Comparison between CSPO and PSPO: What are the differences? (2023)

As Mike Cohn says:

“The Scrum Product Owner is often the primary stakeholder in a project. Part of the Product Owner's responsibilities is having a vision of what they want to build and communicating that vision to the Scrum Team. This is the key to successfully launching an agile software development project. The agile product owner does this in part through the product backlog, which is a prioritized list of features for the product.

In other words, oneProduct Owner Liabilityis to maximize the value of the products created by a Scrum development team.

The Product Owner Experience focuses on the following:

  • it's about the product
  • It's about understanding the benefits of the product.
  • It's all about the customer experience
  • It's all about design thinking
  • It's all about collaboration

As Scrum.org says:

“Product ownership is more than mechanical — it's about taking responsibility and focusing on value in everything you do. The Product Owner's role is to identify, measure, and maximize value throughout the product lifecycle.

(Video) SAFe® POPM vs CSPO - iZenBridge

CSPO®e PSPOThey are two of the most important globally recognized certifications that help validate the holder's experience and skills as a product owner in the context of Scrum. Both relate to product ownership, which in turn requires business acumen and competence in product vision and roadmap aspects.

The training leading to each certification provides learning of a wide range of principles, rules, practices, techniques, and practical tools that help product owners be effective and successful.

How exactly are the two different? Let's take a look at the differences between CSPO and PSPO.

If you are someone who feels comfortable"business side" of projects, you are probably the right person to pursue Certified Scrum Product Owner® certification.

- Alliance Scrum

What is CSPO?

As defined by the Scrum Alliance, aCertified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)is someone who has been taught Scrum terminology, practices, and principles by a certified Scrum trainer, enabling them to fulfill the Scrum Product Owner role.

(Video) CSM vs CSPO Certification | Which Certification is best for you?

What is PSPO?

PSPO stands for Professional Scrum Product Owner, a course and certification offered by Scrum.org. Scrum.org's mission is to "improve the software development profession."

Differences between CSPO and PSPO

As we have already seen, CSPO is an acronym that stands for Certified Scrum Product Owner and is a certification offered by the Scrum Alliance specifically for the Product Owner role.

PSPO is the abbreviation for Profession Scrum Product Owner. This is a certification offered by Scrum.org specifically for the Product Owner role.

In my opinion, both certifications are equivalent and set high quality standards. The differences between the two are how to get both certifications and how to maintain/renew them.

Certifications issued by the Scrum Alliance are earned through an online exam after completing a mandatory two-day training session conducted by a certified Scrum trainer.

Certifications issued by Scrum.org are earned through an online exam with no required training. Certifications issued by Scrum.org do not expire. Of course, in order to test and validate your knowledge, it is essential to have a proper understanding of the Product Owner's role, so preparation and study are key. It is always highly recommended to attend training courses to learn and experience what Scrum is all about.

While it's fairly easy for people heavily involved in the Agile community to identify the most recognized certifications, it's no easy task for those new to the Agile world.

In this blog, I want to give a quick overview of the differences between CSPO and PSPO credentials to help you make an informed decision.

The CSPO workshop is generally informative about Scrum and Agile, although the quality can vary and is highly dependent on the particular trainer and the materials provided.

(Video) PSPO vs CSPO Certification | tryscrum.com | Phone : +919789490848

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CSPO and PSPO: A detailed comparison

Here is a table showing the differences between CSPO and PSPO.

comparison parametersPSPOCSPO
accreditation bodyScrum.orgScrum-Allianz
previous requirementsno prerequisitesno prerequisites
renovationPSPO does not need to be renewed as it does not expireAfter receipt, the card is valid for two years. As of February 2019, renewal would require 20 Scrum Education Units (only earned in the last 2 years) and a $100 renewal fee
Preis200 Dollar500 Dollar
When will you get the certification?After passing the PSPO examAfter completing the CSPO certification training (14-16 hours)
passed score85%his graduation
time limit60his graduation
number of questions80his graduation
FormatMC questions, multiple answers and true and falsehis graduation
levels of complexityPSPOI,II,IIIA-CSPO
membershipScrum.org membership, which is valid for life2 years Scrum Alliance I
LanguageEnglishEnglish
Password expiry dateNo expiration date for passwordsDepending on the online workflow of the Certified Scrum Trainer

