BCS Combined Foundation and Practitioner Certificate in Enterprise and Solutions Architecture

This intensive 5-day course equips participants with both the foundational knowledge and practical skills needed to succeed in enterprise and solution architecture roles.

Participants will explore core architecture domains, learn to align IT with business strategy, and gain hands-on experience presenting effective solutions.

By the end of the course, they’ll be able to engage stakeholders confidently, influence decision-makers, and apply architecture principles in real-world contexts—preparing them for certification and career advancement.

By the end of this course, learners will be able to:

• Understand the core concepts, levels, and types of enterprise and solution architecture.
• Recognise the strategic role of architecture in aligning IT with business goals.
• Identify key architectural domains, activities, and artefacts.
• Apply frameworks, tools, and techniques to develop and communicate architectural solutions.
• Engage stakeholders effectively and demonstrate professional behaviours expected of an architect.
• Implement governance and quality assurance in architectural practice.

There are no formal prerequisites for this course. It is accessible to anyone interested in understanding enterprise and solution architecture, regardless of prior experience.

To take the practitioner exam (paid for and booked separately) participants must first take the included foundation exam, unless they are already certified in the TOGAF ® EA Standard 9th or 10th edition at Practitioner Level (L2) which is accepted as an alternative.

Recommended reading for any learner undertaking this certification is detailed below:

• Title – Solution Architecture Foundations
• Author – Mark Lovatt
• Publisher – BCS
• Publication Date - 2021

Target Audience

This course is designed for:

• Those who have some architecture in IT experience and want to take their abilities to the next level.
• Individuals involved in or transitioning into architecture roles, including enterprise, solution, and domain-specific architects.
• It is also suitable for professionals seeking to broaden their knowledge of architecture domains or begin their certification journey in enterprise architecture.

Fundamentals of Architecture

• Definition and levels of architecture
• Sub-domains and their interactions
• Role and need for architecture
• Drivers: strategic, legal, problem-solving
• Work products, views, and viewpoints

Frameworks & Standards

• Architecture frameworks
• Industry standards
• Professional standards and ethics
• Bodies of knowledge

Business Context & Organisational Alignment

• Business architecture: definitions and artefacts
• Business change lifecycle and high-level solution design
• Role of architecture in the organisation
• Stakeholder types and communication

Domain Deep-Dive – Applications & Data

• Applications architecture: definitions, objectives, artefacts
• Activities
• Application types and APIs
• Data architecture: definitions, objectives, artefacts
• Data lifecycle

Domain Deep-Dive – Infrastructure & Software

• Infrastructure architecture: objectives, artefacts
• Software architecture: definitions, artefacts
• Role of APIs and system modelling techniques

Domain Deep-Dive – Security & Solution Architecture

• Security architecture: objectives, artefacts
• Ongoing risk management and relevant legislation
• Solution architecture: lifecycle stages and artefacts
• Stakeholder mapping and requirement types
• INVEST criteria and business case development
• Building models

Architectural Governance & Quality

• Governance, risk, and compliance (GRC): objectives, roles
• Artefacts
• Quality assurance tools and the Separation of Concerns (SoC) principle
• Change management and continuous improvement
• Gap analysis and team roles

Exams and Assessments

Foundation:

This course includes a BCS Foundation Certificate in Architecture Concepts and Domains exam voucher. The exam is a one-hour, closed-book, multiple-choice assessment via remote proctor. Learners must schedule the exam to take place after the course. The exam voucher expires 12 months after confirmed attendance of the course.

Practitioner:

Please note: The online oral Practitioner exam is not conducted as part of this course and is not included in the stated course RRP.

If you require, QA can book this examination with the BCS on your behalf but please note that exams require a minimum of four weeks’ notice from the point of booking. Please contact your account manager for further information and exam costs.

This certification is assessed through an online interview, learners are required to book this separately from the course, Please Note the exam fee is not included in this course. The format is as follows:

• Interview with scenario-based questioning
• 50 minutes
• Supervised
• No materials can be taken into the examination room
• 65% pass mark
• Online proctored

Hands-On Learning

• Participants will engage in interactive discussions, guided walkthroughs of architecture frameworks, and case-based examples.
• The course blends theory with practical scenarios to help learners apply foundational architectural thinking in real-world contexts.
• There are role play scenarios included to prepare participants for the oral practitioner examination.