Quick-Ref: Two-Pass Reading, Color Coding & Time Allocation

Cheat sheet for the two-pass scenario reading method, domain color coding system, and minute-by-minute time allocation during the 180-minute CTA preparation phase.

Two-Pass Reading Method

Figure 1. The hard boundary between Pass 1 and Pass 2 prevents premature solutioning: counting systems, user types, and regions in Pass 1 surfaces complexity multipliers that directly shape which artifacts to prioritize in the 130 minutes of design time that follows.

Pass 1 Checklist - What to Identify on First Read

Complete these counts before starting Pass 2:

Count	Why It Matters	Where to Look
Number of external systems	Drives integration complexity and middleware decision	Current state section, integration landscape
Number of user types	Drives license strategy and sharing model	Company overview, stakeholder sections
Number of regions/countries	Drives data residency, multi-currency, time zones	Company overview, growth plans
Number of business units	Drives org strategy (single vs. multi-org)	Org structure, subsidiaries
Data volume indicators	Drives LDV strategy, archival, indexing	Data sections, growth projections
Compliance triggers	Drives security model, encryption, audit	Industry type, regulatory mentions

The “so what?” test

For every fact you note, ask “so what?” - if the company has 50,000 new records per month, that is a clue about LDV strategy. If they operate in the EU, that triggers GDPR. Train yourself to read facts as architectural drivers.

Domain Color-Coding System

Apply this marking system during Pass 2. In Google Docs (provided on exam day), use the highlight tool or comment tags.

Color	Domain	What to Highlight
Blue	D1 - System Architecture	Systems mentioned, org strategy clues, mobile refs, reporting needs, license implications
Red	D2 - Security	User types, access requirements, auth mentions, data sensitivity, compliance refs
Green	D3 - Data	Data volumes, migration mentions, object relationships, archival needs, data quality
Orange	D4 - Solution Architecture	Feature requirements, AppExchange refs, build vs. buy decisions, declarative vs. code
Purple	D5 - Integration	External systems, data flows, real-time vs. batch, API refs, middleware mentions
Yellow	D6 - Dev Lifecycle	Timeline, phasing, team structure, governance, testing requirements, release cadence
Pink	D7 - Communication	Stakeholder concerns, executive priorities, change management refs

Color-Coding Quick Tips

If a sentence maps to multiple domains, use the primary domain’s color and add a comment noting the secondary
Stakeholder quotes often contain hidden requirements - highlight the entire quote
Watch for the word “also” mid-sentence - requirements after “also” are frequently missed
Blank space between sections often means implicit requirements - note what is NOT said

Minute-by-Minute Time Allocation

Standard Scenario (3-4 external systems)

Minute Range	Activity	Hard Stop?
0-20	Pass 1: Full skim, count systems/users/regions	Yes - stop reading
20-50	Pass 2: Color-code, annotate, flag ambiguities	Yes - start designing
50-75	System Landscape + Data Model diagrams	-
75-95	Security model + Integration architecture	-
95-115	Migration + Governance + DevOps diagrams	-
115-130	Actors/Licenses table, remaining artifacts	-
130-150	Presentation flow, speaking notes, transitions	-
150-165	Gap check: every domain addressed? Every requirement?	-
165-180	Buffer: fix critical gaps, practice opening mentally	-

Integration-Heavy Scenario (5+ systems)

Minute Range	Activity	Adjustment
0-15	Pass 1: Fast skim	Shorter skim - you know the pattern
15-40	Pass 2: Focus on integration points	Extra attention to purple (D5) items
40-70	System Landscape + Integration diagrams first	Integration moves up in priority
70-90	Data Model + Security	-
90-115	Migration + Governance + remaining	-
115-130	Presentation prep	-
130-145	Review + Q&A prep for integration questions	Anticipate deep integration probing
145-180	Buffer + error path documentation	Add error flows to integration diagrams

Hard timers are non-negotiable

Use your phone or laptop timer. When the timer goes off, stop the current activity and move to the next phase. An incomplete but well-structured solution scores better than a beautiful half-finished one.

