iSAQB CPSA Foundation Level study guide
iSAQB CPSA Foundation Level · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The CPSA®-Foundation Level (CPSA‑F) is the entry certification in the Certified Professional for Software Architecture program run by the International Software Architecture Qualification Board (iSAQB), a non-profit association of software architecture experts. iSAQB owns the scheme but does not teach or examine itself: it defines training and examination standards and accredits training providers and independent certification bodies, so you book training and sit the exam through those partners. The iSAQB CPSA Foundation Level study guide has 6 sections and about 1,875 words.
01Basics of Software Architecture
This domain tests whether you can define software architecture precisely and distinguish it from surrounding activities. The exam expects you to recognize architecture as the set of significant structures and decisions: building blocks, their externally visible interfaces, and the rules that govern how they collaborate.
311 words, about 2 min02Role and Task of Software Architects
This domain tests the architect's responsibilities, authority, and working style. iSAQB treats the architect as someone who makes and communicates significant technical decisions, aligns them with stakeholders, and guides implementation without owning every code change.
319 words, about 2 min03Description and Communication of Software Architectures
This domain tests whether you can document and present architecture so that different stakeholders can understand and act on it. The exam emphasizes purpose-driven views, consistent notation, clear interfaces, and decisions with rationale.
322 words, about 2 min04Design and Development of Software Architecture
This domain tests how architectures are derived and evolved: decomposition, principles, patterns, interfaces, and iteration. The exam expects you to connect design choices to quality attributes and constraints, and to justify patterns by forces rather than fashion.
308 words, about 2 min05Architecture and Quality
This domain tests whether you can make quality attributes concrete and evaluate whether an architecture supports them. The exam expects quality scenarios, tactics, trade-offs, and evaluation methods rather than vague claims such as secure or fast.
294 words, about 1 min06Tools for Software Architects
This domain tests tool awareness and selection, not vendor memorization. The exam expects you to know which tool categories support modeling, documentation, decision records, dependency analysis, quality checks, collaboration, and operations, and how to choose them based on stakeholder needs, standards, and lifecycle.
321 words, about 2 min