To earn the A-CSM® or A-CSPO® certification, you must meet the following requirements:
- Hold a CSM® (for A-CSM) or CSPO® (A-CSPO) from Scrum Alliance®. The certification can either be active or expired. Please note you cannot substitute a certification from a different track (i.e., using a CSM to be eligible for the A-CSPO course).
- Special exception for A-CSM candidates: We now accept a PSM I or PSM II certification from Scrum.org (from any date) in lieu of a CSM—no other prerequisite courses needed! Simply log your PSM certification as an SEU on your Scrum Alliance profile to self-attest before your course. Your credential will be validated during student upload. Please note this prerequisite option applies only to the A-CSM track and does not apply to A-CSPO.
- Attend a minimum 16-hour A-CSM or A-CSPO course. You can find instructor-led and self-paced courses by visiting our Course Search.
- Successfully complete all educator-designed components of an approved educational offering. This may include pre- or post-course work as deemed necessary by your approved educator to complete the learning objectives. To learn more about this requirement, please review the course description or contact the trainer delivering the course.
- Validate at least 12 months of work experience specific to the accountability of scrum master or product owner (within the past five years.) This can be met before or after attending the course. Work experience is entered and validated on your Scrum Alliance account. For instructions on adding your work experience, please review this article.
What if I took an A-CSM or A-CSPO course before earning the CSM or CSPO first?
If you took the A-CSM or A-CSPO certification course before first earning the prerequisite foundational certification (i.e. CSM or CSPO), your trainer won't be able to certify you until this requirement is met.
You may be able to attend a CSM or CSPO course (or log an eligible PSM I/II for A-CSM candidates) to earn the certification, then ask your trainer to certify you for your advanced credential. We recommend ensuring your trainer is aware and OK with registering you for your advanced certification at a later point before signing up for a CSM/CSPO course to meet this prerequisite requirement.