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100+ Free SF Application Architect Practice Questions

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A Salesforce Application Architect is asked to prevent users from deleting Account records that have related Contacts. Which declarative approach prevents this?

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Key Facts: SF Application Architect Exam

4

Constituent Certifications

Sharing & Visibility, Data Architect, App Builder, PD1

$1,600

Total Exam Costs

$400 × 4 constituent exams

0

Separate Architect Exams

Umbrella credential — no standalone test

100

SOQL Queries/Transaction

Apex governor limit (key for PD1 domain)

150

DML Statements/Transaction

Apex governor limit (key for PD1 domain)

Annual

Maintenance Required

Each constituent cert must stay active

The Application Architect credential is earned automatically by holding four active certs: Sharing & Visibility Designer, Data Architecture & Management Designer, Platform App Builder, and Platform Developer I. No separate Application Architect exam exists. Combined domain weights: Sharing & Visibility 15%, Data Architecture 25%, App Builder/UI 30%, Platform Developer I 30%. Each constituent exam costs $400 ($200 retake). Annual maintenance is required for each constituent cert to keep the umbrella credential active.

Sample SF Application Architect Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to test your SF Application Architect exam readiness. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A Salesforce Application Architect is designing the data model for a financial services firm. Multiple users in different roles need to access Opportunities: sales reps can see only their own, managers can see their team's, and executives can see all. Which combination of features best meets this requirement?
A.Set Opportunity OWD to Private, use Role Hierarchy to grant manager and executive visibility, and create sharing rules or teams for exceptions
B.Set Opportunity OWD to Public Read/Write so all users can access all records, and rely on field-level security to restrict sensitive data
C.Create a separate Opportunity object per user role with Apex triggers to sync data between them
D.Use Permission Sets to grant record access instead of the sharing model
Explanation: The standard Salesforce sharing architecture for hierarchical visibility starts with a restrictive OWD (Private) and layers Role Hierarchy on top so managers see their subordinates' records. This matches the described requirement exactly: reps see their own (Private OWD), managers see their team's (Role Hierarchy), and executives at the top of the hierarchy see all. Sharing rules handle any cross-branch exceptions.
2A Salesforce Application Architect needs to store financial transaction data with 50 million records expected in the first year, growing 20 million per year. Which data architecture strategies should be employed from day one?
A.Use Skinny Tables by working with Salesforce support, implement an archiving strategy using Big Objects or external archiving, avoid SOQL queries without selective filters, and design custom indexes on high-cardinality filter fields
B.Create multiple custom objects each storing 5 million records and use lookup relationships to join them at query time
C.Store all records in a single custom object and rely on Salesforce's default indexing to handle query performance
D.Use formula fields and rollup summaries extensively to pre-compute aggregations and reduce query load
Explanation: Large Data Volume (LDV) architecture requires proactive design: Skinny Tables (Salesforce-created denormalized tables for common query patterns) dramatically improve query performance at scale. Custom indexes on selective filter fields prevent full table scans. Archiving strategies (Big Objects, external platforms) manage data growth. Avoiding non-selective SOQL prevents governor limit violations that worsen with scale.
3A Salesforce Application Architect is designing a Lightning App. Users need a guided step-by-step form for creating Opportunities with 8 stages of data entry. Which platform feature is MOST appropriate?
A.Salesforce Flow (Screen Flow) configured as a Lightning component embedded in the page or launched from a button, guiding users through each data entry stage
B.A custom Apex controller with 8 separate Visualforce pages linked by Apex PageReferences
C.A single Lightning Web Component with 8 conditional sections that all render at once and the user scrolls through
D.An Approval Process with 8 approval steps where each approver fills in one stage of the Opportunity
Explanation: Salesforce Screen Flow is the purpose-built platform feature for guided step-by-step data entry. It provides a wizard-style interface, supports validation per step, handles conditional branching, and can be embedded in Lightning pages or launched from a button. It requires no code (declarative) and is the recommended approach for guided multi-step data entry in the Salesforce platform.
4A Salesforce Application Architect must recommend the correct approach for building a custom Lightning component that automatically calculates a field value based on 5 other fields on the record WITHOUT user interaction. What is the MOST declarative approach?
A.Use a Salesforce Formula Field on the object that references the 5 source fields and automatically calculates the value
B.Build a Lightning Web Component with JavaScript that watches all 5 fields and calculates the value client-side
C.Create an Apex trigger that fires on every record save to calculate the value
D.Use a Scheduled Apex job that runs every hour to recalculate the field for recently modified records
Explanation: Formula Fields are Salesforce's native declarative mechanism for derived field values. They are calculated in real time based on referenced fields, require zero code, and are always up to date. For a calculation dependent on other fields of the same record, a Formula Field is always the first-choice architecture before considering triggers or Lightning code.
5A company needs to share Opportunity records with a specific group of users who are not in the same role hierarchy branch and are not the record owner. Which mechanism should the architect use?
