Looking at the number of startups emerging these days, you might be wondering why established companies do not come up with such innovative business ideas and work on them swiftly. Well, larger businesses are more resistant to change and move at a slow pace. Since bureaucracy tends to thrive in larger corporate organizations, much of this can be attributed to ingrained cultural concerns that come with being a larger incumbent as well as to impediments based on policies and procedures.
Although they might not be ideally suited, many larger firms nonetheless try to cope with sudden changes by adopting the Agile methodology for project management and software development. In doing so, larger businesses can embrace the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) as a potential tool to resolve problems that have a detrimental influence on project success. Offered by the organization Scaled Agile, the framework focuses on placing the total development process under the management structure of the company. This enables large corporations to synchronize and coordinate actions within their organization, define and meet their time-to-market objectives, and therefore make long-term plans.
Do you want to become familiar with the SAFe principles and constructs? If yes, then you should pursue the SAFe Agilist certification. This article gives you a clear idea about what this SAFe certification involves and how you can achieve it.
All you Need to Know About Becoming a SAFe Agilist
If you want to become a SAFe Agilist, then you need to pass an exam administered by Scaled Agile. This exam is a 90-minute test that consists of 45 questions of multiple choice and multiple select formats. You need to answer at least 35 questions correctly to pass the exam (achieve a 77% score). Here are the exam sections, along with their weights:
- Thriving in the digital age with business agility – 13%
- Becoming a Lean Agile leader – 29%
- Establishing team and technical agility – 9%
- Building solutions with Agile product delivery – 33%
- Exploring Lean portfolio management – 11%
- Leading the change – 4%
You would be glad to know that Scaled Agile also offers a two-day course for those willing to pass the SAFe Agilist exam. The name of the course is Leading SAFe – a training program that introduces you to the fundamentals of SAFe and offers the principles and practices that you need to confidently lead your organization’s Lean-Agile transformation. You will also gain knowledge about the advice and resources required to lead effectively in virtual teams.
Overall, when you prepare for the SAFe Agilist exam, you will learn how businesses may achieve agility and how to implement the scaled agile framework inside your organization. It gives you a chance to discover how SAFe can enhance the time-to-market, quality, productivity, and employee engagement. Further, you will have a clear understanding of how to better the flow of value and work from strategy to delivery and how to get your entire business to focus on the same set of precise goals.
Tips to Pass the SAFe Agilist Exam
Now that you have got all the details regarding the SAFe certification exam, it is time to think about the preparation. As with other certification exams, cracking this test in a single try requires constant dedication and hard work. Some of the tips and tricks are discussed below to help you prepare better.
When you check out the syllabus of the SAFe certification exam, the website also mentions the study material resources and courses to take for different exam sections. The hack is to not stop your reading till the study guide. You will also find some Suggested Reading materials on the Scaled Agile Framework website. Looking at the titles of the different topics, you will understand what you are already familiar with and what you need to focus more on. Cover the topics that you are unfamiliar with thoroughly.
Creating a study plan also helps in effective preparation. When you know the exam syllabus, you can dedicate specific time for each section and cover some portion of it daily. This will help you stay on schedule and move ahead step by step. Apart from going through the study materials, you can also work on a case study. You can think of a company and outline its strategic themes, goals, and key outcomes. Further, you can make a Lean business case for one of its products. Doing so will give a practical understanding of the framework.
Next, you can move on to taking a mock test after you have completed your preparation. Appearing for a time-bound test will give you a look and feel of the actual exam. You will understand how much time each question takes and how you need to plan it better. Moreover, you can assess what domains you are good at and which ones need more focus. However, make sure that you don’t take practice tests more often; attempting after complete preparation will give you better insights into your performance.
Finally, you can appear for the SAFe Agilist exam with higher confidence. Stay calm and attempt the questions carefully and review the answers before submitting. If you are able to manage the time well, you will be able to attempt the desired number of questions. Passing the exam will lead you to become a SAFe Agilist.
