David,

Before you fly off the handle and throw offensive words out into
cyberspace, maybe you can take a little time to find out what that test
actually is.

The way I view it is this: the CSM test encourages participants of a CSM
course to take time to read books, papers, blogs and join discussion
groups in order to improve their academic understanding of Scrum, either
prior to the training or subsequently (the test is to be taken online,
after the training is completed). In other words, it encourages the
potential CSMs to take responsibility for their own learning and not
just expect to be spoon-fed a certificate after two days of sitting in a
class. This is a good thing.

We all know that the certificate is mostly meaningless from a
professional point of view -- and we need to keep reminding those who
actually believe people with a CSM certificate are better than those
without, that this is NOT the case (for heaven's sake!). But from a
personal perspective, the CSM is not meaningless. It meant something to
me to complete the training and receive the certficate. Not a lot, and
I never announced the fact nor put it on my resume, but it still had
value to me -- in the same way that passing the written part of my
driving test had value. It is a step. It is a beginning.

So chill out about the test. Find out a little more, and consider its
value to the individual.

There are tests and there are tests. The CSM test is nothing like the
Nokia test. They serve totally different purposes.

Tobias








--- In scrumdevelopment@yahoogroups.com, "David H." <dmalloc@...> wrote:
>
> On Sat, Oct 25, 2008 at 7:53 PM, peterstev peterstev@... wrote:
> > Who took the Beta of the CSM test in Stockholm last week? What did
you think
> > of it?
> >
> There is a CSM test now? You got to be shittin' me....
>
> -d
>
>
> --
> Sent from gmail so do not trust this communication.
> Do not send me sensitive information here, ask for my none-gmail
accounts.
>
> "Therefore the considerations of the intelligent always include both
> benefit and harm." - Sun Tzu
>