A.Criteria-Based Sharing Rules or Apex Managed Sharing to grant access to a specific Public Group based on field criteria on the Opportunity
B.Change the Opportunity OWD to Public Read/Write to ensure all users can access all Opportunities
C.Add all users to the same role in the role hierarchy so they can see each other's records
D.Use Field-Level Security to make the relevant fields visible to the users who need access
Explanation: Sharing Rules are designed precisely for this use case: granting record access to users outside the owner's role hierarchy branch. Criteria-Based Sharing Rules can grant access based on field values (e.g., Opportunity Stage = 'Negotiation') to a Public Group. Apex Managed Sharing provides programmatic control when criteria-based rules are insufficient. These add access without changing the OWD.
6A Salesforce Application Architect is evaluating whether to use a Master-Detail or Lookup relationship between two custom objects. The child records must always belong to a parent and should be deleted when the parent is deleted. Which relationship type is correct?
A.Master-Detail relationship, which enforces the required parent, cascades deletion from parent to child, and enables roll-up summary fields on the parent
B.Lookup relationship with a required field validation rule to enforce the parent
C.External Lookup relationship using Salesforce Connect
D.Hierarchical relationship which supports parent-child linking within the same object
Explanation: Master-Detail relationships enforce the parent relationship at the data model level (the parent field is required and cannot be removed), cascade deletes from parent to all child records, and enable Roll-Up Summary fields on the parent object. These are exactly the characteristics required when child records must always belong to a parent and should be removed when the parent is deleted.
7A Salesforce Application Architect is designing a data model where multiple Account records should display a field showing the total value of all related Won Opportunities. Which is the MOST appropriate and maintainable approach?
A.Create a Roll-Up Summary field on Account that sums Opportunity Amount where Stage = Closed Won — this is declarative and automatically maintained by the platform
B.Create an Apex trigger on Opportunity that recalculates the Account total field on every Opportunity update
C.Use a nightly Scheduled Apex batch job to recalculate all Account totals
D.Create a formula field on Account that uses a SOQL subquery to sum related Opportunity amounts
Explanation: Roll-Up Summary fields are the declarative, platform-maintained mechanism for aggregating child record values on a parent. They support COUNT, SUM, MIN, and MAX with optional filter criteria. A Roll-Up Summary field on Account summing Opportunity.Amount where Stage = 'Closed Won' is exactly the right tool — no code, no batch jobs, and automatically updated when related Opportunities change.
8A Salesforce Application Architect is designing a complex business process where an Account must be reviewed by three approvers in sequence, each in a different department. Which platform feature handles this?
A.An Approval Process with three approval steps, each assigned to a specific user, queue, or role, with sequential routing so the record goes to the next approver only after the previous approves
B.A Salesforce Flow that sends email notifications to all three approvers simultaneously
C.Three separate Workflow Rules that trigger approval emails based on a status field
D.A custom Apex controller that manages an approval state machine with three states
Explanation: Salesforce Approval Processes are built for exactly this pattern: multi-step sequential approvals with configurable entry criteria, approval steps assigned to specific approvers (by user, role, or queue), and post-approval/rejection actions. Each step only triggers after the previous is approved. This is fully declarative and supports complex approval routing including manager hierarchy and custom approver logic.
9An Application Architect discovers that a Salesforce org has 15 Apex triggers on the Opportunity object, written by different developers at different times, with no guaranteed execution order. What architectural remedy should be recommended?
A.Implement a Trigger Handler Framework (single trigger per object with a handler class dispatcher) to consolidate all trigger logic into one handler class, guaranteeing execution order and making the codebase maintainable
B.Delete all but the most recently written trigger and rewrite the deleted trigger logic into the remaining one
C.Increase the governor limits by contacting Salesforce to allow all 15 triggers to run without conflicts
D.Convert all Apex triggers to Flow-triggered automations to reduce code complexity
Explanation: The standard architectural remedy for multiple triggers on one object is a Trigger Framework: one trigger per object that delegates to a handler class. The handler class coordinates execution order, allows disabling logic per trigger event type, and ensures all business logic for an object is in one maintainable place. This is an industry-standard Salesforce best practice.
10A Salesforce Application Architect needs to create a process that runs after a Case is closed to survey the customer. The survey must send 3 days after closure. Which automation tool is MOST appropriate?
A.Salesforce Flow with a Scheduled Path triggered when Case Status changes to Closed, configured to run 3 days after the Close Date
B.A Workflow Rule with a time-based action set to fire 3 days after the Close Date
C.An Apex trigger on Case that launches a Queueable Apex job to wait 3 days before sending
D.A nightly Scheduled Apex job that queries all Cases closed exactly 3 days ago and sends surveys
Explanation: Record-Triggered Flows with Scheduled Paths are Salesforce's current recommended approach for time-based automation (replacing legacy Workflow Rules). A Record-Triggered Flow on Case with a Scheduled Path (3 days after Close Date) handles the delayed action declaratively. Salesforce has deprecated Workflow Rules for new automations in favor of Flow.

