1. Intro
First of all, congratulations on completing the previous section. You’ve made amazing progress. Let’s take a look at our road map. As you can see, we’re getting closer to our goal. You are becoming a PSM. To certify it, a few words about this section First, it is going to be short. The primary focus is on how to approach the PSM exam, what to do during the exam, what not to do, and so on. Also, I’ve provided you with more resources. not just reading materials but also practicing questions outside of this course. I want to keep the resource lecture in text format because if I see something useful, I can update it quickly and you can benefit faster. In the next video, I will share with you my top eight tips that helped me during the exam. and I’m sure they will help you too. Let’s take a look.
2. My Top 8 Tips To Approach The PSM II Exam
In this video, I would like to give you some tips on what to do while taking the exam. Considering the passing score of 85%, you do not have a lot of room for mistakes. And mistakes may happen for many reasons. It is not just a lack of knowledge. Another reason could be distractions during the exam. Or maybe you’re missing focus. Let’s get down to it. Number one, and this is my favourite answer to eliminate, By now, you know how scrum works.
You know the scrum rules. You know what is part of scrum and what is not part of scrum on the exam; some of the answers are misleading because they talk about good practices. But if you see a good practice, this doesn’t mean the answer is correct answer. You must analyze. This was my primary strategy while I was taking the exam. First I read the question, then I read the answers. I eliminate the absurd answers, and I’m left with one or two good options. Then I analyses them to give you a reminder, extending the duration of a sprint. This is bad. We do not do it by adding or hiring developers. We do not do it by working overtime. We do not do it as a scrum master acting as a scrum police, using commanding control, leadership, accepting or rejecting decisions, and ordering people what to do. We do not do that in scrums. Also, we do not work with reports or documents called project plans.
When you spot something like that, eliminate it. Number two: read the questions carefully. Always read the entire question and all of the answers. I’m not a native English speaker, and most of the questions I read more than once. I’m not talking about a second round. No. For example, I’m at question number four. I read it once, and I read all the options as well. Then I read it twice. I want to make sure I haven’t missed an important clue the first time I read it. Then I chose the correct answers. This leads me to point number three. Do not be in a hurry. There is no need for that. The time is more than enough. This is the good news. On my exam, I remember being ready 30 minutes before the end of the exam time box. It is different from the PSM One exam, for example, where you have less than 1 minute per question. With PSM 2, you have three minutes per question. So take your time. Read slowly. Read for understanding. You can eliminate options once you understand the question. You analyse the rest, and you select number four.
Double check. How many options do you have to select? As you know, you’ve got three types of questions: multiple choice, multiple answer, and true or false multiple answers. For example, you are given five options and have to select two or three in the question. One of the last sentences says how many options you should select. Please be careful with this; select as many as indicated in the question, no more, no less. Number five: do a second and third round for PSM 1. I advise my students to do a second round here. because we have plenty of time. I advise you to do the second and third rounds. And I’m not talking about being in doubt. Doubting yourself. constantly reconsidering your answers. No, I’m talking about making sure you do not make simple mistakes. Remember, out of 30 questions, if you fail more than four or five, you’re not going to pass the exam. Every answer matters. Sixth, and as I mentioned in the first tip, do not be misled by good practices. For example, pair programming, story points, test-driven development, and so on. Yes, many successful Scrum teams use these, but they are not part of the Scrum framework. To tell the truth, PSM 2 is confusing. You might even expect answers with arguments that use correct language, but these answers are still not correct. The developers will extend the sprint because they are self-managing and they know best how to turn PBIS into increments of value. Everything seems all right in this sentence, but the rule has been broken, so it is incorrect.
In other words, follow Scrum 100%. Some people say, “Oh, you have to have scrum experience.” You have to have experience with Chrome Master to pass PSM 2, and this is misleading, and I disagree with it 100% because many organisations do not apply Scrum in its entirety. Maybe they’re transitioning from waterfall to agile, so they do not fully apply Scrum. And what you may have seen on the job is not the case on the exam. So your experience may confuse you. Go with 100% scrum. The rules you’ve learned in this course—from the Scrum Guide, the Nexus Guide, the Evidence-Based Management Guide, the Scrum Master’s good stances, and so on—reflect everything you’ve learned in this course. Next. Number seven, avoid distractions. As I said in the introduction to this lecture, the reason for failure might simply be distractions. You’re not in a quiet room. Your Internet connection is not good. Your laptop doesn’t have enough battery. You need to consider these factors. You need an environment where you can focus for 90 minutes. Number eight: gather everything you need before you start the exam.
For example, pen and paper Yes, you can mark questions for revision on the exam page, but some students have told me it was a bit confusing. So if you’re not sure about the question, you’ve selected the answers. But if you want to go back to it later, no problem. Just jot it down. the number 15, for example. Okay. Also, have a glass of water as well. You might get thirsty during these 19 minutes. You might not. It doesn’t matter. Have it next to you.
just in case. Pick the best time of the day according to your personality. Let me tell you that I am most productive between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Usually, this is when I attempt the exams for you. It might be the same, or it might be during the evening. I don’t know. The point is this: do not take the exam while you’re tired and exhausted. The exam requires concentration. It requires your a-level gain. All right, these are the eight tips I have for you to increase your chances of success. Follow every one of them. I hope you’ve read the action items from the previous section, because I’ve prepared some more helpful resources for the next lecture. So thank you for watching, and stay focused.
