Examius
🇺🇸 United States · Project Management
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) Syllabus
Scrum Alliance certification for Agile/Scrum framework facilitators and team leads.. The complete Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) outline — 7 subjects, 26 chapters and 86 topics — laid out so you can see exactly what has to be covered and tick each item off as you go.
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) subjects
Each subject below has its own page with the full chapter → topic → sub-topic tree and a set of real exam-style flashcards.
3 chapters · 11 topics · 29 sub-topics
Scrum Accountabilities and Team Structure4 chapters · 13 topics · 28 sub-topics
Scrum Events and the Sprint Cycle5 chapters · 16 topics · 32 sub-topics
Scrum Artifacts and Transparency4 chapters · 13 topics · 25 sub-topics
Facilitation, Coaching, and Servant Leadership4 chapters · 12 topics · 25 sub-topics
Planning, Estimation, and Tracking Progress3 chapters · 11 topics · 20 sub-topics
Scaling Scrum and Organizational Adoption3 chapters · 10 topics · 19 sub-topics
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) flashcard decks
352 question-and-answer cards across 7 decks, written against this syllabus. Preview any deck free.
- Scrum Foundations and Agile Mindset — 50 cards
- Scrum Accountabilities and Team Structure — 51 cards
- Scrum Events and the Sprint Cycle — 50 cards
- Scrum Artifacts and Transparency — 50 cards
- Facilitation, Coaching, and Servant Leadership — 51 cards
- Planning, Estimation, and Tracking Progress — 50 cards
- Scaling Scrum and Organizational Adoption — 50 cards
How to work through the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) syllabus
The outline on this page is arranged the way the syllabus itself is: subject, then chapter, then topic, then sub-topic. That last level is what most study plans skip, and it is where coverage actually goes wrong — a chapter marked "done" often has three sub-topics inside it that were never touched.
Weight your plan accordingly: Scrum Events and the Sprint Cycle carries 16 topics while Scaling Scrum and Organizational Adoption carries 10. Giving both the same number of weeks is the most common planning mistake for Certified ScrumMaster (CSM).
The ~100 hour estimate above is a first pass only: roughly 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic. Revision cycles, past papers and mocks sit on top of that number.
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) syllabus FAQ
What subjects are in the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) syllabus?
Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) covers 7 subjects: Scrum Foundations and Agile Mindset, Scrum Accountabilities and Team Structure, Scrum Events and the Sprint Cycle, Scrum Artifacts and Transparency, Facilitation, Coaching, and Servant Leadership, Planning, Estimation, and Tracking Progress and Scaling Scrum and Organizational Adoption. Together they contain 26 chapters and 86 named topics.
How much do you have to study for Certified ScrumMaster (CSM)?
The full Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) outline breaks down into 26 chapters, 86 topics and 178 sub-topics. Scrum Events and the Sprint Cycle is the largest single subject with 16 topics across 5 chapters.
How long does it take to cover the whole Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) syllabus?
Roughly 100 hours for one full pass. That estimate allows about 45 minutes per topic plus 12 minutes per sub-topic, so it is first-pass coverage — revision, past papers and mock tests sit on top of it. At 3 hours a day that is about 5 weeks.
Are there Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) flashcards?
Yes — 352 question-and-answer flashcards across 7 decks, one per subject, written against this syllabus. A sample of every deck is readable on this site for free, and the complete decks are in the Examius app.
Is this Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) syllabus free to use?
Yes. Every page here is free to read, and importing the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) syllabus into the Examius app to tick off topics as you finish them is free too, in United States and everywhere else. No account is needed to start.
Related Project Management syllabuses
PMI's entry-level project management certification for those with less experience than PMP requires.
Association for Project Management Qualification (APM PMQ) syllabusInternationally recognised project management qualification from the chartered Association for Project Management.
Project Management Professional / PRINCE2 syllabusPRINCE2 is the UK government-originated structured project management certification widely used across public and private sectors.
Browse all 4 Project Management syllabuses → · All United States exams →