Does a two-day course and a test make anyone a Scrum Master? No. What the certificate does is show that you learned a shared vocabulary and passed a timed check on it, and employers read it that way. Scaled Agile's SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) exam, for example, is 45 questions in 90 minutes with an 80% pass mark. Some benefits of that paper hold up in daily work, some are oversold, and which one fits depends on your workplace.

Which of the six usual benefits survive a reality check?
Articles on this topic, including the earlier version of this one, tend to list the same six advantages: a wider knowledge base, staying relevant, a change of mindset, better teamwork, benefits for the organisation and a badge of pride. They are not all equally true. The table gives a plain verdict on each, and the notes below explain the reasoning.