Leading vs Advanced SAFe: Key Differences

Leading vs Advanced SAFe Key Highlights

• Leading SAFe and SAFe Advanced Scrum Master are both valuable certification courses in the SAFe framework.
• Leading SAFe focuses on teaching individuals how to lead and implement the SAFe framework in an organization, while SAFe Advanced Scrum Master enhances the skills of existing Scrum Masters.
• The course content of Leading SAFe covers topics such as Lean-Agile leadership, PI planning, and lean portfolio management, while SAFe Advanced Scrum Master focuses on facilitating cross-team collaboration, optimizing flow and building high-performing teams.
• SAFe Advanced Scrum Master is recommended by Scaled Agile for experienced Scrum Masters, including those certified as SAFe Scrum Master (SSM).
• The choice between the two certifications depends on your career goals and level of expertise in the SAFe framework.

Introduction

SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) provides a structured approach to scaling Agile practices across an entire organization, promoting collaboration, efficiency, and delivering value to customers.

Leading SAFe and SAFe Advanced Scrum Master are two certification courses offered within the SAFe framework. These courses aim to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills to implement and lead Agile transformations in their respective roles. While both courses share a common goal of promoting business agility, there are key differences between Leading SAFe and SAFe Advanced Scrum Master that make them suitable for different career paths.

In this blog, we will explore the key highlights, course content and target audience associated with Leading SAFe and SAFe Advanced Scrum Master. By understanding these differences, you can make an informed decision about which certification is best suited for your career goals and aspirations.

Understanding SAFe Frameworks

Before diving into the specifics of Leading SAFe and SAFe Advanced Scrum Master, it’s important to have a basic understanding of the SAFe framework. SAFe, which stands for Scaled Agile Framework, is a framework that enables organizations to apply Agile principles and practices at scale. It combines lean thinking, Agile principles, and various scaling practices.

The SAFe framework provides a structured approach to scaling Agile practices across multiple teams, departments, and even entire organizations. It promotes collaboration, alignment, and a mindset of continuous improvement.

How the Framework Is Organised Today

Scaled Agile now organises SAFe into five Disciplines: Lean Portfolio Management, Team and Technical Agility, Product Development Flow, Large Solution Integration and Delivery, and Leadership and Culture. They replace the seven core competencies of the 2023 Big Picture. The Leadership and Culture Discipline is the one most relevant here. It expects leaders to embody the Lean-Agile mindset, demonstrate SAFe’s four core values (Alignment, Transparency, Respect for People and Relentless Improvement) and apply the ten SAFe principles.

Both courses sit on that base. Leading SAFe teaches it to the people who steer a SAFe adoption. SAFe Advanced Scrum Master applies it at team and Agile Release Train (ART) level, where Scrum Masters work with several teams on flow and collaboration.

Introduction to Leading SAFe

Leading SAFe is a certification course designed to equip individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge to lead and implement the SAFe framework in an organization. The course provides a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of SAFe, enabling participants to drive Lean-Agile transformations in their organizations.

The Leading SAFe course covers key topics such as Lean-Agile leadership, PI planning, and lean portfolio management. Participants learn how to apply these concepts to foster a culture of agility and innovation within their teams and organizations. The course also emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement and the role of leaders in enabling and supporting Agile teams.

By completing the Leading SAFe course and obtaining certification, individuals demonstrate their proficiency in implementing the SAFe framework and their commitment to driving business agility in their organizations.

Who Leading SAFe Is For

Scaled Agile describes Leading SAFe as a course for current or aspiring executives, directors, product managers and Agile coaches who lead change in complex organizations. The certification you earn is SAFe Agilist (SA), now titled AI-Empowered SAFe Agilist. It is a foundational credential with no prerequisites, and Scaled Agile states that a training course is not required to sit the exam. At AgileFever the course runs two days.

What the Leading SAFe Exam Covers

Scaled Agile publishes six topic areas for the SA exam, with approximate weightings:

• Adapting to disruption and building a Lean-Agile organization: 7-9%
• Lean-Agile mindset, SAFe values and principles, and using AI: 18-21%
• Agile teams, Agile Release Trains, built-in quality and DevOps: 7-9%
• Customer-centricity, backlog prioritization, PI Planning and executing the PI: 25-28%
• Lean Portfolio Management, including portfolio vision, epics, flow and AI tools: 25-28%
• Leading change and empowering leaders with AI: 7-9%

The two largest areas, customer-centricity with PI Planning and Lean Portfolio Management, together make up roughly half the exam. If you are short of study time, start there. The Lean-Agile mindset, values and principles area also includes using AI, so expect AI questions beyond the dedicated leadership topic.

