Join us to learn How to become a Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA). Before getting started let under what is Salesforce Certified Architect. Salesforce Technical Architects serve as executive-level strategic advisors focusing on business transformation with unrivaled domain expertise in functional, platform, and integration architecture. They communicate technical solutions and design tradeoffs effectively to business stakeholders and provide a delivery framework that ensures quality and success.
Becoming a Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA) is a highly esteemed achievement in the Salesforce ecosystem.
What is a Salesforce Certified Technical Architect(CTA)?
Salesforce Architects are the most trusted digital advisors and respected team leaders in the ecosystem. They’re big-picture thinkers and in-depth problem solvers who take pride in designing systems that can stand up to anything. The Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA) solves complex, large-scale customer challenges to produce secure, scalable, and high-performance solutions that maximize the full potential of the Salesforce Platform.
What is the CTA exam about?
Salesforce Architects are the most trusted digital advisors and respected team leaders in the ecosystem. They’re big-picture thinkers and in-depth problem solvers who take pride in designing systems that can stand up to anything. The Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA) solves complex, large-scale customer challenges to produce secure, scalable, and high-performance solutions that maximize the full potential of the Salesforce Platform. Here are Salesforce Technical Architect skills:
- Ability to consider the solution end to end and communicate(sale) effectively to C-level audience.
- Ability to understand and solve the business challenges of a particular client/scenario to ensure project success.
- Ability to provide optimal User Experience: SF as a platform shines through the ease of use. If you overcomplicate a solution, even if it’s doable, it will not be considered optimal. F.e.: Einstein Lead scoring vs building own scoring
- Knowledge of Salesforce product’s best practices, limitations, and tradeoffs: Limitations and trade-offs are key here; client needs to know the limits. F.e. if you propose a Marketing Cloud. You need to be able to communicate dependencies AND a need for professionals with knowledge in that area for project success
- Effective timing and ability to deliver under pressure : Last and most important: top 10 % of the architects will be able to solve the CTA scenario. But only top 1% – solve on time and communicate accurately in 40-45 minutes. I know candidates that are great architects but slow readers. You need to work on that early, not only for CTA but it will be helpful for your SF carrerr. Fast thinker is easier to spot and caught attention of C-level and colleagues. Stand out of the crowd
Architect Review Board
In this session, we will talk about how to prepare for the CTA review board. The Review Board consists of 3 phases.
- Preparation: You have 180 minutes to read the entire scenario and need to create a solution design with artifacts such as System Architecture, Data Model, etc.
- Presentation: You will get 45 min to present your solution to the board.
- Q&A: In the 40-minute Q&A, the judges will take your solution apart and ask specific questions.
Check Deep Dive into #JourneyToCTA With key tips.
CTA Exam Outline
The Salesforce Certified Technical Architect Review board exam measures a candidate’s knowledge and skills related to the objectives listed below.
- System Architecture
- Security
- Data
- Solution Architecture
- Integration
- Deployment Life Cycle and Deployment Planning.
- Communication.
What are the steps for the credential?
- Architect Review Board Evaluation:
- Online format only
- Registration fee: $1,500 USD plus applicable taxes as required per local law.
- Retake fee: $750 USD plus applicable taxes as required per local law.
- Technical Architect Review Board Exam
- Online and in-person formats are available.
- Registration fee: $4,500 USD plus applicable taxes as required per local law.
- Retake fee: $2,250 USD plus applicable taxes as required per local law
What is CTA exam NOT about
Good developer not equal to good architect. If you decide to go with Azure/AWS/Oracle as a different platform, you don‘t have to be an expert on those tools. But you should know general ways how to integrate/communicate between them and SF.
- Ability to code and development excellence
- Your understanding of cross/platform challenges
- Your unique real life experience (not always)
- Your experience in sales/pre-sales
Check here how to become from Developer to Architect.
Benefits of achieving the CTA credentials
Ask yourself – why are you doing this? Applicable not only for CTA ask this question often in life and you will see miraculous change. Don’t attempt CTA for these reasons:
- Better pay/salary/position
- Self fulfillment
Real benefits of the CTAJourney is THE Journey:
- You will meet new friends
- You will spend your prep time with a very intelligent group of people
- You will wake up early
- You will learn how to fail
Why the best architects fail the CTA
The more experience in SF you have the higher chances of failing real CTA exam. Reasons for failing:
- wrong goals/targets for the exam
- too much self confidence during the preparation
- not knowing what CTA exam is about
- getting into analysis paralysis
- not able to handle the pressure
- important: didn’t make enough mistakes on their way!
