(Originally written in 2020)

Ever since I got the opportunity to work as a Product Owner, I was thinking about a certification which could give my career a boost and at the same time, I can learn the nuances of product ownership.

It was late November 2019 when I seriously started thinking about appearing in a certification exam. I had to choose between Scrum.Org’s Professional Scrum Product Owner (PSPO) and Scrum Alliance’s Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO). The decision was easy and I picked PSPO because of the following factors:

• Cost-effective only $200.
• Once you pass the coveted exam, you will always remain a certified Product Owner. You need not think about accumulating PDUs in future.
• Exam challenges you and tests your subject knowledge, 80 questions in an hour with a passing score of 85% or more (not easy).
• One doesn’t have to go to a Prometric partner for a mandatory two days preparatory course.

Once decided, it took me almost two months to prepare for the exam. However, I must admit I wasn’t sure till the last moment that I was up for it. Still, I enrolled myself with Scrum.Org and appeared in the PSPO-1 exam in February 2020. I passed with 92.5% in the first attempt itself to my joy. There are no shortcuts and one must work hard in order to get certified. I would suggest you read the Scrum guide and attempt as many mock tests as possible.

Useful material that will help in cracking PSPO-1 certification:

• Read the Scrum guide thoroughly. Maybe 3-4 times till you are comfortable with the content. Link – https://www.scrum.org/resources/scrum-guide?gclid=CjwKCAjwvZv0BRA8EiwAD9T2VUCcZqBU8vepaEauT0RBJD2F3666_canRwmIdNCV49i8cOAEpBs7fxoCpYUQAvD_BwE
• Mikhail Lapshin has prepared an excellent quiz for PSPO-1 aspirants, similar to his PSM-1 quizzes. A combination of the PSPO and the PSM quizzes would ensure good coverage of the scrum guide. Link – http://mlapshin.com/index.php/scrum-quizzes/
• Mock tests by mplaza. It’s not free, I would suggest going for their PSPO-1 exam package. Questions are very near to what is being asked in the actual exam. Link – https://mplaza.training/exam-simulators/pspo/
• Visit Volkerdon’s site. Its mock test is also good. Link – https://www.volkerdon.com/pages/pspo-1-exam-tips
• Do the Scrum Product Owner Open assessment until you can do it fast and score close to 100% three times in a row. Link – https://www.scrum.org/open-assessments
• Read: The Professional Product Owner: Leveraging Scrum as a Competitive Advantage written by Don McGreal and Ralph Jocham 
• Go through Scrum Forums, tips and Glossary on Scrum.Org
• Contact me: pbisht@gmail.com