You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
SALESFORCESalesforce Certified Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect
The Salesforce Certified Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect certification validates your expertise in designing and implementing release and deployment strategies across the Salesforce ecosystem. It is for experienced architects who orchestrate continuous delivery, environment management, and change governance. Earning it proves you can drive safe, efficient, and compliant software delivery at scale.
Exam formatMultiple choice and multiple select
DeliveryWebassessor
Free questions364
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Salesforce Certified Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect proves, and what it asks of you
What this certification covers, who it is written for, and what the exam itself looks like on the day.
10domains
16objectives
102concepts
What it is
What this certification is
What it validates, who it is written for, and the experience it assumes.
About this certification
The Salesforce Certified Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect certification validates your ability to design and implement robust development, release, and deployment processes for Salesforce solutions. It focuses on the architectural decisions that keep delivery pipelines reliable, environments consistent, and releases low-risk.
This credential is for architects who own the end-to-end software delivery lifecycle, from version control and environment strategy to change management and release governance. Earning it demonstrates that you can balance speed and safety, ensuring that business-critical changes reach production predictably and without disruption.
Who it’s for
This certification is for Salesforce architects and technical leads who design and govern the development lifecycle and deployment processes for their organization. It is ideal for those who define release strategies, manage environments, and ensure that changes are delivered with quality and control. You are expected to have deep experience with Salesforce development practices, including source control, CI/CD, and environment management, and to be comfortable making architectural trade-offs that impact delivery speed and stability.
Recommended experience
Several years of experience as a Salesforce architect or technical lead, with hands-on involvement in designing and managing development and deployment processes. Designing and implementing source control and CI/CD strategies for Salesforce; Managing multiple Salesforce environments and orchestrating release pipelines; Defining change management and governance processes for production deployments; Applying DevOps principles to Salesforce development and operations
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective Salesforce measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official Salesforce exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
ENVIRONMENTS
- Given a customer landscape and their requirements, evaluate business, technical, and architectural considerations while defining an appropriate org strategy.
- Given a customer scenario, define an environment (sandbox) strategy that utilizes the correct sandbox types (e.g., multiple project streams, training requirements, staging, production, and hotfixes).
- Apply map sandbox strategy to a specific Release Plan, taking into consideration multiple project streams, training requirements, staging, and hotfixes.
- Given a customer scenario involving a new Salesforce release, recommend the appropriate strategy to mitigate risk.
- Given a detailed customer environment scenario including a specific request, explain the implications for incorporating the request directly in a production environment.
- Given a customer scenario, explain how source control branching/versioning/merging can be used and recommend appropriate strategies.
APPLICATION LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT
- Given the project risk and customer requirement, explain how to assess the benefits and risks of the different development methodologies and recommend the appropriate methodology based on the customer environment.
- Given a customer scenario, describe and recommend an appropriate release management strategy.
TESTING
- Given a customer scenario, describe and recommend an appropriate testing methodology.
GOVERNANCE
- Given a customer scenario, analyze and recommend the appropriate governance framework.
RISK IDENTIFICATION AND MITIGATION
- Understand customer environment risks and articulate appropriate mitigation strategies.
CHANGE SETS
- Given a scenario, compare, contrast and recommend the components and tools of a successful deployment strategy.
METADATA API
- Given a scenario, describe the capabilities, limitations, and considerations when using the Metadata API for deployment.
CONTINUOUS INTEGRATION TECHNIQUES
- Given a complex customer scenario ability, identify the appropriate use of source control, automated test, and deployment tools and demonstrate the ability to articulate the process involved.
METHODOLOGY TOOLS
- Explain the advantages of using agile tools to support an agile development process.
UNDERSTANDING PACKAGES
- Given a scenario, analyze and explain the use cases and considerations when using managed vs. unmanaged packages.
On the day
The exam itself
Everything Salesforce publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
No mandatory prerequisites — this certification has no required predecessor exam or credential.
CertificationSalesforce Certified Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect
Exam formatMultiple choice and multiple select
DeliveryWebassessor
LanguagesEnglish
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path Salesforce lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to Salesforce Certified Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect
Credential earnedSalesforce Certified Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect Certification Renewal and maintenance
Salesforce certifications are maintained through free, mandatory maintenance modules released with each product update. Stay current with the latest technologies and maintain your certification.
Learn more about renewal requirements Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. Salesforce maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by Salesforce
Exam registration
Register for the exam through Webassessor, Salesforce’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official Salesforce certification page for exam policies and requirements.
View the official pageYour coach
And when you are serious, your coach Pip takes over
Your coach in the app reads what you have answered with the book closed and tells you one thing to do tonight. It will not count an answer you gave with the page open, and it will tell you when you are not ready.
See how the coach worksBefore you book
Questions people ask
Is there a hands-on or lab component to the Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam?
Salesforce exams are primarily multiple-choice and multiple-select. There is no separate hands-on lab component for this certification.
What job roles does this credential map to?
This credential is designed for Salesforce architects and technical leads who own the development lifecycle, release management, and deployment strategy for their organization.
Can I recertify by passing a different, higher-level Salesforce exam?
Salesforce certifications are maintained through mandatory maintenance modules rather than by passing other exams. Earning a higher-level credential does not automatically renew this one.
How do I schedule or reschedule my exam appointment?
Exams are scheduled through Webassessor, Salesforce's delivery provider. You can book, reschedule, or cancel appointments through your Webassessor account, subject to its policies.
What are the online proctoring requirements for this exam?
Online proctored exams require a quiet, private room, a webcam, and a stable internet connection. You must show a valid government-issued photo ID and may be asked to show your workspace.
What is the retake policy if I fail the exam?
Salesforce's retake policy typically requires a waiting period between attempts. Check the official Salesforce certification page for the current policy, as it may vary.
