Product owner certifications
Here are some commonly asked questions about this topic.
How to get certified as a product owner?
Scrum certifications are a great way to both grow and demonstrate your knowledge. The most common certifications for a product owner are:
- CSPO Certified Scrum Product Owner from Scrum Alliance.
- PSPO Professional Scrum Product Owner from Scrum.org.
The CSPO is more common than the PSPO but also more expensive. Both offer multiple levels of certification.
You are required to take a class by a certified instructor for the CSPO, which will cost you around $1,000. There is no test for the CSPO. Completing the class earns you the certification.
The PSPO recommends but doesn’t require a course. So you can take the self-study route and then take a cheaper test ($200). This level of affordability can make the scrum.org certifications a more attractive first step for people exploring scrum certifications.
Here is my experience with certifications as a path to growth.
Also be sure to check out the essential Scrum glossary.
Why become a Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)?
Like becoming a scrum master, the best way to grow as a product owner is through practice. The CSPO class is helpful as it provides several practical facilitation techniques.
I’ve seen it listed as a requirement for various product owner or product manager roles. It can be beneficial if all other things are equal, but I don’t think it’s a game-changer for landing a PO job.
Here is my experience with certifications as a path to growth.
Want to learn the essential Scrum terms.
