Course Overview
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
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
Exam prerequisite skills: Application of Lean-Agile principles
- 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 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.
Scaled Agile have updated their certification renewal and membership model.
With this transition, you will now be able to renew your membership at one of three tiers, two of which will include a bundle renewal of all your SAFe certifications. If you don’t need or want to include the renewal of your certifications, you have the option to simply renew your membership to continue access to all the assets, tools, and resources to help you grow as a SAFe professional.
The first year of your certification and membership is included within the cost of this course – therefore, the following renewal fees will only apply when renewing your membership:
SAFe Foundational membership
- Renews annually at $195
- Includes renewal of all Foundational certs (SA, SP, SSM, SGP, SDP)
- One-year Foundational membership is included with first-time course attendance or can be purchased separately
- Provides access to the community platform
SAFe Advanced membership
- Renews annually at $295
- Renews a member’s current Advanced certifications (APM, LPM, RTE, SASM, ASE), and includes all other current Foundational certifications
- Provides access to the community platform
SAFe Expert membership
- Renews annually at $995
- Renews a member’s expert current certification (SPC or SPCT), and also includes all other current Advanced and Foundational certs
- Access to the community platform + SPC-only content and features