Certified ScrumMaster cost: course fee, exam fee and renewal
The Certified ScrumMaster cost is a course fee, not an exam fee. Scrum Alliance lists a range of $250 to $2,495 USD for the required 16-hour course, set by each trainer, and the fee includes two attempts at the test. After that, the only recurring cost is renewal: $100 and 20 Scrum Education Units every two years.
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How much does the Certified ScrumMaster certification cost?
Scrum Alliance does not set one price for the CSM. Certified Scrum Trainers set the prices of the courses they offer, and Scrum Alliance publishes a range instead: $250 to $2,495 USD. Its footnote explains that the range is based on publicly available course prices on scrumalliance.org as of October 2023, and that prices are listed in USD but may be available in other currencies.
So the Certified ScrumMaster certification cost you pay depends on the course you book, not on a fixed fee from Scrum Alliance. The cost of a Certified ScrumMaster at the bottom of the range and one at the top buys the same certification: the same 50-question test, the same 37-of-50 pass mark, the same badge and membership on passing.
Source: Scrum Alliance — Certified ScrumMaster. Checked 9 October 2026.
Why the Certified ScrumMaster price varies
Scrum Alliance states that it does not control course prices and names the factors that move them:
- Delivery method — online versus in-person.
- The course’s location.
- Class size caps — limits on the total number of students in a session.
- Additional resources provided, such as practice exams or copies of course material.
- Taxes and other market factors.
Source: Scrum Alliance — Certified ScrumMaster. Checked 9 October 2026.
Certified Scrum Master exam cost: is there a separate exam fee?
No. There is no separate Certified Scrum Master exam fee to budget for on top of the course. Scrum Alliance states that “the cost of your course includes two test attempts”, and you get access to the test only after completing the course.
That makes the Certified Scrum Master certification exam cost part of the course price. The condition is time: after the course you have 90 days and two attempts to pass. Scrum Alliance’s CSM page does not state a fee for further attempts beyond the two included ones, so ask your trainer before booking if that matters to you.
Searches for CSM certification exam fees or a CSM certification exam fee often assume the test is sold like most vendor exams. It is not sold on its own: the course is the price of entry, and the test comes with it.
Source: Scrum Alliance — Certified ScrumMaster. Checked 9 October 2026.
What the course fee buys
Whatever the Certified ScrumMaster price, the core is the same: 16 hours of training with a Certified Scrum Trainer, usually over two to three days, covering the scrum framework — team accountabilities, events and artifacts — and the agile principles behind it. Then an online test of 50 multiple-choice questions in one hour.
Pass, and Scrum Alliance says you receive a badge and membership. Some trainers add extras such as practice exams or printed course material, which is one reason prices differ — compare what is included, not only the headline figure.
Source: Scrum Alliance — Certified ScrumMaster. Checked 9 October 2026.
The recurring CSM certified scrum master cost: renewal
The CSM certified scrum master cost does not end with the course. Each Scrum Alliance certification is on a two-year renewal cycle from the date you earn it. For foundational certifications, which include CSM, renewal takes 20 SEUs and a $100 fee.
If you move up the track, the numbers change: advanced certifications such as the A-CSM renew with 30 SEUs and $175, professional ones such as the CSP-SM with 40 SEUs and $250. Scrum Alliance adds that renewing your highest-level certification automatically renews all your other certifications for two years, so you do not pay twice.
A lapse is not permanent: you can renew after expiry, and the certification is then valid for two years from that renewal date.
Source: Scrum Alliance — Certification renewal. Checked 9 October 2026.
Scrum Alliance CSM certification cost over four years
Putting the official numbers together, the Scrum Alliance CSM certification cost over a typical four years is the course fee — somewhere in the $250–$2,495 USD range — plus two renewals of $100 each, with 20 SEUs earned in each two-year cycle. SEUs can come from education such as reading and webinars, from events, or from volunteering.
The course is by far the largest item, which is why comparing trainers on format, location and inclusions matters more than anything else in the CSM budget.
Source: Scrum Alliance — Certification renewal. Checked 9 October 2026.
Certified Scrum Master (CSM) certification cost compared with PSM I
The main alternative, Scrum.org’s Professional Scrum Master I, is priced the other way round: $200 USD per attempt for the assessment, with course attendance not a prerequisite, and Scrum.org describes it as a lifetime certification with no annual renewal fee.
So the Certified ScrumMaster CSM certification cost is higher up front because the course is mandatory, and it has a renewal cost PSM I does not. What the CSM fee buys in return is the trainer-led course and two test attempts in one package.
Source: Scrum.org — Professional Scrum Master I. Checked 8 October 2026.
CSM cost: questions people ask
What are the Certified ScrumMaster fees?
A course fee of $250–$2,495 USD set by the trainer, including two test attempts, then $100 plus 20 SEUs every two years for renewal. Source: Scrum Alliance, checked 9 October 2026.
Are there Certified Scrum Master exam fees on top of the course?
Not separately. Scrum Alliance states the course fee includes two test attempts. Checked 9 October 2026.
What is the CSM scrum master certification cost if I fail twice?
Scrum Alliance’s CSM page does not state a fee for attempts beyond the two included ones. Ask your trainer. Checked 9 October 2026.
Why does the Certified ScrumMaster CSM cost differ so much between courses?
Trainers set their own prices. Scrum Alliance names delivery method, location, class size caps, included resources and taxes as factors. Checked 9 October 2026.
Is the Certified ScrumMaster fee cheaper online?
Scrum Alliance lists online versus in-person delivery as one factor in price but does not say which is cheaper. Compare actual course listings.
How much does CSM renewal cost?
$100 and 20 SEUs every two years. Source: Scrum Alliance renewal page, checked 9 October 2026.
