Frequently asked questions about the ArchiMate^® Specification

The ArchiMate® Specification describes an international modeling language used to visually describe and communicate Enterprise Architecture. The language helps architects visualize the relationships between business processes, applications, information, and technology in a consistent way. It is broad enough to describe Business, Application, and Technology, as well as the motivation behind changes and aspects of implementation and migration. This makes it possible to create both broad architecture models and smaller, targeted models for specific stakeholder concerns. This helps architects and stakeholders better understand and discuss complex organizational structures and changes.

ArchiMate® is intended for both organizations and professionals involved in describing, understanding, and communicating Enterprise Architecture. Because ArchiMate® is primarily used to make Architecture visual and to communicate it with stakeholders, both the creators and the users of these models are relevant.

For organizations
ArchiMate® helps organizations make complex changes and dependencies visible. It supports communication about the relationships between Business, Applications, and Technology, as well as the motivation behind changes and the transition to a desired future state.

For professionals
ArchiMate® is relevant for employees and independent professionals in roles such as Enterprise Architect, IT Architect, or Solution Architect, as well as Business Analyst, Software Engineer, IT Manager, and Project Manager. They use ArchiMate® to model Architectures, make changes and their impact visible, and communicate about them with different stakeholders.

ArchiMate® is the modeling language used to visually describe and communicate Enterprise Architecture. The TOGAF® Standard provides a method and structure for developing Enterprise Architecture and for planning, guiding, and governing its realization. Modeling with ArchiMate® is therefore one of the skills an architect uses within the broader discipline of Enterprise Architecture.

The ArchiMate® Specification describes several components that can be used to model Enterprise Architecture in an integrated way. Strategy and Motivation help describe the direction, goals, and drivers behind change. The core uses Business, Application, and Technology models to describe how an organization is structured, how its elements are related, and what impact changes may have. Many concepts recur across multiple domains. For example, processes and functions are applied in different areas. Finally, Implementation & Migration helps model the transition from the current to the desired future state.

The Unit Company is lid van The Open Group en Accredited Training Course Provider voor TOGAF- en ArchiMate-trainingen. Wij dragen actief bij aan de ontwikkeling van deze standaarden. Het trainingsmateriaal is in huis ontwikkeld, wordt wereldwijd gebruikt en is voor onze deelnemers gedurende de training en studieperiode beschikbaar.

De documentatie van de ArchiMate® Specificatie is digitaal te raadplegen en te downloaden via The Open Group.

Bekijk de ArchiMate® Specificatie online

Bekijk de ArchiMate® Specificatie online

Download de ArchiMate® Specificatie

De ArchiMate® 3.2 Specification is ook beschikbaar via The Open Group Publications als 90-Day Evaluation License. Hiervoor is een account bij The Open Group nodig. :chatgpt-content-reference{index=”0″}

Download de ArchiMate® 3.2 Specification (90-Day Evaluation License)

The Unit Company is a member of The Open Group and an Accredited Training Course Provider for TOGAF and ArchiMate training courses. We actively contribute to the development of these standards. Our training materials are developed in-house, used worldwide, and available to our participants throughout the training and study period.

The documentation for the ArchiMate® Specification can be viewed online and downloaded via The Open Group.

View the ArchiMate® Specification online

View the ArchiMate® Specification online

Download the ArchiMate® Specification

The ArchiMate® 3.2 Specification is also available through The Open Group Publications under a 90-Day Evaluation License. An account with The Open Group is required.

Download the ArchiMate® 3.2 Specification (90-Day Evaluation License)

The ArchiMate 3 Part 2 exam, associated with ArchiMate® Practitioner, assesses your ability to analyze the ArchiMate® language in a more practice-oriented way.

During the training, you are also prepared for the exam. The training includes a practice exam, allowing you to become familiar with the scenarios and question format so that you are well prepared for the official exam.

The exam is computer-based and consists of 8 scenario-based multiple-choice questions. For each scenario, you are presented with four possible models. You must select the model that best fits the situation described. The options may, for example, contain incorrect relationships or elements, while also requiring you to make your own substantive judgments.

Each question can award 5, 3, 1, or 0 points, depending on the answer selected. You must achieve at least 24 out of 40 points (60%) to pass. The standard exam duration is 90 minutes. Candidates whose first language is not English may be eligible for additional exam time.

The Practitioner exam is open book.

With our accredited ArchiMate® Foundation & Practitioner Training, you take the official exam on the additional final training day, or you receive an ArchiMate® Part 2 exam voucher that allows you to take the exam at a time of your choosing at a Pearson VUE test center or online under supervision via OnVUE.

See also:
ArchiMate® 3 Practitioner Certification Factsheet

ArchiMate® Foundation focuses primarily on knowledge and understanding of the ArchiMate® language: its notation, terminology, structure, elements, and relationships. Foundation provides the basis and is a prerequisite for ArchiMate® Practitioner.

ArchiMate® Practitioner goes one step further and focuses more on understanding, relationships, modeling, and making substantive judgments.

In our training, learning and practice are integrated throughout the two training days. That is why we offer the ArchiMate® Foundation & Practitioner Training as one integrated course. This directly connects knowledge of the language with creating, assessing, and discussing models.

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Short answer:
ArchiMate® helps make changes, relationships, and impact visually understandable. Use models first for your own analysis and then translate them into targeted communication for different stakeholders. The value lies in communication, better decision-making around change, and your own analysis.

Long answer:
Start with a concrete change or a specific issue. Models help you explore relationships, dependencies, and the possible consequences of change. Use ArchiMate® first for your own analysis and brainstorming. From that internal analysis, you can then translate the models into communication tailored to different stakeholders.

A simple model often has the greatest impact at the beginning. For example, you can use a Capability to identify and describe generic business capabilities within a department. By clearly highlighting the capabilities affected by a change in contrast to those that remain unchanged, it becomes immediately visible where the impact lies. This quickly creates interest and invites discussion: what exactly is changing here, and what does it mean for us?

By consistently using ArchiMate® elements in communication, stakeholders become familiar with the language and way of visualizing. This increases recognition and makes it easier to introduce more complex models later. That gradual familiarity increases understanding and acceptance of Architecture within the organization.

You can then develop the same model further. A capability can, for example, be linked to underlying Business Functions, Actors, applications, or technology. This makes it visible which elements contribute to that capability and what dependencies exist. When a Business Function changes, you can then show what consequences this has for the capability and for other parts of the Architecture.

Not every stakeholder needs the same model. Management primarily wants to see impact, choices, and dependencies, while architects and specialists need more detail. ArchiMate® makes it possible to create different, targeted models for specific audiences from the same underlying Architecture.

The value of ArchiMate® lies in communication, better decision-making around change, and your own analysis.

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This combination works well and fits the structure of the ArchiMate® Specification. ArchiMate® contains generic concepts derived from more domain-specific modeling languages such as UML and BPMN. This generic character makes ArchiMate® particularly useful in the early stages of change, where relationships, impact, and decision-making are central. During the detailing and realization phases, more specific modeling languages such as UML and BPMN can be used, with the earlier ArchiMate® models serving as a basis and reference framework.

Visit our frequently asked questions about TOGAF® for answers about the TOGAF® Standard, exams, and practical application.