This discussion thread was started to provoke thoughts on current SCRUM Training.

What happens when you have employees who you send to these courses and then derive some shallow view of what Agile is about? If you think agile begins and ends in SCRUM then get the badge. Personally, I've always had a fundamental problem with SCRUM as its packaged without any understanding of agile and I took the decision some time back with our "Scrum Masters" to rather focus on Agile Practice and focus our funds on bursaried tertiary level qualifications and work with universities on broader agile and agile project management.

I think what is see from this thread is confirmation that ...

The points have been made that the course is useful and not a scam because ...
1. "While I've never been a fan of the Scrum Master _Certification_, I would never go so far as to say it was a scam!"
2. "then perhaps it is because the CSM course have fulfilled a need and the pressure to change the Academic system has not happened."
3. "Scrum Master is a role in Scrum. Scrum Master Training and Certification is about what a person should know in order to start being a Scrum Master, not to master Scrum or even master ScrumMastering. The Scrum Master Training is useful for any role in Scrum."
4. "If people are paying it, then it must not be overpriced ..."
5. "I can confidently say that I would not have been able to accomplish what I have with my teams without those 2 days - it wasn't just a badge it was money well spent."

The shortcomings that need to be improved are ..
1. "I disagree with calling a 2 day course with no formal test a certification."
2. "It would be much more truthful to just call it Introduction to Scrum."
3. "...(unless it is the silly certificate they are really paying for rather than the training)."
4. "Maybe, there should be follow on classes, but I believe that on-the-job coaching is generally more productive than additional training outside the work context."
5. "I agree that the term "Certified" in CSM is misleading to say the least."