What Certifications are available?
There are only two globally recognized certifications for the Product Owner role. This is on the one hand the seal of the Scrum Alliance and on the other hand the participation in a course at Scrum.org.
The Scrum Alliance is by far the largest and best known not-for-profit organization with over one million members. Certified Scrum Trainers® (CST), of whom there are currently about 250 in the world, give their courses in a holistic business context. This means that not only the role itself is addressed, but also the company context is taken into account. According to the claim: “Transforming the World of Work” the Scrum Alliance sees its mission more holistically than Scrum.org.
Certifications should be refreshed regularly, which is why most companies also want to have a certification in their job advertisements that was completed a maximum of two years ago. While a refresher at Scrum.org is not planned, the Scrum Alliance and also here at the Agile Academy offer several possibilities to renew your Product Owner certification.
On the one hand the Scrum Alliance offers so-called Scrum Education Units (SEUs). These can be collected at various events and events and exchanged for a recertification every two years. One option for Agile Academy Alumni is for example the free participation in the Agile Insights, which takes place every month. Only the issuing of the new certificate is charged with a small contribution from the Scrum Alliance.
Another possibility is the participation as an observer at a regular certification training of the Agile Academy. As a Certified Scrum Product Owner you can repeat the Product Owner training within two years for a small contribution towards expenses and get credited as SEUs. This is an exclusive offer for alumni of the Agile Academy.
At Scrum.org such re-certifications are not provided for, which is why here you have to repeat the course and the exam again if you need a re-certification.
How do I become a Certified Product Owner?
To be considered a Certified Scrum Product Owner® (CSPO®) by the Scrum Alliance, you need the two to three day training to become a CSPO with a trainer recognized by the Scrum Alliance as a Certified Scrum Trainer® (CST®).
All offered Product Owner Courses as well as the trainers of the Agile Academy have this certification, which is why all participants are considered Certified Scrum Product Owner® after successful participation.
In contrast to the Scrum Master certification, this training does not end with a written test. The regular and active participation is sufficient for the certificate as a trained Product Owner.
The difference between the two and three-day variants is not the conclusion itself, but the depth of the topics. In addition to introducing the basics of Scrum and explaining the roles, the three-day course offers a deeper insight into the tools and techniques that a Product Owner needs in his daily work. Here a comprehensive insight into known and less known working techniques is given, which for example also include the basics of Design Thinking. The two-day course, on the other hand, dispenses with the introduction to the basics and merely introduces the more general tools for daily work.
Shortly before the start of the course, all prospective Product Owners will be sent a starter package with information, which includes the services to be provided in advance but which are manageable. A look into the knowledge area of the Agile Academy for the appropriate role usually provides good advance information with which to start the course.
