I Passed the PSM II in a Month: Yes, You Read That Right! And this is how YOU can too!

At the beginning of 2024, I set myself a goal: to pass the PSM IIcertification. And on January 31st, I set myself a bigger goal. I decided to tackle it in Febrary, in just a month! Why I choose the shortest month of the year ???I will never know, so instead of 31 days I had 29 days (THANK YOU leap year)!

But guess what? I did it in 28 days!

So how did I do it? Here’s the personal and focused month-long study plan I followed, complete with essential resources and strategies that can hopefully help anyone that stumbles upon this;

Week 1: Laying the Groundwork

Day 1-3: Diving Deep into the Scrum Guide

I started by immersing myself back into the Scrum Guide, reading it again and again and again to ensure I understood every detail. This guide is the cornerstone of all Scrum knowledge and crucial for both the PSM I and PSM II exams. Thankfully I had made great notes when I took the PSM I and still had them which were incredibly helpful in reinforcing the foundational concepts of Scrum.

Day 4-7: Broadening the Knowledge Base

I expanded my understanding with some must-read Scrum books:

- Coaching Agile Teams by Lyssa Adkins

- Mastering Professional Scrum by Stephanie Ockerman and Simon Reind

- Scrum - A Pocket Guide by Gunther Verheyen

- The Professional Product Owner by Don McGreal and Ralph Jocham

These books not only deepened my theoretical knowledge but also provided practical insights - super helpful for the PSM II.

Week 2 & 3: Practical Tools and Deepening Understanding of Scrum

Day 8-10: Practice Makes Perfect

I focused on consistently scoring 100% on the Scrum Open assessment, available on Scrum.org. This practice assessment is a vital indicator of readiness.

Day 11-21: Structured Learning

I bought the PSM II course "Scrum Master PSM II Certification Prep: Agile PSM 2" on Udemy. The course was definitely with every penny and had an extensive range of topics, starting from the foundational principles of Scrum and advancing towards more complex concepts. I covered key areas such as Scrum Artifacts, Team Dynamics, Advanced Facilitation Techniques, and Risk Management, each integral to mastering the nuances of Scrum at PSM II level.

The course provided thorough video lectures, as well as valuable practice tests to simulate the exam environment, discussion forums for exchanging insights with peers, and detailed course materials for comprehensive reference. This intensive phase of structured learning was critical in solidifying my understanding of both the theoretical and practical aspects of Scrum, ensuring I was thoroughly prepared for the certification exam.

Importantly, I repeatedly took the practice exams, aiming for a 100% score each time (I started around 70% but by day 19 I was at 97%). Each error was a learning opportunity; I would note down mistakes and revisited videos or reading materials to clarify and deepen my understanding, ensuring I was thoroughly prepared for the exam.

Week 4: Discussion, Review, and Mental Prep

Day 22: Engaging with Peers

I actively participated in discussions on Scrum.org forums and explored r/Scrum on Reddit. Engaging with the community helped me refine my understanding and prepared me for the types of questions and scenarios discussed in the exam.

Day 23-26: Final Reviews and Practice Tests

I reviewed all my notes and took several mock exams on Udemy and other websites I searched on Google, ensuring again I understood why each answer was correct or incorrect.

Day 27: Light Review and Rest

On the final day before the exam, I kept my studies light and made sure to rest well! So an early night!

Day 28: Exam Day!

On exam day,I kept my cool and managed my time effectively. The PSM II has a 90-minute time limit, and consists of 30 questions with formats ranging from multiple choice to true/false.

I had calculated how much time to spend on each question, and always aimed to spend about 3 minutes per question to allow time for review. For questions that I initially found challenging or was unsure about, I marked them and moved on, ensuring that I did not waste valuable time dwelling on them. This strategy allowed me to cover all questions within the allotted time, returning to the marked questions with a fresher perspective and more clarity towards the end of the session.

Success!??

After 87 minutes had elapsed the intensive preparation over the past 28 days paid off, I PASSED with 98%! This month-long journey was intense, ending in my successful PSM II certification on the first try.

I hope my approach motivates you to pursue your goals with boldness and determination, whether that's the PSM I, PSM II or something completely different.

Best of luck on your journey and do send me a message if you want to chat, always happy to talk the fellow Agilists!