TOGAF Exam Notes

After spending 20+ years in IT with a focus on network engineering and solution architecture, I found myself increasingly drawn to the field of enterprise architecture. Although I had previously studied TOGAF 9.2, I never took the exam due to various interruptions in my life. However, enterprise architecture continues to attract me by offering opportunities to work in that domain. Now that I have made the decision to pursue this path and complete the certification, I hope my story can help anyone who is also striving to achieve this.

This journey has taken about three years, and I’m incredibly relieved to finally say that I have sat for and passed both exams. When I say "sat" and "passed," I want to emphasise how long it took me to reach this point. Years ago, I participated in the training, which was conducted virtually via Zoom, probably in 2021 during the COVID lockdown. Staying motivated and focused for eight hours a day over four days was a real challenge. I was supposed to sit for the exam shortly after that, just a few days or weeks later, but life got in the way. Weeks turned into months, and months turned into years, and eventually, I lost track of everything.

I feel really fortunate to have the company sponsoring me for this training again, and this time it is an in-person experience. I’m definitely learning from past mistakes. My goal is to complete the training and exam as quickly as possible—faster than my brain tends to forget information!

During the training, I made it a point to read through C220 and G186 each night after our sessions, or at least when I still had some energy left to study. To stay engaged and focused, I relied on coffee—definitely not my usual amount! The instructor was fantastic at keeping the classroom lively, which helped a lot. We also had plenty of breaks and lunch, and I made an effort to watch what I was eating, steering clear of too many carbs while sticking with my coffee fix (thank you, Kaldi!).

In the mornings, I kept breakfast simple with just fruit and coffee. That worked well enough to tide me over until our first morning break. One trick I found really helpful was taking notes by hand. I didn’t really go back to them later, but the act of writing kept my mind and body engaged during the sessions. Overall, it was a productive and rewarding experience!

The training was quite valuable, especially since TOGAF integrates mock exam questions into the curriculum. We not only learned how to tackle those questions but also developed effective strategies for approaching them. One aspect I believe could be improved, though, is the delivery of the material. I want to emphasise that my instructor, Neville Drake , was fantastic and really engaged us throughout the course!

I found the structure of the course to be a bit overwhelming at times. Each day was packed with hundreds of slides covering all the TOGAF modules, which made it challenging to really absorb everything in just four days, especially with the mock exams thrown in. I think it would really help to start with a high-level overview of the course structure before diving deeper into each module and showing how they connect with one another. I get that they have to fit everything into a “reasonable” four-day training schedule that allows participants to take “day offs” from work, but a more gradual approach might enhance the learning experience with the sacrifice of longer days to attend the training.

To supplement my learning, I also explored additional resources on Udemy, which helped me reinforce what I was learning. Overall, the training has been beneficial, but a more structured approach to the delivery could enhance the experience even further.

Recognising that there was a lot to cover, I approached my studies with a sprint mindset. My goal was a 60% passing score, so I scheduled my TOGAF Part 1 Foundation exam just six days after completing the training. I followed that up with the Part 2 Practitioner exam nine days later. To reinforce what I had learned, I revisited the material on Udemy and took multiple mock exams from their platform as well.

I knew it was essential to keep the information fresh in my mind, even if it meant sacrificing sleep and relying on a few extra cups of coffee. I constantly reminded myself that I only needed to achieve 60% to pass—not 61%, not 80%, and certainly not 100%. Just 60% meant answering 24 questions correctly for Part 1 and accumulating a total of 24 points for Part 2, and that kept me focused on my goal.

TOGAF Part 1 Foundation Exam

40 multiple-choice questions; 60 minutes; 60% passing score; closed-book.

To prepare for this exam and while it is still fresh, I scheduled to take the exam six days after the training. I used the Enterprise Architecture Foundation with TOGAF 10 Standard (https://www.udemy.com/course/togaf-10-ea-foundation/learn/lecture/43351280#overview) by Dr. Christopher Schulz and Tobias Smuda. Watching these resources provided another perspective on how everything comes together, and they both did a wonderful job explaining the reasons and the connections between the modules. Furthermore, there are a couple of small questions—two or three for each module—to refresh my memory. I reviewed this material again and took notes on my laptop. Additionally, they both offer a Practice Test Pack for the TOGAF 10 EA Foundation Certification (https://www.udemy.com/course/togaf-practice-test/learn/quiz/5962292/test#overview), which comprises six 40-question modules complete with explanations of the answers. I approached this as a regimen by creating a study schedule and following it until the night before.

