SAP Certified Professional - SAP Enterprise Architect - Preparation Tips

[AndreasPoth]

IT professionals who perform an SAP enterprise architect role can demonstrate advanced knowledge to orchestrate the development of a holistic enterprise architecture.

More information about this certification, which has been launched at SAPphire 2023, can be found at SAP Learning: https://learning.sap.com/certification/sap-certified-professional-sap-enterprise-architect

After working as an EA practitioner with SAP customers, driving the SAP EA engineering practice, and co-leading the SAP Cross Product Architecture working group for Reference Architecture and EA Methodology for several years, I also took and passed the SAP EA Professional exam.

In this post, I would like to share six tips for your preparation:

• Ensure you know the TOGAF® ADM and the SAP EA Methodology artifacts recommended for the different phases by heart.
  The certification will confront you with several typical situations within the architecture development cycle. You will need to select artifacts that might help you, but you must also decide which artifacts do not support you in those situations.
  So, closely look at the mapping of phases and artifacts and ensure you understand its rationale.
  
  
• Practice the capability-centric and the process-centric approach to determine a target application architecture. The exam will have questions around both topics and require you to apply the approaches in concrete case studies.
  
  
• Make yourself familiar with SAP's Clean Core design principle, SAP's extensibility options, and SAP's Business Technology Platform offering in that context.
  
  
• Get a comprehensive SAP Integration Solution Advisory Methodology (ISA-M) and its processes.
  
  
• Take the exam guide seriously. Even experienced enterprise architects should double-check the "Skills-measured"-section and have a look into the "Recommended readings and resources" – pure gold nuggets for those who want to pass the exam!
  
  
• If you are looking for guided hands-on sessions for all the topics mentioned above, go for the SAP Learning course IEA10.

If you follow these tips, I am sure, you will be well prepared for the exam and get the SAP EA professional certification, which is rated as an advanced level certification!

Good luck!
As always, feedback is welcome!

[tobias_weiblen]

Hi @AndreasPoth ,

thank you so much for these valuable insights! Can you confirm that the exam is "open book" and I can access whatever PDF or website I want while taking it? Makes a big difference for preparation 😉

Thanks and best
Tobias

[AndreasPoth]

Hi @tobias_weiblen,
it is a "closed book" and clean desk exam.
During the exam you will be watched via your camera and must not leave the desk. You can always ask for technical assistance via audio.

You can find a lot more information here:
https://learning.sap.com/frequently-asked-questions#sap-certification

Kind regards,

Andreas

[Vivek_Hegde]

Updated: Cleared my certification today !

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Started my preparation for SAP EA Certification, even though I do not have much work experience in EA role as part of my job profile currently, I am looking to make a transition from my current Solution Architect role towards EA role in future. Isee many of them here attempting EA Certification after spending few years in active EA roles, looking at that I am bit confused on whether this certification is a good choice for newbie like me, Basically, I look for this Certification as avenue for me to getting into EA roles in future; wanted to pursue TOGAF certification but later decided to stick to SAP EA Certification as I work in SAP space and this certification is more relevant from me. Working as Solution Architect in ALM Tools space (like Signavio, Enable Now, Solution Manager ..etc), I find this SA --> EA transition quite interesting. 

All these posts here in community are really helpful, keep up the excellent work.  

[m_a_81]

Hi @AndreasPoth, I just gave it a shot last week to the exam and yes it's quite hard specially with a cut-score of 80% so I didn't succeed yet.

Anyway the first part with the questions is I think as always you can learn that stuff out from the e-book and material available. The second part with the case study is very new and more praxis oriented I like it in one way, but in the other way the exam get's really though with this part.

I mean the questions are really particular in one direction (in my case it was CRM, Marketing, mostly lead to cash BP I would say) and there is my question, how can I learn to match the right capabilities to the requirements out of the case study? Are there any example case studies which we can use to practice with example solutions included? Also I think there we go in an area which is not anymore just right or wrong and sometime multiple combination could be possible or am I wrong?

Anyway would be great if you could support in this matter a bit how to prepare with the case study and matching the requirements out of it. 

Thanks an best regards

Marc

[dasusrinivas]

Have few questions and need your help in getting a response.

Key artifacts for the opportunities and solutions phase are a work breakdown structure and an architecture roadmap

Per IEA10 course materials the SAP Enterprise Architecture Framework, we produce the following artifacts in the opportunities & solution phase
A. Business Architecture Roadmap B. Work Breakdown structure. C) Application Architecture Roadmap?

Do we also produce  Implementation Roadmap and Migration plan as apart of the Opportunities and Solutions Phase  ? Based on TOGAF literature we have the following deliverables for Phase E -Opportunities and Deliverables

[dasusrinivas]

Thanks for sharing usefull preparation tips, 

[AndreasPoth]

@dasusrinivas 

Based on your question I assume you have the IEA10 training material available.

