Introduction
SAFe certifications are designed for individuals familiar with agile methodologies who want to deepen their understanding of scaling agile across multiple teams. Although SAFe Certifications are extended to professionals, certain prerequisites and recommended experiences ensure participants gain maximum value from the training. Here are the common prerequisites:
1. Basic Knowledge of Agile and Lean Principles
Understanding of Agile principles and lean methodologies are recommended before attending any SAFe Certification like Leading SAFe Certification Training. Professionals working in Agile environments, whether as a Scrum Master, Product Owner, developer, or other roles, can be particularly beneficial, as SAFe certification builds more on Agile practices.
Recommended Preparation: It is important to start with basic introduction to agile certifications, such as certified scrum master (CSM). Understanding about the roles of the scrum masters, product owners will help you in the strong foundation of SAFe Frameworks.
2.Experience in Agile Teams
Most of the SAFe courses at least need 1 or 2 years of experience in the field of agile development. Having a practical experience in Agile practices can make it easier in understanding concepts of Program Increment (PI) planning, Agile Release trainers (ARTs), and lean portfolio management.
Recommended Preparation: If you are not having any experience in agile but want to work on agile projects in the organization it will be beneficial if you join a scrum team or volunteering for agile initiatives. By participating in agile events you will gain a practical experience of how agile works in the organization.
3.Knowledge of Lean Principles
SAFe Frameworks mainly focus on lean principles, delivering values efficiently and minimizing waste. Lean principles help in thinking of creating a culture of continuous improvement and maximizing flow across value streams, which is important for scaling agile on a large scale.
Recommended Preparation: Understanding about the lean principles which is outlined in the book “The Lean Startup by Eric Ries or Lean Thinking” by James Womack and Daniel Jones can provide you with valuable insights. Moreover, lean courses which are available online also provide you with insights in lean principles like waste reduction, value stream mapping, and continuous improvement.
4.Understanding of Product Development Lifecycle
Having a practical knowledge in product development is beneficial to those who want to learn in depth about SAFe certification. SAFe frameworks mainly focus on delivering values in an orginazation. These certified professionals are responsible for how features move from ideation to delivery. Be familiar with the stages of the product life cycle like gathering, design, development, testing and release which will help you understand the workflow in SAFe.
Recommended Preparation: Gaining experience in product development can help you in understanding of the full life cycle. This may include collaboration with multiple teams to observe how the work flows from concepts to release.
Specific Prerequisites for Advanced SAFe Certifications
Enrolling with SAFe entry level certifications like Leading SAFe certification, do not have any prerequisites but advance SAFe certifications like SAFe Advanced Scrum Master (SASM), SAFe Product Owner/ Product Manager (SAFe POPM) and SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC) have some additional prerequisites. For example, SPC certification is designed for those who have more than five years of experience in scaling agile practices at the organization.
Recommended Preparation: Before enrolling in advanced SAFe certifications, one should consider their current experience level and consider the certifications in agile and lean principles. Gaining hands- on experience and earning foundational certification like SAFe agilist certification will help you gain more foundational knowledge on SAFe Frameworks.
Now, after knowing about the prerequisites of the SAFe Certification let us talk about the cost of the certification. The cost of the SAFe certifications ranges from $500 to $3,000 USD, depending on the level. Foundational courses, like Leading SAFe Certification training cost $600-$1,000, while advance courses like SAFe Practice Consultant (SPC) ranges from $2,000 to $3,000. These include training, exam, and study guides.
Conclusion
SAFe Certifications programs come with specific prerequisites and costs, but they are valuable investments for the agile professionals who want to grow in their career. The above prerequisites ensure that candidate comes with a strong foundational knowledge in SAFe Frameworks. SAFe certification is a powerful credential, opening doors to career growth, and higher salaries.
