Frequently asked questions about the TOGAF^® Standard

The TOGAF® Standard is a globally used standard for Enterprise Architecture, developed by The Open Group. It provides a structured approach to developing and governing enterprise architectures.

At its core is the Architecture Development Method (ADM), an iterative method for developing enterprise architectures and guiding and governing their implementation, from strategy and business operations to information systems and technology.

Enterprise Architecture helps organizations manage change across business and IT.

TOGAF is intended for both organizations and professionals involved in shaping and implementing change across business and IT.

For organizations
TOGAF supports organizations undergoing complex change, such as digital transformation, modernization of IT landscapes, and strategic change programs. It provides a common approach for developing business objectives, processes, information systems, and technology in an integrated way.

For professionals
TOGAF is relevant for enterprise and solution architects, IT specialists, project and program managers, consultants, employees, and independent professionals involved in designing, governing, or implementing change. Knowledge of TOGAF helps them work from a broader Enterprise Architecture perspective.

The Architecture Development Method (ADM) is the core method of the TOGAF® Standard for developing and governing Enterprise Architecture. The ADM consists of an iterative cycle of phases in which the Architecture Vision and the Business, Data, Application, and Technology Architectures are developed.

Potential solutions, migration steps, and implementation projects are then identified. During implementation, the ADM supports implementation governance and the management of change. The method can be adapted to the context, scope, and way of working of an organization.

The ADM method consists of the following phases:

• Preliminary Phase — Establishing the architecture function, governance, and principles.
• Phase A: Architecture Vision — Defining the scope, stakeholders, objectives, and Architecture Vision.
• Phase B: Business Architecture — Developing the Business Architecture.
• Phase C: Information Systems Architectures — Developing the Data and Application Architectures.
• Phase D: Technology Architecture — Developing the Technology Architecture.
• Phase E: Opportunities & Solutions — Identifying solutions and work packages.
• Phase F: Migration Planning — Prioritizing and planning implementation and migration.
• Phase G: Implementation Governance — Governing and overseeing implementation.
• Phase H: Architecture Change Management — Managing architecture change.
• Requirements Management — Managing requirements throughout the ADM cycle.

Depending on the context, all or only selected phases are followed. The ADM is applied to what is needed in the specific situation and what adds value. This flexible approach makes the method suitable for both fast-changing, Agile organizations and environments where more structure and planned ways of working are preferred.

TOGAF Foundation focuses on knowledge and understanding of the TOGAF® Standard. After certification, you have the common language and foundational knowledge needed to work with TOGAF professionals and understand the TOGAF approach to Enterprise Architecture, including its application in Agile and digital environments. Foundation is also the prerequisite for TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Practitioner.

The Foundation exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions, is closed book, and requires a score of 60% to pass.

TOGAF Practitioner builds on Foundation and focuses on applying and analyzing TOGAF in practical situations. The Practitioner exam consists of 8 scenario-based multiple-choice questions, in which you need to achieve 24 out of 40 points.

The Foundation training can be completed in two days. The Practitioner training follows directly and also takes two days. Many candidates therefore choose to complete TOGAF Foundation and Practitioner consecutively.

The exams are taken on the additional final training day, or you receive exam vouchers that allow you to take the exams at a time of your choice.

View the TOGAF Foundation & Practitioner training for more information.

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

The documentation of the TOGAF® Standard can be viewed and downloaded digitally from The Open Group website. This requires two steps.

Step 1 – Create an account
You need a free account with The Open Group.

Create an account with The Open Group

Step 2 – View or download the TOGAF Standard

You can view the TOGAF® Standard, 10th Edition online:

View the TOGAF® Standard, 10th Edition online

Or download the TOGAF® Standard, 10th Edition (90-Day Evaluation License). This provides you with 90-day access to the TOGAF Standard, including the Fundamental Content and TOGAF Series Guides.

Download the TOGAF® Standard, 10th Edition (90-Day Evaluation License)

The TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Part 1 exam, associated with TOGAF Foundation, tests your knowledge and understanding of the TOGAF® Standard.

During the training, you are specifically prepared for the exam. The training also includes a practice exam, allowing you to practice the question format so that you are directly prepared for the official exam.