What You Receive With the Certification

Passing the exam earns the SAFe Agilist accreditation and a digital badge. Scaled Agile also lists an unlimited practice test with question-level feedback, community access and SAFe resources, the SAFe CoPilot AI assistant, and PMI PDUs and Scrum CEUs. To keep the credential, you must earn at least 12 CEUs each year.

Exploring Advanced SAFe

SAFe Advanced Scrum Master (SASM) is a certification course for experienced Scrum Masters. Scaled Agile lists no formal prerequisites and recommends the course for experienced Scrum Masters, including those certified as SAFe Scrum Master (SSM).

The learning outcomes on the Scaled Agile course page are facilitating cross-team collaboration, optimizing flow, managing multi-team engagement and driving high-performing teams. The course also covers applying advanced XP and Kanban to identify bottlenecks.

Who SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Is For

Scaled Agile positions the course for experienced Scrum Masters and team leaders working in multi-team settings. It also suits Agile coaches, engineering managers and people aiming for a Release Train Engineer role. Holding the SAFe Scrum Master (SSM) certification is recommended, and you should already understand the Scrum Master role, SAFe principles and team facilitation. The course also covers using AI to cut administrative work so Scrum Masters can spend more time facilitating. See the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master path for AgileFever’s course details.

What the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master Exam Covers

The exam domains and approximate weightings published by Scaled Agile are:

• Evolving the Advanced Scrum Master role, including using AI: 11-13%
• Improving flow, including team methods, flow visualization and built-in quality: 22-24%
• Building high-performing teams, including powerful questions, cross-team collaboration and performance assessment: 26-28%
• Addressing conflict, including interest-based problem solving and conflict analysis: 18-20%
• Improving ART performance, including outcome-based events, Inspect and Adapt and problem-solving workshops: 17-19%

Building high-performing teams and improving flow carry about half the weight between them. Conflict handling is a graded domain in its own right, so it is worth practising the interest-based problem solving and conflict analysis techniques the course teaches. Accreditation is renewed yearly, and the course comes with perpetual access to the workbook and SAFe Studio, an unlimited practice test with feedback, and a digital badge.

Key Differences Between Leading and Advanced SAFe

Leading SAFe is the starting point for leaders and practitioners who need to understand and lead a SAFe adoption. SAFe Advanced Scrum Master is aimed at experienced Scrum Masters who want to go deeper on flow, multi-team collaboration and high-performing teams.

Focus Areas and Objectives

Leading SAFe covers Lean-Agile leadership, PI planning, and lean portfolio management. SAFe Advanced Scrum Master covers improving flow, building high-performing teams, addressing conflict and improving ART performance, which are the exam domains listed by Scaled Agile.

Target Audience

Leading SAFe suits people who lead or take part in a SAFe adoption, such as Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Release Train Engineers, Agile coaches and managers. SAFe Advanced Scrum Master suits experienced Scrum Masters, including those certified as SSM.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The table below sets out the verified differences from the Scaled Agile course and exam pages.

Certification Process and Requirements

The certification process and requirements for both Leading SAFe and SAFe Advanced Scrum Master involve completing the respective training courses and passing the certification exams.

For Leading SAFe, individuals must complete the Leading SAFe course and pass the certification exam. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions that assess the participant’s understanding of the SAFe framework and their ability to apply its principles and practices.

Similarly, for SAFe Advanced Scrum Master, individuals must complete the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master course and pass the certification exam. The exam evaluates the participant’s knowledge of advanced Agile concepts and their ability to apply them in the SAFe framework.

By completing the courses and exams, individuals demonstrate their proficiency in the SAFe framework and their commitment to continuous learning and improvement in Agile practices.

Exam Format for Leading SAFe

The exam format for Leading SAFe certification consists of multiple-choice questions that assess the participant’s understanding of the SAFe framework and their ability to apply its principles and practices.

