Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (SFCTA)

The Salesforce Certified Technical Architect program is designed for experienced Salesforce Architects who would like to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and capabilities in assessing customer architecture; designing secure, high-performance technical solutions on the Lightning Platform; communicating technical solutions and design tradeoffs effectively to business stakeholders; and providing a delivery framework that ensures quality and success.

Prerequisites

The Technical Architect candidate can assess the architecture environment and requirements; and design secure, high-performing technical solutions on the Lightning Platform. The candidate has experience communicating technical solutions and design tradeoffs to business stakeholders and providing a delivery framework for an end-to-end solution.

The candidate has the experience and skills outlined below.

  • 5+ years of implementation experience, including development, across the full software development lifecycle.
  • 3+ years of experience in an architect role
  • 2+ years of experience on the Lightning Platform with at least one of those in a lead architect role, implementing Salesforce applications and technologies
  • Has held a technical architect role on multiple complex deployments, OR has gained equivalent knowledge through participation and exposure to these types of projects
  • Experience guiding a development team on the appropriate use of platform technology
  • Can identify and mitigate technical risks across the architecture
  • Exposure to globalization considerations on a project
  • Experience with object-oriented design patterns
  • Awareness of platform-specific design patterns and limits
  • Experience developing code on the Lightning Platform
  • Ability to identify development-related risks, considerations, and limits for the platform
  • Experience with multiple development languages (for example, .net, java, or ruby) and design frameworks
  • Experience with common integration patterns; experience with integration on the Lightning Platform
  • Understanding of and ability to architect a solution to address security complexities, mechanisms, and capabilities on the Lightning Platform as part of a functional security model
  • Understanding of data migration considerations, design trade-offs, and common extract, transform, load (ETL) tools
  • Awareness of large data volume considerations, risks, and mitigation strategies
  • Awareness of general mobile solutions and architecture and understanding of on-platform mobile solutions and considerations
  • Experience with project and development lifecycle methodologies

Recommended training for this certification

To prepare for this exam, Salesforce recommends a combination of hands-on experience, training course completion, Trailhead trails, trailmixes, and self-study in each of the exam domain focus areas.

Exams

Exam Prerequisites:

  • Architect Review Board Evaluation completed with a passing grade

Format:

  • The candidate will review and solve a hypothetical scenario and then present it to a panel of CTA judges. The presentation is followed by a question and answer session with the judges.

Time allotted to complete the exam:

  • 3 hours - review and solution preparation
  • 45 minutes - presentation
  • 40 minutes - Question and Answer session

The following materials are provided/allowed for the candidate for the exam. No other materials are allowed.

  • An exam scenario in Google Doc
  • A Google Slide deck
  • A Google Sheet
  • A blank Lucidchart with access to the Salesforce Shape Library**
  • An onscreen timer

**Lucid Chart Templates are not permitted for any portion of the CTA Credential.

Restrictions:

  • No hard copy or online materials may be referenced during the exam.
  • Smart devices (watches, phones) must be removed and stored prior to starting the exam.