SAFe® for Architects

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.

FAQs

COVID-19

On 3 March 2020, Scaled Agile announced it would allow requests for remote course delivery for all SAFe courses. Additional guidance from their team effective from 9 June 2020 allows the remote delivery of SAFe classes on an on-going basis if required. Radtac is planning to to facilitate many of our scheduled training via our Live-Online virtual classroom. We are continually reviewing this decision based on advice from the local authorities in the region of delivery to ensure the safety of our clients. team and partners. For further information please see our policy here.

What is a Live-Online course?

Live-Online courses are those delivered via our virtual (online) classroom. You will collaborate and interact with your course tutor and participants in real-time via video conferencing and our our digital workspace. You can read more about our Live-Online courses, tools and watch a short video on what to expect here. For public scheduled Live-Online courses you should for look for the dates with a location set as Live-Online <city>. The city is used to highlight the timezone the class will be set in but can be joined by anyone who can be present during the duration of the course.

How do I reserve my place on a public course?

Simply click on the blue button on this page titled ‘Book Course’ to reserve your place today. This is a very popular course, spaces fill quickly and it is recommended that you book your course as soon as practicable. We always ensure our pricing is competitive and offers real value for money.

How do I book a number of employees for private a course?

If you would like one of our qualified trainers to host to your organisation, simply click the button on this page titled ‘Virtual Enquiry’ for remote courses or "on-site enquiry' for face-to-face classroom delivery, fill in the details and we will be in touch within 24hrs. We can then personalise the program to fit your specific needs, tailored to your specific business outcomes and budget.

• Exemplifying Lean-Agile architecture
• Architecting for DevOps and Release on Demand
• Aligning architecture with business value
• Developing Solution Vision, Solution Intent, and Roadmaps
• Preparing architecture for Program Increment (PI) Planning
• Coordinating architecture throughout PI Planning
• Supporting Continuous Delivery during PI execution
• Supporting new Strategic Themes and Value Streams
• Leading as an architect during a Lean-Agile transformation

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

The following individuals will benefit from this course:

• System, Solution, and Enterprise architects
• Architects in supporting technical disciplines
• Experienced software developers
• Technical managers making architectural decisions
• Product leaders collaborating with architects

The following prerequisites are highly recommended:

• Have attended at least one SAFe course
• Have participated in at least one ART and one PI

We'd recommend prior to attending this course participants explore the Full SAFe Configuration at the Scaled Agile Framework website (v5.scaledagileframework.com). The icons are clickable, and they will take you to the relevant article.

The following articles are recommended reading:

• Agile Architecture in SAFe (https://www.scaledagileframework.com/agile-architecture/)
• System and Solution Architect/Engineering (https://v5.scaledagileframework.com/system-and-solution-architect-engineering/)
• Enterprise Architect (https://v5.scaledagileframework.com/enterprise-architect/)

Exam requirements

The first step toward becoming a certified SAFe professional is to attend this 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 prerequisite skills

• Application of Lean-Agile principles

Exam details

• Exam name – 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 your 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 the 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.

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

Attendees who pass the certification exam will receive:

• 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

We use Zoom video conferencing to host our live online courses via a virtual classroom. We recommend that before registering participants run a zoom test meeting and check system requirements to ensure they are able to connect. Participants will also use our digital workspace, Mural and our Agile Tools Mobile app for collaboration with the class and completing exercises for the duration of the course. You’ll find links below to test and explain requirements for each of these tools.

Zoom requirements

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362023-System-Requirements-for-PC-Mac-and-Linux

Zoom test meeting

https://zoom.us/test

Mural requirements

https://support.mural.co/en/articles/2113688-technical-requirements-to-run-mural

Agile Tools Mobile App

https://www.radtac.com/resources/agile-tools-mobile-app/

On registration full information will be provided via joining instructions to each partcipant with instructions on how to acess the virtual classroom and additional tools.

Still unsure? Talk to our team of friendly learning advisors, they are here to assist before, during and after your class if you have any questions.