csm

Certified ScrumMaster®

vs.
wst

Working on a Scrum Team

CSM / WoaST Comparison

We often get questions about the difference between the Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM) course and the Working on a Scrum Team (WoaST) training. While both courses can improve your Scrum skills, they are designed to meet distinct needs and goals.

Certified ScrumMaster Who Should Take a CSM?

The CSM is ideal for individuals looking to build foundational skills in Scrum and play a key role in facilitating agile practices within teams. This certification equips participants to remove impediments, foster collaboration, and ensure the Scrum process runs smoothly.

Common career goals for CSM participants include wanting to:

  • Start or improve as a Scrum Master - Learn the essential practices and responsibilities to support and guide teams effectively..
  • Become an agile coach or leader - Build the skills needed to support teams adopting agile principles.
  • Facilitate agile transformations -  change across teams or departments by applying Scrum effectively.
  • Transition from traditional project management - Gain knowledge and confidence to move from waterfall to agile frameworks.
  • Achieve a certification - Once you complete the course and pass the exam, you will be a Certified ScrumMaster.

Working on a Scrum Team Who Should Take Working on a Scrum Team?

Working on a Scrum Team is designed for entire Scrum teams or groups working together on agile projects. It focuses on aligning team members, fostering collaboration, and ensuring consistent understanding and application of Scrum practices.

With this course, participants can:

  • Unify Team Practices - Establish a shared understanding of Scrum principles and roles to ensure alignment and reduce inconsistencies..
  • Improve collaboration - Learn techniques to enhance teamwork, streamline processes, and deliver better outcomes.
  • Reignite stalled agile initiatives - Address challenges and inefficiencies to achieve a successful transformation.
  • Customize Scrum for your organization - Develop a framework for tailoring Scrum practices to fit your team’s needs while maintaining core principles.
  • Complete the course without an exam or needing certification - Unlike the CSM, participants complete practical exercises and discussions but aren’t required to take an exam. You will receive a certificate of completion, but this is not a certified course.
csm wst

Should You Take Both Courses?

Both the CSM and Working on a Scrum Team address a broad range of individual and team-level challenges.

Consider the following goals when choosing your course:

Focus on Individual Growth (CSM)

The CSM is designed for individuals, particularly those aspiring to or working as Scrum Masters. It provides foundational knowledge and certification, which can be crucial for those whose roles require formal recognition of their expertise or who want to advance their career prospects.

Focus on Team Alignment (WoaST)

WoaST is tailored for teams working together on Agile projects. It ensures that all team members share a consistent understanding of Scrum principles and processes, making it ideal for teams aiming to enhance collaboration and performance.

Certification vs. Practical Team Skills

While the CSM offers a widely recognized certification, WoaST focuses on practical team dynamics and application rather than individual certification. It’s best for teams who want to apply Scrum more effectively in their specific context.

Broader Collaboration

Taking both courses provides complementary benefits: CSM equips Scrum Masters with tools to lead teams, while WoaST brings the entire team together to foster collaboration and shared practices.

csm View Certified ScrumMaster® Training wst View Working on a Scrum Team Training

Course Content

Progress circles (ie. ) represent coverage depth


csm Certified ScrumMaster®

wst Working on a Scrum Team

Course Structure

Both CSM and WoaST follow an engaging, immersive format designed to maximize knowledge retention and practical application. While their objectives differ, the course structure remains similar:

  • Interactive presentations – Concepts are delivered through clear, concise lectures.
  • Practical exercises – Collaborative activities help attendees practice and refine their skills.
  • Debrief sessions – Teams review exercises and discuss lessons learned to reinforce understanding.
  • Q&A opportunities – Instructors provide time for personalized questions and insights.

Both courses include:

  • Expert instruction from Certified Scrum Trainers and facilitators.
  • Access to Team Home Software for dynamic, interactive learning.
  • 2 x 8-hour sessions with scheduled breaks and lunch.
  • Training recordings for post-course review.
  • 12 months of mentorship through the Agile Mentors Community

Course Creator: Mike Cohn

Mike Cohn’s history with the CSM and CSPO course is unique. He co-taught the first Certified ScrumMaster course in 2003, and taught the first Certified Scrum Product Owner in 2006, developing the program for the Scrum Alliance.

He is also author of best-selling agile books: Succeeding with Agile, User Stories Applied, and Agile Estimating and Planning, which have sold more than 215,600 copies.

“I’ve worked as a lead developer, as the VP of software development, and even as CTO. I understand the challenges of development teams, and management and want to help both sides succeed with agile.”

This experience, coupled with more than two decades of training agile teams to go from good to great, means both courses are built on extensive knowledge and practical application. Both courses are designed to give you action items you can use as soon as you finish the course.

csm View Certified ScrumMaster® Training wst View Working on a Scrum Team Training