Domains & Scoring

The CTA exam evaluates 7 domains. Unlike standard Salesforce certifications, there are no percentage weightings. Each domain is scored independently and all must be passed.

The 7 Domains

Domain 1: System Architecture (6 objectives)

The ability to design solutions using the right mix of platform and external systems.

#	Objective
1.1	Determine appropriate mix of on/off-platform systems, considering platform capabilities, constraints, and limits
1.2	Design considerations, trade-offs, and risks for reporting and analytics
1.3	Architectural considerations for single vs. multi-org environments
1.4	Design considerations, trade-offs, and risks for mobile solutions; recommend appropriate mobile platform
1.5	Recommend correct mix of license types with capabilities, trade-offs, and constraints
1.6	Determine appropriate document management solution

Domain 2: Security (6 objectives)

Securing the platform, managing identity, and controlling data access.

#	Objective
2.1	Architect solutions using appropriate platform security mechanisms
2.2	Security considerations and risks for portal architecture (internal and external users)
2.3	Declarative platform security features for record-level security
2.4	Programmatic platform security features
2.5	Object and field access permissions
2.6	Design and justify end-to-end identity management solutions

Domain 3: Data (3 objectives)

Data modeling, large data volumes, and migration.

#	Objective
3.1	Platform architecture considerations and optimization for large data volumes (LDV)
3.2	Data modeling concepts and database design implications
3.3	Data migration strategy, considerations, and appropriate tools

Domain 4: Solution Architecture (2 objectives)

Choosing the right approach and evaluating external tools.

#	Objective
4.1	Appropriate combination of declarative and programmatic functionality
4.2	Benefits, considerations, and trade-offs of incorporating external applications

Domain 5: Integration (4 objectives)

Enterprise integration design and technology selection.

#	Objective
5.1	Recommend enterprise integration landscape; describe risks, trade-offs, and business/technical considerations
5.2	Describe capabilities of appropriate technology and justify use in overall integration architecture
5.3	Recommend and justify appropriate integration strategy and common integration patterns
5.4	Recommend platform-specific integration technology for external systems; describe capabilities, limitations, and trade-offs

Domain 6: Development Lifecycle & Deployment (6 objectives)

Covers project delivery, testing, governance, and release management.

#	Objective
6.1	Project risk identification and mitigation strategies
6.2	Technical considerations given customer project environment and development methodology
6.3	Recommend comprehensive test strategy; discuss how testing mitigates project risks
6.4	Governance considerations, stakeholders, and impact of decisions
6.5	Platform tools, use cases, limitations, and best practices for environment management
6.6	Source control and continuous integration for release management

Domain 7: Communication (3 objectives)

Presenting, defending, and adapting your solution under pressure.

#	Objective
7.1	Articulate benefits, limitations, considerations, and design choices; handle objections
7.2	Use visualization and documentation tools to articulate solutions
7.3	Handle unexpected roadblocks and determine appropriate next steps

Scoring Rules

Figure 1. CTA scoring decision tree: failing exactly one domain triggers a section retake, while failing two or more requires a full board retake at $2,250.

• Each judge scores all 7 domains independently
• Scores are aggregated across all judges
• You must meet the minimum threshold in every domain
• There is no compensating - strength in one domain cannot offset weakness in another

Cross-Cutting Themes

These themes surface across multiple domains and are evaluated together:

• Trade-off analysis - nearly every objective asks for trade-offs, not just a chosen answer
• Risk identification - proactively calling out risks carries as much weight as solving for requirements
• Justification - “why” matters more than “what”
• Platform-first thinking - default to platform capabilities before introducing external tools
• Scalability - solutions must account for growth, not just current state

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Sources

Official Salesforce

• Certified Technical Architect Credential - Official CTA credential page with prerequisites, registration, and exam structure
• CTA Exam Guide (PDF) - Official exam objectives, domain breakdown, and scoring information
• Architect Journey Trailmix - Curated Trailhead learning path covering all 7 domains
• Salesforce Architects - Official architecture guidance and Well-Architected Framework
• Well-Architected Pattern & Anti-Pattern Explorer - Patterns and anti-patterns across all architecture domains
• Credential Verification - Verify Salesforce certification status

Community

• CTA Certification Guide & Tips - Salesforce Ben (Sebastian Wagner), includes domain-by-domain analysis
• Thoughts from 9 CTAs - Salesforce Ben, includes scoring insights from successful candidates
• CTA Review Board Virtual Format - Salesforce Ben, virtual format details
• 5 Tips for Acing the CTA Review Board - Keir Bowden (Bob Buzzard)
• FlowRepublic CTA Coaching - 12-month coaching program with domain-level guidance
• Apex Hours CTA Content - CTA success journeys and domain deep-dives