1.4 TOGAF Certification Paths & the OGEA-101 Exam Plan
Key Takeaways
- The TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Part 1 exam (OGEA-101) has 40 multiple-choice questions, a 60-minute time limit, and a 60% pass mark — 24 correct answers out of 40.
- The OGEA-101 exam plan allocates questions as Concepts 8, Introduction to the ADM 14, Introduction to ADM Techniques 6, Introduction to Applying the ADM 4, Introduction to Architecture Governance 3, and Architecture Content 5.
- The TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Foundation Body of Knowledge is 8 learning units and 63 learning outcomes, down from 13 units and 107 outcomes in TOGAF 9 Level 1.
- TOGAF certification is to a version of the Body of Knowledge and does not expire — there is no recertification or renewal requirement.
- Exams are delivered by Pearson VUE at test centres and via OnVUE online proctoring; a failed exam may be retaken only after a one-month waiting period.
1.4 TOGAF Certification Paths & the OGEA-101 Exam Plan
Before you study a framework this large, decide precisely which qualification you are studying for. The TOGAF certification portfolio is not one exam — it is a family of qualifications with different bodies of knowledge, and material that is squarely examinable in one is entirely out of scope in another. This section pins that down, then gives the published question allocation you should use to plan your revision time.
The Certification Portfolio for the 10th Edition
The Open Group deliberately decoupled the names of the certifications from the version of the standard. That is why there is no "TOGAF 10 Foundation": certifications are defined against a Body of Knowledge (BoK), published as conformance requirements, which can evolve independently of the standard.
| Qualification | Exam(s) Required | What It Certifies |
|---|---|---|
| TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Foundation | OGEA-101 (Part 1) | Knowledge and comprehension of TOGAF terminology, structure, and core concepts. Prerequisite for Practitioner. |
| TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Practitioner | OGEA-102 (Part 2) after Foundation, or OGEA-103 (combined Part 1 and Part 2), or OGEA-10B (Bridge) if you already hold TOGAF 9 Certified | Ability to analyze and apply the standard to develop, maintain, and use an Enterprise Architecture. |
| TOGAF Business Architecture Foundation | OGBA-101 | Business-architecture-focused body of knowledge: business capabilities, value streams, information and organization mapping. |
| TOGAF 9 Foundation / TOGAF 9 Certified | OG0-091 / OG0-092 | The earlier qualifications based on the TOGAF Standard, Version 9.2. |
The Bodies of Knowledge for the 10th Edition certifications are defined in X2202, TOGAF Certification Program Conformance Requirements (Multi-Level), Version 4.0 (covering EA Level 1, EA Level 2, and BA Level 1) and X2203 for the Practitioner Bridge. TOGAF 9 certification is governed by the older X1810 document. If you are self-studying, X2202 is the document that tells you what is actually examinable — and therefore which parts of the 2,000-plus pages of the standard you can safely skip.
Two facts about the Foundation BoK put the workload in perspective: it comprises 8 learning units and 63 learning outcomes, compared with 13 learning units and 107 learning outcomes in TOGAF 9 Level 1. The 10th Edition Foundation syllabus is materially smaller than its predecessor, which is one reason older TOGAF 9 study material over-prepares you on some topics (reference models) and under-prepares you on others (the Enterprise Metamodel, the TOGAF Library, purpose-based architecture projects).
The OGEA-101 Exam Plan
The Open Group publishes the exact question allocation for the Part 1 exam. This is the single most useful planning artifact in your revision, because it tells you where the marks actually are:
| Syllabus Area | Questions | Share of Exam | Where It Is Covered in This Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concepts | 8 | 20% | Chapter 1; Sections 8.1–8.3; Section 10.1 |
| Introduction to the ADM | 14 | 35% | Chapters 2–6 |
| Introduction to ADM Techniques | 6 | 15% | Sections 2.2, 3.4, 10.3 |
| Introduction to Applying the ADM | 4 | 10% | Sections 2.3, 2.4 |
| Introduction to Architecture Governance | 3 | 7.5% | Sections 6.1, 6.4, 9.1 |
| Architecture Content | 5 | 12.5% | Chapter 8 |
| Total | 40 | 100% |
Read that table twice. The ADM alone is 14 of 40 questions — more than one third of the exam. Concepts and Architecture Content together add another 13. Governance, which candidates often over-revise because it feels weighty, is worth three questions. A revision plan that mirrors this distribution beats one that gives equal time to every chapter.
Timing, Pass Mark, and Delivery
- Format: 40 multiple-choice questions. Closed book — no reference material is provided for Part 1. (Part 2, by contrast, is open book: the Body of Knowledge is built into the exam behind a REFERENCE button.)
- Time limit: 60 minutes. That is 90 seconds per question, so this is a recall-and-recognition exam, not a reasoning marathon. If a question is not yielding in a minute, flag it and move on.
- Pass mark: 60% — 24 correct answers out of 40. There is no negative marking, so never leave a question unanswered.
- Prerequisites: none. Certification is open to all applicants, with no requirement for any previous certification.
- Delivery: Pearson VUE, either at an authorized test centre or via OnVUE online proctoring. Exams are available in English, French, and Simplified Chinese.
- ESL allowance: candidates eligible for the English-as-a-Second-Language allowance receive an automatic +30 minutes, applied after booking is completed; other candidates may apply to The Open Group for approval before booking.
- Results: your result is transmitted to The Open Group, which contacts you to complete certification — normally within six business days, longer if the result is flagged for audit. You will not appear in the Directory of Certified People until that step is finished.
- Retakes: permitted only after a failed attempt, and only after a mandatory one-month waiting period. Passing candidates may not re-sit.
- Validity: the qualification is to a given version of the Body of Knowledge and does not expire. There is no recertification, no renewal fee, and no continuing-education requirement.
Exam fees are set by The Open Group, vary by country and local tax, and are shown at the point of booking with Pearson VUE; The Open Group publishes the current schedule on its certification pages. Accredited Training Courses include an exam voucher in the course fee, so if you are taking a course you are unlikely to pay the exam separately. Because fees change and differ by region, confirm the current price at booking rather than relying on any third-party figure.
Planning Your Study Around the Plan
A workable approach for a candidate studying alongside a full-time job:
- Learn the ADM cold first. Fourteen questions ride on the purpose, objectives, and ordering of the Preliminary Phase, Phases A–H, and Requirements Management. If you can state each phase's purpose in one sentence and name its headline outputs, you have secured the largest block of marks on the exam.
- Then lock down vocabulary. The Concepts area rewards precision: enterprise, architecture domain, building block, deliverable versus artifact, Enterprise Continuum, Architecture Repository, Enterprise Metamodel, Architecture Capability.
- Learn Architecture Content as three shapes. Catalogs, matrices, diagrams — plus which deliverable each artifact typically lands in. That is most of the five marks.
- Do governance last and lightly. Three marks. Know what the Architecture Board does, what an Architecture Contract is, and the six compliance levels.
- Ignore the reference models for Part 1. The TRM and III-RM have no area in the exam plan. Read Section 10.2 for practice value, not for exam value.
A candidate has three evenings left before sitting OGEA-101 and asks which syllabus area to prioritise. Based on the published exam plan, which area carries the most questions?
What score is required to pass the TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Part 1 exam, and how long is the exam?
A candidate fails OGEA-101 and wants to rebook immediately. What does The Open Group's retake policy allow?
How long does a TOGAF Enterprise Architecture Foundation certification remain valid?