Which credential matches which job
CAPM: someone on a Scrum team who also deals with schedules, budgets, stakeholders or requirements. The outline gives agile 20% and business analysis 27%, next to fundamentals and predictive planning (CAPM ECO, checked October 30, 2026).
CSM: someone whose employer wants a trainer-led Scrum class. The 16-hour course is required, and the test comes after it (Scrum Alliance, checked October 30, 2026).
PSM I: someone who wants to sit a Scrum exam without a required course, at $200 per attempt, for a certification that does not expire (Scrum.org, checked October 30, 2026).
How the CAPM treats Scrum, and how it asks you to choose between methods, is on agile fit and frameworks.
Three credentials on one grid
| Point | CAPM | CSM | PSM I |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issuer | PMI | Scrum Alliance | Scrum.org |
| Scope | Project management: predictive, agile, business analysis | Scrum | Scrum |
| Before the exam | Secondary diploma, 23 hours of project management education, age 18 | 16-hour course | No course required |
| Exam | 150 questions, 3 hours | 50 multiple-choice questions | 80 questions, 60 minutes |
| Price | $225 PMI member, $300 otherwise (U.S. pricing) | Course $250 to $2,495 (Scrum Alliance’s range from October 2023) | $200 per attempt |
| Attempts | Up to 3 in a one-year eligibility period | 2 included with the course | Each attempt paid |
| Pass mark | Not published by PMI | 37 of 50 correct | 85% |
| Renewal | 15 PDUs every 3 years | Scrum Education Units, every 2 years | Lifetime; no renewal fee |
Before you pick
- Read which name your target job postings use: CSM, PSM or CAPM.
- Ask whether your employer covers the CSM course; the course price is most of what a CSM costs.
- If you also handle scope, cost or requirements, the CAPM syllabus covers them; the Scrum credentials do not.
- If the PMP® is on your list, an active CAPM fulfills its 35-hour training requirement (PMI’s PMP page, checked October 30, 2026).
- Budget the upkeep: PDUs every 3 years for the CAPM, Scrum Education Units every 2 years for the CSM; PSM I is a lifetime certification.
Courses, attempts and overlap
Is the CSM course the same thing as scrum master training?
It is Scrum Alliance’s version: 16 hours with a trainer, then the test, with two test attempts in the course price (Scrum Alliance, checked October 30, 2026). The same page quotes course prices of $250 to $2,495, a range it dates to October 2023.
Can you take PSM I with no class at all?
Yes. Scrum.org lists no required course; the assessment is 80 questions in 60 minutes at $200 per attempt (Scrum.org, checked October 30, 2026).
Would a CSM course count toward the CAPM’s 23 hours?
PMI counts hours from listed provider types, and agile is one of the listed topics (CAPM ECO, checked October 30, 2026). Even if you record the CSM course, 16 hours leaves 7 to find elsewhere.
How much Scrum does the CAPM cover?
Scrum is named under the Agile Frameworks/Methodologies domain, 20% of the outline, but the ECO says approaches are not isolated to any one domain, so agile content can appear anywhere (CAPM ECO, checked October 30, 2026). The other first credentials are covered in first project management certifications.
Sources
- PMI CAPM Examination Content Outline, 2023 update www.pmi.org — domains, eligibility, attempts
- PMI store: CAPM exam www.pmi.org — fee, U.S. pricing
- PMI Continuing Certification Requirements Handbook www.pmi.org — renewal
- Scrum Alliance: Certified ScrumMaster www.scrumalliance.org — course, test, attempts, price range dated October 2023, SEUs
- Scrum.org: Professional Scrum Master I www.scrum.org — price, questions, time, pass mark, lifetime certification
- PMI: PMP certification page www.pmi.org — active CAPM and PMP training hours