SAFe® for Architects

Course Description

Attendees can improve collaboration and alignment in a SAFe® Lean-Agile enterprise when they become a SAFe 5 Architect. The SAFe® for Architects course prepares System, Solution, and Enterprise Architects to engage across the organization as effective leaders and change agents who collaboratively deliver architectural solutions.

During this three-day course, attendees will explore the roles, responsibilities, and mindset of Agile Architects, and appreciate how to align architecture with business value and drive continuous flow to large systems-of-systems while supporting SAFe program execution.

This course is for senior technical contributors who need to understand the role of System, Solution, and Enterprise Architects in Lean-Agile enterprises. The course is also appropriate for individuals desiring a deeper view into how architecture enables continuous value flow and how architects engage in, and contribute to, a Lean-Agile enterprise.

 

About SAFe for Architects

Duration

3 Day

 

Level

Intermediate

 

Job role description/target audience

A Certified SAFe® Architect is an effective leader and change agent who delivers Agile Architecture to enable the creation of business value. Key areas of competency include: applying SAFe principles to develop and maintain Agile Architecture and release on demand, leading and supporting Solution Trains and Agile Release Trains, extending the principles driving continuous flow to large systems-of-systems, and enabling improved flow of value.

 

Key areas of competency

• Apply SAFe principles to managing trade-offs between functionality, cost, risk, and sustainability
• Ensure designs can be implemented in small batches with continuous integration/continuous delivery deployment model
• Communicate solution context and intent to Agile teams and trains
• Establish intentional architecture guidelines and enable flexibility to allow emergent technology
• Prepare architectural runway to enable delivery success
• Steer architecture decisions, support risk and issue resolution, participate in Management Review and Problem Solving during Program Increment execution
• Define, implement, and monitor quality practices, including CI/CD and DevOps
• Ensure that technology decisions made within an ART work end-to-end across components in a Solution
• Ensure that Solution complies with Portfolio technology strategy
• Enable Lean-Agile transformations and coach Lean-Agile practitioners

Learners taking this course are:

• Scrum Master
• Agile Coach
• Consultant
• Architect
• Agile Trainer
• Solution Architect
• System Architect

 

Course Information

Learning Goals

To perform the role of a SAFe® Architect, attendees should be able to:

• Architect using SAFe principles
• Align architecture with business value
• Develop and communicate architecture vision and intent
• Plan architectural runway to enable delivery success
• Architect for continuous delivery and Release on Demand
• Lead and coach architects and team members during Program Increment (PI) Planning and execution
• Provide leadership during a Lean-Agile transformation

 

What Attendees Get

The class registration includes:

• Attendee workbooks
• Eligibility to take the SAFe® 5 Architect (ARCH) exam1
• One-year membership to the SAFe Community Platform
• Course certificate of completion

 

Prerequisites

The following prerequisites are highly recommended:

• Have attended at least one SAFe course
• Have participated in at least one ART and one PI
• Exam Details
• Completion of this course gives you access to the exam and all related study materials as part of your Learning Plan in the SAFe Community Platform.

 

Exam & Certification Details

Exam Prerequisite Skills

• Application of Lean-Agile principles

 

Exam Requirements

The first step toward becoming a certified SAFe professional is to attend the SAFe® for Architects course. This is a requirement, because attending the course provides access to all the study materials and the exam. Note that attending the course does not guarantee passing the exam.

 

Exam Details

• Exam name:  SAFe® 4 Architect Exam – or – SAFe® 5 Architect Exam
• Exam format: Multiple choice; Multiple select
• Exam delivery: Web-based (single-browser), closed book, no outside assistance, timed
• Exam access: Candidates can access the exam within the SAFe Community Platform upon completion of the SAFe® for Architects course
• Exam duration: Once the exam begins, candidates have 120 minutes (2.0 hours) to complete the exam
• Number of questions: 60
• Passing score: 45 out of 60 (75%)
• Language: English
• Exam cost: First exam attempt is included as part of the course registration fee if the exam is taken within 30 days of course completion. Each retake attempt costs $50.
• Retake policy: Second attempt on exam (first retake) can be done immediately after first attempt. Third attempt requires a 10-day wait. Fourth attempt requires a 30-day wait.

 

Exam Study Materials

The exam is designed to measure knowledge and skill related to the job role. We highly recommend candidates use a variety of resources to prepare for this exam including:

• Course materials – The course materials are an essential artifact from the course and can be downloaded from the SAFe Community Platform. These materials can be used to refer back to the content that was presented during the class.
• Study guide – This comprehensive guide details the job role and all resources related to the exam, including a detailed reading list. Access is available through the Learning Plan in the SAFe Community Platform upon course completion.
• Practice test – The practice test is designed to be predictive of success on the certification exam,* and it has the same number of questions, level of difficulty, and time duration. It is part of the Learning Plan in the SAFe Community Platform and can be taken an unlimited number of times at no cost. *This is not the actual exam, and passing it does not guarantee success on the certification exam.
• Sample Questions – A web-enabled, flashcard style version of the sample questions can be found online and in the study guide.

 

What you get

Becoming a Certified SAFe® Architect requires an exceptional range of skills and is a career path for many servant leaders. Certification includes:

• Certified SAFe® Architect PDF certificate
• Certified SAFe® Architect digital badge to promote your accomplishment online
• One-year membership to the SAFe Community Platform, which includes access to the ARCH Community of Practice
• Access to Meetup groups and events that connect you with other certified SAFe professionals
• A variety of learning resources to support you during your SAFe journey