Implementing SAFe® with SPC certification

This course is intended for those who will be materially and directly involved in a SAFe implementation. This includes practitioners, change agents, and consultants responsible for implementing Agile programs and portfolios as part of an enterprise Lean-Agile change initiative. Attendees typically include:

• Professional Services Consultants
• Internal Change Agents, Lean-Agile Center for Excellence (LACE) participants, Agile Working Groups
• Business and Technology Executives, Leaders, Managers, and Directors
• Portfolio Managers and Fiduciaries, Project/Program Management Office (PMO) personnel
• Development, QA, and IT Managers
• Program and Project Managers
• Product and Product Line Managers
• Process Leads and Lifecycle Governance personnel
• Enterprise, System, and Solution Architects

Lead an enterprise Lean-Agile transformation

• Implement the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)
• Empower with a Lean Portfolio
• Align the organization to a common language and way of working
• Perform Value Stream identification
• Launch and support Agile Release Trains, and coordinate Large Solutions
• Build and execute an implementation rollout strategy
• Configure the Framework for a specific enterprise context
• Train managers and executives in Leading SAFe®
• Continue their learning journey and become enabled to train other SAFe roles in the enterprise

Leading SAFe® – Days 1 and 2

• Thriving in the Digital Age with Business Agility
• Becoming a Lean-Agile Leader
• Establishing Team and Technical Agility
• Building Solutions with Agile Product Delivery
• Exploring Lean Portfolio Management
• Leading the Change
• Practicing SAFe

Implementing SAFe® – Days 3 and 4

• Reaching the SAFe Tipping Point
• Designing the Implementation
• Launching an Agile Release Train
• Coaching ART Execution
• Extending to the Portfolio
• Accelerating to Business Agility
• Becoming a SAFe 5 Program Consultant (SPC)

All stakeholders in a Lean-Agile transformation are welcome to attend the course, regardless of experience.

However, the following prerequisites are highly recommended for those who intend to take the SAFe® 4 Program Consultant certification exam and practice as a SAFe® 4 Program Consultant (SPC):

• 5+ years of experience in software development, testing, business analysis, product, or project management
• 3+ years of experience in Agile
• One or more relevant Agile certifications

Exam requirements

The first step toward becoming a Certified SAFe® Program Consultant is to attend this course. This is a requirement, because attending the course provides access to all the study materials and the exam. Note that attending the course does not guarantee passing the exam.

Exam prerequisite skills

• Facilitation skills
• Classroom management and time management
• Agile experience – ability to teach an Agile class for beginners
• Ability to communicate with all levels of an organization
• Possess experiences or stories, and the ability to connect business and IT
• Experience and ability to connect across business contexts and speak the language
• Technical fluency to effectively work with processes and workflows
• Emotional intelligence—at a minimum, understand the impact of decisions on people, workflows, and business

Exam details

• Exam name – SAFe® 5 Program Consultant Exam
• Exam format – Multiple choice
• Exam delivery – Web-based (single-browser), closed book, no outside assistance, timed
• Exam access – Candidates can access the exam within the SAFe Community Platform upon completion of your course
• Exam duration – Once the exam begins, candidates have 120 minutes (2 hours) to complete the exam
• Number of questions – 60
• Passing score – 45 out of 60 (75%)
• Language – English
• Exam cost – First exam attempt is included as part of the course registration fee if the exam is taken within 30 days of course completion. Each retake attempt costs $250.
• Retake policy – Second attempt on exam (first retake) can be done immediately after first attempt. Third attempt requires a 10-day wait. Fourth attempt requires a 30-day wait.

Exam study materials

The exam is designed to measure knowledge and skill related to the job role. We highly recommend candidates use a variety of resources to prepare for this exam including:

• Course materials – The course materials are an essential artifact from the course and can be downloaded from the SAFe Community Platform. These materials can be used to refer back to the content that was presented during the class.
• Study guide – This comprehensive guide details the job role and all resources related to the exam, including a detailed reading list. Access is available through the Learning Plan in the SAFe Community Platform upon course completion.
• Practice test – The practice test is designed to be predictive of success on the certification exam,* and it has the same number of questions, level of difficulty, and time duration. It is part of the Learning Plan in the SAFe Community Platform and can be taken an unlimited number of times at no cost. *This is not the actual exam, and passing it does not guarantee success on the certification exam.
• Sample Questions – A web-enabled, flashcard style version of the sample questions can be found online and in the study guide.