Both are valuable, but they are not the same thing. Before you enroll in any course on this site, here's a clear, honest breakdown of what you'll receive, so there's no confusion later.
In short: Courses on this site that are labeled "Microcredential" (like Agile Essentials, Agile for HR, Agile for Marketing, and AI for Product Discovery and Strategy) award a Scrum Alliance® microcredential badge — a course-completion credential. They are not the same as formal, exam-based certifications like CSM® (Certified ScrumMaster®) or CSPO® (Certified Scrum Product Owner®), which require passing a proctored assessment.
A side-by-side look at how these two credentials actually differ — and why the difference matters for your resume and career.
| Certification (e.g. CSM®, CSPO®) | Microcredential (e.g. Agile Essentials, Agile for HR) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Certification A formal, assessed credential that verifies role-based competency. |
Microcredential A badge that verifies you completed a focused course on a specific topic. |
| How you earn it | Attend a course and pass a proctored, timed assessment/exam. | Complete the course content, exercises, and any in-course knowledge checks. |
| Assessment rigor | Formal exam with a passing score requirement. | Light-touch — participation and comprehension, not a formal exam. |
| What you receive | A certification credential + digital badge + Scrum Alliance® membership. | A microcredential digital badge + Scrum Alliance® membership. |
| How it's perceived | Recognized as a role-qualifying credential (e.g. "I am a Certified ScrumMaster"). | Recognized as focused skill/topic exposure (e.g. "I completed training on Agile for HR"). |
| Validity | Tied to your 2-year Scrum Alliance® membership; renewable. | Badge itself doesn't expire; tied to your 2-year Scrum Alliance® membership for continued benefits. |
You'll know before you pay whether a course gives you a certification or a microcredential — not after you've already completed it.
A microcredential is a great way to build focused skills and show initiative — it's just a different outcome than a formal certification, and both have their place.
If you specifically need a role-based certification (like CSM® or CSPO®) for a job requirement, you'll know to look for our certification courses instead.
Scrum Alliance® is the world's largest and longest-standing nonprofit agile credentialing body, founded in 2001, serving a global community of 1.5 million+ agile professionals. A Scrum Alliance® credential is recognized by employers worldwide as proof of practical, up-to-date agile skills.
Sain Innovation is an Authorized Scrum Alliance® Training Partner — we are an independent training provider, not Scrum Alliance® itself. We design and deliver these courses under their guidelines, and successful learners receive an official Scrum Alliance® certification or microcredential badge (as applicable) along with a 2-year Scrum Alliance® membership.
Scrum Alliance® — Credentialing Body
Sain Innovation — Authorized Training Partner
Official Badge on Completion
2-Year Scrum Alliance® Membership
Still unsure what you'll walk away with? These should clear it up.
Browse our full list of Scrum Alliance® certifications and microcredentials and choose the one that matches what you're actually working toward.
Acrum Alliance® Microcredentials