Salesforce Data Architect certification: exam, cost and preparation
The Salesforce Data Architect certification — listed by Salesforce today as Salesforce Certified Platform Data Architect — proves you can design scalable, well-governed data models on the Salesforce Platform. The exam has 60 scored multiple-choice questions plus up to five unscored ones, 105 minutes, a 58% passing score and a US$400 fee (retake US$200). There is no prerequisite, and you keep it with one Trailhead maintenance badge a year.
- Certification
- Salesforce Certified Platform Data Architect, often searched for as Data ArchitectTrailhead credential page and Salesforce exam guide, checked 10 October 2026
- Registration fee
- US$400 (JPY¥60,000) plus applicable taxesSalesforce Platform Data Architect Exam Guide, checked 10 October 2026
- Retake fee
- US$200 (JPY¥30,000) plus applicable taxesSalesforce Platform Data Architect Exam Guide, checked 10 October 2026
- Questions
- 60 multiple-choice plus up to 5 unscoredSalesforce Platform Data Architect Exam Guide, checked 10 October 2026
- Duration
- 105 minutesSalesforce Platform Data Architect Exam Guide, checked 10 October 2026
- Passing score
- 58%Salesforce Platform Data Architect Exam Guide, checked 10 October 2026
- Delivery
- Proctored, at a testing center or online; no reference materialsSalesforce Platform Data Architect Exam Guide, checked 10 October 2026
- Prerequisite
- NoneSalesforce Platform Data Architect Exam Guide, checked 10 October 2026
- Maintenance
- One Trailhead maintenance badge per year, or the certification expiresSalesforce Platform Data Architect Exam Guide, checked 10 October 2026
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Why you can trust these Salesforce Data Architect questions
What is the Salesforce Data Architect certification?
The Salesforce Data Architect certification is Salesforce’s credential for people who design how data lives on the platform: data models, master data, governance, large data volumes and migrations. Salesforce describes certified Platform Data Architects as experts at designing sound, scalable, high-performing solutions on the Salesforce Platform that are tailored for enterprise data management.
A note on the name: Salesforce now lists the credential as Salesforce Certified Platform Data Architect, both on Trailhead and in the exam guide. It is the same certification many people still search for as “Salesforce Data Architect” — the content is the data architecture exam described below.
It is an architect-level credential, not an entry point. The exam guide is written for someone with two to three years of Salesforce experience and five or more years supporting or implementing data-centric solutions, typically in roles such as advanced administrator, data architect, technical or solution architect, or advanced platform developer.
Source: Trailhead — Salesforce Certified Platform Data Architect. Checked 10 October 2026.
How much does the Salesforce Data Architect exam cost?
The registration fee is US$400 (JPY¥60,000), plus applicable taxes as required by local law. If you need a second attempt, the retake fee is US$200 (JPY¥30,000), plus taxes.
That price is set by Salesforce in the exam guide and applies whether you take the exam at a testing center or online. Salesforce does not publish the waiting times between retakes in the exam guide, so check the current rules when you rebook.
Source: Salesforce Help — Salesforce Certified Platform Data Architect Exam Guide. Checked 10 October 2026.
Salesforce Data Architect exam format and passing score
The exam has 60 multiple-choice questions plus up to five unscored questions that Salesforce uses to test new items. You will not know which ones are unscored, so treat every question as if it counts.
You have 105 minutes, and the passing score is 58%. That is lower than many Salesforce exams, but the questions are scenario-based design decisions rather than definitions, so it is not an easy 58%.
The exam is proctored, either onsite at a testing center or in an online environment. No hard-copy or online materials may be referenced during the exam. The exam guide states that questions align to the Spring ’23 release, which matters when you study features that have changed since.
- 60 multiple-choice questions, plus up to 5 unscored
- 105 minutes
- Passing score: 58%
- Proctored at a testing center or online, closed book
Source: Salesforce Help — Salesforce Certified Platform Data Architect Exam Guide. Checked 10 October 2026.
What is on the Salesforce Data Architect exam?
Salesforce publishes six weighted sections in the exam guide. Data modeling and Salesforce data management carry half the exam between them, and large data volume questions add another fifth — so most of your study time belongs there.
Master data management is only 5%, but it overlaps heavily with the single-customer-view and consolidation topics in Salesforce data management. Data governance (10%) includes designing GDPR-compliant data models and protecting personal data.
- Data Modeling/Database Design — 25% (objects, fields, relationships, metadata, big objects, data skew)
- Master Data Management — 5% (MDM styles, golden record, survivorship)
- Salesforce Data Management — 25% (license types, single customer view, multi-org consolidation)
- Data Governance — 10% (GDPR-compliant models, personal data, governance programs)
- Large Data Volume Considerations — 20% (scalable models, archiving and purging, virtualised data)
- Data Migration — 15% (data quality on load, LDV migration performance, export techniques)
Source: Salesforce Help — Salesforce Certified Platform Data Architect Exam Guide. Checked 10 October 2026.
