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PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE IN 16 MODULES & 3 AREAS OF COMPETENCE

The CPSA®
Advanced Level – iSAQB® Advanced Training in Software Architecture

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As a follow-on to the Foundation Level, the CPSA Advanced Level (CPSA‑A®) is the next logical step in quali­fying software architecture profes­sionals. Developed according to the iSAQB’s speci­fi­cation, this training scheme follows a modular structure and requires successful partic­i­pants to demon­strate compre­hensive knowledge and skills.

Advanced Level Program

Areas of Competence

Advanced Level Program

Deepen your Knowledge

The CPSA® Advanced Level program

The Advanced Level training program deepens the knowledge in the compe­tence areas of method­ology, technology and commu­ni­cation. In various training courses for the Advanced Level modules, the necessary credit points for the Certified Profes­sional for Software Architecture-Advanced Level (CPSA‑A®) exam can be collected. Certification at Advanced Level requires prior completion of the Foundation Level.

deepen your knowledge

Training objectives

A CPSA‑A® certification requires a great deal of time and effort, and places high demands on the expertise and experience of candi­dates. Software archi­tects who have earned CPSA‑A® certification are able to:

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design medium-sized to large IT systems indepen­dently and in a method­olog­i­cally sound manner,

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assume technical and content-related respon­si­bility within IT systems of medium to high criticality,

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plan, design and document appro­priate measures to meet non-functional requirements,

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accompany devel­opment teams in the process of imple­menting these measures, and

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manage and direct architecture-related commu­ni­cation processes within medium-sized to large devel­opment teams.

The Three Areas of Compe­tence at Advanced Level

icon-process
Compe­tence in

Method­ology

A systematic approach to architectural tasks, regardless of the technologies used.

icon-training
Compe­tence in

Technology

Knowledge and imple­men­tation of technology solutions used in design tasks.

icon-communication
Compe­tence in

Commu­ni­cation

Commu­ni­cation, presen­tation, argumen­tation and moder­ation skills as well as the ability to cooperate produc­tively with different stakeholders.

Partic­i­pants receive a defined number of credit points for successful partic­i­pation in an Advanced Level training course. Partic­i­pants who wish to register for the CPSA‑A® exami­nation will need at least 70 credit points in total. All three areas of compe­tence must be covered with at least 10 credit points each. A maximum of 30 credit points is granted for a training for one module, even if it takes longer than 3 days in some cases.

Overview of the Awarding of Credit Points for Partic­i­pation in Modules of the Advanced Level

Overview of how credit points are awarded for partic­i­pation in curriculum modules.

technological  methodical  communicative 
ADOC  Architecture Documentation  20 
AGILA  Agile Software Architecture  20  10 
ARCEVAL  Architecture Evaluation  20 
BLOCKCHAIN  Low-Trust Consensus in Decen­tralized Applications  20  10 
CLOUDINFRA  Infrastructure, Container and Cloud Native  20  10 
DDD  Domain Driven Design  20  10 
DSL  Domain-Specific Languages  10  20 
EAM  Enter­prise Architecture Management  30 
EMBEDDED  Embedded Systems  20  10 
FLEX  Flexible Architecture Models  20  10 
FUNAR  Functional Software Architecture  20  10 
IMPROVE  Evolution and Improvement of Software Architectures  10  20 
REQ4ARC  Requirements for Software Architects  20  10 
SOFT  Soft Skills for Software Architects  30 
WEB  Web Architecture  30 
WEBSEC  Web Security  20  10 

The Advanced Level Modules

In the following you will find the modular program of the CPSA-Advanced Level with information about the credit points awarded for attending each module training. 

 

TECH: Techno­logical Competence

METHOD: Methodical Compe­tence

COMM: Commu­nicative Competence

MODULE ADOC

Architecture Documen­tation

How to document and commu­nicate software architecture? The curriculum includes contents, methods and tools for a target-group-oriented recording of solution approaches at various points in the life of a software system.

Credit Points for ADOC Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

0

Methodical Compe­tence
METHOD

20

Commu­nicative Competence
COMM

0

ADOC

MODULE AGILA

Agile Software Architecture

How do you accom­plish effective architecture work in agile teams and projects? What changes in the architecture disci­pline through the influence of agile principles, agile process models, and agile values?

