# Salesforce Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect Practice Exam

*Last updated September 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/salesforce-platform-development-lifecycle-and-deployment-architect-practice-exam*

The Salesforce Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect certification is an advanced Salesforce credential with no prerequisite. It is focused on governing and delivering change on the Salesforce Platform: development methodologies and ALM maturity, governance, release risk, org and environment (sandbox) strategy, source control branching, org-based and package-based development, quality gates, Metadata and Tooling API deployments, reference data, testing methodology and test data, managed, unmanaged and unlocked packages, release management, and changes made directly in production. The exam has 60 scored questions plus 5 unscored questions, a 105-minute time limit, and a 65% passing score. Its official outline covers 8 weighted sections, the largest being System Design at 15% of the exam.

The Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam tests how you govern and ship change on Salesforce: development methodologies and ALM maturity, governance and release risk, org and sandbox strategy, source control branching, org-based versus package-based development, Metadata and Tooling API deployments, reference data, testing methodology and test data, package types, release management, and what happens when changes are made directly in production. System Design is the biggest section at 15%.

## How long is the Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam and what score do you need?

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Certification | Salesforce Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect |
| Level | Advanced |
| Prerequisite | None |
| Scored questions | 60 |
| Unscored questions | 5 |
| Time limit | 105 minutes |
| Passing score | 65% |
| Registration cost | USD $400 |
| Retake cost | USD $200 |
| Exam outline sections | 8 |

Facts last verified against the [official Salesforce exam guide](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005298968&language=en_US&type=1) in July 2026.

## What is on the Salesforce Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam?

The official outline has 8 weighted sections. Mock exams draw questions in these proportions, so practice mirrors the real exam.

| Exam section | Weight |
| --- | --- |
| Application Lifecycle Management | 8% |
| Planning | 13% |
| System Design | 15% |
| Building | 14% |
| Deploying | 14% |
| Testing | 13% |
| Releasing | 13% |
| Operating | 10% |

### Application Lifecycle Management (8%)

- Given the project risk and customer requirements, explain how to assess the benefits and risks of the different development methodologies and recommend the appropriate governance strategies based on the customer maturity.

### Planning (13%)

- Given a complex customer scenario, assess ALM maturity and identify the people, technology, and processes required.
- Understand customer environment risks and articulate appropriate mitigation strategies.
- Given a customer scenario, analyze and recommend the appropriate governance framework.
- Given a customer scenario involving a new Salesforce release (Summer, Winter, Spring), recommend the appropriate strategy to mitigate risks.

### System Design (15%)

- Explain the advantages of using agile tools to support an agile development process.
- Given a customer landscape and their requirements, evaluate business, technical, and architectural considerations which support the defined org strategy.
- Given a customer scenario, define an environment (sandbox) strategy that utilizes the correct sandbox types (for example, multiple project streams, training requirements, staging, production, and hotfixes).
- Given a scenario, compare, contrast and recommend the components and tools of a successful deployment strategy.

### Building (14%)

- Given a customer scenario, explain how source control branching/versioning/merging can be used and recommend appropriate strategies.
- Describe the appropriate approaches to building test data strategy and unit test to ensure successful code (positive, negative, permission-based, large data volume).
- Given a customer scenario, describe the appropriate development model (org-based vs package-based) and development environment (scratch org vs sandboxes).
- Describe the methods to ensure the delivery of quality code, such as coding standards, pull requests, code review and static code analysis.

### Deploying (14%)

- Given a scenario, describe the capabilities, limitations and considerations when using the Metadata and Tooling APIs for deployment.
- Given a scenario, describe approaches to handle pre and post deployment steps, including items not supported via the APIs.
- Given a scenario, describe and recommend an approach to manage and deploy technical reference data - configuration stored as object data.

### Testing (13%)

- Given a customer scenario, describe and recommend an appropriate testing methodology.
- Given a customer testing strategy, describe the appropriate test execution methodology and coverage requirements.
- Given a customer scenario, describe and recommend a unified test data strategy that utilizes representative data in a secure manner throughout the development lifecycle.

### Releasing (13%)

- Given a scenario, analyze and explain the use cases and considerations when using managed and unmanaged as well as unlocked packages.
- Apply map sandbox strategy to a specific Release Plan, taking into consideration multiple project streams, training requirements, staging and hotfixes.
- Given a customer scenario, describe and recommend an appropriate release management strategy.

### Operating (10%)

- Given a detailed customer environment scenario including a specific request, explain the implications for incorporating the request directly in a production environment.
- Given a customer scenario where changes are made directly in production, explain the implications on the development lifecycle and steps to integrate changes into application lifecycle management.
- Given a multi-org customer scenario, compare and contrast approaches for managing common release artifacts.

## How many reviewed Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect practice questions are there?

307 reviewed questions. Every question follows the current official Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam outline and is checked against Salesforce documentation before it is published. A full practice exam has 60 questions and a 105-minute time limit, with the same mix of sections as the real exam. You can also practice one section at a time.

| Exam section | Weight | Reviewed questions |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Application Lifecycle Management | 8% | 24 |
| Planning | 13% | 42 |
| System Design | 15% | 49 |
| Building | 14% | 42 |
| Deploying | 14% | 42 |
| Testing | 13% | 39 |
| Releasing | 13% | 39 |
| Operating | 10% | 30 |
| Total | 100% | 307 |

## Common questions about the Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam

### How many questions are on the Salesforce Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam?

The Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam has 60 scored questions plus 5 unscored questions, with a time limit of 105 minutes.

### What is the passing score for the Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam?

The passing score is 65%. Certifyforce's readiness score weights your practice results by the official section weights so you know whether you'd clear that bar.

### How much does the Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam cost?

Registration is USD $400 plus applicable taxes, and retakes cost USD $200. Quality practice is the cheapest way to avoid paying for a retake.

### Is there a prerequisite for the Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam?

No. The Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam has no certification prerequisite. Salesforce positions it as a advanced credential.

### How many practice questions are in the Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect question bank?

307 reviewed questions across all 8 sections of the current official exam outline. Every question is checked against Salesforce documentation before it is published. A timed practice exam draws 60 questions and gives you 105 minutes, with the same mix of topics as the real exam.

### Are these real exam questions or braindumps?

No. Certifyforce writes original practice questions aligned to the official exam outline. Using leaked exam questions (dumps) violates the Salesforce certification agreement and can get your credentials revoked — original scenario practice builds the same skills without the risk.

### What topics are on the Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam?

The exam covers 8 sections: Application Lifecycle Management (8%), Planning (13%), System Design (15%), Building (14%), Deploying (14%), Testing (13%), Releasing (13%), Operating (10%).

### How is Certifyforce different from other practice exams?

The Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect questions follow the current official exam outline. Every question is reviewed by a person and checked against Salesforce documentation. You can see your score by section and practice the topics you missed without taking the full exam again.

## Related pages

- [Free Salesforce Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect practice questions with answers](https://www.certifyforce.com/salesforce-platform-development-lifecycle-and-deployment-architect-practice-exam/free-questions)
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- [All Salesforce certifications](https://www.certifyforce.com/salesforce-certifications)
- [Official Platform Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect exam guide](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005298968&language=en_US&type=1)