SAFe® certifications validate your skills and open new doors for career advancement
77% of certified Scaled Agile Framework® (SAFe®) professionals pursue a SAFe certification for professional development, and 63% rely on SAFe certifications to prove their knowledge. So why should you join them?

Business agility relies on people with the expertise to lead successful transformations. Maybe you want to grow in your role at your current company or seek new career opportunities outside your organization. By earning a SAFe certification, you’ll expand your skills and experience and be empowered to play a key role in driving business transformation.

SAFe Agilist Certification (SA)

SAFe Agilist is a certification offered by Scaled Agile, Inc. that validates your understanding of the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe). This framework provides a structured approach to scaling Agile practices across large organizations.

Why Choose SAFe Agilist?

• Enhanced Career Prospects: SAFe is widely adopted by large enterprises, making this certification valuable for professionals seeking leadership roles in large-scale Agile transformations.
• Improved Organizational Agility: Learn how to align teams, programs, and portfolios to deliver value faster.
• Deepened Understanding of Agile Principles: Gain insights into Lean-Agile principles and how to apply them at scale.
• Global Recognition: The SAFe certification is recognized worldwide, providing a competitive edge.

What Does the SAFe Agilist Certification Cover?

• Lean-Agile Mindset: Understanding the core principles of Lean and Agile.
• Agile Release Trains (ARTs): Learning how to coordinate and synchronize multiple Agile teams.
• Lean Portfolio Management: Aligning strategic initiatives with operational activities.
• Continuous Delivery Pipeline: Implementing a pipeline to accelerate value delivery.
• Leading SAFe: Understanding the role of leaders in driving Agile transformations.

How to Prepare for the SAFe Agilist Exam?

• Attend a Certified Leading SAFe Course: This is the official way to prepare for the exam.
• Study the SAFe 6.0 Framework: Familiarize yourself with the latest version.
• Practice with Mock Exams: Test your knowledge and identify areas for improvement.
• Join Online Communities: Interact with other SAFe practitioners and learn from their experiences.
• Review the SAFe 6.0 Implementation Roadmap: Understand the steps involved in a SAFe implementation.

Maintaining Your SAFe Agilist Certification

To maintain your SAFe Agilist certification, you must earn a certain number of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) every year. You can do this by attending SAFe courses, conferences, or online learning.

SAFe Agile Release Trains (ARTs)

Agile Release Trains (ARTs) are a core concept in SAFe. They are a synchronized, cross-functional team of teams that plan, develop, and deliver a significant increment of value.

Key Components of an ART

• Teams: A group of Agile teams, typically 5-12, working together on a common goal.
• Program Increment (PI): A time-boxed iteration, usually 8-12 weeks, during which the ART delivers value.
• PI Planning: A collaborative planning event where the ART aligns objectives, features, and capacity.
• System Demo: A regular event where the ART demonstrates the work completed during the PI.
• Inspect and Adapt (I&A): A retrospective event to identify improvements and adjust the way of working.

Benefits of Using ARTs

• Increased Collaboration: Fosters collaboration between teams and reduces silos.
• Improved Coordination: Ensures that teams are aligned and working towards a common goal.
• Faster Time to Market: Accelerates the delivery of value by coordinating multiple teams.
• Enhanced Quality: Encourages continuous improvement and quality assurance.

Challenges in Implementing ARTs

• Organizational Change: Requires a significant cultural shift and organizational alignment.
• Team Coordination: Coordinating multiple teams can be complex, especially in large organizations.
• Technical Debt: Managing technical debt and ensuring the long-term health of the system.
• Dependency Management: Managing dependencies between teams and systems.

Overcoming Challenges

• Strong Leadership: Effective leadership is crucial to guide the ART and resolve conflicts.
• Clear Objectives: Well-defined objectives and priorities help focus the team’s efforts.
• Continuous Improvement: Regularly inspect and adapt to improve the ART’s performance.
• Effective Communication: Open and honest communication is essential for collaboration and alignment.

By understanding the core concepts of ARTs and addressing the challenges, you can successfully implement SAFe and deliver value faster.