Date: November 27, 2020

I have been in software engineering for quite some time. Furthermore, I got the Project Management Professional PMP but not necessarily want to "do project management", remaining technical so to speak. Hence IT architecture is a field I wanted to explore.

Within the IT architecture field, almost everywhere I looked, The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) is considered the must have certification, yet it is just a framework. Then I researched the Open Group Certified Architect (OpenCA), which is based on experience. Too bad I don't have much IT architecture experience.

I researched the internet and found the IASA, based in the United States. It offers an IT architecture certification called Certified IT Architect (CITA).

CITA is a multi-level certification. Foundation (CITA-F) is the first level. More details can be found here.

From my lucky discovery, I looked into IASA certification hierarchy and appreciated how they are approaching IT architecture as a profession. This is when I delve into their so-called Body of Knowledge (BOK). From there, I feel the CITA is an excellent stepping stone for me to enter the IT architecture field.

I attended the course Architecture Core that specifically tailored for the Foundation level and exam.

The "Architecture Core" course itself was an eye-opener. It didn't just cover the necessary material for the Foundation exam but also enabled participants to simlulate what IT architects do through a series of workshops. These workshops provided somewhat a step-by-step guide in the process from creation to delivery to management of an IT architecture.

The Foundation exam was included at the end of the course. I attempted the exam and didn't find any surprises. The exam was proctored online and open-book hence the course notes and materials could be referenced. Unfortunately, I did not get the results immediately after the exam, an approximate 2-week wait time was needed. I did pass the exam.

Now the real challenge starts, finding opportunities at work to apply these skills.