You are new to agile or want to baseline your journey to date then take the Grow-Lean Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM). The CSM was the world's fist agile certification, and our trainers were some of the first to deliver it. The CSM covers Scrum events (work sessions), accountabilities (roles), artifacts (things created), and the larger agile mindset. Expedite your agile journey with the CSM from Grow-Lean and get six free practice exams as well as access to our community to continue your growth post class.
David Bulkin has been an agilist for over 20 years starting with eBanking in 2001, has been delivering the CSM for 12 years, and he has personally trained and certified over 10,000 Certified ScrumMasters. David continues to build software playing various roles including coder, tester, PO and, of course Scrum Master.
Many trainers teach theory, not practice, because they have not been involved in product development or project management. Since they don't have actual experience to draw on they deliver canned, vague, content without intellectual depth.
If you answered yes, take a fun, interactive session, where you will laugh (yes actual laughing) as you learn!
The Scrum Master helps the Developers and Product Owner grow as individuals and as a team to improve the quality of outcomes for each person, the Scrum Team and the organization.The Scrum Master also works organizationally to helps individuals and the organization improve.
The descriptions below give examples of how the Scrum Master helps others.
The agile community originated in software development but has expanded over the years. Many attendees in a CSM are looking for career change, so we attendees include teachers, sales people, health care professionals, administrators, and others, looking to move into information technology (IT).
We also get a fair amount of attendees, like those in marketing and product development looking to use agile to enhance their current roles.
Unlike many other companies, our sessions are 100% live with the only exception being short videos that consume less than five minutes of class time.
Be aware that many other trainers use hours of pre-recorded content!
All of our CSM Sessions use Zoom. Depending on the trainer, additional technologies like Mural, Miro and Google Drive are used.
The list below specifies what you need. If you need assistance preparing, please contact us.
You will get material prior to, at, and after your Certified ScrumMaster (CSM).
Grow-Lean is a safe and wise choice to help you on your CSM journey:
Grow-Lean's has four trainers delivering the CSM. Arlen Bankston, Chris Doss, and David Bulkin all have 20+ years of agile experience, with each of them starting the 1999 to 2001 time period (Agile Manifesto for Software Development was signed in 2001). Don Patti started with agile in 2006, which is 15+ years of experience.
All have 15 or more years experience delivering training, and Arlen and Chris were two of the first to deliver the CSM. Between them, our four CSM trainers have certified over 20,000 Scrum Masters with the Scrum Alliance.
Yes, Grow-Lean as an organization, and Grow-Lean Trainers, are approved by the Scrum Alliance.
Grow-Lean offers buy-now-pay-later via Splitit.
Grow-Lean offers an industry leading array of discounts to meet your specific situation. All discounts are subject to availability based on location, trainer(s), attendance, and other factors.
Per the chart below, discounts can be combined.
Note: There are a limited number of discounted seats available for each Grow-Lean session. Once all discounted seats are claimed, they're gone. Request and redeem your discount now!
Yes, please click here to go to our contact us page. Choose "Call me" from the dropdown and in the description provide a description of when and how to contact you, along with a quick description of what you want to discuss.
Yes, please click here to go to our contact us page. Choose "Call me" from the dropdown and in the description provide a description of when and how to contact you, along with a quick description of what you want to discuss.
We try to be flexible so you can reschedule at any time, with the maximum financial impact being a $125 transfer fee if you reschedule late.
Basic CSM exam facts
If you take the CSM with Grow-Lean you will get six free practice exams. Passing these exams virtually ensures you pass the real exam the, the first time, with a high score.
If you need personal coaching, reach out to us
The exam is administered online.
Yes. You should have the following open when taking exam:
No, the exam is not proctored as it is not intended to make you fail, it is intended to help you learn.
There are 50 test questions in the exam and you have one hour to finish.
The short answer is yes, you should pass the exam on the first try if you do a short block of study.
By taking the session you earn the right to take the certification exam. Passing the exam and you are a Certified ScrumMaster.
