SF CTA Study Hub
Welcome to the Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA) exam preparation hub — 70+ study pages with decision guides, best practices, trade-offs, and 150+ Mermaid diagrams covering all 7 exam domains.
What is the CTA?
The CTA is the most exclusive credential in the Salesforce ecosystem (~500 CTAs worldwide). It is a live virtual review board (via Zoom) where you design a solution to a complex business scenario in 3 hours, present it to a panel of 3-4 CTA judges (45 min), and defend it under Q&A (40-90 min). There is no multiple-choice component.
Exam Domains
The CTA exam evaluates 7 domains, each scored independently — you must pass every domain:
| # | Domain | Key Focus | Study Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | System Architecture | Org strategy, licensing, mobile, reporting, platform capabilities | 10 files |
| 2 | Security | Sharing model, identity/SSO, permissions, portal security, Shield | 10 files |
| 3 | Data | Data modeling, LDV strategies, migration, quality, external data | 9 files |
| 4 | Solution Architecture | Declarative vs programmatic, build vs buy, Agentforce | 7 files |
| 5 | Integration | 6 integration patterns, middleware, APIs, event-driven, error handling | 9 files |
| 6 | Dev Lifecycle | Environments, CI/CD, testing, governance, risk management | 8 files |
| 7 | Communication | Presentation strategy, artifacts, Q&A defense, mock boards | 3 files |
Every domain includes decision guides (Mermaid flowcharts), best practices, anti-patterns, and trade-off analysis.
Getting Started
| Starting Point | What You’ll Find |
|---|---|
| Complete Review Board Guide | Everything about the exam: format, costs, prerequisites, scoring, latest updates |
| Preparation Roadmap | Visual 6-month study plan with 14 Mermaid diagrams |
| Scenario Patterns | How scenarios work, 27+ practice scenarios, analysis framework |
| Presentation & Q&A | How to present, STAR-A framework, mock board setup |
| Artifacts Guide | The “Big 3” diagrams and 9 essential artifacts |
| Preparation Guide | Books, courses, communities, 27+ mock scenario PDFs, costs |
| Study Content Sources | 136 URLs — official docs, blogs, videos, books |
| Clouds & Licensing | What to study, what to skip, licensing deep dive |
How to Use This Site
- Browse by domain using the sidebar navigation
- Search for any topic using the search bar (Cmd+K)
- Knowledge graph on the right shows connections between pages
- Tags help you find cross-cutting content across domains
- Decision guides in every domain have Mermaid flowcharts for architectural decisions
- Feed content into NotebookLM for AI-assisted quizzes, flashcards, and audio summaries
Knowledge Map
Explore by Domain
Navigate the seven CTA exam domains — each domain is deeply interconnected with the others.
- System Architecture — Org strategy, licensing, mobile, reporting, platform capabilities
- Security — Sharing model, identity/SSO, permissions, portal security, Shield
- Data Architecture — Data modeling, LDV, migration, quality, external data
- Solution Architecture — Declarative vs programmatic, build vs buy, Agentforce
- Integration — 6 patterns, middleware, APIs, event-driven, error handling
- Development Lifecycle — Environments, CI/CD, testing, governance, risk management
- Communication — Presentation strategy, artifacts, Q&A defense
Quick Reference Guide
- CTA Quick Reference Guide — Fast-track refresher covering all 7 domains, artifacts, and scenario analysis in 2 hours
Exam Preparation
- Exam Overview — Format, scoring, prerequisites, costs, latest updates
- Preparation Roadmap — Visual study plan with timelines
- Preparation Guide — Books, courses, communities, mock scenarios