About the SF Application Architect Exam

The Salesforce Certified Application Architect is an umbrella credential automatically awarded when a candidate holds all four constituent certifications: Sharing & Visibility Designer, Data Architecture & Management Designer, Platform App Builder, and Platform Developer I. It demonstrates mastery of application-layer architecture including data modeling, declarative automation, Apex development, and security/sharing design.

Questions

60 scored questions

Time Limit

Varies per constituent exam (~105 min each)

Passing Score

65–68% per constituent exam

Exam Fee

Free (umbrella) — $400 per constituent exam (Webassessor / Kryterion)

SF Application Architect Exam Content Outline

15%

Sharing and Visibility

OWD, role hierarchy, sharing rules, criteria-based sharing, manual sharing, Apex managed sharing, implicit sharing, record-level security

25%

Data Architecture and Management

Data modeling, master-detail vs. lookup, roll-up summaries, LDV, skinny tables, custom indexes, Big Objects, data migration, Salesforce Connect

30%

App Builder and UI

Lightning App Builder, record types, page layouts, Flows (record-triggered, screen, scheduled), approval processes, formulas, validation rules, custom metadata

30%

Platform Developer I

Apex classes, triggers, SOQL/SOSL, DML, governor limits, bulkification, LWC, Visualforce, test framework, @AuraEnabled

How to Pass the SF Application Architect Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 65–68% per constituent exam
  • Exam length: 60 questions
  • Time limit: Varies per constituent exam (~105 min each)
  • Exam fee: Free (umbrella) — $400 per constituent exam

Keys to Passing

  • Complete 500+ practice questions
  • Score 80%+ consistently before scheduling
  • Focus on highest-weighted sections
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

SF Application Architect Study Tips from Top Performers

1For sharing model questions, always determine OWD first, then evaluate whether sharing rules, role hierarchy, or Apex managed sharing is needed to open further access
2Know all LDV optimization techniques: skinny tables, custom indexes, dividing data skew, deferred sharing calculations
3Understand the difference between all Flow trigger types: Record-Triggered (before/after save), Scheduled, Screen, and Autolaunched
4For Apex governor limits, memorize the key thresholds: 100 SOQL per transaction, 150 DML statements, 6MB heap limit
5Master the bulkification pattern: always use collections in triggers, avoid SOQL/DML inside loops
6Practice master-detail vs. lookup trade-offs: MDR supports roll-up summaries and cascade delete; Lookup is more flexible but no automatic roll-ups

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a separate Salesforce Application Architect exam?

No. The Application Architect credential is an umbrella certification automatically granted when you hold all four constituent active certifications: Sharing & Visibility Designer, Data Architecture & Management Designer, Platform App Builder, and Platform Developer I. There is no standalone Application Architect exam to register for.

What are the four certifications needed for Application Architect?

You must hold all four simultaneously: (1) Salesforce Certified Sharing & Visibility Designer, (2) Salesforce Certified Data Architecture & Management Designer, (3) Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder, and (4) Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I.

How much does it cost to earn the Application Architect credential?

Each of the four constituent exams costs $400 USD, making the total $1,600. Retakes are $200 each. The Application Architect umbrella credential itself is awarded at no additional cost.

What is the difference between the sharing model OWD settings?

Organization-Wide Defaults (OWD) set the baseline access level for all records of an object: Private (no access except owner), Public Read Only, Public Read/Write, and Controlled by Parent (for child objects). Sharing rules, role hierarchy, and Apex managed sharing can only open access wider than OWD — they cannot restrict below OWD.

What LDV strategies should I know for the Data Architect exam?

Key LDV strategies include skinny tables (denormalized Salesforce-managed tables bypassing joins), custom indexes on selective fields, avoiding non-selective queries, using Big Objects for archival data, Bulk API 2.0 for large imports, and scope-based SOQL in Batch Apex to process large record sets without hitting heap limits.

Why do both Application Architect and System Architect include Platform Developer I?

Platform Developer I is a shared foundational requirement across both architect paths. The Application Architect credential uses it to validate application-layer coding skills (triggers, governor limits, LWC), while the System Architect credential pairs it with integration, IAM, and lifecycle management domains. Passing PD1 once counts toward both umbrella credentials.