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Courses & Certification Prep

Structured preparation paths for five enterprise architecture certifications — with course recommendations, realistic study schedules, and exam-day tips based on what actually matters. Followed by a platform guide for ongoing learning.

Certification Tracks

Ordered by recommended study sequence. TOGAF first, cloud professional second, then specialisations.

TOGAF 10

Foundation + Practitioner

The Open Group

Timeline: 6–8 weeks

60–80 hours total

The most widely recognised enterprise architecture credential. Part 1 tests recall of TOGAF concepts, ADM phases, and terminology. Part 2 applies the ADM to scenario-based questions — open book, so the preparation focus shifts from memorisation to reasoning.

Exam format

Part 1: 40 closed-book MCQ (55 min) · Part 2: 8 open-book scenario MCQ (90 min)

Pass mark

55% Part 1 · 60% Part 2

Cost

~€520 (combined exam voucher via Pearson VUE)

Recommended courses

TOGAF 10 Foundation & Practitioner

~€15 (sale)

Udemy · Joseph Mathenge · Video

Best-rated TOGAF course on Udemy. Covers both exams with practice questions. Keep the pace slow on the ADM phases — the Part 2 scenarios require you to identify which phase each situation falls into.

TOGAF 10 Official E-Learning

~€350

The Open Group · Official · Self-paced e-learning

Authoritative content from the framework authors. Expensive relative to value — the Udemy course covers the same material at a fraction of the cost.

Whizlabs TOGAF Practice Tests

~€20

Whizlabs · Various · Practice exam bank

Best practice question bank for Part 1. Run all tests until you consistently score above 80% before booking the real exam.

Study plan

Week 1–2Read the TOGAF Standard overview and ADM chapters. Map all 10 phases to their input/output deliverables on a single reference sheet.
Week 3–4Complete the Udemy video course. Build a reference card of key concepts: architecture domains, content metamodel, architecture repository, governance framework.
Week 5Run Whizlabs practice tests for Part 1. Target 80%+ consistently. Review every incorrect answer against the specification.
Week 6Study Part 2 scenario approach: read the question, identify the ADM phase, identify the stakeholder, choose the most TOGAF-correct answer. Complete all Udemy Part 2 mock scenarios.
Week 7Book and sit the combined exam. Bring your TOGAF Standard printout for Part 2.

Exam tips

  • ·The combined exam takes both parts in one sitting — Part 1 first (closed book), then Part 2 (you may open the spec). Bring a printed copy, not a digital device.
  • ·Part 2 questions always have a "most correct" answer, not just a "correct" one. Eliminate options that violate TOGAF ADM sequencing first.
  • ·The Architecture Content Framework and the Architecture Repository are the two most frequently misunderstood areas. Spend extra time on these.
AWS SAP

Solutions Architect — Professional

Amazon Web Services

Timeline: 12–16 weeks

100–130 hours (including lab time)

The highest-level AWS architecture certification. Tests multi-account strategies, hybrid cloud, complex migration patterns (the 7 Rs), disaster recovery trade-offs, cost optimisation at scale, and security architecture. Every question is a scenario — memorising services is not sufficient.

Exam format

75 scenario-based MCQ + multi-select · 180 minutes

Pass mark

750/1000

Cost

~€300 (Pearson VUE)

Prerequisite:AWS Solutions Architect — Associate recommended (not required)

Recommended courses

AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional

~€40

learn.cantrill.io · Adrian Cantrill · Video + labs

The gold standard for AWS Professional preparation. Cantrill builds architectures from scratch and explains trade-offs. More thorough than necessary for the exam alone — but the depth produces genuine understanding, not just exam passes. Highly recommended even if slower.

AWS SAP Course

Subscription (~€35/month)

A Cloud Guru · Various · Video + hands-on labs

Lighter than Cantrill but faster to complete. The hands-on labs are the primary value. Use as a supplement if you need more lab practice.

AWS Skill Builder — Official Practice Exam

Free with AWS account

AWS Skill Builder · AWS · Practice exam (20 questions)

The official AWS practice exam. Shorter than the real thing but the question style is representative. Take it last — it's the most accurate calibration tool.

Tutorials Dojo Practice Exams

~€15

Tutorials Dojo / Udemy · Jon Bonso · Practice exam bank (6 full exams)

The most widely recommended practice exam bank. Questions are harder than the real exam — if you score 75%+ here you will pass. Read every explanation, including for questions you got right.

Study plan

Week 1–4Complete Cantrill's course through to the Hybrid Networking and Migration sections. Build the labs as you go — do not watch passively.
Week 5–8Continue Cantrill. Focus on: multi-account architecture (AWS Organizations), disaster recovery patterns (RTO/RPO trade-offs), and security architecture (SCPs, IAM delegation).
Week 9–10Read the AWS Well-Architected Framework whitepapers: Reliability, Security, and Cost Optimisation. These directly inform 30–40% of exam questions.
Week 11–13Tutorials Dojo practice exams. Take one exam per week, review all incorrect answers, return to the Cantrill section or AWS documentation for each gap.
Week 14AWS Official Practice Exam. If scoring above 75% on Tutorials Dojo consistently, book the real exam. If not, spend another 2 weeks on weak areas.

