My TOGAF 10 combined exam experience
Introduction
I am software and solution architect, so my technical expertise helped me at some level to pass the exam.
Those coming lines are only a reflection of my personal thoughts and feedbacks based on my experience going through that journey.
Achieving a total score of 85% on the exam, I’m happy to share insights and lessons learned along the way.
Short story
To go conformably for the examination day, it took from me 6 months of preparation, balanced alongside a demanding full-time job and a packed schedule. I found out that there is shortcuts or inexpensive alternatives, so I looked for an Open Group partner training who offered both live classes and self-paced learning alongside with a voucher to pass the exam and all necessary resources and materials. This all what needed to succeed the exam.
Long Story
Some general clarifications and advices:
Before even to think about obtaining TOGAF certification, I don’t think that just having it will serve you well to nail your next career move. It might at first selection level but later on you will not be able to prove that you acquired the expertise expected for a TOGAF certified, so take it as a journey to learn something new and that you really in need of it.
It is funny to know that UML and all diagramming staff that we used to build in the software engineering and to define business requirements are important in EA.
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If you are senior level, you find yourself in some of the TOGAF ADM phases, like myself, as solution architect, it is phase E (Opportunities & Solutions) where I find myself most.
If you really need to communicate to some of stakeholders in your organizations like non-technical senior management or vendors of different types, going for that course will help you clear out a lot of staff, and enhance your communications, you figure out that mostly three ways to communicate your ideas and efforts, which are Catalogs (list of things), Diagrams (Graphics of connected objects) and Matrices and more.
If you are only developer and enjoy your job, this certification might not be a good choice for you to take it as next step for your path.
How did I get prepared?
So now, let’s go right into the essence of the subject, below are the steps and guidelines that I followed:
I bought the course from a vendor and went first through the self learning videos before going to the live class because this will help me build the first layer of knowledge and get me ready with couple of questions and motivations.
Next, I went through the 4 hours per day, twice a week, course and built the second layer of knowledge acquired from the trainer.
Right here is still not enough, I knew that I have still trusty to know more, because getting certified was not the only objective, so I looked for some Enterprise Architecture courses in some other places and took couple of hours focusing mostly on real life scenarios. I assume that this step should have be the first step before even going with TOGAF course.
After that, I starting the reading part and went through the C220 pdf (TOGAF 10 standard), the handouts (both for the Foundation and the Practitioner) and after that I read the pocket guide the Open Group offer (not free of course but not expensive).
The week before exam I took couple of exams that the training center offered and I passed it with some level of confidence. You will not find a summary of the content or a cheat sheets, to take as maximum as possible from the course the only way. All the content is important.
Summary:
Always based on my personal experience, to go for this course, it should be for the right motivations. It is not that hard to nail it since it is required only to score 60% but just passing the exam is not a correct objective on itself.
