Open Professions Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Application Forms (General)

How can I be successful?

Use first person and active voice. Rather than saying that something was done, say who did what. Make it very clear to the reviewer who took which actions, and if you as the candidate did not take the action personally, state what your role was such that it demonstrates why you’re mentioning the activity and how it demonstrates your skills or experience.
Every word of the Conformance Requirements and of the application questions has been thought about. Every word is important and needs to be considered in your answers. If you do not fully answer the questions, and answer specifically what is asked, your application cannot be accepted.

Can I save my application responses as I go and resume editing later?

Yes. Periodically, scroll to the bottom of the page and select the "Save" button. Enter your email address to receive an email with a link to resume editing of your form, so you may continue working on it in a future session.

I work on internal projects, not with external clients. Is that experience accepted?

Yes. We use the term “client” in a very general sense to include internal stakeholders as well as external clients. We fully understand that in most organizations the client is an internal stakeholder.

Do I need to submit my documents, presentations, or other artifacts?

No, we do not expect you to submit your documents. You demonstrate what you have done or created through the description of your work on the applications.

My responses are too long for the input box, how can I see what I'm writing?

You may enter as much text as you like in the text boxes. To view your full response as you're completing the form, you may change the box size by selecting the bottom right corner of the text box and dragging it downwards.

Can I print out my application?

Yes, you may use your browser to export the form to PDF or to print the form, either to a printer or PDF file, in order to review it before submission. You will need to do this for each "page" of the form. Most forms are two "pages" long, with the majority of your content on the second page, though that can translate to multiple pages in a printed document.

Can I fill out a word document instead?

No, all application forms are online and available at: https://certification.opengroup.org/open-professions/milestone-badge-registration

How do I pay for my milestone badge?

The Milestone Badge fees apply per badge registration and are due at the time the Milestone Badge application is submitted to the Certification Authority. You will be required to enter your payment order number into your application prior to submission. Within each application, there is a link to pay the applicable fee. You may view the full set of fees at: https://certification.opengroup.org/open-professions/fees. The fees page contains links to The Open Group shop, where you make payment, either via a credit card or PayPal. You may pay your fee in advance. You may also pay for multiple applications at once.

Achieving and Maintaining Certification

Can I go straight to Level 2 certification or do I need to get Level 1 certified first?

Yes, you can go straight to Level 2 certification. Candidates applying for Level 1 or Level 2 certification are not required to have been certified in the profession previously.

I'm very experienced, may I apply for Level 3 certification?

Candidates applying for Level 3 certification must previously have been certified at Level 2 in the profession. Such certification does not need to be current and may be in any Discipline / Specialty, where applicable.

Why do I need to earn Level 2 certification before applying for Level 3 certification?

Level 2 certification requires you to demonstrate your skills and experience as a practitioner in your profession. For Level 3, Candidates must demonstrate their leadership and the business impact of their work. We do not ask for proof of competence in your profession at Level 3 as that is covered by the Level 2 certification.

How do I find a mentor?

The Open Group does not have an established mentoring program nor do we maintain a mentoring pool. We suggest you find a colleague in your organization who can review your application or seek assistance from someone who is already certified. Alternatively, if you are applying in the Architect profession, you could join your local Association of Enterprise Architects (AEA) chapter (www.globalaea.org) and reach out to other members for assistance.

I was certified by my employer (whose certification program is accredited as an ACP), how do I get The Open Group certification?

Create an account with The Open Group if you don't already have one. Log in to your Open Professions Certification Portal: https://certification.opengroup.org/professions/myCertifications. If your certification was submitted to us by your employer, you should see your certification listed. Select the "Complete my Certification" link and fill out the form to complete your certification.

Professional Communication Milestone Badge

What does the Professional Communication application ask for?

The Professional Communication application asks for 3 examples each of your Written and Verbal communication skills. You must describe 3 documents you wrote and 3 presentations you delivered. For each, you're asked to provide: the name of the document / presentation, a short description of its purpose, its relevance to your profession, your role in its creation, the audience, and whether its purpose was achieved.
In the Professional Communication application, you should not provide significant details on the work you have done in your profession, rather you should provide evidence of your ability to successfully communicate with people regarding your work.

Professional Development Milestone Badge

What does the Professional Development application ask for?

