For those who want to learn more about Scrum we have made a mini scrum introduction training course here. Look at the materials below to set your first steps in the world of Scrum projects:
Introduction to Scrum
In Scrum, you don’t start with a detailed project plan but instead maintain the flexibility to adjust throughout the project. The Scrum method consists of a number of agreements, roles, methods, and guidelines that help you shape your Scrum approach. Scrum has been developed since the 1990s. Initially, it was only applied in software development, but nowadays, Scrum is used more widely across various types of projects.
Free mini Scrum course
Scrum is described in the Scrum Guide. The great thing about the Scrum Guide is that it is very compact, but that’s also its downside: don’t expect a detailed manual on how to approach a Scrum project. Moreover, the language used in the Scrum Guide is quite abstract.
Don’t be surprised if you come across sentences like “Scrum helps people, teams, and organizations generate value through adaptive solutions for complex problems.” To help you with the Scrum terminology and basic concepts we have created a couple of multiple choice questions to test and develop your knowledge on the Scrum essentials. First have a look at the Scrum Guide.
To make it easier we have split the content in 4 parts:
- What is Scrum? (concepts, Scrum theory and definitions)
- Scrum Team roles
- Scrum Events
- Scrum Artifacts
Practice with Scrum
First have a look at the Scrum guide (part by part) and then test your level of understanding with the questionnaires below. These questions or at least similar ones are also part of the official Scrum certifications
Scrum Basic Theory: what is Scrum?
The first part of the Scrum Guide explains the basic theory of Scrum and its principles. The test questions below are about the first part (you can take this test multiple times, as different questions will appear each time).
Scrum Roles
The second part of Scrum that you need to know is about the roles in a Scrum project. Test your knowledge of the roles in Scrum below.
Scrum Events
Within a Scrum project, there are a number of events. You can discover these in the Scrum Guide and then test whether you have mastered them here.
Scrum Artifacts
The final part of the Scrum Guide covers the Scrum artifacts, or the ‘tools’ you need to apply Scrum. Check below to see if you have mastered them.
Scrum examination and certification
The above mini-Scrum training can be used as an introduction to Scrum, or if you want to practice the basics for various Scrum certifications from organizations such as Scrum.org, Scrum Alliance, Scrum Inc., or the Scrum component of SAFe. The material forms the foundation for all Scrum specializations: Scrum Master, Product Owner, Developer, and other lesser-known Scrum roles. There are many certifying bodies, our favourite one is Scrum.org and then mostly the PSM-1 and PSPO-2 certificates. The other certificates are less in use and add relatively less value (in our humble opinion). Note: If you can successfully complete the tests above, it only indicates that you are familiar with the basic theory and terminology from the Scrum Guide, but for the various exams, you will need to master additional knowledge.
Scrum in practice
Once you have mastered the basics of Scrum theory, the real work of a Scrum project can begin in practice. You can approach this from one of the Scrum roles: Scrum Master, Product Owner, or Developer. For those who want to learn Scrum and possibly obtain a certification, we have developed a number of Scrum training programs. These are available both in-class and online. In addition, we assist organisations with in-house Scrum training and workshops.
Our Scrum and agile training courses
- Scrum Master courses in Amsterdam
- Product Owner courses in Amsterdam
- Agile training course in Amsterdam
- Scrum Master e-learning (English)
- Product Owner e-learning (English)
(If you are good enough in the Dutch language, you are off course also welcome to one of our Scrum training classes in Dutch)
When to apply Scrum?
Scrum as a project management approach is now widely used, and not just for IT projects. When does Scrum add value? In general, Scrum is beneficial when a project is difficult to define and/or plan in advance, for example, because it involves many new elements: new technologies, a rapidly changing environment, innovative product development, research projects, creative projects, and more. However, Scrum is not necessarily always the best approach—there are many methods and approaches that may be more suitable depending on the product, project, team, organizational culture, and the organization itself. Feel free to contact us if you’d like us to help you think through this.