The exam is computer-based and consists of 40 multiple-choice questions, each with one correct answer. The standard exam duration is 60 minutes, and you must answer at least 24 out of 40 questions (60%) correctly to pass. The exam is closed book. Candidates in the Netherlands receive 90 minutes of exam time under the language accommodation policy.

With our accredited TOGAF Foundation training, you take the official exam on the additional final training day, or receive an exam voucher allowing you to take the exam at a time of your choice at a Pearson VUE test center or online under supervision.

The TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Part 2 exam, associated with TOGAF Practitioner, tests your ability to apply and analyze the TOGAF® Standard in practical situations.

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

The exam is computer-based and consists of 8 scenario-based multiple-choice questions. 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 in the Netherlands receive 120 minutes of exam time under the language accommodation policy.

The Practitioner exam is open book. The TOGAF Standard that may be consulted during the exam is digitally available within the exam environment.

With our accredited TOGAF Practitioner training, you take the official exam on the additional final training day, or receive an exam voucher allowing you to take the exam at a time of your choice at a Pearson VUE test center or online under supervision.

TOGAF is applied in practice pragmatically and adapted to the context of the organization. The TOGAF® Standard does not prescribe that all components or phases must always be completed in full. Organizations use those components that are needed and add value.

A practical starting point is relatively simple. Start with a small team of three or four senior specialists who are strong in both subject matter and communication and thereby fulfil the role of architect. In addition, you use the existing management team. The architecture team makes the impact and options transparent and thereby facilitates decision-making by the management team.

Then, for each relevant change, start with a concise Architecture Vision. For example, describe on a single A4 page the change, the main impact, and the solution direction for Business, Applications, and Technology (BAT). This quickly creates a shared understanding of the change, the key architecture issues, and the decisions to be made.

The Architecture Development Method (ADM) then provides the guiding framework. Depending on the change, one or more ADM phases can be followed to further develop the Architecture Vision, determine solution directions, and guide implementation.

The application can range from a small change initiative to an organization-wide digital transformation. The ADM can be applied iteratively and combined with existing ways of working, including Agile and project and program management.

An important principle is tailoring: TOGAF is adapted to the size, complexity, governance, and way of working of the organization. The objective is not to follow TOGAF in its entirety, but to apply Enterprise Architecture in a way that concretely contributes to the desired change.

TOGAF and ArchiMate are complementary standards from The Open Group for Enterprise Architecture. TOGAF provides a method and framework for developing, governing, and applying Enterprise Architecture. ArchiMate is a visual, structured modelling language for Enterprise Architecture that connects the business, information domain, and technology. This makes change options and their impact within and across the different domains visible, enabling management to understand the relationships and make well-informed decisions.

The TOGAF Architecture Development Method (ADM) supports the process through which architectures are developed. ArchiMate can be used within the different ADM phases to model and visualize architectures and changes in a structured way.

In practical terms: TOGAF helps determine how you develop and govern Enterprise Architecture; ArchiMate makes the architecture and its relationships visible.

TOGAF provides the governance model for Enterprise Architecture; ArchiMate provides the modelling language architects use to develop and visualize the architecture itself. TOGAF structures the architecture process and decision-making, while ArchiMate makes the relationships and impact of changes visible.

Yes. An Enterprise Architecture Practice and Agile can work very well together. Enterprise Architecture provides the direction and boundaries within which changes take place. This architecture reflects the broader goals and choices of the organization. In the TOGAF Standard, this is referred to as the Superior Architecture: the overarching architecture that provides the agreements and boundaries for underlying changes.

Agile teams work within these boundaries on day-to-day changes, using short iterations and rapid feedback. As long as teams operate within the agreed boundaries, architecture should not get in their way. This gives teams maximum freedom to develop their own solutions and respond quickly to new insights.

To support a sprint, the architecture required for that sprint can also be developed iteratively, for example by working with a Minimum Viable Architecture (MVA): developing no more architecture than is needed at that point to provide direction and make well-informed decisions.

Enterprise Architecture thus safeguards the higher-level goals, direction, and coherence, while Agile teams have maximum freedom within those boundaries to realize change.