Understanding the Scrum Master PSM II Exam

Before you begin preparing for the Scrum Master PSM II exam, it’s important to understand its format and content. The exam is a 90-minute online test with 30 multiple-choice questions that assess your ability to apply Scrum principles and practices in complex situations. The passing score is 85%, which means you need to answer at least 25 questions correctly. The exam fee is $250 per attempt, and you can take it multiple times if you don’t pass on the first attempt.

Tips for Preparing for the Exam

1. Review the Scrum Guide: The Scrum Guide is the definitive source of Scrum knowledge and provides a comprehensive overview of the framework, accountabilities, events, and artifacts. Make sure you read and understand the Scrum Guide thoroughly before taking the exam.
2. Take Practice Tests: Taking practice tests is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the exam format and content, as well as identify your knowledge gaps. Scrum.org provides a sample set of questions, however, it is limited to only 30 questions. For a list of more comprehensive questions, answers, and explanations, you can also use Exam Prep for PSM II.
3. Join a Study Group: Joining a study group is an excellent way to learn from others, share your knowledge and experiences, and get feedback on your progress. You can find study groups on social media, online forums, or through your Scrum community.
4. Attend a Training Course: Attending a Scrum Master training course can help you deepen your knowledge of Scrum and prepare for the exam. There are many training providers and courses available online and offline, so make sure you choose the one that suits your learning style and schedule.

Strategies for Managing Your Time during the Exam

1. Read the Questions Carefully: If a question feels like a trick question, it’s likely you didn’t read it carefully enough. I’ve seen it happen time and time again where students incorrectly understand a question or answer because it wasn’t carefully read first. The vocabulary and grammar on the real exam has a high level of purpose.
2. Manage Your Time Wisely: You have 90 minutes to complete the exam, which means you have around 3 minutes per question. However, some questions may require more time and attention than others, so manage your time wisely and don’t spend too much time on a single question.
3. Do Not Skip Questions: If you encounter a difficult question, take your best guess, mark the question number, and move on to the next one. You can come back to it later if you have time.

Mastering the Exam Content

1. Understand the Scrum Framework: Make sure you understand the Scrum framework, the accountabilities, events, and artifacts, as well as their interactions and dependencies. The Scrum Guide is the primary source of this knowledge, but you should also be able to apply it in complex scenarios. Practice applying Scrum in real-world situations to improve your understanding.
2. Focus on the Principles: Scrum is based on agile principles such as transparency, inspection, and adaptation. Make sure you understand these principles and how they guide the Scrum framework. Some questions can be answered solely based on the principles.
3. Know Your Role: As a Scrum Master, you have a specific role in the Scrum framework, which is to facilitate the Scrum process and help the team improve. Make sure you understand your role and accountabilities, as well as the interactions with other roles in Scrum.

Why Practice Tests are Essential

Practice tests are essential to help you prepare for the Scrum Master PSM II exam. They provide you with an opportunity to assess your knowledge and skills, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and gain confidence in your ability to pass the exam. There are many practice tests and questions on the internet to choose from, however, it’s difficult to know if they are kept up to date or even correct. The Exam Prep for PSM II was created to solve this problem and provide the best chance for passing the exam.

How to Use Practice Tests to Improve Your Scores

To get the most out of practice tests, you should use them as follows:

1. Get a Baseline: Start by assessing your readiness for the Scrum Master PSM II exam by taking the exams the first time through just to see where you’re currently at. Don’t spend too much time preparing or getting a baseline as it’s just a starting point and will gradually improve.
2. Focus on Your Weaknesses: After getting a baseline, focus on your weaknesses by reviewing the explanations provided for each question. Make sure you understand why certain answers are correct and others are not.
3. Identify the Principles: Every question is linked to or based on an underlying concept or theory. Truly understanding the “what” and “why” of a question will reduce exam stress and make it significantly easier. 
4. Take Full-Length Practice Tests: Once you have mastered the questions and answers, take full-length practice tests to simulate the actual exam experience. Use the results to identify any remaining knowledge gaps and areas for improvement.

Conclusion

Passing the Scrum Master PSM II exam requires a combination of knowledge, skills, and mindset. You need to have a deep understanding of Scrum theory and practices, as well as the ability to apply them in complex scenarios. You also need to manage your time wisely during the exam and demonstrate true leadership. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this article and using resources like the Exam Prep for PSM II, you can increase your chances of passing the exam on your first try and becoming a certified Professional Scrum Master II. Good luck!