The aim of assessment is self-awareness and improvement.  It provides information to an individual, which (s)he may choose to share with others.  This is consistent with the aim of the Scrum Developer program, which seeks to improve the effectiveness of our profession and our industry.

There are three sources of information for assessment: (1) self-assessment; (2) 360˚ assessment by peers and experts; and, (3) objective assessment of knowledge by exam. Comparing information from these sources identifies gaps in an individual’s self-awareness and opportunities for improvement. 

Effective assessment has to be multidimensional, because many skills affect an individual’s ability to perform well in a team that needs to deliver shippable software.  Our assessments try to cover those dimensions and present the full information in their radar charts. 

Assessment is an inspection and confirmation as to whether a person or team knows how to use these facts to accomplish work, to achieve an objective: to estimate or judge the value, character, etc., of; evaluate:to assess one's efforts.

Assessments must take into account both facts and the context within which they occur.  For instance, to assess whether someone knows how to use Scrum in difficult situations, I might want to know how they would cope with a team that has inadequate domain knowledge.

Scrum.org has tools to assess your knowledge of Scrum (as described in the Scrum Guide).  Unlike certification, however, assessment makes no public claim of competence and cannot be misused to assert qualifications that may or may not exist. 

Scrum.org allows members to constructs "radar map" of their competence in knowing and applying Scrum. The radar map is developed over time.  It grows and atrophies, and thus needs constant tending.

Each member of Scrum.org has the ability to create their own radar map, and is responsible for tending their map so it represents a true picture of their capabilities from which action can be taken.