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 Technical Architect
The Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA) credential validates your ability to design secure, scalable, and high-performance solutions on the Salesforce platform. It is the highest-level architect certification, intended for experienced architects who lead complex, multi-cloud implementations. Earning the CTA demonstrates mastery of translating business requirements into robust technical architectures that drive enterprise transformation.
Exam formatMultiple-choice, multiple-select, and a hands-on design review
DeliveryWebassessor
Free questions774
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What Salesforce Certified Technical 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.
7domains
30objectives
232concepts
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 Technical Architect (CTA) credential is the pinnacle of the Salesforce architect certification program. It validates your ability to design comprehensive, secure, and scalable solutions that span the entire Salesforce ecosystem, including Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and platform capabilities. CTAs are trusted advisors who translate complex business requirements into robust technical architectures that drive enterprise transformation.
This certification is earned through a rigorous, multi-part review process that assesses your architectural knowledge and your ability to apply it in real-world scenarios. It goes beyond multiple-choice questions, requiring you to design and defend a complete solution architecture before a panel of expert architects. Earning the CTA signals that you have the experience, judgment, and technical depth to lead the most challenging Salesforce projects.
Who it’s for
This certification is for experienced Salesforce architects who lead the design of complex, multi-cloud solutions. It is ideal for professionals who have already earned architect-level certifications and have deep, hands-on experience designing solutions that meet demanding performance, security, and scalability requirements. You are a strategic thinker who can balance business goals with technical constraints, and you are comfortable presenting and defending your architectural decisions to both technical and executive stakeholders.
Recommended experience
Multiple years of hands-on experience designing and delivering complex Salesforce solutions, including experience with large-scale data migrations, integrations, and multi-cloud architectures. Deep expertise in Salesforce platform capabilities, including Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and platform features; Proven experience designing solutions that meet performance, security, and scalability requirements; Strong understanding of integration patterns, data modeling, and identity management; Experience leading technical design sessions and communicating with executive stakeholders
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
SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE
- Given a scenario, determine the appropriate mix of systems, including both on and off-platform components, taking into consideration the Salesforce platform capabilities, constraints, and limits.
- Given a scenario, describe the design and platform considerations, trade-offs, and risks for reporting and analytics.
- Given a scenario, describe the architectural considerations when planning, defining, or working within a single or multi-org environment.
- Given a scenario, describe the design considerations, trade-offs, and risks for mobile solutions and recommend the appropriate mobile platform.
- Given a set of requirements, recommend the correct mix of required license types taking into account the capabilities, trade-offs and constraints.
- Given a set of requirements, describe the capabilities, trade-offs, and constraints to determine the appropriate document management solution.
SECURITY
- Given a set of requirements, architect a solution that utilizes the appropriate platform security mechanisms.
- Given a scenario, identify the security considerations and risks, and leverage the appropriate security capabilities to design a secure portal architecture including access by both internal and external users.
- Given a scenario, identify the declarative platform security features that can be used to meet record-level security requirements.
- Given a scenario, identify the programmatic platform security features that can be used to meet security requirements.
- Given a scenario, describe how to incorporate the platform security features into a solution to give users the appropriate object and field access permissions.
- Given a set of requirements, design and justify an end-to-end identity management solution.
DATA
- Given a scenario, describe the platform architecture considerations, platform impact and optimization methods used when working with large data volumes.
- Given a scenario, describe data modeling concepts and implications of database design and modeling.
- Given a scenario, determine the data migration strategy, considerations, and appropriate tools to use.
SOLUTION ARCHITECTURE
- Given a set of business requirements, describe the appropriate combination of declarative and programmatic functionality within a solution.
- Given a scenario, describe the benefits, considerations, and trade-offs of incorporating external applications into an optimal solution architecture.
INTEGRATION
- Given a set of requirements, recommend the appropriate enterprise integration landscape and describe associated risks, trade-offs, and business and technical considerations within a customer environment.
- Given a scenario, describe the capabilities of the appropriate technology and justify their use as part of the overall integration architecture.
- Given a scenario, recommend and justify the appropriate integration strategy and the use of common integration patterns.
- Given a scenario, recommend and justify the appropriate platform-specific integration technology used to integrate with external systems and describe the capabilities, limitations and trade-offs.
DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE AND DEPLOYMENT PLANNING
- Given a scenario, identify the project risks and mitigation strategies.
- Given a customer project environment and development methodology, identify the technical considerations, risks, and impact on the technical work streams.
- Given a scenario, recommend an appropriate comprehensive test strategy and discuss how testing mitigates any project risks.
- Given a scenario, describe the considerations, stakeholders, and impact of decisions around a technical solution relative to customer project governance.
- Given a scenario, describe the platform tools, use cases, limitations, and best practices for environment management.
- Describe the common tools, benefits, and rationale for using source control and continuous integration for release management.
COMMUNICATION
- Articulate the benefits, limitations, considerations, and design choices for a solution architecture and handle objections related to the design.
- Demonstrate how visualization and documentation tools can be used to articulate the technical solution.
- Demonstrate the ability to handle unexpected roadblocks and determine the appropriate next steps.