The Professional Development Milestone Badge application ask for:

1. Examples of the Professional Development activities you have undertaken (e.g., Conference Attended, Formal Education, Being Mentored, Training Course, Related Professional Membership, or Other Activity) relative to maintaining your:
   • Knowledge of Technology Trends and Techniques
   • Knowledge of Vertical Industry Sectors (e.g., telecoms, financial, etc.)
   • Skills and Knowledge in your Profession and Discipline / Speciality
2. Examples of your Contributions to your Profession. At Level 2 and Level 3, mentoring people in their career progression is required.

Experience Profile Milestone Badge

What does the Experience Profile application ask for?

The Experience Profile application asks you to write a coherent description of a project that provides you with the opportunity to show how you perform as a practitioner in your profession. You should provide sufficient information for a Peer Review Board member to understand your project description and your thought processes and decisions. The Configuration Document details the specific Conformance Requirements for which you will need to provide evidence in your Experience Profile application.

How long will it take to get an Experience Profile Milestone Badge?

You should plan for around a month of elapsed time to allow sufficient time for the Certification Authority to review your application to ensure it's complete and consistent, arrange for a Board Member to conduct the Peer Review, and receive the results back.

Is there a video meeting required for the Experience Profile application?

No there is no interview involved at this stage. The Peer Review Board Member will make a decision based on the content of your written application. If the Board Member would like clarification on a specific response you've provided, the Certification Authority will contact you to modify your application as requested. This is not a common practice and is used only when a Board Member requires clarity on a very focused part of your application.

May I use the same project in my Level 3 Experience Profile application as I used at Level 2?

Yes, if the project meets the Level 3 Conformance Requirements. The Level 3 Experience Profile application is qualitatively different than the Level 2 application as Level 3 requires you to demonstrate your leadership and the business impact of your work.

If my application is declined, do I need to pay again?

Yes. You will need to submit a new application. You may use the same experience / project in your application, revising your responses to address the Board Member's feedback, or you may chose a new project for your next application.

Can I contact the Board Member if my application is declined?

No, meeting with the Board Member is not part of the process. The Board Member evaluation is done based solely on your written application. A decline will include detailed written feedback on why the application was declined and how you can be successful next time.

Certification Application

What do I do if my Experience Profiles do not cover the required number of months of full-time equivalent experience?

In the Certification Application, you will have the opportunity to document additional experience. This is done by providing a short description of work you have done.
You will need to specify the name of the project/engagement, dates you worked on it, and a description of the work you did. You may document work on one or more projects/engagements.

References

Who should I choose as a reference?

Ideally, the reference should come from a "customer", whether internal or external, but if that is not possible then the next best would be someone knowledgeable who is not in your direct chain of command but who is aware of your contribution. It is important to note that the wording uses the present tense.
"Your reference may be a customer/client or a Master Certified / Distinguished professional who is not your immediate manager." If the person providing your reference is not your immediate manager now, then you may use them.

Re-certification

What is required for re-certification?

The requirements for re-certification are defined in the Configuration Document for the profession.

Individuals who are due for re-certification directly with The Open Group are required to do the following in order to re-certify:

1. Earn a Professional Development Milestone Badge, and
2. Either complete the Declaration of Continued Practice or earn an Experience Profile Milestone Badge

Once you successfully meet these two requirements, the Certification Authority will extend your certification for another 3 years. The cost for re-certification of your existing certification (i.e., same Profession, Level, and Discipline/Speciality) is the cost to submit each of the two applications defined above, there is no additional re-certification fee.

The Professional Development and Experience Profile Milestone Badges must be at or above the level of the current certification.

The Declaration of Continued Practice requires applicants to describe the contributions they have made in their profession during the past 3 years, in order to demonstrate that they have continued to practice in the Profession and in their current Discipline/Specialty at (or above) their current level of certification. The Declaration of Continued Practice will be sufficient for people who wish to re-certify at the same level and in the same Discipline/Specialty.

For further information and to access the applications, please go to: https://certification.opengroup.org/open-professions/milestone-badge-registration#recert.

Where do I find the "Re-Certification Application Form"?

We no longer have a single form for re-certification. You will need to complete two applications, for:

• Professional Development, and
• Either the Declaration of Continued Practice or an Experience Profile

See the question and answer above for details on the process for re-certification.

Should I complete the Declaration of Continued Practice or the Experience Profile?

