Salesforce Integration Architect Exam Guide

Salesforce Integration Architect Exam and Program Overview

The Salesforce Integration Architect exam is designed to validate the knowledge and skills of architects, analysts, and application managers who specialize in designing integrations with the Lightning Platform. As technology ecosystems become more complex, the ability to seamlessly connect different systems and applications is crucial for businesses to achieve their goals. The Integration Architect certification recognizes professionals who possess the expertise to design secure, scalable, and efficient integrations.

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The exam evaluates candidates on their understanding of integration architecture concepts, patterns, and best practices. It assesses their ability to effectively communicate technical solutions to technical stakeholders and provide a project delivery framework that ensures quality and success. By earning this certification, candidates demonstrate their proficiency in designing integrations that meet the specific needs of organizations, leveraging the powerful capabilities of the Lightning Platform.

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To succeed in the Salesforce Integration Architect exam, candidates are encouraged to combine hands-on experience with training courses, self-study, and exploration of Salesforce resources. The program emphasizes the importance of practical experience, enabling candidates to apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios. By obtaining the Salesforce Integration Architect certification, professionals enhance their credibility and open up new opportunities to lead successful integration projects that drive digital transformation and enable seamless data flow across the organization.

Who is it for

The Salesforce Integration Architect credential is intended for individuals who work as architects, analysts, and application managers and have a focus on designing integrations with the Lightning Platform. This certification is suitable for professionals who want to demonstrate their expertise in creating secure and scalable integrations using Salesforce technologies.

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The credential is relevant for individuals who have a deep understanding of integration concepts and possess the technical skills required to design and implement integrations within the Salesforce ecosystem. Candidates should be proficient in designing integration architectures, selecting appropriate integration patterns and tools, and ensuring the quality and success of integration projects.

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The Salesforce Integration Architect certification is specifically targeted at those who are involved in technical roles and need to effectively communicate complex technical solutions to technical stakeholders. It validates the candidate's ability to provide a project delivery framework that ensures the integration solutions meet the required standards of security, scalability, and performance.

Key capabilities expected from the candidate include:

1. Designing Secure and Scalable Integrations: The candidate should have the ability to design integrations that are secure, scalable, and reliable. They should understand the best practices and patterns for integrating the Salesforce Platform with other enterprise applications. This includes analyzing existing and future state integration architecture and developing an Integration Architecture blueprint for the project.

2. Integration Expertise: The candidate should have a solid understanding of integration concepts and technologies. They should be familiar with various Salesforce APIs and integration tools, and have experience integrating with other enterprise applications and cloud platforms. They should be able to identify and apply appropriate integration patterns and components based on the integration scenario.

3. Technical Communication and Stakeholder Management: The candidate should possess strong communication skills to effectively articulate solution designs and trade-offs to both technical and non-technical stakeholders. They should be able to collaborate with business and technical teams to gather integration requirements and align them with the overall architecture. The candidate should also be capable of providing guidance and recommendations on integration-related decisions.

4. Salesforce Platform Knowledge: The candidate should have a strong foundation in Salesforce administration and/or development. They should have hands-on experience working with the Salesforce Platform, understanding its limits and capabilities. Familiarity with different Salesforce APIs and platform features is essential for designing integrations that leverage the appropriate platform capabilities.

5. Integration Architecture Experience: The candidate should have practical experience in supporting or implementing data-centric enterprise integration solutions. They should be able to design high-performing and reliable integrations that meet the specific business requirements. The candidate should also be knowledgeable about security requirements, error handling options, and considerations for integrating with different systems.

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While the candidate is expected to have experience in Salesforce Integration Architecture, they may need assistance in certain areas such as defining the best-choice middleware tools for specific scenarios. The candidate is not expected to have expertise in non-Salesforce technologies, configuration of integration tools, lightning development, or programming languages.

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Purpose of this Exam Guide

The purpose of this Exam Guide is to assist candidates in evaluating their readiness to successfully complete the Salesforce Integration Architect certification exam. It serves as a comprehensive resource that provides essential information about the exam, including the target audience, recommended training and documentation, and a detailed list of exam objectives.

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The Exam Guide is designed to help candidates understand the requirements and expectations of the certification exam. It provides guidance on the knowledge, skills, and capabilities that candidates should possess in order to achieve a passing score. By familiarizing themselves with the content and structure of the exam, candidates can better prepare and focus their study efforts.

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Furthermore, the Exam Guide emphasizes the importance of a well-rounded approach to exam preparation. It highlights the value of on-the-job experience, attending training courses, and engaging in self-study to enhance knowledge and skills. This holistic approach is recommended to maximize the likelihood of success in the exam.

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About the Exam

This section provides important details about the Salesforce Integration Architect certification exam, equipping you with the necessary information to prepare effectively for the assessment.

• Exam Format: The Salesforce Integration Architect exam consists of multiple-choice and multiple-select questions. You will be presented with a total of 60 questions that evaluate your knowledge and skills in designing secure and scalable integrations with the Lightning Platform. Familiarity with various integration patterns, architecture principles, and best practices is essential for success in this exam.

• Time Allotted: You will have a total of 105 minutes to complete the exam. It is crucial to manage your time efficiently to ensure that you have enough time to carefully read and respond to each question. Allocating sufficient time for reviewing your answers before submitting the exam is highly recommended.

• Passing Score: To earn the Salesforce Integration Architect certification, you must achieve a minimum passing score of 67%. This score reflects your proficiency in effectively communicating technical solutions to technical stakeholders and designing integration solutions that ensure quality and success. Thoroughly understanding the exam objectives and preparing accordingly will enhance your chances of reaching the passing score.

