Become a Certified Scrum Master (CSM)

Learn how to use the Scrum framework to get more stuff done with your team, with better quality, to deliver products to your customer sooner, with a team that can adapt easily and has high morale and stability, so there is less risk and greater return.

Certified Scrum Master (CSM)

Course Level

The first step in the Scrum Master Track. Often the best fit for anyone new to Scrum.

Prerequisites

None. Just an open mind and willingness to learn and have fun in a safe and supportive place.

No Powerpoint

Unique, hands-on approach to learning. Experience what it’s really like to do Scrum.

Badge

Upcoming Workshops

Learn the Scrum framework from someone who has walked the walk, and will help well beyond the initial course when you have "yes, but in real life…" questions. Don’t settle and pay for fast food Scrum courses when becoming a Certified Scrum Master. Invest in healthy, full-meal training, with take-home recipes for success and ongoing support during and after the certification course.

What you will learn

High value return on your investment, not bargain basement Scrum training

Relatable Scenarios

Learn on-the-job applications of key Scrum concepts, skills, principles, along with practical solutions that you can apply the next day for difficult, real-life situations.

Respected Certification

Everything you need to earn your Scrum Alliance® ScrumMaster certification, including exam fee and membership, and so much more.

Practical Exercises

With focus on the challenges that real teams face, and tools to dig deeper. You don’t need more boring Scrum theory. You need something you can sink your teeth into to see immediate results.

Jargon-Free Learning

This workshop is not just for software development or people with a computer science degree. We’ve helped many non-software teams with Scrum.

Career Advancement

Use Scrum knowledge to standout at work, get paid more, and impress your customer, all without burning out.

Ongoing Support

Our active Scrum community forum is a safe place to ask questions. Long after you earn the Certified Scrum Master certification, you will have access to the forum, course materials, and additional valuable resources.

What our students say

"Definitely the Yoda of the Scrum universe." ... "Having been a scrummaster for a while, I was looking to get a refresher - but I got a whole discovery out of it."... "This course was exactly what I was looking for!" ... "Mark is the real sh*t. He’s lived through the pain points and knows where the bodies are buried."