If you wish to earn a certification at a higher level, consider earning an Experience Profile Milestone Badge at the desired level of certification, as you will then be able to use the badge both to support your current re-certification and as one of the badges you will need for your new certification. Likewise, consider earning a Professional Development Milestone Badge at the higher level. This badge may then be used both in support of re-certification of your current certification and in support of certification at a higher level.

If you are an Architect and wish to change the Discipline of your Level 1 or Level 2 certification, you should earn an Experience Profile Milestone Badge in the desired Discipline, as this will enable you to earn a new certification in your new Discipline.

If you are a Technical Specialist and wish to change the Specialty of your Level 1 or Level 2 certification, you should earn an Experience Profile Milestone Badge in the desired Speciality as you will then be able to use the badge both to support your current re-certification (assuming your specialty is still current and not discontinued) and as one of the badges required to earn your certification to a new Specialty.

Your Declaration of Continued Practice or Experience Profile application will be reviewed by a single Peer Review Board Member.

What does the Declaration of Continued Practice ask for?

The Declaration of Continued Practice application asks for:

1. A general attestation that you continue to meet all of the applicable core / basic skills, and any Profession and/or Discipline/Specialty specific skills at the required level, as described in the applicable Conformance Requirements
2. One or more examples of the contribution(s) you have made you have made during the prior three years, described in sufficient detail to assure a Peer Review Board Member that you have continued to practice in your profession at your current level of certification and in your current and Discipline/Specialty. There is no requirement to document three full years of activity.

I have an Architect certification in Solution Architecture, but I'm now a Business/Digital/Enterprise Architect. Can I just select the discipline I want in the Declaration of Continued Practice?

No. Originally, there was just one type of Architect certification. Now, the certifications are classified also with an architecture speciality called a Discipline. There are currently 4 disciplines: Business Architecture, Digital Architecture, Enterprise Architecture, Solution Architecture. All original certifications were in “IT Architecture”, which has been mapped to the “Solution Architecture” discipline.

At the time of re-certification, there are two options:
1) Re-certify in your existing discipline. This may be done using the Declaration of Continued Practice and the discipline selected must be that of your certification.
2) Change your discipline. In this case, you need to complete an Experience Profile Milestone application in your new desired discipline. Upon approval, you will earn a new certification in your new discipline.

Can I re-certify at a higher level?

No. Re-certification applies to certification in a Profession, in a Discipline / Specialty (if applicable), and at a Level. You would need to complete the full certification process for the new desired Level.

If I have an Experience Profile Milestone badge that is not yet expired, may I use it for my re-certification?

That depends on the Start Date of your badge. To use an Experience Profile Milestone Badge for re-certification, you must hold at least one (1) Experience Profile Milestone Badge with a start date after your previous certification or re-certification. The reason for this is that you will need to provide evidence that you have continued to practice in your profession during the previous 3 years.

How has the re-certification process changed?

The requirements and process are basically the same under the Milestone Badge based approach, but you will need to submit two applications. The Professional Development application covers the Professional Development and Community Contribution requirements. These cover what you have done to maintain your knowledge in your profession over the past 3 years and what contributions you have made back to your profession during this time. The Declaration of Continued Practice or Experience Profile enables you to provide evidence that you have continued to practice in your profession at (or above) your current level of certification over the past 3 years.

Badges

I completed cert but don’t see my badge in Credly

Please allow up to 10 business days for your badge to be issued at Credly. You will receive an email, sent to the preferred email address in your profile at The Open Group, with instructions for claiming your badge. Further information on badging may be found here.

Architect Profession Q&As

Do I need to have full lifecycle experience in all my Experience Profiles?

The requirement for certification is that you have full lifecycle experience. This may be covered by one or more of your Experience Profiles, or you may specify you full lifecycle experience in the Experience Application at the time of applying for certification.

For Level 1, you must describe one or more experiences that demonstrate your understanding and appreciation of the solution lifecycle from strategy, design, and implementation through to completion.

For Level 2, you must describe on or more experiences that include the solution lifecycle from strategy, design, and implementation through to completion.

Technical Specialist Profession Q&As

I'm a Technical Specialist. How do I change my Specialty?

If you are certified at Level 1, you will need to earn 1 Experience Profile Milestone Badge in your new specialty. If you are certified at Level 2, you will need to earn 2 Experience Profile Milestone Badges in your new specialty. You will also need a valid Professional Development Milestone Badge, at or above the level of your certification.

The requirements for changing your specialty are detailed in Section 2.7 of the Open CTS Configuration Document.