What to Build While Reading

Do not wait until both reading passes are finished to start designing. Build incrementally:

As You Read About…	Start Sketching…
Current state systems	System landscape - place boxes for each system
Data entities and relationships	Data model - add objects and relationship lines
User types and access patterns	Role hierarchy - sketch the tree
External system connections	Integration arrows on system landscape
Compliance requirements	Security notes - SSO flow, encryption needs

The Requirement Extraction Matrix

During Pass 2, fill this mental (or scratch-paper) matrix:

Requirement	Explicit or Implicit?	Domain	Priority	My Approach
Real-time inventory sync	Explicit (page 3)	D5	High	Platform Events + MuleSoft
GDPR compliance	Implicit (EU operations)	D2	High	Data residency + encryption
Mobile field access	Buried (stakeholder quote, page 6)	D1	Medium	SF Mobile App + offline
Executive dashboards	Explicit (page 4)	D1	Medium	CRM Analytics
Data migration from legacy CRM	Explicit (page 2)	D3	High	Informatica + phased cutover

Complexity Multipliers to Spot Immediately

Spot these during Pass 1. Each one multiplies solution complexity:

Multiplier	Scenario Signal	Impact on Your Solution
Multi-org	Acquisitions, separate subsidiaries, data isolation needs	Org strategy decision becomes critical
LDV	Millions of records, “growing rapidly,” high-volume transactions	Skinny tables, indexes, archival, async processing
Global	3+ regions, data residency, multi-currency	GDPR, data residency architecture, time zone handling
Regulated	Healthcare, finance, government, compliance mentions	Shield encryption, audit trails, compliance frameworks
Portal/Community	External users (customers, partners, dealers)	Experience Cloud licensing, sharing model, security boundaries
Real-time	”Near real-time,” “instant,” “live dashboard”	Event-driven architecture, Platform Events, CDC
Legacy migration	Multiple legacy systems, data quality issues	Migration sequencing, data cleansing, cutover strategy

Post-Reading Sanity Check

Before you start designing, verify you can answer all of these:

Question	If You Cannot Answer It
What is the company’s core business problem?	Re-read the executive summary
How many external systems need integration?	Re-count from system mentions
How many distinct user types exist?	Re-read stakeholder and user sections
What are the top 3 non-functional requirements?	Check for performance, scale, security clues
What domains does this scenario emphasize most?	Review your color-coding - which colors dominate?
What are the 2-3 biggest ambiguities?	Review your flagged items from Pass 2

Reverse-Engineered Use Cases

Use Case 1: The Color-Coding Save

Situation: During Pass 2, a candidate color-coded a sentence on page 7 as purple (Integration): “The finance team needs daily reconciliation reports comparing Salesforce opportunities with SAP invoices.”

The save: By marking this as an integration requirement (not just a reporting requirement), the candidate designed a batch integration pattern with a reconciliation staging object - which the judges specifically probed during Q&A. Without the color-coding discipline, this would have been treated as a simple report.

Use Case 2: The Missed “Also” Requirement

Situation: Page 4 of a scenario reads: “The sales team requires pipeline forecasting dashboards. The regional managers also need to approve discount requests above 15% in real-time.”

What candidates miss: The “also” clause is a distinct requirement - real-time approval workflow with a 15% threshold. This requires Flow-based approval process design, notification strategy, and mobile access (regional managers are often traveling). Candidates who skip “also” clauses lose points on D4 (Solution Architecture).

Use Case 3: The Time Allocation Recovery

Situation: A candidate spent 40 minutes on Pass 2 annotation (10 minutes over budget), leaving only 140 minutes for design and prep.

Recovery strategy: Compress the “remaining artifacts” phase - use bullet-point descriptions instead of full diagrams for migration and governance. Use the 7-domain sweep in the presentation closing to cover any gaps verbally. Reserve 10 minutes for Q&A prep notes on the domains you could not diagram fully. Judges prefer a candidate who manages time trade-offs consciously over one who runs out of time on the last 3 artifacts.

Deep-Dive References

Scenario Patterns & Domain Coverage Strategies: full scenario analysis with all domain coverage guides
Review Board Complete Guide: prep strategies from CTAs
Communication Decision Guides: time allocation and diagram priority flowcharts
Scenario Analysis Quick Reference Overview

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.