Review Board Complete Guide

The definitive reference for the Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA) Review Board exam, the most exclusive certification in the Salesforce ecosystem. Approximately 500 CTAs worldwide (referred from publicly available sources) 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. Step 1 must be passed before accessing Step 2.

Figure 1. The full CTA two-step gating process, from prerequisite credentials through Step 1 Evaluation and Step 2 Review Board, including retake costs and section retake eligibility.

Step 1: Architect Review Board Evaluation

The readiness gate: a shorter, simpler scenario that determines whether a candidate is ready for the full board.

Aspect	Detail
Format	Virtual, one-on-one with a single CTA evaluator
Duration	Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes (60 min design + 30 min presentation + 30 min Q&A + 15 min additional feedback and discussion), per the Salesforce Architect Program FAQ
Scenario	Shorter and simpler than the full board
Tools	Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides), Lucidchart (as reported by recent candidates in the virtual format)
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 full assessment: a complete architecture review before a panel of active CTAs.

Exam Timeline

Figure 2. Step 2 Review Board exam day timeline: the three-hour preparation window is followed by a 15-minute break, 45-minute presentation, and a minimum 40-minute Q&A that absorbs any unused presentation time.

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	~45 min	Present your architecture via shared screen to 3 CTA judges
Q&A	40 min (base) + leftover presentation time	Judges probe, challenge, and stress-test every design decision

Time dynamics

The Q&A base is 40 minutes. Any minutes saved in the presentation phase are added to Q&A. If you present in 32 minutes, you get 53 minutes of Q&A (45 - 32 + 40). This rollover is an opportunity, not a penalty. More Q&A time means more chances to demonstrate depth.

What You Receive

Item	Format	Purpose
Scenario document	Google Docs	8-10 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 virtual format is conducted online:

Candidates share their screen to present artifacts
A panel of 3 active CTAs act as judges remotely
Stable internet, a tested webcam, and a working microphone are required
Practice screen-sharing with Lucidchart before exam day
Account for potential screen-share lag when pacing the presentation

Prerequisites

Required Credentials

Both super-credentials must be earned before attempting the CTA:

Figure 3. The seven prerequisite exams split across two super-credential paths: Application Architect and System Architect, both required before the CTA Review Board.

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 (community-reported)	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

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, Salesforce certification registration moved from Webassessor/Kryterion to Trailhead Academy (powered by Pearson VUE). The general registration flow is:

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

Registration process may vary

The CTA Review Board uses a unique scheduling process (evaluator matching, not standard proctoring). Check the current Trailhead credential page for the latest registration instructions, as the process may differ from standard Salesforce certifications.

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

Scoring

The 7 Independent Domains

Each judge scores all 7 domains independently. Scores are aggregated across all judges. The minimum threshold must be met in every domain, with no compensating between domains.

Figure 4. CTA scoring outcome flow: zero domain failures earns certification, one failure triggers a free section retake, and two or more failures require a full $2,250 retake with a mandatory wait period.

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 come from TrailblazePrep community analysis.

Section Retake Details

Failing exactly one domain makes a candidate eligible for a section retake:

Aspect	Detail
Cost	FREE (community-reported)
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 failed section, with 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: Transition to Online-Only Format

Both steps of the CTA exam transitioned to a virtual (online) format, conducted online until further notice per the Salesforce Architect Program FAQ
Lucidchart became the diagramming tool provided in the virtual format (community-reported) 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
Development Lifecycle and Deployment Designer —> Dev Lifecycle and Deployment 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 are expected to align solutions with the framework pillars: Trusted, Easy, Adaptable
Agentforce (formerly Einstein Copilot) and AI are becoming prominent across the ecosystem, though not yet formally part of the CTA exam

Certification Maintenance

CTA certification requires annual maintenance exams aligned with Salesforce releases
Maintenance exams are now free (previously $100)
One maintenance exam per certification per year
Completion is required to keep the 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+

Sub-Pages

Preparation Strategy — timelines, mock boards, coaching, CTA tips
Presentation and Q&A — presentation structure, Q&A strategy, pitfalls
Domain Deep Dive — all 7 domains with objectives and common pitfalls

Sources

Personal study notes for the Salesforce CTA exam. Content compiled from VJ's study notes, official Salesforce documentation, community sources, and online publicly available content, then organized and presented with AI assistance. Not affiliated with Salesforce. © 2025–2026 VJ Srivastava.