Credit Points for AGILA Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
Tech

0

Methodical Compe­tence
METHOD

20

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

10

AGILA

MODULE ARCEVAL

Architecture Evalu­ation

What are contem­porary means to review the architecture of a software solution? And how can you condense findings, set impulses, and use lean designs in agile environments?

Credit Points for ARCEVAL Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
Tech

0

Methodical Compe­tence
Method

20

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

0

ARCEVAL

MODULE BLOCKCHAIN

Low-Trust Consensus in Decen­tralized Applications

How do you leverage blockchain technologies to establish consensus in distributed, low-trust systems? Learn how to design decen­tralized architectures.

Credit Points for BLOCKCHAIN Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

20

Methodical Compe­tence
Method

10

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

0

BLOCKCHAIN

MODULE CLOUD­INFRA

Infrastructure, Container, and Cloud Native

How to design and implement adjustable infrastructure for the Cloud?

Credit Points for CLOUD­INFRA Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

20

Methodical Compe­tence
Method

10

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

0

CLOUD­INFRA

MODULE DDD

Domain-Driven Design

How do you design a domain-related architecture in cooper­ation with domain experts and devel­opers? The curriculum includes modeling techniques and architecture tools to use domain expertise as a basis for dividing the system into domain-specific modules (strategic design) and for constructing inside the modules (tactical design).

Credit Points for DDD Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

0

Methodical Compe­tence
Method

20

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

10

DDD

MODULE EAM

Enter­prise Architecture Management

How to maintain consis­tency within a large IT system and appli­cation landscape?

Credit Points for EAM Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

0

Methodical Compe­tence
Method

30

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

0

EAM

MODULE EMBEDDED

Embedded Systems

How do you develop safety-relevant embedded systems? With hard real-time and functional safety, the curriculum covers central topics for the devel­opment of embedded systems in a regulated environment and also addresses inter­ac­tions between software and system architecture.

Credit Points for EMBEDDED Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

20

Methodical Compe­tence
Method

10

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

0

EMBEDDED

MODULE FLEX

Flexible Architecture Models

How do you develop flexible archi­tec­tures? The curriculum includes modern architecture approaches such as microser­vices, continuous delivery, and self-contained systems as well as up-to-date principles for the operation of such systems.

Credit Points for FLEX Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

20

Methodical Compe­tence
Method

10

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

0

FLEX

MODULE FUNAR

Functional Software Architecture

What’s the most effective way to decouple the compo­nents of your architecture, and build powerful and flexible models at the same time? Functional Architecture does all of that and more with the help of immutable data, combi­nators, and powerful math-based abstractions.

Credit Points for FUNAR Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

20

Methodical Compe­tence
Method

10

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

0

FUNAR

MODULE IMPROVE

Evolution and Improvement of Software Architectures

How do you system­at­i­cally improve existing software systems (“legacy”), aligned with technical and economic goals?

The curriculum addresses the systematic search for problems and technical debt as well as the prior­i­ti­zation of these problems from an organi­za­tional, technical, and business perspective. It also addresses typical strategic and tactical approaches to improve existing systems.

Credit Points for IMPROVE Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

10

Methodical Compe­tence
Method

20

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

0

IMPROVE

MODULE REQ4ARC

Requirements for Software Architects

How to equip archi­tects and devel­opment teams with enough requirements engineering know-how, so that they can take educated architecture decisions, based on the real needs of stakeholders?

Credit Points for REQ4ARC Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

0

Methodical Compe­tence
Method

20

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

10

REQ4ARC

MODULE SOFT

Soft Skills for Software Architects

Which compe­tencies besides technical know-how and hard skills do software archi­tects need in practice? This module teaches recipient-oriented commu­ni­cation skills, moder­ation of challenging groups, and conflict resolution skills in order to commu­nicate with various stake­holders involved in IT projects.

Credit Points for SOFT Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

0

Methodical Compe­tence
METHOD

0

Commu­nicative Competence
COMM

30

SOFT

MODULE WEB

Web Architecture

How to design effective and secure web-based systems?

