How to pass SAFe® Agilist exam and get certified?

For SAFe® Agilist certification, it is imperative to attend the Leading SAFe® training, and the following can be used as an assessment preparation checklist post attending the training.

Scaled Agile provides well-thought-through and comprehensive training material for all its courses and also sets a high bar around the assessment. Clearing the SAFe® Agilist assessment indicates that you can lead a SAFe® transformation, so just attending the training isn’t enough.

The first step towards understanding SAFe® and subsequently clearing your assessment is identifying the right trainer with experience implementing SAFe® and an ability to explain the concepts lucidly.

Once you have attended your training, head to the community platform that you now have access to and download the study guide provided, and go through the suggested reading, most of which are readily found on the scaled agile framework website.

Take time and explore further the topics that you are not comfortable with. For example, suppose you haven’t worked at the portfolio level, in which case, it’s beneficial to go through the articles on value stream, Lean Portfolio Management, including Lean Budgets and Guardrails.

Review the course slides and your notes next. Do spend time on concepts like the Lean-Agile mindset, the core values, and the principles of SAFe® as well.

Now it’s time for feedback, and the best way is by taking the practice test that’s available as part of your learning plan on the community platform.

The practice test has the same number of questions, level of difficulty, and time duration. Though passing it does not guarantee success on the certification exam, you can see the exact questions you got wrong, indicating the concepts that need more preparation.

Read articles or reach out to your trainer to learn the concepts you haven’t fared well. You might want to retake the practice test to validate your learning. Repeat this till you feel confident and ready for your final assessment.

It’s been my experience to get to the test as early as possible and not wait for the 30-day deadline to avoid last-minute stress. When attempting the exam, ensure you have the time, space, a good internet connection, power backup, and an environment that lets you focus on the test.

With 90 minutes for 45 questions, you get about 2 minutes per question. So, make sure to understand the question well and review all the options before making a selection. Check this Agilemania’s sample test provides an example (not actual) content and format of the questions candidates can expect on the certification exam.

If the answer doesn’t stand out and you are not sure of the correct answer, don’t let your nerves get to you. Look for the options that you are sure aren’t the right ones and eliminate them. Then focus on the remaining options and eliminate the improbable ones till you identify the best possible answer.

If you aren’t confident, then you should mark the question to revisit the same later. You can use the navigation button to review the marked questions at any point in time.

Make sure to use the countdown clock on the top of the screen to help you manage your time. Other assessment trivia –

• Exam Format – 45 Multiple Choice Questions
• Exam Delivery – Web-based, timed, and closed book assessment.
• Exam Duration – 90 minutes
• Passing Score – 77%, you need to get 35 out of 45 questions correct.

Exam Cost – The first attempt is included as part of the course cost. Each retake will cost $50.