Exam tips

  • ·The 7 Rs of migration (Retire, Retain, Relocate, Rehost, Replatform, Repurchase, Refactor) appear frequently. Know the cost/effort/risk profile of each, not just the names.
  • ·Disaster recovery questions test whether you can select the right pattern (backup/restore, pilot light, warm standby, multi-site active/active) for a given RTO and RPO requirement.
  • ·AWS Organizations, SCPs, and multi-account network architecture (Transit Gateway vs VPC Peering) are Professional-level topics not covered thoroughly in Associate preparation.
AZ-305

Azure Solutions Architect Expert

Microsoft

Timeline: 10–14 weeks

80–110 hours

Covers Azure infrastructure design across five domains: identity and governance, data storage, business continuity, infrastructure, and application architecture. The case study format requires designing complete solutions under time pressure — familiarity with the scenario format before exam day is essential.

Exam format

Case studies + MCQ + drag-and-drop · 120 minutes

Pass mark

700/1000

Cost

~€165 (Pearson VUE)

Prerequisite:AZ-104 (Azure Administrator) — required

Recommended courses

AZ-305 Study Cram

Free

YouTube · John Savill · Video (free)

John Savill's YouTube channel is the highest-quality free Azure preparation available. The AZ-305 study cram (4+ hour video) covers the full exam domain in a single session. Supplement with his whiteboard architecture sessions.

Microsoft Learn — AZ-305 Learning Path

Free

Microsoft Learn · Microsoft · Self-paced modules (free)

Official Microsoft content, free, well-structured. The hands-on sandboxes are worth completing. The learning path maps directly to exam domains — use it as the syllabus framework.

AZ-305 Practice Tests

€20–50

Whizlabs / MeasureUp · Various · Practice exam bank

MeasureUp is the official Microsoft practice test provider. Whizlabs is cheaper. Either is adequate. MeasureUp questions are closest in style to the real exam.

Study plan

Week 1–2Complete AZ-104 if not already certified. The AZ-305 assumes deep familiarity with Azure resource management, RBAC, and networking fundamentals.
Week 3–5Work through the Microsoft Learn AZ-305 learning path module by module. Complete all sandbox exercises.
Week 6–7Watch John Savill's AZ-305 study cram and architecture whiteboard sessions. Build a reference diagram of Azure networking components (VNet, Peering, ExpressRoute, VPN Gateway).
Week 8–10Practice exams. Focus on the case study format — read the scenario, identify the constraints (RTO, RPO, budget, compliance), then select the architecture that satisfies all constraints.
Week 11–12Review weak areas. Identity and governance (Azure AD, PIM, Conditional Access) and business continuity (Azure Site Recovery, backup strategies) are the most commonly underestimated domains.

Exam tips

  • ·Case study questions present a scenario with multiple requirements. Read the requirements first, not the questions — understand what constraints the architecture must satisfy before evaluating options.
  • ·Azure pricing and cost optimisation questions appear throughout. Know the cost implications of: zone-redundant vs geo-redundant storage, reserved vs pay-as-you-go compute, ExpressRoute vs VPN Gateway.
  • ·The identity and governance domain (Azure AD, managed identities, PIM) is the domain most architects underestimate. It accounts for roughly 25% of the exam.
SAFe 6

SAFe Architect (ARCH)

Scaled Agile Inc.

Timeline: 2–3 days

16 hours (2-day course) + 2 hours exam prep

Covers the Enterprise, System, and Solution Architect roles within the SAFe framework. Focuses on Intentional Architecture, Architectural Runway, Enabler Epics, and participation in PI Planning. The course is mandatory — the exam draws directly from course materials.

Exam format

45 MCQ · 90 minutes · online proctored

Pass mark

77%

Cost

Course fee includes exam voucher (~€1,200–1,800 depending on provider)

Recommended courses

SAFe for Architects (ARCH) — 2-Day Course

~€1,200–1,800 (includes exam)

Scaled Agile certified providers · SAFe SPCT/SPC · Instructor-led (virtual or in-person)

The only preparation path for this certification. The exam is tightly coupled to the course materials — attending the course is the most efficient preparation. Choose a provider with a delivery architect (not just a framework consultant) as instructor.

SAFe Architecture Guidance

Free

scaledagileframework.com · Scaled Agile · Online reference (free)

The official SAFe website's Architecture section is the primary reference for exam content. Read the Architectural Runway, Enabler, and System and Solution Architect role articles before the course.

Study plan

Day 1 (pre-course)Read the SAFe Architecture overview, Architectural Runway, and Enabler Epic articles on scaledagileframework.com. Understand the difference between the three architect roles (Enterprise, Solution, System).
Days 2–3 (course)Attend the full 2-day course. Focus on the PI Planning architect touchpoints — this is where the exam questions concentrate.
Day 4 (post-course)Review the course materials. The exam can be taken same-day or within 30 days. Most candidates pass within a day of the course while the material is fresh.