Credit Points for WEB Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

30

Methodical Compe­tence
Method

0

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

0

WEB

MODULE WEBSEC

Web Security

What is “security”? How to integrate security into your Analysis and Devel­opment Lifecycle with a technical focus on web-based systems?

Credit Points for WEBSEC Training Courses

Techno­logical Competence
TECH

20

Methodical Compe­tence
Method

10

Commu­nicative Competence
Comm

0

WEBSEC

Additional Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Are credit points awarded for partic­i­pation in online training courses at Advanced Level?

For online training courses at Advanced Level you will receive an official iSAQB partic­i­pation certificate with the respective credit points.

Are partic­i­pation certifi­cates for Advanced Level training courses also issued if a training course has to be cancelled through no fault of one’s own, or if the partic­i­pation is delayed?

For Advanced Level training courses, partic­i­pation certifi­cates with the desig­nated credit points can only be issued if a partic­ipant has attended at least 75% of the training. If less than 75% have been completed, the intended credit points may not be awarded. It is necessary to repeat the entire training or to make up for the missing part in order to earn the credit points. In any case, this regulation also applies to reasons that are not the fault of the partic­ipant (e.g. illness, accidents, traffic jams, etc.).

How is CPSA program different from TOGAF certification?

Alongside the TOGAF training, the CPSA program rates highly in companies inter­na­tionally. Compared to the TOGAF training, the CPSA program generally places more emphasis on the practical imple­men­tation of IT systems.

I have lost my certificate. Can it be reissued?

If your certificate has been lost, you can contact the certification body that took your exam or the iSAQB. Generally, you can request a copy of your certificate within 10 years after the date of the exam.

Is it possible to attend Advanced Level training courses without an existing CPSA Foundation Level certification and earn credit points for it?

Software archi­tects who do not yet have a Foundation Level certification can also partic­ipate in the Advanced Level training courses. Successful partic­i­pation in the Advanced Level courses earns credit points, which are required for a possible Advanced Level exam. However, a prereq­uisite for applying for an Advanced Level exam is always a success­fully passed Foundation Level exam.

Is the iSAQB respon­sible for the quality of its training providers’ CPSA trainings?

The iSAQB operates an elaborate quality assurance system with regard to its training providers, CPSA trainings, and trainers. Our aim is to ensure a consis­tently high training standard for all CPSA training courses worldwide. However, despite extensive accred­i­tation processes, the iSAQB assumes no liability for the quality of trainings provided by its accredited training partners. Furthermore, the iSAQB assumes no liability for the results of CPSA examinations.

May I call myself “Software Architect” after passing the exam?

The CPSA certification is not a vocational quali­fi­cation, but a proof of knowledge in the field of software architecture. The iSAQB is not entitled to award vocational quali­fi­ca­tions, so we propose you call yourself “Certified Profes­sional for Software Architecture by iSAQB” after passing the exam.
In Germany it is unclear if it is legally allowed to call oneself “Software Architect”. We recommend you inform yourself about the laws regarding the vocational quali­fi­ca­tions in your country.

What does the Advanced Level curriculum include?

For the purpose of CPSA‑A training, the iSAQB has defined the three following areas of competence:

  • Methodical compe­tence: a systematic approach to architectural tasks, regardless of the technologies used
  • Techno­logical compe­tence: knowledge and imple­men­tation of technology solutions used in design tasks
  • Commu­nicative compe­tence: commu­ni­cation, presen­tation, argumen­tation, and moder­ation skills as well as the ability to cooperate produc­tively with different stakeholders

What should I consider regarding credit points?

The credit points can be reval­uated by the iSAQB every 12 months. If you plan your training measures over some years you should consider this, in case you focus mostly on the number of points for the individual seminars. This reval­u­ation can apply to the number of points as well as to the distri­b­ution to the areas of compe­tence. It is possible that credit points are no longer rewarded for one of the three compe­tence areas, so you would have to cover this compe­tence area with another seminar. However, there have only been very few changes so far.

Which requirements must I fulfil to access Advanced Level certification?