1. Accreditation Body

The accreditation bodies for CSPO and PSPO certifications are as follows:

(Video) Introduction to Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO) Training | KnowledgeHut

  • PSPO - Scrum.org
  • CSPO – Alliance Scrum

2. Renewal of CSPO and PSPO certifications

  • PSPO – Once obtained, the credential does not expire and does not need to be renewed.
  • CSPO – once earned, the credential is valid for two years. As of February 2019, renewal would require 20 Scrum Education Units (only earned in the last 2 years) and a $100 renewal fee

3. Preis

  • PSPO: 200 USD only for the certification license. Participation in the workshop can cost around 500 USD.
  • CSPO - $500. The cost varies depending on the location from where you are attending the workshop.

4. Training Needs

  • PSPO - No training course required.
  • CSPO – To earn a CSPO certificate, you must attend a 2-day classroom CSPO training session from a Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum Trainer (CST).

5. Post-Exam Certification

After passing the PSPO I exam, you will receive an industry-recognized "PSPO I" certification, as well as a PSPO I logo to mark your achievement. There is no exam for CSPO and you will receive a Scrum Alliance certificate for completing the 14-16 hour CST training.

6. Existing result

  • PSPO - 85 %
  • CSPO - None. The activities to be carried out to obtain the qualification are at the discretion of the trainer.

7. Term:

  • PSPO - 60 minutes
  • RBSA - None

8. Number of questions:

  • PSPO-80
  • RBSA - None

9. Format:

  • PSPO - Multiple Choice, Multiple Choice and True/False
  • RBSA - None

10. Language:

  • PSPO - English
  • RBSA - None

11. Difficulty level

  • PSPO - Intermediate
  • RBSA - None

PSPO has later levels of complexity in the form of PSPO I, II, III

CSPO has another level of complexity in the form of A-CSPO.

12. Password Expiry Date

  • PSPO – When you purchase a password, it is set in the Scrum.org system and emailed to you within 1 business day. All students completing a PSPO course will receive a password via email upon completion of the course (usually within 3-5 business days). No expiration date for passwords.
  • CSPO - Depends on the online workflow set up by the Certified Scrum Trainer.

13th club

  • PSPO - Scrum.org membership and membership does not expire
  • CSPO – 2 year partnership with the Scrum Alliance. You can join local user groups and social networks, take advantage of discounts at global events, search for careers on our online job board and much more.

14. Other Benefits

  • PSPO: After successful certification, your name will appear on Scrum.org.
  • CSPO – After receiving the credentials, your name will appear on the Scrum Alliance portal.

the judgment

The main objective of certification.Training for Scrum Product Ownersis to understand how Scrum works and whatRole of the product ownerplay in a scrum team. While the goal of the Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO) certification is to develop a strong understanding of the Product Owner to maximize the value of software products and systems.

PSPO has an associated level of difficulty. What I like about the PSPO certification is that you don't necessarily have to attend an in-person workshop to get certified. You can prepare everything yourself and go directly to the exam. The PSPO is also valid for life. After purchase, the certificate does not need to be renewed.

In order to assess the differences between CSPO and PSPO and the value of a certification, we need to consider the following:

How knowledge or competence in a subject is evaluated with the certification score

(Video) Scrum PSPO I ® exam experience & tips for passing

  • How strict is the assessment process?
  • The cost of certification
  • The validity of the certification.

But before you decide whether to go for a CSPO or a PSPO, remember that while earning certifications is the best way to get noticed by potential recruiters, it provides validation of your skills and your readiness and your Demonstrate commitment to continued progress Personally, it is also important to prove yourself to your employers by being productive, confident and self-reliant.

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