As part of our Exam Pass Guarantee Program we will help you until you pass and will continue to do so as long as you put the effort to work on the practice exams. Grow-Lean covers the exam, certification fees and you receive two years of Scrum Alliance Membership.
The certification will help differentiate you , but more importantly the learning will allow you to interview with more confidence and apply core agile product development techniques in the work place while allowing you to pursue the Advanced Certified ScrumMaster (A-CSM) and Certified Scrum Professional ScrumMaster (CSP-SM) certifications.
Grow-Lean: 100% live, interactive, session
Others: More offline work, more videos
Grow-Lean: Trainer has 15+ years agile experience
Others: Trainer has much less agile experience
Grow-Lean: Small class size, get the detailed answers you need
Others: 35 to 50 attendees, little chance of being heard
Grow-Lean: Everything is included
Others: Surprise fees
Grow-Lean: Great training value
Others: Various pricing, questionable value
The basics of agile, Scrum and practices from other frameworks, so you and your team can apply an empirical, evidence based, product development approach.
You gain both the agile philosophy as well as the practical application; meaning, you can immediately apply new skills within the constraints of your workplace while moving towards increasing levels of agility over time.
Applying Scrum:
A representative agenda is shown.
David Bulkin is a managing director and head of training services at Grow-Lean. He delivers the CSM, A-CSM and CSPO courses. He certified over 10,000 students with the Scrum Alliance. Unlike most trainers David continues to build systems as a team member, doing hands on work like designing, coding, testing, etc. His commitment to training others, combined with his continued work as a team member, positions him to deliver a classroom experience that will boost your career.
David's thought leadership in 2009 on progressive elaboration for agile requirements, influenced what is now known as refinement (entering Scrum in 2011). David has successfully applied agile to manufacturing, marketing, sales, finance, and other areas outside of IT. He was an independent reviewer of the original PMI-ACP body of knowledge that fed the creation of the PMI-ACP Exam and has worked on the exam questions for the Certified Scrum Master Exam. David’s broad background ensures you are getting up to date ideas to apply in your workplace.
David has 37 years of work experience, making him an old guy, but no worries, he has high energy and is up to date on modern technologies. David has been applying agile since he got his start in 2001 at JP Morgan Chase where Kent Beck, The Father of Extreme Programming (XP), and perhaps also Agile, was his coach. Via DevOps, XP techniques are growing in popularity today; David is in a good position to help you learn them.
As a hands-on practitioner David has had many roles including Project Manager, Coder, Tester, Business Analyst, Product Manager, Product Owner, and Scrum Master. David continues to build things, including the software serving up this web page, so, if it is broken, contact him.
By continuing to work on actual projects and product development, David stays practical and level headed. He brings an understanding of your needs into the classroom so you benefit from his experience.
Hi,
I live on the East Coast of the US close to New Jersey and Philadelphia. I have one wife, two kids, and a cat. My older daughter is a in college, living away from home for the first time. My other daughter is high school. Like many, our family got a pet, in our case, a rescue cat, early in the pandemic. I miss being in session with students, but it has been nice to see my wife, kids and the cat!
I am known for high energy and keeping it fun, and personal, so, if you attend a session with me, you won't be bored.
Donald Patti is an experienced agile trainer, coach and consultant. He is known for his strong business and software development acumen. Don has implemented agile across a variety of industries, teams and organizations. Don has successfully founded and grown two entrepreneurial businesses during his career and consulted to well-respected organizations. He has deep experience with lean (on which agile is based) so he understand the intrinsic meaning of what he teaches.
The best teachers are also doers - as is the case with Don. An experienced agile coach who has served on over a dozen agile transformations across a variety of industries, teams and organizations, and who continues to do so.
Don’s service to government, private sector and non-profit clients has included a dozen federal agencies, eleven non-profits and more than 90 private sector entities throughout his career. Prominent clients Don has served include Amazon Web Services, HP, Daimler Benz, JPMorgan Chase, CheckFree, NASA, GSA, DHS and the National Cancer Institute.
