About this Salesforce Certified System Architect study guide
This page is your Salesforce Certified System Architect study guide. The certification validates skills that employers look for in Salesforce roles—whether you're an administrator, consultant, developer, or architect. It is designed for architects and solution designers who want to prove their knowledge with an industry-recognized credential.
Here you'll find section-wise exam weightage so you know exactly which topics carry the most questions, exam tips and prerequisites, a focused study plan, and sample practice questions with detailed explanations. All content on this page is original and unique—written specifically for this certification to help with both your preparation and search engine indexing. Use this page to align your study with the official outline and to gauge when you're ready to sit the exam. Many candidates use section weightage to prioritize high-value topics and practice questions to build exam-day confidence.
Passing this certification can support career progression, higher earning potential, and recognition in the Salesforce ecosystem. Salesforce exams are updated periodically, so we keep our materials aligned with current objectives.
Last reviewed: January 2025. Salesforce exam outlines may change; always check the official exam guide on Trailhead before booking.
Release compatible: Winter '26 — Study materials and objectives are aligned with the Winter '26 release (compared to Summer '25).
What's new in Winter '26:
- Agentforce and AI: New Agentforce for Service (IT Service), Agentic Commerce, and Agentforce Grid for low-code AI workflows—expect more AI-related objectives on Admin and Consultant exams.
- Data Cloud: Clean Rooms for privacy-safe data collaboration and zero-copy analytics; Data Cloud objectives may include new collaboration and governance topics.
- Automation & Platform: Enhanced automation capabilities and platform updates; Flow, Process Builder, and integration topics remain core—check the official outline for weightage changes.
- Tableau & Analytics: Tableau Next Concierge in Slack and conversational analytics; Tableau certs may reference new Slack and natural-language features.
- Security & Access: Continued focus on identity, access management, and secure data handling; relevant for Administrator and Architect tracks.
Salesforce Certified System Architect Study Guide
Certified System Architects focus on off-platform systems, integration, and securing access between systems. They're also skilled at managing governance and testing capabilities for deployment and ongoing Salesforce modification requirements.
Exam Weightage by Section
Exam Topics
Exam Tips
- 1All four pillars are 25%—no section can be skipped.
- 2Data Architecture: LDV, data modeling, integration patterns for data.
- 3Integration Architecture: APIs, middleware, event-driven architecture.
- 4Be ready for "design a solution that meets X and Y requirements."
Prerequisites
- •Application Architect
- •Years of complex implementation experience
Focus Areas
- •Data Architecture
- •Integration Architecture
- •Sharing and Visibility
- •Development Lifecycle
Study Strategy
Treat each pillar as a mini-exam. Use CTA scenario practice to get used to open-ended design questions. Time management is critical.
Sample Practice Questions
Test your knowledge with these sample questions.
What is the primary focus of a System Architect?
Which area does a System Architect typically manage?
What does 'off-platform' mean in this context?
Which consideration is critical for integration security?
What role does governance play for a System Architect?
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Contact Us for Full AccessFrequently Asked Questions
- What is covered on the Salesforce Certified System Architect exam?
- This page shows the section-wise exam weightage so you know exactly which topics carry the most weight. Use the exam topics and practice questions above to align your study with the official outline.
- What is System Architect?
- System Architect is part of the Technical Architect path. It focuses on data architecture, integration architecture, sharing and visibility, and development lifecycle.
- What certifications do I need before System Architect?
- You need Application Architect and multiple other certifications. System Architect is advanced-level and requires years of complex implementation experience.
- How do I prepare for the Salesforce Certified System Architect certification?
- Use the exam tips, prerequisites, and study strategy on this page. Focus first on the highest-weighted sections, then take the sample practice questions. Schedule the exam when you consistently score well on practice tests.
- Where can I find the official exam outline for Salesforce Certified System Architect?
- Salesforce publishes exam guides and outlines on Trailhead (trailhead.salesforce.com). This page's section weightage and topics are aligned with those outlines to help you prepare.