Certification and the OGEA-101 exam in practice

Why get certified

The Open Group Certification for People program lets individuals show they master a given topic. Passing leads to a certificate and an Open Badge, and The Open Group publishes the official directory of certified individuals.

For an architect, EA Foundation certification shows employers and peers that they know the core of the TOGAF Standard, an open framework recognized by the industry. It can be prepared on its own, independently of other paths.

The TOGAF portfolio

The portfolio groups certifications based on Version 9.2 and on the 10th Edition. It separates certifications, which require several days of learning, from certification credentials, short paths starting at about three hours of study.

• Certifications: TOGAF 9 Foundation, TOGAF 9 Certified, EA Foundation, EA Practitioner, Business Architecture Foundation.
• Credentials: Risk and Security, Digital Specialist, Agile Specialist, EA Leader, Business Architecture Level 1.

What EA Foundation validates

The Foundation level checks knowledge and comprehension, not application to complex cases. It covers Enterprise Architecture and standard concepts, terminology, the ADM cycle and the objectives of each phase, and adapting and scoping the ADM.

It also covers the techniques that support the ADM, applying the ADM (iteration, partitioning, the digital enterprise), the contribution of governance, and the content produced during the cycle.

The exam in practice

Certification requires passing the Part 1 exam: 40 multiple-choice questions, weighted by topic. The introduction to the ADM has 14 questions, concepts 8, techniques 6, content 5, applying the ADM 4, and governance 3.

The exam is closed book. Accepted forms of ID depend on the test provider. After a failure, the policy cited by the guide requires waiting one month before retaking; the current rule should be checked on The Open Group website.

• Read the question before the options.
• If two options seem right, choose the most correct and relevant one.
• Prepare section by section, then take a full practice exam.