In the classroom, Don’s fifteen years teaching and training make his agile courses both informative and engaging. Don has been delivering live online training for the entirety of his 15 year teaching career so he is prepared to make your class enjoyable and productive.
Of Don’s last 1,000 agile students, he is averaging above 4.8 out of 5 on his course surveys and earning a net promoter score above 90%.
Chris Doss is an agile coach, consultant, and Certified Scrum Trainer (CST). He was one of the first CSTs ever authorized to deliver the CSM, he has coached and supported over 250 different agile teams, and he has led the implementation of agile for large organizations. Chris has real-world, repeated success, in driving improvements by applying Lean and Agile approaches to solve complex business problems, to create a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
In addition to being a (CST), he is a Project Management Professional (PMP), and Six-Sigma Green Belt. Chris is certified in Design Thinking from Harvard University and has a Management of Business Administration (MBA) and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Mechanical Engineering.
Chris has conducted Scrum training throughout the United States, as well as internationally (France and Brazil). Chris’s leadership skills, honed in 22 years in the Virginia Army National Guard where he retired a Lieutenant Colonel, combined with his practical business background, allow him to conduct real-world, hands on training that resonates.
“The class was very interactive which helped me apply the materials covered in each segment. It helped me understand how it is used practically.” - CSM Student
“The instructor [Chris] was excellent. I’ve taken several Scrum workshops and this was by far the best. Chris made Agile/Scrum concrete and practical.” - CSM Student
What did you like the best about the training? - “Very engaging & knowledgeable. Allowed open dialogue that facilitated collaboration and learning.” - Matt Hylton, CSM
“Great instructor. Very informative and enthusiastic.” - Tanisha Perry, CSM
“Chris was so engaging throughout the entire two day course. It was a great learning experience. Don’t change a thing!” - Crystal Makle, CSM
“Appreciated Chris’ knowledge of the material. Also appreciated his attention to time and answering my question in a very simple way - very helpful! Really enjoyed the Scrum simulation to learn and reinforce principles taught.” - Kimberly Perry, CSM
“The best training experience I have ever had. I am so excited and much more informed about how to make Scrum work on my projects and in my organization.” -
Jerry McKinney, CSM
Arlen Bankston has been a thought leader in the agile community for 24 years. He led two consultancies for over 20 years, funding and building products, leading UX/UI work within agile teams and coaching large-scale organizational transformations across dozens of companies. This means that you’ll get practical, situationally specific advice instead of theoretical hand waving. Arlen’s extensive instructional and game design background results in a uniquely entertaining and practical workshop experience. Arlen goes to great lengths to help students share with one another, a benefit unique to these most advanced classes.
Fair price, exceptional training, best value.
Concepts are reviewed in a meaningful way by an expert with actual experience.
Small class size so that your voice is heard.
Interactive class experience.
Custom created training material and approach.
Everything you need to be certified is included. No hidden fees!
Training team support seven days a week.
Take again for free*.
*Within 120 days as long as Grow-Lean delivers the session.
For both virtual an in person events, we keep the training interactive.
Dean Marraccini
David Bulkin's class for Certified Scrum Master was great. He presented the material in a way that was easily understandable and was energetic in doing so. Class size was only 11 people so he could spend time answering questions. He was also able to explain the material in ways relatable to my current position. I would highly recommend this class to anyone that is considering it.
Freeman Burns
I thoroughly enjoyed the course and I couldn't have had a better trainer. David knows his stuff and forces you to think deeper than just surface level. I am totally new to the Agile Framework and Scrum methodologies and this was an excellent course for a beginner. I can't wait to take the more advanced courses. I am not it the IT field, but the training can be used across multiple disciplines.
Noble N
Very good CSM class that I took to pass the CSM on my first try. David's class was interactive and interesting too. He used real life examples to help drive the points home.
Mariko Buser
Would you like to have an in-depth discussion about the principles of SCRUM, rather than just studying a bunch of text and taking quizzes? I found the discussion a really effective tool to understanding these concepts and applying them to real world scenarios. The materials and practice quizzes were really helpful too and prepared me for the CSM certification. I'd definitely recommend this program!