• Registration Fee: The registration fee for the Salesforce Integration Architect exam is USD 400, plus applicable taxes as required by local law. This fee covers the administrative costs associated with the exam registration process. Prior to registering for the exam, ensure that you have made the necessary arrangements for payment.

• Retake Fee: If you do not pass the exam on your first attempt, a retake fee of USD 200, plus applicable taxes as required per local law, will be applicable for subsequent attempts. It is recommended to thoroughly prepare and utilize available resources to minimize the need for retakes and increase your likelihood of passing the exam.

• Delivery Options: The exam can be taken either in a proctored setting at a designated testing center or in an online proctored environment. Both delivery options ensure a secure and reliable testing experience. If you prefer the convenience of taking the exam remotely, the online proctored option provides flexibility while maintaining the integrity of the exam process.

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By familiarizing yourself with these important details, you will be well-prepared to tackle the Salesforce Integration Architect certification exam. Ensure that you thoroughly study the exam objectives, gain hands-on experience, complete relevant training courses, and leverage additional resources to strengthen your knowledge and skills in designing secure and scalable integrations with the Lightning Platform.

Recommended Training and References

To effectively prepare for the Salesforce Integration Architect certification exam, it is recommended to follow a comprehensive approach that combines hands-on experience, training courses, self-study, and reference materials. Here are some recommended resources to enhance your preparation:

• Trailmix: Architect Journey: Integration Architecture: This trailmix, available on Trailhead, offers a curated collection of trails, modules, and projects specifically designed to guide you through the integration architecture journey. It covers various topics such as integration patterns, APIs, security, data modeling, and more. Completing this trailmix will provide you with a solid foundation in integration architecture principles.

• Salesforce Integration Architecture Documentation: Salesforce provides comprehensive online documentation that covers various aspects of integration architecture. Explore the documentation to learn about best practices, design patterns, and implementation considerations for integrating Salesforce with other systems and platforms. It serves as a valuable reference during your exam preparation and future integration projects.

• Salesforce Integration Trailhead Modules: Trailhead offers a range of modules focused on Salesforce integration. These modules provide step-by-step guidance on topics such as API basics, data integration, real-time integration, event-driven architecture, and more. Completing these modules will deepen your understanding of integration concepts and strengthen your ability to design effective integration solutions.

• Industry Blogs and Community Resources: Stay up to date with the latest trends and insights in integration architecture by following industry blogs and engaging with the Salesforce community. Explore blogs, forums, and social media groups where professionals share their experiences, best practices, and tips related to Salesforce integration. This will provide you with practical knowledge and real-world perspectives on integration challenges and solutions.

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By leveraging these recommended training and reference materials, you will enhance your understanding of integration architecture concepts, best practices, and implementation strategies. Remember to combine theoretical learning with hands-on experience to reinforce your knowledge and effectively prepare for the Salesforce Integration Architect certification exam.

Exam Outline

The Salesforce Integration Architect exam is designed to assess a candidate's knowledge and skills in Integration Architecture. The exam measures the candidate's ability to evaluate the current system landscape, evaluate business needs, translate needs to integration requirements, design integration solutions, build solutions, and maintain integrations. The exam objectives and their respective weightings are as follows:

Evaluate the Current System Landscape (8%)

• Identify the current system landscape and determine existing standards, limitations, boundaries, and protocols based on business requirements.

• Analyze the current system landscape to identify constraints and pain-points in meeting business requirements.

• Evaluate authentication and authorization needs based on the system landscape.

Evaluate Business Needs (11%)

• Identify functional and non-functional requirements for integration based on a given use case.

• Classify data into Confidential/Secure/Public categories for a given integration requirement.

• Identify key factors for CRM success and incorporate them as integration requirements.

• Consider business growth and regulatory factors when choosing integration solutions.

Translate Needs to Integration Requirements (22%)

• Create an inventory of systems and integration patterns based on an existing system landscape diagram.

• Evaluate system and process constraints for a given use case and business process.

• Identify integration security, authentication, and authorization requirements for a given use case.

• Identify performance needs and propose appropriate integration solutions that meet business requirements.

Design Integration Solutions (28%)

• Identify the integration pattern that aligns with business requirements for a given use case.

• Define the components necessary to create a solution that meets business requirements.

• Consider trade-offs, limitations, and constraints when proposing integration solutions.

• Specify the appropriate Salesforce API(s) based on technical requirements, constraints, or drivers.

• Determine the standards, components, techniques, and security mechanisms to be used in the proposed solution.

Build Solution (23%)

• Consider technical requirements, constraints, or drivers when designing and implementing APIs, both as an API provider and consumer.

• Choose the right option for making outbound calls to external systems in a given use case.

• Consider scalability when building a solution for a given use case.

• Determine error handling approaches for different integration options.

• Create security solutions for inbound or outbound integrations in a given use case.

• Identify factors required to build resilience in an integration solution for system updates.

Maintain Integration (8%)

• Identify performance monitoring needs for integration requirements in a maintenance use case.

• Determine appropriate error handling, escalation, and recovery procedures for a failed integration in a given use case.

• Identify reporting needs for integration monitoring based on a given use case.

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The Salesforce Integration Architect exam consists of 60 multiple-choice and multiple-select questions. Candidates are required to demonstrate their knowledge and expertise in each objective area to achieve a passing score of 67%. The exam can be taken either at a proctored testing center or in an online proctored environment. No reference materials, either hard-copy or online, are permitted during the exam.