The Open Certified Architect (Open CA) program is the industry’s most established and widely adopted certification for practicing architects. It provides an independent, globally recognized assessment of the skills, knowledge, and real‑world experience of Solution, Business, Enterprise, and Digital Architects.
With more than 5,000 certified professionals across 180 companies in over 60 countries, Open CA is one of the world’s largest and most trusted architecture certifications.
Open CA is an experience‑based certification. There are no required training courses and no written exams. Candidates demonstrate their competencies through written evidence and a peer review board.
What the Certification Confirms
Open CA certification verifies that an architect has the capabilities required to:
- Apply architectural methods and practices effectively
- Deliver business‑aligned architectural solutions
- Lead and influence architectural work across teams and organizations
- Contribute to enterprise transformation and strategic outcomes
Candidates must demonstrate conformance to the program’s requirements through a structured application and peer interview.
Why Choose Open CA?
Open CA is:
- The most trusted independent benchmark for validating Business, Digital, Enterprise, and Solution Architecture skills
- Peer‑reviewed, ensuring rigorous and objective evaluation
- Vendor‑neutral and globally recognized
- Portable, enabling professionals to carry their credential across roles and organizations
- Used by leading enterprises to assess and develop architectural capability
- A proven guide for filling critical architecture roles
- An excellent career investment for architects at all stages
Certification Levels
Open CA is available at three levels, reflecting increasing depth of experience, leadership, and professional impact.
Level 1: Certified Architect
Demonstrates foundational experience applying architectural practices under guidance.
Level 2: Master Certified Architect
Demonstrates independent leadership in delivering architectural solutions and mentoring others.
Level 3: Distinguished Certified Architect
Recognized as an industry leader with significant influence, thought leadership, and sustained contributions to the architecture profession.
Specializations
Open CA offers four specializations, each available at Certified, Master Certified, and Distinguished levels.
Business Architect
Business Architects play a critical role in shaping and enabling enterprise transformation. They define business capabilities, processes, and value streams, and ensure alignment between business strategy and execution.
The Business Architecture specialization focuses on the competencies required to:
- Support enterprise transformation initiatives
- Drive continuous improvement
- Align business models, processes, and capabilities
- Collaborate with stakeholders across the organization
Demand for skilled Business Architects continues to exceed supply globally.
Digital Architect
Digital Architects design and guide digital transformation initiatives that improve customer experience, increase profitability, and strengthen competitive position.
Digital Architects typically work across:
- Customer experience and digital journeys
- Cloud and web technologies
- Data science and analytics
- Business, application, information, and technology architectures
They help organizations adopt modern digital practices and technologies at scale.
Enterprise Architect
Enterprise Architects connect an organization’s mission, strategy, processes, and technology. They create architectural models and views that describe how current and future business needs can be met effectively and sustainably.
Enterprise Architects:
- Work closely with executives, managers, and SMEs
- Develop holistic views of strategy, information, processes, and IT assets
- Ensure alignment between business and technology
- Guide long‑term transformation and modernization
Solution Architect
Solution Architects design, describe, and manage the engineering of solutions to specific business problems. They define the overall technical vision and ensure that solutions are feasible, scalable, and aligned with business needs.
Solution Architects:
- Lead solution design and integration
- Translate business requirements into technical architectures
- Guide engineering teams
- Ensure solutions meet functional and non‑functional requirements
How Certification Works
Open CA certification is based on evidence of real‑world experience, not exams.
Candidates must:
- Prepare a written application demonstrating conformance to the program’s requirements
- Provide evidence of relevant skills, achievements, and professional contributions
- Participate in a peer review board interview
Successful candidates are awarded certification at the level and specialization that match their demonstrated experience.