Complete Review Board Guide

The definitive reference for the Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA) Review Board exam — the most exclusive certification in the Salesforce ecosystem. Approximately 490 CTAs worldwide out of 1.2M+ certified professionals (0.04%). Estimated first-attempt pass rate: 5-10%.

The Two-Step Evaluation Process

The CTA uses a two-step gating process. You must pass Step 1 before accessing Step 2.

flowchart LR
    subgraph Prerequisites
        AA[Application Architect]
        SA[System Architect]
    end
    subgraph "Step 1"
        ARBE[Architect Review Board\nEvaluation\n$1,500]
    end
    subgraph "Step 2"
        ARB[Architect Review Board\nExam\n$4,500]
    end
    subgraph Outcome
        CTA[CTA Certified]
    end
    AA --> ARBE
    SA --> ARBE
    ARBE -->|Pass| ARB
    ARBE -->|Fail| W1[Wait 6 months\nRetake $750]
    W1 --> ARBE
    ARB -->|Pass all 7| CTA
    ARB -->|Fail 1 domain| SR[Section Retake\nFREE]
    SR -->|Pass| CTA
    SR -->|Fail| FR[Full Retake\n$2,250]
    ARB -->|Fail 2+| FR
    FR --> ARB

Step 1: Architect Review Board Evaluation

The readiness gate — a shorter, simpler scenario to determine if you are ready for the full board.

Aspect	Detail
Format	Virtual, one-on-one with a single CTA evaluator
Duration	~2 hours total (60 min design + 30 min presentation + 30-45 min Q&A)
Scenario	Shorter and simpler than the full board
Tools	Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides), paper-based documents allowed
Hand-drawn diagrams	Permitted (must be photographed and emailed to evaluator)
Cost	$1,500 USD (retake: $750 USD)
Results	Written feedback via email in ~2 weeks
If unsuccessful	Prescriptive feedback with next steps; must wait 6 months before re-registering

Evaluation vs Full Board

The Evaluation tests broader knowledge across Salesforce domains with a simpler scenario. The full Board tests deep architectural thinking with a complex multi-page scenario. Think of Step 1 as proving you can “think like an architect” and Step 2 as proving you can “architect at scale.”

Step 2: Architect Review Board Exam (Full Board)

The pinnacle assessment — a comprehensive architecture review before a panel of active CTAs.

Exam Timeline

gantt
    title CTA Review Board Exam — Day-Of Timeline
    dateFormat HH:mm
    axisFormat %H:%M

    section Phases
    Preparation (3 hours)        :prep, 00:00, 3h
    Break (15 min)               :break, after prep, 15min
    Presentation (45 min)        :pres, after break, 45min
    Q&A (40-90 min)              :qa, after pres, 90min

Phase	Duration	What Happens
Preparation	180 min (210 for non-native English speakers)	Read scenario, design solution, create all artifacts in Lucidchart
Break	15 min	Mandatory break between prep and presentation
Presentation	~30-45 min	Present your architecture via shared screen to 3-4 CTA judges
Q&A	~40-90 min	Judges probe, challenge, and stress-test every design decision

Time dynamics

Any minutes you finish early in the presentation are added to your Q&A time. This is actually an opportunity — more Q&A time means more chances to demonstrate depth, not a penalty.

What You Receive

Item	Format	Purpose
Scenario document	Google Docs	8-15 page business scenario
Slide deck	Google Slides	Blank — for presentation slides
Spreadsheet	Google Sheets	For tables, calculations, license mapping
Diagramming tool	Lucidchart (Salesforce Shape Library)	For all architecture diagrams
Paper and pen	Physical	For scratch notes (optional)

What Is NOT Allowed

No external reference materials (hard copy or online)
No smart devices (phones, smartwatches stored away)
No Lucidchart templates (only blank canvas + Salesforce Shape Library)
No internet browsing during the exam
No outside inputs of any kind
No diagramming tools other than Lucidchart

Virtual Format (Since October 2023)

The exam is conducted entirely virtually via Zoom:

Candidates share their screen to present artifacts
Panel of 3-4 active CTAs serve as judges remotely
Ensure stable internet, tested webcam/microphone
Practice screen-sharing with Lucidchart before exam day
Account for potential screen-share lag in your presentation pacing

Prerequisites

Required Credentials

You must hold both super-credentials before attempting the CTA:

flowchart TD
    subgraph "Application Architect"
        PAB[Platform App Builder\n$200]
        DA[Data Architect\n$400]
        SVA[Sharing & Visibility\nArchitect — $400]
    end
    subgraph "System Architect"
        DLD[Dev Lifecycle &\nDeployment Architect\n$400]
        IAM[Identity & Access\nMgmt Architect — $400]
        IA[Integration\nArchitect — $400]
    end
    PD1[Platform Developer I\n$200] --> AA((Application\nArchitect))
    PAB --> AA
    DA --> AA
    SVA --> AA
    PD1 --> SysA((System\nArchitect))
    DLD --> SysA
    IAM --> SysA
    IA --> SysA
    AA --> CTA{CTA Review\nBoard}
    SysA --> CTA

Total unique prerequisite exams: 7 (Platform Developer I counts for both paths)

Prerequisite	Exam Fee
Platform App Builder	$200
Platform Developer I	$200
Data Architect	$400
Sharing and Visibility Architect	$400
Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect	$400
Identity and Access Management Architect	$400
Integration Architect	$400
Total prerequisite exams	$2,400