PayingAgent Threeinone
I didn't know what to expect because I had never before taken an online class. At no point did I feel disengaged or feel that I was in a virtual class. David Bulkin is a fantastic instructor, offering guidance and helpful hints, while agilely managing the chats. The course content was clear, concise, and comprehensible. The class was set up so that I was able to learn a lot in a short period of time. It provided information that was useful in the context as to how I will be using it. After taking this class, I now have a better understanding of Agile and Scrum methodologies. This class more than met my expectations and is the reason why, I believe, I scored a 98% on the exam on my first attempt. I look forward to taking additional courses offered by Grow-Lean and hopefully with this instructor. R. Brian Perdue Certified Scrum Master
Rina Murray
Don Patti was superb teacher. He did not waver in his energy for teaching SCRUM and Agile to the class. I took the CSM test today and passed with flying colors! It's worth the investment. I highly recommend.
Pankaj Goel
David is great instructor, he is very knowledgeable and his approach to involve people in discussion and workout / case study was fabulous. He provided lots of real -time example that helped in getting subject knowledge further better.
BC Galloway
Very well run class. You can read the mechanics of being a ScrumMaster in a few hours to be just OK at it. David Bulkin's class expertly teaches you the art of being a ScrumMaster to be great at it.
Michael Manchester
Wonderful training for scrum, project ownership, et al. Engaging, useful, and funny presentations from David Bulkin make the experience seem less than a full day, while you still get all the knowledge you need for whatever project management initiative you are undertaking.
Rich Rinaldi
I take all of my certification classes with Grow Learn -- it is highly applicable, engaging, and key learnings are synthesized. You get an authentic experience of what agile really looks like, hands on. David Bulkin's sessions have -- and I cannot understate this -- literally changed our organization.
Jayeeta Sharma Datey
I took a virtual 2-day CSM course with David Bulkin from Grow-Lean. I liked how he sent us pre reads ahead of time to help us make the best of the in-class time. The training was very engaging, interactive and had deep content. The games and examples were thought provoking and helped in a deeper understanding of scrum rather than highlighting just the scrum framework. Grow-Lean's sample tests in addition to David's instructions/explanations in class, made the actual CSM test very easy. I highly recommend Grow-Lean to anyone who is looking to understand Agile and Scrum and get many techniques in the implementation of Scrum.
Anum Saiyed
Excellent Company and Excellent Trainer. The class is very enjoyable because of David who has an excellent way of presenting and engaging the participants.
Grace Yeh
I took a virtual 2 day CSM Course with David, who is really amazing at keep us as engaged as an in-person class with interactive exercises and partner work. Very enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and earnestly wanted his students to become aspiring scrum experts in the real world, not just to pass the test. It was also interesting to learn from classmates how Scrum can be applied to industries outside of tech. Highly recommend David and Grow-Lean!! Will be signing up for other classes in the new year!
Daniel Seltzer
Dave Bulkin of Grow Lean provided an excellent Certified Scrum Master 2-day training session. His material and presentation was well thought out, well delivered and kept my attention. I would recommend taking courses from Grow-Lean. Thanks Dave!
Rachel Resnick
David was dynamic, engaging, knowledgeable, and funny. He certainly knew the material and provided exercises and real-world examples to drive home the key points. The pre-readings and quizzes were a great way to get an introduction to the course and to get the basics down. I would recommend the course to anyone wanting this certification.
Stanley I. Melling
This class (CSM Certification) was perhaps the best delivered course I have taken in my career. Mr. Balkin was a master at presenting the material, including and engaging all of the class participants to ensure that learning was taking place, not merely knowing how to answer test questions. It was fun and interesting. Another notable observation - David Balkin was available from the beginning of the class start all the way to the ending and beyond. I don't think he ever left his teaching post. We were able to ask questions and clarifications during all of the breaks and even after the close of the day. I am HAPPY to recommend Grow-Lean and specifically Mr. David Balkin for any class course they offer!