There is no particular strategy when it comes to the exam, but Neville (my instructor) shared to write down the TOGAF modules before the exam starts (they give a piece of blank paper/plastic to write), and I did exactly that to keep my mind focus on the questions rather than trying to remember those modules. Actually, it helped me to quickly pinpoint which TOGAF phase, either by the name or by the letter (i.e., Phase A vs Architecture Vision).

After about 30 questions, took my time to answer it, felt good, and was confident that I would pass. And I couldn’t be happier with the result.

TOGAF Part 2 Practitioner Exam

Eight multiple-choice questions; 90 minutes; 60% passing score; open-book.

I have to admit, I was pretty nervous about this one. During my mock exams, there were a few questions that really stumped me—I just couldn’t wrap my head around them. But over time, I learned to trust the process and not get too caught up in the confusion. It was definitely a challenging experience, but I’ve found that persistence pays off in the end.

I used the same author from Udemy (Dr. Christopher Schulz and Tobias Smuda) Enterprise Architecture Practitioner with TOGAF 10 Standard (https://www.udemy.com/course/togaf-10-practitioner/learn/lecture/41143254#content) and watched that the whole nine days leading to the exam day. Including the mock exam Practice Test Pack TOGAF 10 EA Practitioner Certification (https://www.udemy.com/course/togaf-part-2-practice-test/learn/quiz/6394682/test#overview) by the same authors. Again, I scheduled my days to mix between the materials and mock exams.

When I approached the exam, I followed a systematic method that really helped me focus. I started by carefully reading the case, followed by the questions and then the answer choices, in that exact order. As I went through the case and the questions, I jotted down key terms that came to mind. This was crucial for me to pinpoint which phase the enterprise or company was in, what their objectives were, and what challenges they were facing.

Writing down these keywords on the provided paper helped in two significant ways: it kept me engaged and made the material easier to digest. If I hadn’t done this, I might have found myself losing focus—those case studies can be quite lengthy! Understanding the specific phase the company was in according to the TOGAF framework was essential because it allowed me to hone in on the relevant activities for that phase. Overall, this method made a huge difference in my understanding and performance during the exam.

Reading the answers, I created a small table like below.

For each answer, in the sentence or part of the sentence, I put a correct, incorrect, or not-sure symbol. I marked my answers with 5 for the best answer, 3 for the 2nd best answer, 1 for the 3rd best answer, and 0 for the wrong answer using the count of how many correct or not-sure symbols I put. This helped me then to answer which one was the best answer, and in this case is answer B.

This exam is “open book,” which means you can access documents C220 and G186, and you can utilise the search feature as well. To be honest, I only referenced the documents for one question. I found that if you rely too heavily on them to pinpoint which activities belong in each module, you might end up wasting a lot of time. It’s crucial to be familiar with the material beforehand to feel truly ready.

I finished the exam with about 5 minutes to spare, which was a nice surprise. The system gives you a warning when time is running low, so I took that opportunity to go back and review one of the more challenging questions. I ended up clicking “finished” with just about 30 seconds left on the clock. It felt good to double-check my answers before submitting!

Testing Centre or At Home?

I have heard a lot of questions about whether we should be using the authorised Testing Centre or just do this at home.

In my experience, I had my other tests twice at home, and those weren’t good experiences. There are so many issues, processes, and rules to abide by. Once, I was told to focus on the screen of my laptop while I was staring at the ceiling, thinking. Another time, the proctor was late, or there was a connection issue, and I couldn’t touch my phone to reach out for help. Given these experiences, I prefer to take the exam at the Testing Centre. No fuss—just sit down and do the exam. Also, when you visit the Testing Centre for the exam, don’t forget to bring your physical photo ID (driving license or passport) and another form of physical ID to verify your name (like a credit card or something else).

I totally get that the Testing Centre accommodates multiple candidates at once, which means you might end up sharing the space with others. During my recent exam, there was a moment that really tested my focus. About an hour in, one guy started fidgeting and his chair squeaked loudly every time he moved. It became quite distracting until someone nearby mentioned it to him, which thankfully helped settle things down. That kind of distraction is pretty rare, though—most of the time, I just heard the occasional sigh of frustration or fatigue from fellow test-takers.

I hope this is beneficial to you and keep on learning!

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