In 2014, I earned my CSM certification — and even back then, I found the rule requiring an 18-month wait to renew quite strange.
For the next ten years, everyone quietly accepted it — myself included.
But over the past two years of promoting CSM, I saw motivated learners being blocked by the system when trying to renew early. That’s when I decided: no more silence.
I wrote to the CEO of Scrum Alliance, shared a video and evidence explaining the issue — and to my surprise, it took just four months from proposal to policy change.
One letter changed the renewal policy for all CSM holders — and every Scrum Alliance certification worldwide.
When I saw the “Renew” button appear on a learner’s dashboard, I was genuinely moved.
This wasn’t just a technical fix — it was a true expression of the Agile spirit:
Identify the problem, take courageous action, and create real change.
Now, learners can begin the renewal process just 30 days after earning their certification.
You’ll find your expiration date under “My Certifications” on your dashboard, and all it takes to renew is submitting your SEUs and paying the renewal fee.
Even better — you also have the option to take any Scrum Alliance certification course to renew.
Once you complete the course, all your previous certifications will automatically extend to match the new one’s expiration date.
The system will also send you reminders, so you never miss a renewal.
And most importantly, I hope every learner remembers this:
You are not someone bound by systems — you can be the one who changes them.