Riley Bristo
Grow-Lean's Certified Scrum Master training provided by David Bulkin is fun and engaging. David does a great job at encouraging students to think outside the box and use teamwork to tackle all the unique situations one may encounter in the workplace instead of just trying to apply the same repeatable steps in all cases. I left this training not only with tools and techniques but the mindset to apply Scrum. Would recommend!
Adam Pomerantz
The instructor (David) provided an excellent remote course (CSM.) He cares about your learning and weaves stories into his material that help get the material across. I would recommend it to anyone looking to take this exam or who is interested in the subject. I appreciated his honesty and straightforwardness
I H
David makes his training session a very engaging experience that keeps you mentally & physically awake. The first time I took the training class with David was in-person in Dec 2018. This week was my renewal session after 2 years. It was amazing to experience how well David kept the web session alive and interactive... Best coach I ever had !
Aya Heshmat
Just completed Grow-Lean's Scrum Master course and my initial reaction to the course was that the instructor made learning fun! I have a grounded understanding of scrum basics and feel ready for the exam! The level of engagement for a two full-day virtual course was just right and David has consistent high energy and humor that allowed for a productive education!
Barb Pressman
This week I had the pleasure of taking the Certified Scrum Master course given by David Bulkin of Grow-Lean LLC. He was without a doubt, one of the best instructors I have ever had. It was definitely not your typical training class. David is extremely knowledgeable and shares his wealth of experience in a manner that captures the attention of all participants. He cares about the students and does everything possible to ensure that everyone will pass with ease. I can attest to that since I completed the class yesterday and passed the test this afternoon, with flying colors and plenty of time to spare. David is extremely personable and made what some would call “dry” material, actually interesting and definitely FUN! I’d highly recommend David’s classes to anyone who wants to actually learn, not just pass the exam!!
Rob
Donald Patti is truly a Scrum professional. His class instruction is relevant and he provides real-world examples to emphasize concepts. The hands-on exercises with the class participants was the most enjoyable part of the course. After taking this course I feel confident in becoming a certified Scrum Master!
Ritu Ahuja
A weekend well spent! The material was covered in the most interactive and intuitive way. David has deep real world knowledge that he applies to the concepts. He keeps it engaging fun
Kim G.
The CSM training was very detailed. The class offered several ways to learn and understand SCRUM and AGILE foundation. The class is fast paste, but it allowed everyone time to understand each concept. The class targeted diverse organization. Allowing individuals to share their input and reasoning for decision making.
VJ
The amount of material covered in two days of class exceeded my expectations. Very happy with the delivery of the material and prep emails received. Wonderful job Don & David! Best, VJ
Terrance Walker
The course provided a good overview of the SCRUM team with a focus on the SCRUM Master. It also filled in some gaps that I had relating to how the SCRUM process is implemented in our company. The class was not perfect, we had some technical issues that while frustrating did provide an opportunity to work through issues.
customer
The class was great! Don P. was a great instructor who clearly translated the concepts behind learning the ways of the scrum master. Overall I would highly recommend the class for anyone who is wanting to better the way they tackle product development.
Tricia M
This was an excellent class. There are several educational options out there, and I am glad I chose this one because Arlen's real-life experience and skill in designing this course made it valuable and fun. It was two days, and Arlen made it so relevant and interesting, I would be happy to spend many more days learning from him! Thank you!
customer
Arlen is knowledgeable and clearly explained all the concepts
Anika Topete
Arlen was amazing, he took the time and effort to answer every question that I asked and others asked. I would definitely sign up for a course with him again.
customer
Great course. Interactive and very interesting. Arlen Bankston was a great instructor.
Erin A
David Bulkin was amazing!! Very engaging and interactive class, utilizing Mural platform for course which definitely cultivated a space for grasping the material even further
Dhwanil
I attended the 2-day session with David during the weekend. It was amazing to learn and get a few agile concepts refreshed with David and the class. The class was just the right size of 10 people allowing David (instructor) to provide an individual focus for each of us. I personally would recommend this course to anyone willing to learn CSM.