Are there any testing accommodations for candidates with disabilities?
Salesforce provides reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities. Requests must be made in advance through the certification support process.
How soon will I receive my exam results?
For most Salesforce exams, results are provided immediately after the exam is completed, either as a pass/fail or with a score report.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 364 questions, free, no account needed.
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept Salesforce measures — each one written out.
10domains
16objectives
102concepts
78free pages
The domains, and what sits inside them
Every objective below is a page you can open and practise now, without an account.
The official Salesforce exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1ENVIRONMENTS143 questions
Given a customer landscape and their requirements, evaluate business, technical, and architectural considerations while defining an appropriate org strategy.5 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Given a customer scenario, define an environment (sandbox) strategy that utilizes the correct sandbox types (e.g., multiple project streams, training requirements, staging, production, and hotfixes).12 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Apply map sandbox strategy to a specific Release Plan, taking into consideration multiple project streams, training requirements, staging, and hotfixes.9 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Given a customer scenario involving a new Salesforce release, recommend the appropriate strategy to mitigate risk.9 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Given a detailed customer environment scenario including a specific request, explain the implications for incorporating the request directly in a production environment.5 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Given a customer scenario, explain how source control branching/versioning/merging can be used and recommend appropriate strategies.7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
2APPLICATION LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT57 questions
Given the project risk and customer requirement, explain how to assess the benefits and risks of the different development methodologies and recommend the appropriate methodology based on the customer environment.6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Given a customer scenario, describe and recommend an appropriate release management strategy.7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
3TESTING30 questions
4GOVERNANCE25 questions
5RISK IDENTIFICATION AND MITIGATION13 questions
6CHANGE SETS26 questions
7METADATA API10 questions
8CONTINUOUS INTEGRATION TECHNIQUES22 questions
9METHODOLOGY TOOLS22 questions
10UNDERSTANDING PACKAGES16 questions
Not a table of contents
Every line on this map already opens
In front of every objective the practice pages are already there, free and without an account. This is one objective, opened.
Given a customer landscape and their requirements, evaluate business, technical, and architectural considerations while defining an appropriate org strategy.4 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
20 questions on this objective, five to a page. Every range above is a real page, open now, with no account.
Reading the map is not the same as knowing the ground
The curriculum tells you what is on the exam. Proving you know it is a different job — and it is the one the closed-book run does.
Free questions
364 questions. No account, no card.
The whole bank is open. 5 questions to a page, every answer explained, and a discussion thread on each one.
364questions
78pages
16objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1ENVIRONMENTS143 questions
2APPLICATION LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT57 questions
3TESTING30 questions
4GOVERNANCE25 questions
5RISK IDENTIFICATION AND MITIGATION13 questions
6CHANGE SETS26 questions
7METADATA API10 questions
8CONTINUOUS INTEGRATION TECHNIQUES22 questions
9METHODOLOGY TOOLS22 questions
What a practice page gives you
1Five to a page
Short enough to finish, long enough to matter.
2Every answer explained
Not only which one is right — why the others are wrong.
3A discussion on each
Ask, answer, and vote. Every question has its own thread.
A question, and the idea behind it
Every question comes from a concept
These are not trivia. Each one is written against a concept in the book, so when you get one wrong there is somewhere to go and find out why.
The visual book
See it once. Carry it into the exam.
The pages shown here come from our AI-900 book — an example of how each concept is written in plain language and, where the idea needs one, drawn as a full page you can take in at a glance.
102concepts
364free questions
Why a picture, and not another paragraph
Three reasons, and each one is a real finding rather than a slogan.
You can see it againThe whole idea at onceWhere it starts, what happens in the middle, what comes out, and the mistake to avoid.
Multimedia principle · MayerThe look-alikes sit togetherThe pairs the exam tests are drawn side by side, so the difference is seen, not told.
Dual coding · PaivioWhat one page is made of
You are never asked to read a poster here — only to see how one is built. After that, every other page is legible at a glance.
1A numbered strip on top
The idea as a sequence, followed with a finger before a word is read.
2Panels for the parts
What it is, how the machine learns it, when it is the right tool.
3The trap, framed
The distinction the exam tests, given its own box instead of buried in prose.
4One line at the bottom
The sentence to carry into the exam room.
Open book, on purpose
Answer it with the picture beside you
This is the part that teaches. The illustration and the written explanation stay where they are while you work, so a scenario stops being a memory test and becomes something you can simply look at.
It teaches · it does not count
A smartphone uses AI to unlock when the owner looks at the camera. Which AI capability is being used?
AImage classification
BFacial recognition
COptical character recognition
DObject detection
Look at the five steps. Detect finds a face, align straightens it, encode turns it into numbers, search compares it with a stored face, and decide answers one question: is this the same person? Classification would only say “a face”. Detection would only draw a box. Neither decides whose.
Then the page shuts, and it starts counting
The same questions come back with the book closed — that run is the one that counts. After it, your coach picks one thing for tonight, sized to the time you have, and brings pages back before you lose them.
Testing effect · Roediger & Karpicke 2006 · spacing effect · Cepeda et al. 2006
Official resources
Straight from Salesforce
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
1official link
102concepts mapped
The source
Salesforce’s own pages
We link to them rather than repeat them, so nothing here goes stale behind them.
Checked against the source
Every objective on the official Salesforce outline already has questions here
We build from the official skills outline, not from a summary of it — 16 objectives, 102 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When Salesforce changes the outline, this page changes with it.
16objectives on the outline→102concepts written→364free questions
An official page tells you what will be asked. It cannot tell you what you will get right.
That is the only question worth answering the night before, and no link answers it. You answer it by taking the questions with the book closed, and seeing what comes back.