The Open Group is a leading consortium that helps businesses achieve their objectives through providing them vendor-neutral technology standards and certifications. This association comprises more than 700 member organizations worldwide.

The certifications it offers are worldly recognized and credible. They are a significant mark on one’s CV list, and signifies that you are equipped with the top-notch skills and relevant knowledge to complete the given job effectively. They also testify that you are proficient in the following Open Group Standards: TOGAF - Standard, DPBoK Standard, IT4IT Reference Architecture, ArchiMate – Specification, Open FAIR Body of Knowledge.

Details of the Open Group Certification Program

The individuals who want to build a successful career in IT can apply for the following Open Group accreditation tracks:

• The knowledge-based designations cover the candidates’ knowledge of The Open Group standards and include ArchiMate, Digital Practitioner, IT4IT, Open FAIR, and TOGAF certificates.

  This knowledge-based qualification program also offers “some micro-certifications” designed for a small amount of training, such as TOGAF Essentials 2018, TOGAF Business Architecture Level 1, Integrating Risk and Security, and ArchiMate Essentials 3.1.

• The experience-based certification program confirms your skills in writing application forms, attending interviews or board reviews. It comprises the four certifications for the following job-roles: Architect, Data Scientist, Technical Specialist, and Trusted Technology Practitioner. The corresponding certifications include Open CA, Open CDS, Open CTS, and Open CTTP.

  It is important to note that as of recently, The Open Group has introduced a multi-step accreditation procedure for an experience-based certification program. The certificate is awarded by evaluating experience through three stages as Certified, Master Certified, and Distinguished.

Now that you have an overview of The Open Group qualification program, below you can find more details on some of the most popular accreditations that you can obtain to leverage your expertise.

IT4IT Foundation Accreditation

The IT4IT Level 1 qualification focuses on verifying the candidates’ knowledge of the structure, terminology, core principles, and concepts included in the IT Value Chain and Reference Architecture package.

The target audience for this certificate is formed of professionals who are responsible for completing and delivering different types of IT services in their organization. Also, it aims to IT practitioners who know how to instrument an IT management landscape. In addition, this accreditation is suitable for Enterprise Architects who want to become experts in transforming an IT business.

Moreover, the exam necessary for obtaining this accreditation has the code OG0-061. It includes 40 multiple-choice questions. The allotted time is 60 minutes. Besides, this is a supervised exam during which the candidates are not allowed to use any online or printed materials. The test is delivered in a Pearson VUE training center, or remotely from home or office.

Topics Tested in OG0-061 Certification Exam

The individuals who want to get the IT4IT Foundation certification should demonstrate that they developed the following set of skills:

• Understand how to implement the IT4IT value chain and reference architecture concepts in a business environment.
• Apply the IT4IT Core concepts.
• Realize the key terminology when using the IT4IT reference architecture.
• Know about the strategy to the portfolio, request to fulfill, the requirement to deploy, and detect correct value streams.

TOGAF 9 Foundation Accreditation

The TOGAF 9 Foundation certificate validates the candidates’ skills in using the TOGAF basic concepts, structure, terminology. Also, the specialists who decide to earn this qualification want to verify their knowledge of Enterprise Architecture core principles.

The target audience for this designation is individuals who already have implemented the fundamental TOGAF 9 standards in a business environment. So, the applicants interested in obtaining this certificate already occupy positions that involve different types of responsibilities in architecture projects. For example, they are in charge of completing the project’s planning, delivery, operation, development, and execution phases. Finally, the candidates who plan to obtain the TOGAF 9 Foundation accreditation are architects who aim to complete the TOGAF 9 certification path and move forward to the Level 2, TOGAF 9 Certified, by passing OG0-092 exam. The Open Group offers you one more option to become TOGAF 9 Certified. In this case you have a chance to pass a combined OG0-093 exam, which consists of two parts and tests the topics contained in both OG0-091 and OG0-092 exams.

However, applicants can obtain this certificate after completing one exam, which is coded OG0-091. It includes 40 multiple-choice inquiries. The candidates will have 60 minutes to find the correct answer to as many questions as possible. This exam is quite difficult and has strict requirements. Therefore, the candidates are not allowed to use any online or printed training materials.

Besides, they can choose between different exam delivery options. For example, the examinees can opt to take the test at home or in the office using the Online Proctored network. Also, they can pass this evaluation in an accredited Pearson VUE test office.

Topics Tested in TOGAF 9 Part 1 (OG0-091) Exam

Obtaining the passing score in the OG0-091 exam requires candidates to demonstrate strong abilities on the following topics:

• Understanding and implementing the basic concepts of TOGAF standards and Enterprise Architecture.
• Implementing the TOGAF 9 standard core concepts and key terminology.
• Realizing how the ADM cycle works and what objectives are included in each phase, together with understanding how to adapt the ADM principles and scope to the business context.
• Understanding the Enterprise Continuum concepts and get solid knowledge on how its constituent elements can improve the business performance.
• Applying the ADM techniques and guidelines.
• Understanding how the Architecture Governance principles contribute to the overall cycle of Architecture Development.
• Becoming familiar with the viewpoints and views, together with building blocks concepts that will help in the communication process with the stakeholders.
• Benefiting from the key deliverables included in the ADM cycle process and learning how to use the TOGAF reference models.

Career Path

As you understand, a professional who succeeds in passing the Open Group certification exams becomes a valuable candidate for recruiters and international organizations. This’s because the accreditations offered by this vendor represent valid proof that the successful applicants can become reliable partners for the stakeholders and contribute to improving processes.

For example, once you passed the TOGAF 9 Foundation accreditation exam and obtain the appropriate certificate, you can apply to the following positions:

• Enterprise Architect
• Software Architect
• Solutions Architect

What’s more, if you take a look at the information available on Payscale.com, you will discover that the average payment that you can get as an Enterprise Architect is $135k per year. Also, if your career target is becoming a reputable Software Architect, then you can ask for an average salary of $125k per annum.

Certification Path

As you have probably noticed, The Open Group certification program is quite extensive. Therefore, every candidate interested in developing his/her expertise and expanding the career opportunities is sure to find an accreditation path to his/her liking.

So for instance, once you obtained the TOGAF 9 Foundation certificate, you can continue your certification journey with the TOGAF 9 Certified accreditation. Besides, you can choose the TOGAF Business Architecture Level 1 accreditation to build a successful career in business modeling. Another option would be to register for TOGAF Integrating Risk and Security designation.