Please see Unit9, slide 7: 

• ...
• Create the Architecture Roadmap & Implementation and Migration Plan

 You often see the approach to define a 0.1 version first, which is then refined in a later phase (here: Migration Planning, F).

"The detail of the Implementation and Migration Plan, Version 0.1 must be
aligned to the detail of the Architecture Roadmap and be sufficient to identify the necessary
projects and resource requirements to realize the roadmap." according to TOGAF(R), which is registed trademark of The Open Group.

Hope that helps.

[AVAShabAni]

Hello

The image for As-Is architecture in the exam guide is not really readable.

Is there a chance we can get one with a better quality please.

[AndreasPoth]

@m_a_81 

Thanks for your post.

Sorry you failed with you first attempt. We actually have seen several people failing who stated that "gave it a shot".
I think even as a practitioner you need to really revisit the usage/value of the different artifacts to go safely through part 1.
I agree with your judgement, that it is also a question of learning effort.

For the 2nd part, I know that there is a case study included in the IEA10 training in which you can practice the derivation of solution components from evaluated business capabilities guided by the trainers.
I am currently not aware of any publically available case studies outside this training as of now.
I will double check with the colleagues.
I know there are more training formats on the way - especially for everyone who can't invest 5 days of training in a row. Please stay tuned.
For the 2nd part, I need to admit that I challenged some of the training questions with respect to ambiguity like you did your post above.
I got clear responses from the team, and had to admit to the correctness and clarity.

I think it is important that you make yourself aware of the differences of the often two close answers and think about what really creates value. But I agree, that this is not always super easy in the "stress situation" of an exam.

Kind regards,

Andreas

[dasusrinivas]

@AndreasPoth  Appreciate your response, Will review the material as suggested.

[dasusrinivas]

@AndreasPoth  Have a question about evaluating SAP EA Framework for a client which is using a non-SAP EA tool , Do we need to have still evaluate TOGAF ADM ? SAP EAF is based on TOGAF and has excellent Reference Business Architecture and Reference Solution Architecture to define the target architecture and also has architecture services and practices ? Are these Architectural services available at a separate cost ?

[rajeshps]

@Vivek_Hegde @AndreasPoth please help us with some reference documents to prepare and crack and you can share your thoughts. I'm very much keen interested and wanted to have a goodlinerate with this and challenge around.

Thankyou!

[rajeshps]

@dasusrinivas @AndreasPoth @m_a_81 Good Day! Please help me with learning material links/pdf it would be of great help. Thanks in advance!

[Vivek_Hegde]

@rajeshps  I created a mind map content to understand the EA and the core concepts. I created a blog here and submitted for review and publishing to the moderators. That should be helpful for you. 

[rajeshps]

@Vivek_Hegde Thankyou so much 🙂 that should really help 

[rajeshps]

@Vivek_Hegde Requesting you to please share us the blog and  mind map contents.

@AndreasPoth 

Thankyou!

[rajeshps]

@AndreasPoth @Vivek_Hegde 

 any luck in sharing your insights 🙂

[dasusrinivas]

Dear All, Happy to inform you all that i got certified ,Appreciate all your help and inputs.

@Vivek_Hegde  Thanks a lot for reviewing few of my questions and helping in prepare for the examination.

[rajeshps]

@Vivek_Hegde Please share the blog

[rajeshps]

@dasusrinivas  woww congrats and am going next soon will convey the news/update 😄

Please throw some light from your recent experience. Thanks!

[AndreasPoth]

@dasusrinivas 
You asked
"Have a question about evaluating SAP EA Framework for a client which is using a non-SAP EA tool , Do we need to have still evaluate TOGAF ADM ? SAP EAF is based on TOGAF and has excellent Reference Business Architecture and Reference Solution Architecture to define the target architecture and also has architecture services and practices ? Are these Architectural services available at a separate cost ?"

As you correctly wrote, SAP EAF is based on TOGAF / TOGAF ADM. It concretizes the deliverables & practices plus it provides additional materials and services.
So, that means if you are fine with how we tailored TOGAF and find our additional offerings helpful you should go with SAP EAF, because it will save you and your client tailoring efforts and resolves questions that might come up.
In case you miss some artifact, which is "listed" by TOGAF, you can still add it to "your" engagement. In that case, please let me know what you miss.
I expect that we will soon offer more standardized feedback channels to determine how to improve - but for now you can simply reach out to me.

[rajeshps]

@Vivek_Hegde i could like to connect with you and I have my cert exam next week. Please ping onbelownumb

Regards,

Rajesh PS

+91-7760262915

[gauravsharma]

Hi Team,

Could you please suggest if you have any material available for EA exam?

Regards,

GS

[rajeshps]

Good Day!  @AndreasPoth  @Vivek_Hegde  

       Please come forward for Help and ideation/ inputs issuing and  I could like to kindly connect with you and I have my SAP EA cert exam soon. Please ping on my below number if you are willing to sell ideas and Connect 🙂

@dasusrinivas @gauravsharma 

Regards,

Rajesh PS

+91-7760262915