Is TOGAF® Certification Worth the Cost?

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TOGAF® Certification

For decades, Enterprise Architecture (EA) has been a major force in the world of business and IT management. A qualified enterprise architect can provide a clear picture of an organization’s current and future states, as well as a roadmap for how IT can evolve to support governance objectives. In an age where digital and IT capabilities are constantly evolving, this is becoming increasingly essential for businesses that want to compete.

With most of the world’s most successful organizations relying on EA, the role of ‘enterprise architect’ has gained a great deal of value. The best candidates can enjoy impressive salaries and major opportunities in businesses around the world, provided they have the insight, experience, and tools for the job.

‘The Open Group Architecture Framework’, better known as ‘TOGAF’, is a name that can’t be avoided when it comes to enterprise architecture. Indeed, many companies will list TOGAF certification as a requirement for even applying for roles in EA. So, why is this? And what is the real value of TOGAF training?

What is TOGAF?

TOGAF, ‘The Open Group Architecture Framework’, is the world’s leading enterprise architecture methodology. Developed by The Open Group, it offers a framework for creating detailed ‘enterprise architectures’ that enable consistency and optimization across IT. It also supports business governance by enhancing the visibility of IT capabilities, as well as the changes required for a business to reach its desired state.

TOGAF’s approach is detailed but non-prescriptive. The Architectural Development Method (ADM) at the heart of the framework can be amended and rearranged depending on the needs of the user in question. It can also create reusable architecture artifacts that can expedite future EA initiatives and enable practitioner organizations to reap the benefits of digital transformation more quickly.

The Open Group also supports specialist paths in EA. ‘Business Architecture’, for example, is a stage in the ADM, but it is also an increasingly popular path for enterprise and business architects. To meet this demand, the Open Group released ‘TOGAF Business Architecture (TOGAF BA)’, a framework that expands on the TOGAF ADM phase with additional information on business capabilities, value streams, business modeling, information mapping, and more.

The TOGAF certification path

The TOGAF certification is quite straightforward:

  • TOGAF Foundation (Level 1) – This exam deals with the core concepts of TOGAF. Candidates are tested on elements like the ADM, Building Blocks, Viewpoints, the Enterprise Continuum, and so on. It also serves as a prerequisite for sitting the Practitioner exam.
  • TOGAF Practitioner (Level 2) – As the name implies, this exam focuses on a candidate’s understanding of how to apply TOGAF in practice. The syllabus also goes into a greater level of detail on different stages of the ADM, as well as Stakeholder Management, Migration Planning, and more.
  • TOGAF Essentials – The TOGAF Essentials exam covers changes made to the TOGAF Body of Knowledge for the 2018 update. It is, effectively, a bridging exam that certified TOGAF practitioners can take to prove their knowledge of TOGAF is up to date.
  • TOGAF Business Architecture – This exam covers business modeling in the context of TOGAF. This includes how to model business capabilities and information, as well as how to apply the TOGAF Business Scenario Method. Overall, the TOGAF BA syllabus focuses on how business architectures can be developed using the TOGAF ADM.

What is the value of TOGAF certification?

Enterprise architecture is a complex topic that takes significant training and experience to master. Typically, the most well-paid TOGAF practitioners have around ten years of experience and intricate knowledge of the organizations they represent.

That being said, it is important to realize just how many career opportunities can open up through TOGAF certification. According to the Open Group, 80% of Global 50 Companies and 60% of Fortune 500 Companies use TOGAF. These include global giants like Capgemini and Amazon.

According to Payscale, enterprise architects can earn between:

  • $95,000 and $196,000 in the US
  • £52,000 and £112,000 in the UK

These figures include base salaries, bonuses, and profit-sharing.

According to Glassdoor, a qualified business architect can earn between:

  • $105,000 and $148,000 in the US
  • £41,000 and £102,000 in the UK

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