CTA Quick Reference Guide
A fast-track refresher for the Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA) exam. With 2 hours before a mock board, this distills the full study vault into the patterns, rules, and gotchas you need under pressure.
Quick Reference Sections
Section titled “Quick Reference Sections”| # | Section | Domain | One-Line Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | System Architecture | D1 | Org strategy, licensing, mobile, reporting, platform limits |
| 2 | Security | D2 | Sharing model, OWD, role hierarchy, field-level security, encryption |
| 3 | Data | D3 | Data modeling, LDV, migration, archival, external objects |
| 4 | Solution Architecture | D4 | Declarative vs code, AppExchange, build vs buy, Well-Architected |
| 5 | Integration | D5 | Patterns, middleware, APIs, error handling, governor limits |
| 6 | Dev Lifecycle | D6 | CI/CD, environments, branching, testing, governance, CoE |
| 7 | Communication | D7 | Presentation flow, Q&A survival, trade-off articulation, STAR-A |
| 8 | Artifacts | All | Diagram creation, the Big 3, supporting artifacts, Lucidchart |
| 9 | Scenario Analysis | All | Requirement extraction, assumption handling, time management |
How to Use This Quick Reference Guide
Section titled “How to Use This Quick Reference Guide”Suggested Reading Order (2 Hours)
Section titled “Suggested Reading Order (2 Hours)”- Artifacts — 15 min
- Scenario Analysis — 10 min
- System Architecture — 10 min
- Security — 15 min
- Data — 15 min
- Integration — 15 min
- Solution Architecture — 10 min
- Dev Lifecycle — 10 min
- Communication — 15 min
If You Only Have 30 Minutes
Section titled “If You Only Have 30 Minutes”Focus on these three sections only:
- Artifacts - know the Big 3 diagrams cold (System Landscape, Data Model, Role Hierarchy)
- Security - OWD defaults, sharing rules, role hierarchy patterns
- Communication - the trade-off formula and STAR-A framework for Q&A
Reading Strategy
Section titled “Reading Strategy”- Tables first - every section leads with cheat-sheet tables. Read these before anything else.
- Gotchas second - the
:::cautionand:::dangercallouts flag common exam failures. - Mermaid diagrams - visual patterns you can reproduce on the board.
- Skip prose - these pages are intentionally terse. If something is unclear, follow the wikilink to the deep-dive file.
The Review Board at a Glance
Section titled “The Review Board at a Glance”| Phase | Duration | Your Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | 180 min | Read scenario, build all artifacts in Lucidchart |
| Presentation | 45 min (fixed allocation; unused time rolls to Q&A) | Walk judges through your architecture, tied to requirements |
| Q&A | 40 min (+ unused presentation time) | Defend every decision, adapt when challenged, never bluff |
What You Must Produce in 180 Minutes
Section titled “What You Must Produce in 180 Minutes”| Priority | Artifact | Time Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | System Landscape | 15-20 min |
| Tier 1 | Data Model / ERD | 15-20 min |
| Tier 1 | Role Hierarchy + Sharing | 15-20 min |
| Tier 2 | Integration Architecture | 10-15 min |
| Tier 2 | Identity / SSO Flow | 10-15 min |
| Tier 2 | Actors + Licenses | 10 min |
| Tier 2 | Data Migration Plan | 10 min |
| Tier 2 | Governance / DevOps | 10 min |
| Tier 3 | Risks, Exec Summary, Process Flows | 10-15 min |
| - | Scenario reading + slide assembly | 40-50 min |
Key Formulas to Memorize
Section titled “Key Formulas to Memorize”The Trade-Off Formula
Section titled “The Trade-Off Formula”I chose [APPROACH] because [REASONS]. I considered [ALTERNATIVE] but rejected it because [LIMITATION]. The trade-off is [WHAT YOU GIVE UP], mitigated by [STRATEGY].
The STAR-A Framework (Q&A)
Section titled “The STAR-A Framework (Q&A)”| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| S | Restate the challenge |
| T | Think - pause 3-5 seconds visibly |
| A | Answer the specific question |
| R | Rationale - explain your reasoning |
| A | Adapt - update your design if the challenge reveals a gap |
The 90-Second Diagram Rule
Section titled “The 90-Second Diagram Rule”“This diagram shows [what]. The key decision is [decision]. The trade-off is [trade-off]. This connects to [next topic] because [reason].”
Deep-Dive Navigation
Section titled “Deep-Dive Navigation”- Complete Review Board Guide: full exam structure, costs, prerequisites
- Artifacts & Deliverables Deep Dive: detailed artifact creation guide
- Presentation & Q&A Strategies: complete communication playbook
Sources
Section titled “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.