20% of the exam, and it has 10 practice questions here.

Scrum Master Role28%

Losing this domain entirely costs you 28.000000000000004% of the exam, and it has 14 practice questions here.

Agile Fundamentals6%

Losing this domain entirely costs you 6% of the exam, and it has 3 practice questions here.

Scrum Theory and Values6%

Losing this domain entirely costs you 6% of the exam, and it has 3 practice questions here.

The practical version: the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) is not passed by knowing most of the content. It is passed by being strong in the domains that carry weight, and by not leaving one of them empty.

More about the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) exam

Explore the rest of this page series: format, cost, difficulty, requirements and how to prepare.

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Guides and articles

More context about this certification, straight from our blog.

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to know about the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) exam.