Participants are required to select the correct answer from multiple options provided for each question.

To pass the Leading SAFe exam and obtain certification, participants must score at least 80% on the 45-question exam. The exam duration is 90 minutes, and participants are required to complete the exam within the allotted time. The credential is now called AI-Empowered SAFe Agilist (SA), the exam includes AI topics such as empowering agility with AI, certified members get the SAFe CoPilot AI assistant, and the certification renews every year with 12 CEUs.

By preparing for the exam and demonstrating their understanding of the SAFe framework, participants can obtain certification as a Leading SAFe professional and validate their knowledge and skills in implementing Agile transformations.

Exam Format for Advanced SAFe

The exam format for SAFe Advanced Scrum Master certification is similar to Leading SAFe certification. The exam consists of multiple-choice questions that assess the participant’s knowledge of advanced Agile concepts and their ability to apply them in the SAFe framework.

The exam includes questions on the exam domains listed by Scaled Agile: evolving the Advanced Scrum Master role, improving flow, building high-performing teams, addressing conflict and improving ART performance. Participants must select the correct answer from multiple options provided for each question.

To pass the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master exam and obtain certification, participants must score at least 82%. The exam duration is 120 minutes, and participants must complete the exam within the allotted time. The exam includes an AI domain on empowering teams with AI, and the credential renews every year. See the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master path for details.

By successfully passing the exam, participants demonstrate their proficiency in advanced Agile concepts and their ability to apply them as SAFe Advanced Scrum Masters.

How to Choose Between the Two

The two credentials are not stages on one ladder. They answer different questions, so choose by role:

• If you sponsor, steer or take part in a SAFe adoption and need the whole picture, from the mindset and values through PI Planning to portfolio funding, take Leading SAFe.
• If you are already an experienced Scrum Master and your teams work inside an ART, SAFe Advanced Scrum Master builds the facilitation, flow and conflict skills that Leading SAFe does not go into.
• If you are a Scrum Master new to SAFe, Scaled Agile recommends SSM first, then SASM once you have experience.
• If you want to lead the rollout itself, the Implementing SAFe (SPC) course is the usual next step after Leading SAFe.

Many people take both over time. Leading SAFe gives the shared vocabulary leaders and teams use in PI Planning and Inspect and Adapt, and SASM deepens the Scrum Master’s part in making those events work.

Conclusion

In summary, Leading SAFe is the starting point for leaders and practitioners adopting SAFe, while SAFe Advanced Scrum Master is aimed at experienced Scrum Masters. Which one fits depends on your role and experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should opt for Leading SAFe certification?

Leading SAFe is suitable for people who lead or take part in a SAFe adoption, such as Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Release Train Engineers and managers.

What makes Advanced SAFe different from Leading SAFe?

Advanced SAFe, also known as SAFe Advanced Scrum Master, is recommended by Scaled Agile for experienced Scrum Masters, including those certified as SSM. Its learning outcomes are facilitating cross-team collaboration, optimizing flow, managing multi-team engagement and driving high-performing teams.

How does one transition from Leading to Advanced SAFe?

Scaled Agile lists no formal prerequisites for SAFe Advanced Scrum Master and recommends it for experienced Scrum Masters, including those certified as SSM. Leading SAFe is a different track. Scaled Agile recommends experienced Scrum Masters, including SSM holders, for SASM. Leading SAFe is a separate foundational course for people who lead or take part in an adoption, and you do not need it before SASM.

What does the Leading SAFe exam look like?

It has 45 questions, runs 90 minutes and has an 80% pass mark. The largest topic areas are customer-centricity with PI Planning, and Lean Portfolio Management, at roughly 25-28% each.

What does the SAFe Advanced Scrum Master exam look like?

It runs 120 minutes with an 82% pass mark. The biggest domains are building high-performing teams and improving flow.

Do these certifications expire?

Both renew yearly. SAFe Agilist needs at least 12 CEUs a year to keep the credential.

What is the SAFe CoPilot?

It is an AI assistant that Scaled Agile gives certified members, listed among the SA course benefits.

Is the first exam attempt included?

At AgileFever, the first exam attempt is included in the course fee if taken within 30 days of course completion. Certificates are issued by Scaled Agile. Additional discounts are available. Contact us to know more.