Experience Requirements (Recommended)

5+ years of Salesforce implementation experience
8+ years of overall technology experience
2+ years on the Lightning Platform
1+ year in a lead architect role
Full lifecycle software development experience
Client-facing architect experience

Costs

Exam Fees

Component	Initial	Retake
Step 1: Review Board Evaluation	$1,500	$750
Step 2: Review Board Exam	$4,500	$2,250
Section Retake (1 failed domain)	FREE	N/A
Total (first attempt)	$6,000

Total Investment

Category	Low (Self-Study)	High (With Coaching)
Prerequisite exams	$0 (already earned)	$2,400+
CTA exam fees	$6,000	$6,000
Coaching program	$0	$6,800 (FlowRepublic)
Books	$50	$200
Private coaching sessions	$0	$5,000+
Total	$6,050	$20,400+

CTA Salary Premium

The investment pays back significantly:

Metric	Value
Average CTA compensation	$180,000-$220,000+ / year
Enterprise consulting day rates	$1,500-$2,000+ / day
Top end (San Jose, CA)	$356,000+ total comp
CTAs worldwide	~500 (extreme scarcity)

Registration (Current Process)

As of July 2025, all Salesforce certification registration moved from Webassessor/Kryterion to Trailhead Academy (powered by Pearson VUE):

Go to trailheadacademy.salesforce.com
Log in with your Trailblazer account
Navigate to the certification catalog
Select “Architect Review Board Evaluation” (Step 1)
Prerequisites are verified automatically
Complete payment through Pearson VUE
You will be assigned a CTA evaluator and offered time slots within 2-4 weeks

Review Boards are scheduled on a rolling basis — no fixed exam dates. Availability depends on judge/evaluator schedules.

Scoring

The 7 Independent Domains

Each judge scores all 7 domains independently. Scores are aggregated across all judges. You must meet the minimum threshold in every domain — no compensating.

flowchart TD
    A[Review Board Complete] --> B{How many\ndomains failed?}
    B -->|0 domains| C["PASS — CTA Certified"]
    B -->|Exactly 1| D[Section Retake Eligible]
    B -->|2 or more| E[Full Retake Required\n$2,250]
    D --> F["Retake: Shorter scenario\n~6 pages, ~2 hours\nFocused on failed domain\nFREE"]
    F --> G{Pass retake?}
    G -->|Yes| C
    G -->|No| E
    E --> H["Wait period\nRe-register at\nTrailhead Academy"]
    H --> A

Estimated Scoring Weights

Component	Estimated Weight
Presentation	~35%
Design Defense	~35%
Board Q&A	~30%

Confidential scoring

Salesforce does not publicly disclose exact domain weightings or scoring thresholds. The estimates above are from TrailblazePrep community analysis.

Section Retake Details

If you fail exactly one domain, you are eligible for a section retake:

Aspect	Detail
Cost	FREE
Duration	~2 hours (shorter than full 4.5-hour exam)
Scenario	Smaller (~6 pages vs 8-10 pages) but more demanding on the failed domain
Focus	Exclusively on the section you failed — expect deep probing
Format	Same virtual format with CTA judges
Outcome	Pass = CTA certified; Fail = full retake required

Official Preparation Courses

CTA-601: Preparation Workshop

Led by CTAs who also serve as review board judges
Covers exam format, best practices, scenario practice
Recommended at the beginning of your final preparation phase
Class size: ~15 candidates
Register on Trailhead Academy

CTA-602: Readiness Diagnostic

1:1 mock exam with a CTA evaluator
Personalized written feedback and recommendations
Recommended 1-2 months before your targeted review board date
Register on Trailhead Academy

Latest Changes (2023-2026)

October 2023: All-Online Format

Review Board moved to permanent virtual format via Zoom
Lucidchart became the mandatory diagramming tool with Salesforce Shape Library
Hand-drawn diagrams eliminated from the full Review Board
Aligned with the Salesforce Well-Architected Framework

2024: Certification Renaming

Data Architecture and Management Designer —> Data Architect
Integration Architecture Designer —> Integration Architect
Sharing and Visibility Designer —> Sharing and Visibility Architect
Identity and Access Management Designer —> Identity and Access Management Architect

July 2025: Platform Migration

All certification registration moved from Webassessor/Kryterion to Trailhead Academy (Pearson VUE)
Single platform for registration, preparation, testing, and credential tracking

2024-2026: Well-Architected Framework

CTA candidates expected to align solutions with the framework pillars: Trusted, Easy, Adaptable
Agentforce/AI becoming prominent across the ecosystem (not yet formally in CTA exam)

Certification Maintenance

CTA certification requires annual maintenance exams aligned with Salesforce releases
Maintenance exams are now free (previously $100)
Only one maintenance exam per certification per year
Must be completed to keep certification active

Key Statistics

Metric	Value
CTAs worldwide	~500
Total Salesforce-certified professionals	1.2M+
CTA as % of certified	~0.04%
First-attempt pass rate (estimated)	5-10%
Typical preparation time	6-12 months (after prerequisites)
End-to-end journey	4-6 years from first cert
Recommended mock boards	8-10 minimum
Total study hours	500-1,000+

Next: Exam Format Details | Domains & Scoring
Preparation: Scenario Patterns & Analysis | Study Plan
Presentation: Review Board Presentation & Q&A | Review Board Artifacts & Deliverables
Resources: Preparation Guide