Exam tips

  • ·The exam is straightforward for anyone who attended the course and understands the SAFe delivery model. The failure mode is misremembering SAFe-specific vocabulary — use their exact terms.
  • ·Know the timing of architect touchpoints in the PI Planning event: preparation (Architectural Runway readiness), Day 1 (vision and roadmap), Day 2 (team breakouts and risk review).
ArchiMate

ArchiMate 3 Foundation + Practitioner

The Open Group

Timeline: 4–6 weeks

40–50 hours

The certification for the ArchiMate modelling language. Foundation covers notation and concepts; Practitioner applies them to architecture scenarios. Useful for architects who will be producing or reviewing ArchiMate diagrams in an EA tool like Archi, ADOIT, or Sparx Enterprise Architect.

Exam format

Foundation: 40 closed-book MCQ · Practitioner: 8 scenario-based open-book

Pass mark

55% Foundation · 60% Practitioner

Cost

~€400 (combined exam via Pearson VUE)

Recommended courses

Archi Tool — Free ArchiMate Modelling

Free

archimate-ce.github.io · Open source community · Free tool

Download Archi and model a system you know well using ArchiMate notation. Hands-on modelling is more effective than video courses for learning notation. The Archi website has tutorials.

ArchiMate Foundation & Practitioner

~€15

Udemy · Various · Video

Adequate for exam preparation. Supplement with the actual ArchiMate 3.2 specification (free download from The Open Group) as the authoritative reference.

BiZZdesign Academy — ArchiMate Courses

Subscription

BiZZdesign · BiZZdesign · Self-paced e-learning

Higher quality than Udemy. BiZZdesign are an ArchiMate tool vendor and their training is notation-precise. Useful if your organisation uses their Horizzon tool.

Study plan

Week 1Download Archi (free). Model a system you know well at the Context and Container level using ArchiMate Business, Application, and Technology layers.
Week 2–3Study the ArchiMate specification chapters on relationships (association, aggregation, composition, realisation, serving, triggering, flow, influence, access). Relationships are the hardest part of the exam.
Week 4Complete the Udemy course. Focus on motivation elements (goal, driver, assessment, principle, requirement, constraint) — these appear frequently in Practitioner scenarios.
Week 5Practice exam questions. Book and sit the combined exam.

Exam tips

  • ·The most common Foundation exam mistakes: confusing serving vs triggering relationships, misidentifying the layer (business vs application) for a given element, and mixing up active structure vs behaviour elements.
  • ·For the Practitioner exam, the open-book spec is essential. Bring bookmarks for the relationship table and the element-per-layer summary pages.

Learning Platforms

The subscriptions and free resources that support the full certification journey.

O'Reilly Learning

Recommended
~€50/month

Books + video courses + conference talks

The highest-value single subscription for architects. Access to every O'Reilly technical book (including the full EA and architecture catalogue), video courses, and conference recordings from QCon, GOTO, and Strata. If you read two O'Reilly books per month, the subscription pays for itself.

Pluralsight

~€30/month

Technology skill paths and cloud certification prep

Strong cloud architecture paths (AWS, Azure, GCP) and technology skill assessments. The skill IQ assessments are useful for identifying gaps before committing study time. The architecture paths cover design patterns, microservices, and event-driven architecture at a professional level.

Linux Foundation (LFX)

Per course

Cloud native, Kubernetes, open source infrastructure

The authoritative training source for CNCF technologies: Kubernetes (CKA, CKAD, CKS), Prometheus, Helm, and cloud native architecture patterns. Relevant for architects specifying cloud native infrastructure or earning the Certified Kubernetes Administrator credential.

A Cloud Guru

~€35/month

Hands-on cloud labs — AWS, Azure, GCP

The best platform for hands-on cloud lab practice. The sandbox environments (no credit card risk) are particularly valuable for AWS and Azure preparation. Less thorough than Cantrill for conceptual depth but more accessible for lab practice.

Microsoft Learn

Recommended
Free

Azure certifications — official, structured, free

Official Microsoft training for all Azure certifications. Well-structured learning paths that map directly to exam domains. The sandbox exercises are free. For AZ-305 candidates, Microsoft Learn plus John Savill's YouTube channel is a complete and free preparation path.

AWS Skill Builder

Recommended
Free tier + subscription

AWS official training and practice exams

Official AWS training content. The free tier includes official practice exams (20 questions each) for all certification levels. The subscription adds full practice exam sets. The practice exams are the most accurate calibration tool available — take them last.

The Open Group Learning

Per course

TOGAF, ArchiMate, IT4IT official certification

Authoritative e-learning for The Open Group certifications. More expensive than third-party alternatives but the content is normatively correct. Worth the premium if you need to understand edge cases in the specification rather than just pass the exam.

Continue exploring

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Course recommendations reflect personal evaluation and community consensus — no sponsored placements. Questions or additions? Reach out on LinkedIn.