Mark is a great presenter. I appreciate that he is to the point and succinct in his points, but can expand when prompted. I appreciate that there was room for "derailment" and that the training was made more custom tailored to the individual experiences of the scrum masters at our org. The subject matter was good. I think it contained a lot of the info that new scrum masters don't think about, and covered a lot of traps that they fall into.
Adel AVirtual
Extremely knowledgeable. Engaged the entire team. Clear communication.
Ahalya AToronto
Very patient. Really liked the group activity where we had to work in Sprints on user stories.
Anita AVirtual
Instructor is very knowledgeable and delivers the course extremely well. Makes it interesting!
Brian APrivate Client
Great course to get started. Mark is greatly knowledgeable and shares well the information.
Christine AMontreal
Mark is a patient and very organized coach. I appreciate the ability to get through so much information in only 2 days. Mark really focuses on what one needs to have a better understand of scrum and it's benefits.
Brian AVirtual
I was impressed. The most valuable thing was not the principles (already knew most intellectually) but the instructor's zen master answers to challnges/questions. This aided in more intutive knowledge.
David AEdmonton
Truly an expert. Knows his stuff.
Denise AOttawa
Mark is an excellent trainer with examples and practices. Very organized and the best thing is his response to our questions with example, in addition, the amount of references that might help up improve as a scrum master.
Dona AMontreal
Great agenda, engaging instructor, relevant examples and exercises. 10/10 rating
Ed AVancouver
Mark did a great job of bringing the group into the basic tenets of Agile-Scrum whenever someone brought up a challenge/issue in the participant's particular situation.
Eric AMontreal
Mark is great - knows the material and can address all questions, prompting us to try and answer them first! Great trainer, I would recommend him to others.
Frances AOttawa
Instructor kept the course interested, kept us engaged through fun exercises. I love the course content, the book. Well prepared reference.
Hulya AOttawa
Mark did a fantastic job. [Private Client] was a unique challenge of a long history with hardened habits, as well as a very peculiar definition of Agile and SCRUM.
Imran APrivate Client
Good. Has lots of experience.
Jimmy AEdmonton
Very good format and flow to course. Good idea to structure course in Agile format so we can experience Agile first hand.
Julia APrivate Client
Strong instructor, great knowledge of the material. A very good pace.
Ken AKitchener-Waterloo
The instructor was very good and demonstrated a clear knowledge of scrum and its principles. Hope to bring this knowledge with me into my company.
Kevin AToronto
Really appreciated how he addressed our questions and gave feedback. Mark was very knowledgable on the subject matter.
Kyle AOttawa
Instructor was very knowledgeable and expressed his thoughts honestly and concisely. Course was very informative.
Lorne APrivate Client
Very knowledgeable in what he is teaching. Passion for scrum.
Mandi AEdmonton
Excellent! A refreshing approach! I loved the style of delivering the material and the many discussions and short exercises.
Mark APrivate Client
Mark was good - foundatian of knowledge and his experiences made for good practical examples.
Mike AMontreal
Great to get this training from the subject matter expert.
Nisha AToronto
Mark did an excellent job of teaching the material and went beyond just presenting it.
Noah AEdmonton
Mark's ability to adapt to the background of students and relate to their org's characteristics adds exceptional value. This course isn't just for software development!
Paul AOttawa
Wanted to say thanks again for the great insights at the CSM course last month. I've had a fair amount of success thus far introducing and implementing the concepts at the agency I work for. We completed our first full Scrum project yesterday. Scrum really is a magnifying glass for issues. We identified quite a few with our systems within the first couple of days and are now radically overhauling how we assign budgets to projects.
Paul AOttawa
The course does an excellent job in this covid world. Lots was learned even though I have been working in an agile environment for years. Would certainly return to Agile Pain Relief if I decide to pursue future training.
Robert AVirtual
Lots of information and data for a great walk through about the agile methodology.
Pierre-Michel AMontreal
Mark was fantastic. Enjoyed his coaching very well. Course was very interesting.
Robert AOttawa
Mark was fantastic. He really knows how to keep everyone engaged and I found the course really fun. Still subscribe to the belief that learning is done best when you're having fun so thank you :)
Sabrina AVirtual
I appreciate the breadth and comprehensive nature of reference material. I'm excited to read more.
Stephanie AToronto
Mark was very knowledgeable; I really appreciated the examples that he shared with the group. Thank you!
Suzanne AVirtual
Instructor was amazing, easy to listen to and follow. Did not read from book and provided concrete examples.
Tricia AOttawa
These days passed quickly, the instructor is very friendly and relaxed. Thanks again to Mark for his support!
Vlad AVirtual
Awesome instructor with a sense of humor. Well read and fun!
Wendy AVancouver
I truly enjoyed the Scrum Master course. Mark shares industry knowledge so it is not just theory. The material/boards were easy to understand.
Yuri AVirtual
Excellent presentation. Challenging contributing questions.
Zeki AMontreal
The course was really interactive, Mark did a great job at running the course online during the pandemic. He was always willing to answer questions and provide relevant resources. I like that the focus during class-time was more on effective implementation in the real world rather than learning text-book material.
Agata BVirtual
Very knowledgeable teacher with tons of examples and real life stories.
Alex BMontreal
Fantastic course. I am excited about implementing more of what I learned.
Andrew BToronto
Great instructor with clever communication techniques to help the attendees grasp ideas.
Asad BKitchener-Waterloo
Very knowledgeable, led the session very well.
Bob BPrivate Client
Mark was very personable, easy going an know what he was teaching. This makes the class environment more interactive and fun.
Asif BVirtual
Well presented material, excellent real world examples of applying scrum framework.
Brian BOttawa
Mark was a patient and enthusiastic teacher, with knowledge spanning multiple industries. The course itself was a great mix of learning with lots of opportunities to do hands-on activities to really cement understanding. At the end of the course I felt confident in my understanding and my ability to pass the certification test. Thank you, Mark
Carrie BVirtual
Knowledgable and engaged the trainees to think and share their ideas.
Carol BPrivate Client
Great! Humour is a plus too!
Daryl BVancouver
Mark was engaging and patient. He got everyone involved and kept spirits and energy levels high.
David BPrivate Client
Being engaged in activities with a group gave valuable insight into the problems we might face in our organizations. This course was great! I was never bored and enjoyed working with others. The course instructor was approachable, clear, and great at proving points.
David BMontreal
Why choose us

Get exclusive bonuses with our Scrum Alliance Certified Scrum training

map

Future-proof blueprint

A practical plan for Scrum team success, to guide you through your first few months after class and help you be effective long-term.

account_circle

Personal coaching

Get professional input on the unique issues you’re facing at your organization in a coaching session with Mark after training.

menu_book

Resources

When you’re confused about Scrum or Agile, you can access reputable information, including a Glossary and Resource Library.

group

Community access

A safe online space to ask questions and get experienced answers when you run into challenges with Scrum and Agile.

coffee

Lean Coffee

Fun and friendly virtual meet-ups to discuss Scrum and Agile. Hear from Mark and others what has and hasn’t worked for them.

workspace_premium

Money-back guarantee

You’ll gain valuable skills and learning from our certification workshops, or we’ll refund your registration price.

Your Guide to Everything Scrum

Mark Levison spent 12 years as a ScrumMaster and Coach, helping teams by chance before he started to systemize it. Armed with an insatiable love for research, he has been studying and teaching Agile since 2001, introducing Scrum, Lean, and Agile methodology to a broad range of individuals and organizations. Mark has helped launch Scrum practice throughout Canada including Government of Canada departments, major financial and insurance institutions, healthcare agencies, and leading payroll, HR services, and software companies.

Students and communities benefit from Mark’s more than thirty years of experience in the IT industry and over two decades of Scrum and Agile expertise, as he brings his uniquely fun and effective teaching style to thousands of individuals and teams so they can be more effective.

Frequently asked questions

Upcoming Workshops

Learn the Scrum framework from someone who has walked the walk, and will help well beyond the initial course when you have "yes, but in real life…" questions. Don’t settle and pay for fast food Scrum courses when becoming a Certified Scrum Master. Invest in healthy, full-meal training, with take-home recipes for success and ongoing support during and after the certification course.