A-CSM Learning Event Preparation

READ THIS CAREFULLY

If you are doing the A-CSM with BERTEIG, this work is required… but if you are doing it with a BERTEIG Partner, this work is optional.

How will you know?

If you landed on this page from a link in an email sent to you by BERTEIG welcoming you as a participant to the A-CSM, then this page is for you!  Read on…

Otherwise, this page might be interesting, but it doesn’t apply to you.

BERTEIG A-CSM Pre-Requisites

Please ensure that:

1. You have a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) designation from the Scrum Alliance.  Unfortunately, an LSM, PSMI, SMC, or other certification does not meet the requirement.
2. You are currently the Scrum Master of at least one Scrum Team with a total of at least six team members including yourself and the Product Owner.  Your certification requirements will require you to do work with a real Scrum Team.
3. You have one year of experience as a Scrum Master for a single Scrum Team (or more than one team, but serially).

If you do not have any of these pre-requisites, you are still welcome to participate in the BERTEIG A-CSM program, but you will not be eligible for certification with the Scrum Alliance until you have met the prerequisites.

A-CSM Preparation Requirements

Prior to arriving in the classroom for the BERTEIG Advanced Certified Scrum Master Learning Event, you must make time to do preparation work.  We expect that in total, the preparation work will be somewhere between 15 and 25 hours for most people, primarily depending on how fast you read.

This work is required for certification and you will be required to verify that you have done the work.  It is substantial!!!  If you have not started this work at least three weeks prior to the classroom portion of the A-CSM it is unlikely you will be able to complete the preparation work.  There are four categories to the work:

1. A-CSM Video Content (About 90 minutes)
2. A-CSM External References / Reading (
3. A-CSM Individual / Team Activities (About 120 minutes)
4. A-CSM Group Video Conferences

In addition to the required preparation, we also strongly recommend that you attend a Team Kanban Practitioner 1-day training session.  If you have already registered for the A-CSM please contact us for details on how to register for the TKP at a steeply discounted rate.

A-CSM Video Content

We recommend you watch the following videos in the order in which they are listed here.  These videos can be watched at any time right up to the start of the first Group Video Conference.  If it has been a long time since you have done your CSM training, then we also recommend you review the videos on our CSM Learning Event Preparation Page and re-read the Scrum Guide and Manifesto for Agile Software Development.

A-CSM External References / Reading

You must obtain a copy of the book “Agile Retrospectives” by Esther Derby and Diana Larsen and read it completely.  Here is a link to the book on Amazon.ca.  We will verify that you have read it.

You must obtain a copy of the book “Coaching Agile Teams” by Lyssa Adkins and read chapters 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8 (7 out of 13 chapters).  Here is a link to the book on Amazon.ca.  We will verify that you have read it.

A-CSM Group Video Conferences

There will be two obligatory 90-minute group video conferences.  It is crucial that you are prepared for these online meetings as follows:

1. The meetings will use Zoom.us for video conferencing.  Ensure that it is working correctly on your computer for both video and audio prior to the scheduled meetings.  You will be required to do presentations from your device so you need to have a good internet connection and the ability to do screen sharing.
2. All of the above video, reading and other activities must be complete before the 2nd (second) video conference meeting.  However, it is strongly recommended that the video and reading be completed before the first video conference meeting.
3. At the first video conference meeting we will do introductions, confirm logistics, do an overview of the expectations and learning objectives, and you will receive some additional instructions for the second video conference and the in-person learning event.
4. Failure to attend a minimum of 85 minutes of either of the video conference meetings will result in forfeiture of your place at the in-person learning event.  Your registration fee will not be refunded.  However, if you have a valid reason for missing part of the meeting, we will offer you a 50% credit towards a future session.

NOTE: If you are unable to do the preparation work due to accessibility reasons, please contact Nima Honarmandan to make alternative arrangements.