Archer Associate Exam Guide

[MeganOlvera]

Important Note: All RSA exams currently offered through Pearson Vue testing centers will offer a final exam date of August 31, 2021. Following that, there will be a period in which no exams are offered, as we transition to a new platform. At this time, we do not yet have a new go-live date, but trust it will be prior to the end of the year. 

Introduction
The Archer Associate examination is based on the critical job functions that an individual would typically be expected to perform with competence when providing Archer deployment services.

An Archer Associate is a person who works in a technical support, technical sales, professional services and/or other technical implementation role within Archer, within an Archer partner organization, or within an organization using Archer.

The major job functions expected of an Archer Associate typically consist of four major areas of job role responsibility:

• General knowledge about Archer solutions
• Aptitude with managing common Archer application configurations
• Familiarity with Archer communication strategies
• Understanding the basics of Archer access control

Candidate Background and Experience
An Archer Associate candidate should have completed the Archer Administration course as well as supporting courses, or have a minimum of six months' experience working with the Archer platform. Candidates should also have a basic understanding of governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) concepts, as well as Archer solution areas.

Examination Domains

The Archer Associate exam is comprised of four major Domains (subject areas). Each Domain is represented by a series of questions designed to evaluate competence and knowledge of elements relating to that domain. The following table describes the proportion of the examination that relates to each domain.

Domain	% of Examination
1.0: Archer Solution Knowledge	25%
2.0: Application Configuration	35%
3.0: Communication Strategies	25%
4.0: Access Control	15%
Total	100%

Domain 1.0: Archer Solution Knowledge
The Archer Associate must have fundamental knowledge of Archer Solutions to explain how Archer assists in the maturity of an organization's GRC program.

Content Areas

• Archer Solutions and Use Cases
  
  • High-level solution concepts and goals

Domain 2.0: Application Configuration

The Archer Associate must understand how to configure fields, applications, dashboards, and workspaces within Archer. Configuring Archer with the end users in mind is an important component for successful user adoption. Archer Associates should also be able to import data into an instance of Archer to assist with data migration from legacy systems.

Content Areas

• Application-level configurations
  
  • Data-Driven Events and Workflows
  • Layout Objects and User Experience
• Field Options
  • Required Fields
  • Calculations
• Data Import

Domain 3.0: Communication Strategies
The Archer Associate must understand and be able to configure the various notification types with Archer. The Archer Associate is expected to know how to perform advanced searches within Archer and create statistical reports in order to assist in communicating relevant data in a digestible format.

Content Areas

• Subscription Notifications
• Advanced Search
  • Conducting statistical reports
• Report Management
  • Charting options
• Workspaces and Dashboards

Domain 4.0: Access Control
The Archer Associate is expected to have a fundamental understanding of access control in Archer to ensure the right people see the right data at the right time.

Content Areas

• Security Parameters
• Access Roles and Groups
• Record permission options and page privileges

Examination Preparation

Product Training

Although Archer product training is not a strict requirement in preparation for the Archer Associate Examination, it is highly recommended. 

For full and detailed descriptions of Archer course offerings, visit: https://community.rsa.com/community/training/archer  Use the Level filter at the top of the page to narrow the course listing by desired certification exam level.

Product Experience
Many of the areas addressed by the Archer Associate exam will be familiar to the candidate who has worked with the Archer product. 

The Archer Associate exam content areas cover a wide range of product functions because an Archer Associate may be called upon to perform deployments, work closely with and educate system administrators and other personnel, and maintain the day-to-day operation of an Archer implementation.

Examination Details

Testing Centers, Locations, and Registration

The examination is administered by the Pearson VUE organization – an internationally known examination provider. Examination centers are located worldwide. Visit the Pearson VUE web site (www.pearsonvue.com/rsa/) and use the Test Center Locator to find a testing facility convenient to you.

You may also use the Pearson VUE site to create a personal login account and register for an exam. The Archer Associate exam code is 050-6201-ARCHERASC01.

Exam Questions

The Archer Associate exam consists of 70 questions to be completed in 85 minutes. The exam consists of multiple-choice, multiple-response, or true/false type questions. The exam is computer-based and closed book – you may not utilize any printed material, personal computers, calculators, cell phones, etc. during the test.

The minimum passing score is 70%. Test results are calculated automatically at the conclusion of the test and testing center personnel can often provide you with an authorized copy of your results before you leave the testing center.

Exam Costs
The fee for taking the exam is US$ 150.00.

Language Availability
The Archer Associate exam is available in North American English.

What to expect at the Testing Center

You must present two forms of identification; one of which is a photo identification.

You will be required to electronically accept the terms of an RSA Certification Program Non-Disclosure Agreement before beginning the examination. You are given an additional 5 minutes above and beyond the examination time to read this agreement before accepting.

Re-taking the Exam
There is no limit on the number of times that you can re-take the certification exam. However, to maintain integrity and confidentiality of the test items, 14 days is the required elapsed time before retaking the test a third time. Please note that you must pay the full exam fee each time that you retake the