Tips for Passing the TOGAF 9.1 Part 2 Exam

I put together a little list of study tips for you to give you a better idea of the strategy for studying for the exam. I hope you find it helpful.

1) Eliminate the distractor first.

When I was a kid, there was a TV program called Sesame Street. And it had a game on it called “Which of these things don’t belong?”

The characters would then show three things (like, an apple, a banana, a pear, and a sock) and the goal was to figure out the one thing that didn’t belong in that group.

In some ways, TOGAF Part 2 is a game of “Which of these things don’t belong?”

Every set of answers on the Part 2 exam has 1 question worth zero points. It’s the obviously wrong answer. If you can figure out the obviously wrong answer on every question, you will almost certainly pass the overall test.

2) Be familiar with the TOGAF 9.1 specification PDF.

I did all my studying for the Part 1 exam based off the Open Group website. I found it easier to search in Google, and find the topic I was looking for in the spec that way. But when it comes to the Part 2 exam, you need to become best friends with the PDF.

You need to know the sections of the document, the chapters. How it’s laid out. How to search inside a PDF. If you can be a master of quickly searching the PDF, you can “look up” the answer to every question on the test. You’ll know in general what to look for, and won’t waste time looking for it.

3) Sample tests

The Part 1 exam was about memorization to me, and so taking sample tests repeatedly wasn’t a recommended strategy. But the Part 2 exam is about reading, figuring out the essence of the question, ignoring irrelevant information, and finding the distractor.

You absolutely MUST take sample tests before going in for the Part 2 exam. Being presented with that type of test without ever seeing it before would be a bad idea.

This course contains a few sample questions, along with my explanations as to how I came up with the correct answer. (I will try to add more this month.) For 99 cents, buy the official Open Group sample tests as well. Well worth it.

4) Set a goal. Pick the exam date now.

If you give yourself 2 weeks to study for the exam, go ahead and book the exam with Prometric now. This will motivate you to study and give you a natural pace. You will know that you need to have covered the specification completely within the first week, and spend the last week reviewing, and taking sample tests. If you choose a date 3 weeks from now, your pace will be a bit slower. Having an end date is motivating.

You can always change that date for free if it gets closer to the exam date and you feel you’re not ready.

5) Just do it.

For some reason, I’ve really gotten into that Shia LaBeouf motivational video. If you haven’t seen it, here’s the original. There have been hundreds of creative and funny edits to it. 

Shia LaBeouf Motivational Video on Youtube

“Don’t let your dreams be dreams. Yesterday you said tomorrow, so just do it.”

I know that he’s mocking the motivational speaker industry, but it’s still somehow motivational to me. 🙂