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Cert++

Resource Pack

Platform Integration Architect

The Salesforce Certified Platform Integration Architect exam is one of the more demanding architect-domain exams. It sits at the intersection of system design, API selection, security, and Salesforce-specific governor limits. You are not expected to write Apex all day -- you are expected to know when to use REST vs. Bulk API vs. Platform Events vs. Pub/Sub API, and why the wrong choice fails under load. The biggest mistake I see candidates make is treating this like a developer exam. It is a trade-off exam. Every scenario question describes constraints, and your job is to pick the option that holds up under those constraints. Study the integration patterns document closely. Know your API limits cold.

3-Step Path to Passing

  1. 1

    Complete the Architect Journey: Integration Architecture Trailmix

    This is the official Salesforce-curated trailmix for the exam. Work through it top to bottom before touching practice questions. The integration patterns module and the Platform Events trail are the two that show up most on the exam.
  2. 2

    Attempt Practice Exams on Cert++

    I recommend starting practice questions early, even before you finish the trailmix. The exam is heavy on scenario questions, and you need reps reading multi-constraint scenarios and ruling out plausible-but-wrong choices. Cert++ questions are scenario-modeled after the real exam format.
  3. 3

    Schedule Your Exam

    Book your exam once you are consistently scoring 75% or above on practice exams. The exam is 120 minutes for 65 questions (60 scored, 5 unscored). You do not need to rush.

Core Resources

Exam Overview

Questions

65

60 scored + 5 unscored

Duration

120 min

2 hours

To Pass

63%

Minimum Score

Question Format

Scenario-based questions testing API selection, integration pattern matching, OAuth flow selection, security mechanism design, and error-handling strategies across multi-system landscapes.

Scored

92%

60questions

Unscored

8%

5questions

Exam Details

Pricing

$400 registration · $200 retake

Delivery

Online proctored or at a testing center

Experience

3-5 years of Salesforce implementation experience recommended

Prerequisites

No prerequisites required

Exam Topics

Each topic section shows the topic weight, learning objectives, and links to study resources.

Evaluate the Current System Landscape8%

Integration protocol inventory (REST, SOAP, event-driven), API limits and governor limit constraints, authentication and authorization requirements, inbound vs. outbound network topology, and legacy system interoperability.

  • Given a set of business requirements, identify the current system landscape and determine what standards, limitations, boundaries, and protocols exist.
  • Given an existing system landscape, analyze for constraints and/or pain-points to satisfy a business requirement(s).
  • Given a set of requirements, evaluate the authentication and authorization needs based on the system landscape.

Resources

Evaluate Business Needs11%

Functional and non-functional integration requirements, data classification (Confidential/Secure/Public), CRM success factors, regulatory and business growth constraints affecting integration choices.

  • Given a use case, identify functional and non-functional requirements needed for integration.
  • Based on a given integration requirement, identify and classify data into Confidential/Secure/Public.
  • Given a use case, identify key factors for CRM success that should be included as integration requirements.
  • Given a use case, identify the business growth and regulatory factors that can impact choice of integration solutions.

Resources

Translate Needs to Integration Requirements22%

System inventory and integration pattern mapping, process and system constraint evaluation, security and authentication requirements, performance needs (volume, latency, response time), and appropriate integration solution selection.

  • Given an existing system landscape diagram, create an inventory of the systems and integration patterns.
  • Given a use case and business process, evaluate system and process constraints.
  • Given a use case, identify integration security/authentication/authorization requirements.
  • Given a use case, identify performance needs (volumes, response times, latency) and propose appropriate integration solutions that will meet business requirements.

Resources

Design Integration Solutions28%

Integration pattern selection, API selection (REST, Bulk, Streaming, Platform Events, Pub/Sub, Composite, Connect API), trade-off analysis, component design, MuleSoft Anypoint as middleware, security mechanisms, and data virtualization.

  • Given a use case, identify the integration pattern that meets business requirements.
  • Given a use case, define the components which create a solution that meets business requirements.
  • Given a use case, identify the trade-offs, limitations, and constraints that meet the proposed solution.
  • Given a use case that includes technical requirements, constraints, or drivers, specify the appropriate Salesforce application programming interface(s) (API) for the proposed solution.
  • Given a use case that includes technical requirements, constraints, or drivers, determine the standards, components, techniques, and security mechanism that should be used.

Resources

Build Solution23%

Salesforce as API provider and consumer, outbound call options (Apex callout, Flow HTTP, External Services, Outbound Messages), asynchronous processing patterns, scalability and governor limits, error handling strategies, OAuth and Named Credential security, and integration resilience.

  • Given a use case that includes technical requirements, constraints, or drivers, identify the considerations when designing and implementing an API(s), both Salesforce as an API provider and Salesforce as an API consumer.
  • Given a use case, identify the considerations when choosing the right option in making an outbound call to an external system.
  • Given a use case, describe what should be considered when building a scalable solution.
  • Given a use case, determine error handling for different integration options.
  • Given a use case, create a security solution for inbound or outbound integrations.
  • Given a use case, identify the factors needed to build resilience in an integration solution for system updates.

Resources

Maintain Integration8%

Performance monitoring for integrations, API governance and lifecycle management, error handling and escalation procedures, Platform Events replay and dead-letter handling, Named Credential rotation, and reporting for integration health.

  • Given an integration maintenance use case, identify performance monitoring needs for integration requirements.
  • Given a use case, identify the appropriate error handling, escalation, and recovery procedures for a failed integration.
  • Given a use case, identify reporting needs for integration monitoring.

Resources

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