Every artifact you need during the 180-minute prep phase, prioritized, time-boxed, and mapped to scoring domains. Know this cold before exam day.
| Tier | Artifact | Time | Domains Scored | Failure Risk |
|---|
| 1 | System Landscape | 15-20 min | D1, D4, D5 | Medium |
| 1 | Data Model / ERD | 15-20 min | D3, D2, D4 | High |
| 1 | Role Hierarchy + Sharing | 15-20 min | D2, D3 | Very High |
| 2 | Integration Architecture | 10-15 min | D5, D1 | High |
| 2 | Identity / SSO Flow | 10-15 min | D2, D1 | Medium |
| 2 | Actors + Licenses | 10 min | D1, D2 | Low |
| 2 | Data Migration | 10 min | D3, D5 | Medium |
| 2 | Governance / DevOps | 10 min | D6 | Medium |
| 3 | Exec Summary, Risks, Process Flows | 10-15 min | D7, D4 | Low |
| Clock | Milestone | If Behind |
|---|
| 0-30 min | First read complete, started drawing | Speed up reading |
| 30-60 min | System Landscape + Actors mostly done | These frame everything - prioritize |
| 60-90 min | Data Model + Role Hierarchy mostly done | You are at halfway - stay focused |
| 90-120 min | All Tier 1 done, starting Tier 2 | Cut Tier 3 artifacts if needed |
| 120-150 min | All Tier 2 done, assembling slides | Sacrifice polish, not completeness |
| 150-170 min | Slides organized, talking points ready | Stop building, start reviewing |
| 170-180 min | Final review: every requirement addressed? | Last 10 min is review only |
Pre-memorize this structure. The scenario fills the content; the template stays constant.
| Slide | Artifact | Time | What to Cover |
|---|
| 1 | Executive Summary | 2-3 min | Company, challenges, top requirements, assumptions |
| 2 | Org Strategy | 1-2 min | Single vs multi-org, translations, multi-currency |
| 3 | Actors + Licenses | 2-3 min | User types, license mapping, counts |
| 4 | System Landscape | 4-5 min | All systems, connections, integration types |
| 5 | Role Hierarchy + Sharing | 3-4 min | Role tree, OWD, sharing rules, portal security |
| 6 | Data Model | 4-5 min | ERD, relationships, ownership, LDV callouts |
| 7 | Integration Architecture | 4-5 min | Detailed flows, patterns, error handling |
| 8 | Identity / SSO | 2-3 min | Auth flows, IdP/SP, portal identity |
| 9 | Business Requirements | 3-4 min | How requirements are met (Flows, Apex, LWC) |
| 10 | Data Migration | 2-3 min | Strategy, sequencing, tooling, validation |
| 11 | Governance + DevOps | 3-4 min | Environments, CI/CD, CoE, testing |
| 12 | Risks + Summary | 2-3 min | Top risks, key trade-offs, closing statement |
| Total | ~35-40 min | Leave buffer for Q&A |
CTA diagrams follow the Salesforce Diagramming Framework (inspired by the C4 Model).
| Level | Name | Detail | CTA Artifact |
|---|
| L1 | System Landscape | Low - products + connections | System Landscape diagram |
| L2 | Solution Architecture | Medium - integration details, behavior | Integration Architecture |
| L3 | Interaction / Process Flow | High - numbered steps, sequences | SSO Flow, Business Process |
| L4 | Data Model / ERD | Highest - objects, fields, cardinality | Data Model |
| Component | Rule |
|---|
| Header | Must span full width, at least 10% of diagram height. Title + description + legend |
| Cards | Represent systems/objects/concepts. Must have a title. Can nest inside other cards |
| Connectors | Elbow lines preferred. Label every connection. Use pills for integration details |
| Legend | Explain all colors, icons, and line styles |
| Color coding | Salesforce = blue, External = gray, Integration = orange, Channels = green |
| Passing | Failing |
|---|
| Readable at screen-share zoom level | Tiny text, overlapping elements |
| Every element tied to a requirement | Solution dump with no requirement tracing |
| Consistent color/notation with legend | Random colors, no legend |
| Right level of detail for diagram type | System Landscape showing Apex classes |
| Error/failure paths shown | Only happy path |
| Trade-offs annotated | No trade-off discussion |
| Professional enough for CXO audience | Cluttered, untitled, no headers |
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.