Troetta Ward
What an amazing course! David Bulkin did an job engaging our class and providing us with the information we need to pass the exam. But he also took time to provide tips and techniques that would help us become true practitioners of scrum. He provided us with scenarios in and out technology to help us apply scrum in multiple ways.
Wynn Parham
Fantastic Class! Chris Doss is an excellent instructor. The Certified Scrum Master class was laid out well and in a manner where the information was easily retained,
Gabrielle H
Chris was an excellent instructor and the CSM class was well structured, easy to follow, and even included time to discuss real examples from class mates. Highly recommend this class and instructor!
Richard Lewis
The class provided insights about Scrum, Scrum Masters, roles involved in the process, and how each participates in SCRUM activities. Slides were instructive snd provided information that distinguished SCRUM as one of the Agile frameworks. Very helpful, informative, and preparatory for the CSM exam.
Dale Martin
Nice job! Well organized, good tempo, good reinforcement of content tied into real-life experiences. Donald also made the class fun with his sense of humor. I definitely would recommend this class and Donald.
Chelseay
Don was kind, funny, informative, and attentive. I could tell he is a SME in this subject, and he offered strong, constructive feedback throughout the course. The course was interactive and had a solid mix of instructor-led delivery, breakout sessions, and interactive quizzing to prepare for the exam.
Cody M
Don did an amazing job instructing the class over the course of a two-day period in preparation for not only the CSM exam, but to assume the duties of a Scrum Master at the conclusion of the course. I highly recommend Don’s course as he remains engaging and energetic throughout the class. I passed the CSM exam immediately following the course with a 98%.
Hoa Pham
Arlen is awesome instructor and I would love to take another class from him and I learn a lot from this class and would recommend Scrum Master from my company to take this class.
customer
ARLEN IS A GREAT INSTRUCTOR! Scrum is about people > process, and Arlen made everyone feel like they were a part of the training! GREAT TRAINER!
Stefan Mueller
The trainer was highly engaging and used real-world examples to highlight the concepts throughout the course. Based on the practice exams, this course is very efficient at preparing you for the CSM exam.
Lance
Arlen was AWESOME in the CAL E & O course. I took away tons of stuff to try out with my organization. I will be back! I'll also send some colleges your way.
Brandon
Great course! The content was very relevant and the way it was presented made it immediately applicable. The collaborative nature of the course also enabled for more meaningful delivery of the concepts AND different perspectives on how to apply it. Arlen is great and I would definitely attend another session led by him in the future. Thanks!
Orenthal V. Hawkins
David is an excellent instructor. There is a lot of room for discussion and through breakout sessions, the class had the opportunity to share skills and experience. The class was based in the Agile mindset while teaching it.
Wayne Paulette
The class was excellent! David knowns his topics, presents well with examples, and explains things when questions are proposed. He utilized tools, such as Mural, very well with breakouts and activities. Although the class was 9-5, it had built in breaks and activities that kept us engaged without the meeting be a drain or feeling as though it was dragging on. The use of Mural was great; I had experience with Miro in the past and other whiteboards, but using Mural was an excellent way to get experience using a new tool. The course also discussed other tooling options and comparisons that we can use in our own daily processes.
Kaloyan Chalakov
I had great training with David. One of the most important things for me was sharing real-life examples and relating them to the theory. One more benefit was the frequent opportunity for the participants to discuss different points of view and work on practical users cases. I am looking forward to my next training course.
Marcy Kravit
I wanted to express my sincere appreciation for Donald Patti and his expertise in teaching the Scrum class this past weekend. I passed the exam today and was very confident thanks to him! His “hands on approach,” detailed course materials and interactive learning style made it a lot of fun! Thanks again Donald! Marcy Kravit
Mark
It was a great class and Arlen was an excellent instructor. He adapted and adjusted the focus of the course as we went to make sure that everyone in the class got the most they could out of it.