On the day
The exam itself
Everything Salesforce publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
Must hold Salesforce Certified Application Architect AND Salesforce Certified System Architect
CertificationSalesforce Certified Technical Architect
Exam formatMultiple-choice, multiple-select, and a hands-on design review
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 Technical Architect
PrerequisiteMust hold Salesforce Certified Application Architect AND Salesforce Certified System Architect
Credential earnedSalesforce Certified Technical Architect Certification Renewal and maintenance
Salesforce certifications require free annual maintenance to stay current. Complete the maintenance modules on Trailhead to keep your certification active. 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
How does the CTA review board differ from the multiple-choice exams?
The CTA review board is a hands-on, scenario-based assessment where you design a solution architecture and present it to a panel of expert architects. It tests your ability to apply knowledge in real-world situations, unlike the multiple-choice exams that test theoretical knowledge.
Do I need to earn the Application Architect and System Architect certifications before attempting the CTA?
Yes, you must hold both the Salesforce Certified Application Architect and Salesforce Certified System Architect credentials before you can attempt the CTA review board.
Is the CTA review board offered online or in-person?
The CTA review board is offered both online and in-person at designated testing centers. You can choose the option that best suits your needs when scheduling.
What is the retake policy for the CTA review board?
If you do not pass the CTA review board, you must wait a specified period before retaking it. The exact waiting period is defined by Salesforce and may vary based on the number of attempts.
What job roles does the CTA credential map to?
The CTA credential is designed for experienced solution architects, enterprise architects, and technical leads who are responsible for designing and delivering complex Salesforce solutions.
Can I recertify by passing a different exam?
No, the CTA credential requires completing the review board. However, maintaining the credential requires completing annual maintenance modules on Trailhead.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 774 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.
7domains
30objectives
232concepts
166free 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
1SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE129 questions
Given a scenario, determine the appropriate mix of systems, including both on and off-platform components, taking into consideration the Salesforce platform capabilities, constraints, and limits.6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, describe the design and platform considerations, trade-offs, and risks for reporting and analytics.6 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, describe the architectural considerations when planning, defining, or working within a single or multi-org environment.8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, describe the design considerations, trade-offs, and risks for mobile solutions and recommend the appropriate mobile platform.10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Given a set of requirements, recommend the correct mix of required license types taking into account the capabilities, trade-offs and constraints.10 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Given a set of requirements, describe the capabilities, trade-offs, and constraints to determine the appropriate document management solution.5 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →
2SECURITY174 questions
Given a set of requirements, architect a solution that utilizes the appropriate platform security mechanisms.12 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, identify the security considerations and risks, and leverage the appropriate security capabilities to design a secure portal architecture including access by both internal and external users.9 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, identify the declarative platform security features that can be used to meet record-level security requirements.10 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, identify the programmatic platform security features that can be used to meet security requirements.10 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, describe how to incorporate the platform security features into a solution to give users the appropriate object and field access permissions.10 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Given a set of requirements, design and justify an end-to-end identity management solution.9 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →
3DATA65 questions
Given a scenario, describe the platform architecture considerations, platform impact and optimization methods used when working with large data volumes.10 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, describe data modeling concepts and implications of database design and modeling.10 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, determine the data migration strategy, considerations, and appropriate tools to use.7 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →
4SOLUTION ARCHITECTURE51 questions
Given a set of business requirements, describe the appropriate combination of declarative and programmatic functionality within a solution.7 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, describe the benefits, considerations, and trade-offs of incorporating external applications into an optimal solution architecture.5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →
5INTEGRATION93 questions
Given a set of requirements, recommend the appropriate enterprise integration landscape and describe associated risks, trade-offs, and business and technical considerations within a customer environment.6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, describe the capabilities of the appropriate technology and justify their use as part of the overall integration architecture.8 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, recommend and justify the appropriate integration strategy and the use of common integration patterns.3 concepts · 4 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, recommend and justify the appropriate platform-specific integration technology used to integrate with external systems and describe the capabilities, limitations and trade-offs.6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
6DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE AND DEPLOYMENT PLANNING188 questions
Given a scenario, identify the project risks and mitigation strategies.4 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Given a customer project environment and development methodology, identify the technical considerations, risks, and impact on the technical work streams.6 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, recommend an appropriate comprehensive test strategy and discuss how testing mitigates any project risks.18 concepts · 11 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, describe the considerations, stakeholders, and impact of decisions around a technical solution relative to customer project governance.6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →Given a scenario, describe the platform tools, use cases, limitations, and best practices for environment management.8 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Describe the common tools, benefits, and rationale for using source control and continuous integration for release management.8 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →
7COMMUNICATION74 questions
Articulate the benefits, limitations, considerations, and design choices for a solution architecture and handle objections related to the design.5 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Demonstrate how visualization and documentation tools can be used to articulate the technical solution.4 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Demonstrate the ability to handle unexpected roadblocks and determine the appropriate next steps.6 concepts · 6 pagesOpen →
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 scenario, determine the appropriate mix of systems, including both on and off-platform components, taking into consideration the Salesforce platform capabilities, constraints, and limits.5 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
22 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
774 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.
774questions
166pages
30objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE129 questions
2SECURITY174 questions
3DATA65 questions
4SOLUTION ARCHITECTURE51 questions
5INTEGRATION93 questions
6DEVELOPMENT LIFECYCLE AND DEPLOYMENT PLANNING188 questions
7COMMUNICATION74 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.
232concepts
774free 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.
2official links
232concepts 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 — 30 objectives, 232 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When Salesforce changes the outline, this page changes with it.
30objectives on the outline→232concepts written→774free 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.