  • Successful training and certification at CPSA‑F level (Certified Profes­sional for Software Architecture, Foundation Level).
  • A minimum of three years full-time profes­sional experience in the IT industry, including the involvement in the design and devel­opment of at least two different IT systems. Excep­tions can be granted upon appli­cation (for instance involvement in open source projects).
  • Training and further education within the scope of iSAQB Advanced Level trainings of at least 70 credit points. All three areas of compe­tence must be covered with at least 10 credit points each.
  • Successful completion of the CPSA‑A certification task, including an interview with two independent examiners appointed by the iSAQB.

Who may offer and conduct CPSA-Advanced Level training?

Trainings at CPSA-Advanced Level may only be offered and conducted by training providers accredited by the iSAQB. Accredited training providers have proven the high quality of their CPSA training offers and are committed to the iSAQB accred­i­tation conditions.

Downloads

Advanced Level – Advanced Level Task Developer Kit

This folder contains three documents (German only):

“cpsa-a-aufgabe-Template.docx”
Template for a task (incl. hints on what a task developer has to fill in)

“cpsa-a-pruefkriterien-Template.docx”
Template for an exami­nation guideline (incl. hints on what a task developer has to fill in)

“cpsa-a-leitfaden_aufgabenstellung.docx”
Guide for task creators

Deutsche Version [zip]

Advanced Level – Exami­nation Rules

This document contains general rules regarding the CPSA-Advanced Level exami­nation. It provides information on areas of compe­tence, modular concept, exami­nation requirements, costs, prepa­ration, regis­tration, and structure of the examination.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

Advanced Level – Sample task for the CPSA‑A exami­nation task

Sample task “BigSpender” / Topic – Information System

Deutsche Version [pdf]

English Version [pdf]

Advanced Level Info Brochure

Info brochure with general information on the CPSA-Advanced Level.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module ADOC – Architecture Documen­tation

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module ADOC with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module AGILA – Agile Software Architecture

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module AGILA with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module ARCEVAL – Architecture Evalu­ation

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module ARCEVAL with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module BLOCKCHAIN – Low-Trust Consensus in Decen­tralized Appli­ca­tions

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module BLOCKCHAIN with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module CLOUD­INFRA – Infrastructure, Container, and Cloud Native

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module CLOUD­INFRA with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

Deutsche Version [pdf]

English Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module DDD – Domain Driven Design

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module DDD with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module DSL – Domain-Specific Languages

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module DSL with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module EAM – Enter­prise Architecture Management for Software Archi­tects

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module EAM with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module EMBEDDED – Embedded Systems

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module EMBEDDED with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module FLEX – Flexible Architectural Models

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module FLEX with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module FUNAR – Functional Software Architecture

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module FUNAR with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module IMPROVE – Evolution and Improvement of Software Archi­tec­tures

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module IMPROVE with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module REQ4ARC – Requirements for Software Archi­tects

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module REQ4ARC with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module SOFT – Soft Skills for Software Archi­tects

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module SOFT with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module WEB – Web Architecture

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module WEB with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

Curriculum Module WEBSEC – Web Security

Curriculum of the Advanced Level Module WEBSEC with all learning goals and terms for the individual chapters.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

General Info Brochure

Info brochure with general information on the iSAQB and CPSA certifications.

English Version [pdf]

Deutsche Version [pdf]

Glossary of Software Architecture Termi­nology

The iSAQB Glossary covers the basic termi­nology of software architecture. The glossary is available in English, French, German, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish. Additional languages are in prepa­ration. Please note that only the English and German versions contain a detailed expla­nation of all terms.

English Version [org/glossary/]

Deutsche Version [org/glossary/]

Versión en Español [pdf]

Versione Italiana [pdf]

Version Française [pdf]

中文版 [pdf]

Versão em Português [pdf]

Industry Excellence

All CPSA® training courses are conducted by iSAQB® Accredited Trainers and Training Providers. Profit from these excellent iSAQB partners!

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Recognized iSAQB® Trainingsprovider - Arabilis (Silberrücken AG)
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New Recognized iSAQB® Trainingsprovider - Dr. Faith
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Recognized iSAQB® Trainingsprovider - CALLEN Software Consulting and Training
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New Recognized iSAQB® Trainingsprovider -Expandior
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New Recognized iSAQB® Trainingsprovider - ETC – Enterprise Training Center GmbH

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