Salesforce Data Architect prerequisites and recommended experience
There is no formal prerequisite: the exam guide states “Prerequisite: None”. Anyone can register.
Salesforce does recommend — but does not require — the Platform App Builder, Platform Developer and Platform Developer II certifications. The guide also lists what you are not expected to know: non-Salesforce database concepts, configuration of integration tools, MDM tools, Lightning development and programming languages. The exam stays focused on data architecture on the Salesforce Platform.
Source: Salesforce Help — Salesforce Certified Platform Data Architect Exam Guide. Checked 10 October 2026.
Salesforce Data Architect course and official training
Salesforce’s own recommended preparation is the free Trailhead trailmix “Architect Journey: Data Architecture” and the instructor-led Trailhead Academy course Build Data Architect Expertise (ARC201). The exam guide also points you to Salesforce Help documentation for each outline topic.
The exam guide itself is the most important study document: it defines the six sections and the objectives inside each. Work through it objective by objective, and for every one ask yourself which design you would choose for a given data volume, sharing model and integration landscape — that is how the exam questions are framed.
Source: Salesforce Help — Salesforce Certified Platform Data Architect Exam Guide. Checked 10 October 2026.
How to keep your Salesforce Data Architect certification
Salesforce certifications are maintained, not renewed by re-examination. You must complete the Platform Data Architect certification maintenance badge on Trailhead once a year. If you miss the maintenance due date, the certification expires.
The maintenance modules cover changes in recent releases, so they also keep you current on platform features relevant to data architecture.
Source: Salesforce Help — Salesforce Certified Platform Data Architect Exam Guide. Checked 10 October 2026.
Data Architect and the Salesforce architect path
Platform Data Architect is one of the four certifications Salesforce lists for the Salesforce Certified Application Architect credential, together with Platform App Builder, Platform Developer and Platform Sharing and Visibility Architect.
So the Data Architect exam is often the first architect-level step on the way to Application Architect. If that is your goal, plan the sequence: App Builder and Platform Developer are also on Salesforce’s recommended list for the Data Architect exam, so taking them first serves both purposes.
Source: Trailhead — Salesforce Certified Application Architect. Checked 10 October 2026.
Salesforce Data Architect dumps and salary claims
Salesforce is unambiguous about exam dumps. Its certification blog lists “Distribute, use, or request exam dumps” as prohibited, says that using unofficial dumps violates the Code of Conduct, and warns that they can contain inaccurate and outdated information. The Code of Conduct bans sharing, using or selling exam content in any format, with sanctions that include a suspension from all certification exams for 90 days or more and revocation of earned certifications.
On salary, Salesforce does not publish a salary figure for the Platform Data Architect certification, so this page does not quote one. What the credential does show an employer is concrete: that you passed a closed-book exam on data modeling, governance, large data volumes and migration at architect level.
Source: Salesforce Blog — 3 Ways You Can Keep Salesforce Certifications Safe (21 July 2025). Checked 10 October 2026.
Salesforce Data Architect practice questions
Certsqill’s Salesforce Data Architect practice questions are expert-developed: every question explains each answer option, and a readiness score for each of the six exam sections shows whether data modeling or large data volumes is the weak spot before you pay the US$400.
Salesforce Data Architect questions people ask
What is the Salesforce Data Architect certification called now?
Salesforce lists it as Salesforce Certified Platform Data Architect on Trailhead and in the exam guide. Checked 10 October 2026.
How much does the Salesforce Data Architect exam cost?
US$400 plus applicable taxes; a retake costs US$200. Source: Salesforce exam guide, checked 10 October 2026.
How many questions are on the Salesforce Data Architect exam?
60 multiple-choice questions plus up to five unscored questions, in 105 minutes. Source: Salesforce exam guide, checked 10 October 2026.
What is the passing score for Salesforce Data Architect?
58%. Source: Salesforce Platform Data Architect Exam Guide, checked 10 October 2026.
Are there prerequisites for the Data Architect certification?
No. The exam guide states “Prerequisite: None”; App Builder, Platform Developer and Platform Developer II are recommended, not required.
Can I take the Salesforce Data Architect exam online?
Yes. It is proctored onsite at a testing center or online. Source: Salesforce exam guide, checked 10 October 2026.
Is there an official Salesforce Data Architect course?
Yes. Salesforce recommends the Trailhead Academy course Build Data Architect Expertise (ARC201) and the trailmix Architect Journey: Data Architecture.
How do I maintain the certification?
Complete the Platform Data Architect maintenance badge on Trailhead once a year, or the certification expires. Checked 10 October 2026.
Are Salesforce Data Architect dumps allowed?
No. Salesforce prohibits distributing, using or requesting exam dumps; violations can lead to suspension and revocation of certifications.
