The road to TOGAF Certification

As a busy professional in the field of architecture, finding the time and resources to study for the TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework) certification can seem daunting. However, with a strategic approach and practical advice, you can achieve this milestone without overwhelming your schedule. Here, I share my journey, the challenges I faced, and the strategies that worked for me.

Understanding TOGAF Certification

TOGAF certification is highly regarded in the architecture community, offering validation of your skills and knowledge in enterprise architecture. The certification process consists of two parts: TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Foundation (Part 1) and TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Practitioner (Part 2).

As you can see above you can either choose to appear in Part 1 and Part 2 exams separately or you can do it in one go. With the combined exam, you have to be prepared of the fact that there will not be any breaks allowed.

I had chosen the combined exam and was able to keep my full focus intact during the exam.

Another thing to note here is that Part 2 questions are case-study based and there will be 8 different case studies to go through during the exam. The questions require you to think it through clearly in terms what architectural advise you will have for the scenario. The options for the answers are also complex paragraphs that will test your command over TOGAF framework and ADM in particular.

The best option is awarded 5 marks, the second best option is awarded 3 marks, the third best option is awarded 1 mark and the worst option chosen will get a zero mark.

The passing score for both of the exams are 60%.

My Learning Journey

I started my learning journey on TOGAF Certification in November 2023 but only seriously started working on it from April 2024. I felt that 2 months of serious preparation will help you gain the certification.

Before even thinking about any learning or certification journey or any personal project, one should definitely evaluate these 3 factors that can either help you succeed or derail you progress. This applies to all such goals that you want to fulfil on top of your personal life and work commitments.

1. Life happens

Balancing work, personal life, and study time was the most significant challenge. My days were packed with meetings, project deadlines, and family commitments. In addition, there is always an urgent thing or two that will pop-up to demand your attention, time and effort.

There were a few approaches that I took was based on my current situation and these help me a lot for staying on top of my progress:

• Build a personal notes system

This was one of the most critical steps I took. My logic is that as life can get busier at times, I may not have an opportunity to read or go through a course material twice. But once captured my notes will continue to guide.

My notes consist of words, pictures and mind maps. I normally use Obsidian as my PKM system and Edraw (Drawing and Mindmaps).

I printed my notes as pdf and uploaded it my cloud drive making it accessible wherever I go.

• Schedule early morning study hours

With a little extra self-motivation, this approach can help you be most productive and go full speed when you are fresh and there are little or no distractions.

I normally use my morning to go through books, study materials and course and take notes all the time.

• Time management

With the above system in place, you can now use any additional opportunity or time to go through your notes. Those 15 mins wait between meetings or at home when you are doing nothing can actually help your preparation progress.

These are the secrets of my learning process — if someone asks me, how do I keep learning all the time?

My answer always is —

I plan my days and weeks in advance, take a lot of notes and try effectively manage my time as much as possible. I accelerate my personal goals during a downtime at day job and slow down when it gets really busy at work but still make as much progress as permitted by my time availability and energy levels.

2. Resource Overload:

The vast amount of available study materials was overwhelming. Choosing the right resources without wasting time and money was crucial.

My take on the available resources is that this is where as a busy professional you have to be ruthless to minimize the amount of content you aim to consume. TOGAF literature is massively vast. There is literature on the framework, its applications in various domains and practical advisory provided by experts on the subject. These are all valuable contents. But this overwhelming amount of literature is something that you need to be very careful when embarking your learning journey as it has the potential to drive you miles away from the real goal of the certification.

I categorize the types of resources in 3 categories:

Books (Online + Printed)

Let’s look at the key literature that you need to go through in detail based on the exam that your attempting.

TOGAF? Enterprise Architecture Part 1 Exam —

• TOGAF Foundational Content and
• ADM

TOGAF? Enterprise Architecture Part 2 Exam —

• TOGAF Foundational Content and
• ADM
• A Practitioners Approach to Developing Enterprise Architecture
• Security Architecture
• Digital Practioner Body of Knowledge
• TOGAF Agile Architecture

Video Courses

The essential literature listed above itself is quite overwhelming. Hence the reason when I initially planned for going for this certification in November 2023, I was completely blown away.

It was around April, 2024, I signed up for a video course. There are plenty of such courses available with a wide range of formats. Pick the one that suits your learning style and schedule.

The reason why I chose to go through a video course was to get one round of focussed learning. Just to find out “Who’s who in the zoo!”.

It was worth it.

My first set of notes came from this course.

That’s when the deep dives started. I was now equipped for a lot of focussed reading from the list of literatures listed above. In the process, I kept on enhancing my personal notes and mind maps.

Practice Exams

Finally, signing up for the video course also gave me access to practice tests and exams — one of the most valuable resources for your certification journey.

I scheduled a few smaller versions of tests (not spending more than 30 mins) multiple times a week and a full exam on the weekend for 3–4 weeks leading up to the real exam day.

This greatly helped me in understanding my shortcomings and helped me to enhance my personal notes. Also this can proved to be a good resource to keep you motivated throughout the process as you keep improving your scores.

3. Leverage Your Work Experience

Your real-world experience is a valuable asset. Relate TOGAF concepts to your current projects and responsibilities. This practical application reinforces learning and helps in understanding how TOGAF principles are used in real scenarios.

I was able to connect the dots from the instances and examples over the last 10 years of my project experience as an Application, Data, Cloud and Integration architecture. By mapping TOGAF concepts to my work, I gained deeper insights and could apply theoretical knowledge practically. This not only helped in my studies but also improved my performance at work. This part is really essential for your success in TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Part 2 exam.

Conclusion

Studying for the TOGAF certification as a busy professional is undoubtedly challenging, but with a strategic approach, it is achievable. Set clear goals, choose the right resources, leverage your work experience, and stay connected with a community. Most importantly, take care of your well-being throughout the process.

The journey to TOGAF certification can be a rewarding one, enhancing both your professional skills and career prospects. Remember, focus, consistency and perseverance are key. I truly hope that my journey will inspire you and provide some key insights if you are also thinking about being TOGAF certified.

Good luck!

Thanks for reading my post.