How to stop procrastinating
What is procrastination? Neurotic behavior that is unnatural for healthy individuals. Why we procrastinate?
- It makes sense – the problem might go away
- It protects our ego and self worth – we always can say that we could do better if we’d have enough time
- It protects us from burn out when we are stressed and at the low energy level
How to start producing
Found in position of telling yourself – you have too -> sign of procrastination. Embrace full ownership of the situation and deal with it. There is so much you can do, not everything is in your power. But this statement is very powerful! Story from archery – you want to hit 10, not be afraid to miss it. Look forward for the feeling of joy during and after CTA – food will taste better and Sky will be more bright
- Stop planning and start producing -> deliver your worst solution on purpose in the shortest amount of time
- Accept the worst possible outcome: “If you’re afraid – don’t do it, – if you’re doing it – don’t be afraid!”
- Change role an inner role -> become a decision maker
Success WITHOUT a system – love it, practice it
- Accept velocity around you
- Make the system work FOR you
- Perfect is an enemy of good
- Agility is what you need to aim for
How to Become Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA)
Here are some tips to prepare for Salesforce Certified Technical Architect Exam. Get started on your #JourneyToCTA
1. Start a Study Group
Start a study group with follow employees who are interested for CTA exam and preparing for review board. In a small group you can evaluate each other knowledge and give them feedback.
- Complete Trailhead Trailmix.
2. Prepare for Mock Review Board
Prepare for Review board with Salesforce CTA Mock Scenarios. Do as much as mock review you can do. Here is list of all publicly available Salesforce CTA Mock Scenarios.
3. Join Community CTA Group.
Follow and join all below CTA community group.
- Architect Trailblazers.
- Ladies be Architects.
- CTA Gang of four.
- Architect Ohana.
4. Certified Technical Architect Preparation Workshop
This participant-centered, virtual workshop will help you internalize the exam objectives while reinforcing your knowledge of key topics. This CTA Workshop is designed for Architects who are planning to take the CTA Credential.
5. Practice, Practice and Practice !
Practice is key of success. As main point for CTA exam is time management. Prepare your strategy for exam.
6. Check Apex Hours CTA playlist.
Check our Apex hours CTA playlist to learn about key topic for exam and learn from other CTA exprience. Also check out sample CTA Review board.
7. Velocity
Just do it! Velocity is more important than perfection! During preparation:
- Motivation by success not by failure
- Your goal is to get personal, unique experience from the journey
- Deal with the agility and set backs during the preparation -> they are merely the feedback
8. On the exam date:
- Forget about the past experience, be present!
- Get every bit of efficiency you can, think the process through
- Fight to the end and don’t give up!
Top 10 Tips for Salesforce CTA Exam
Below is the list of the top 10 tips for the Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA) exam by Mitesh Mistry.
- Confident and Self-assured
- Large Data Volumes Management
- Governance and deployment
- OAuth Flow
- Data Migration
- Integration
- Data Model
- Sharing
- Mobile
- CTA Pro Tip
Check our blog post to learn about all the top 10 tips. Also, check the Apex hours YouTube playlist on Salesforce CTA Exam.
Further learning
Check below post to learn more from CTA’s
- Data and Security Sections In CTA
- Salesforce Org Strategy
- Governance model required in Salesforce projects
- Dealing with critical piece of the CTA board – Q&A
- Deep Dive into #JourneyToCTA With key tips
- Building Artifacts from Requirements
- Large Data Volumes (LDV) in Salesforce
Summary
Have a safe environment to make mistakes. Procrastination is normal; find the reasons why you do it and be prepared to deal with it. Choose the system that works for you. Don’t be afraid to change it; this is part of the game! Focus on positive experiences. Giving up is not an option!
Becoming a CTA requires significant time, effort, and dedication, but it can open up many career opportunities and establish you as a leading expert in the Salesforce ecosystem.
