© (Copyright), International Software Architecture Qualification Board e. V. (iSAQB® e. V.) 2026

The curriculum may only be used subject to the following conditions:

  1. You wish to obtain the CPSA Certified Professional for Software Architecture Foundation Level® certificate or the CPSA Certified Professional for Software Architecture Advanced Level® certificate. For the purpose of obtaining the certificate, it shall be permitted to use these text documents and/or curricula by creating working copies for your own computer. If any other use of documents and/or curricula is intended, for instance for their dissemination to third parties, for advertising etc., please write to info@isaqb.org to enquire whether this is permitted. A separate license agreement would then have to be entered into.

  2. If you are a trainer or training provider, it shall be possible for you to use the documents and/or curricula once you have obtained a usage license. Please address any enquiries to info@isaqb.org. License agreements with comprehensive provisions for all aspects exist.

  3. If you fall neither into category 1 nor category 2, but would like to use these documents and/or curricula nonetheless, please also contact the iSAQB e. V. by writing to info@isaqb.org. You will then be informed about the possibility of acquiring relevant licenses through existing license agreements, allowing you to obtain your desired usage authorizations.

Important Notice

We stress that, as a matter of principle, this curriculum is protected by copyright. The International Software Architecture Qualification Board e. V. (iSAQB® e. V.) has exclusive entitlement to these copyrights.

The abbreviation "e. V." is part of the iSAQB’s official name and stands for "eingetragener Verein" (registered association), which describes its status as a legal entity according to German law. For the purpose of simplicity, iSAQB e. V. shall hereafter be referred to as iSAQB without the use of said abbreviation.

Training Provider

A training provider must fulfill the following criteria to get the accreditation from iSAQB:

Criterion Details Evidence

iSAQB FL or AL

The organization must be accredited for the Foundation Level and/or the Advanced Level of the iSAQB®.

iSAQB® has a list of all the organizations that are accredited.

Topic moderator

The training provider must have at least one accredited topic moderator.

The topic moderator has been accredited successfully.

Topic Moderator

The training provider provides a topic moderator for the topic working group.

A topic moderator must fullfill the following criteria to get the accreditation by iSAQB®.

Criterion Details Evidence

Process knowledge

A topic moderator must have knowledge of the process of Expert Level certification.

A member of the iSAQB® working group "Expert Level" cunducts an inverview with the applicant and checks the requested knowledge.

Social skills

A topic moderator must have social skills to be able to manage a group.

The applicant must prove one or more of the following competences:

  • The applicant has taken training courses or seminars, such as iSAQB® trainings or lectures at a university.

  • The applicant must substantiate that he has held the position of group leader for a minimum of one year, such as in an association, club, or development team.

Knowledge

A topic moderator must know enough about software architecture.

The applicant must meet the following requirements:

  • The applicant has at least the CPSA® Foundation Level certification.

  • The applicant has been working as software developer or software architect for five years.

Criteria for a New Topic

A new topic must satisfy the following criteria:

Criterion Requirement Description

Originality

Must

Can new insights be gained that are not yet widely known in the field of software architecture?

Has the topic not yet been completely and publicly addressed (e.g., on Wikipedia)?

Relevance

Must

Is the topic of interest to a larger group of people?

Innovation

Must

Does the topic generate new ideas and knowledge of general interest?

Creativity

Shall

Does the topic demonstrate creativity, e.g., through synergies, analogies, or ideas?

Effectiveness

Shall

Can working on the topic simplify or accelerate future work in software architecture?

Problem solving

Must

Can working on the topic solve recurring and seemingly insurmountable problems in software architecture?

Examples include:

  • Improve communication between management and software architects

  • Introduction of new methods, such as architecture management, Domain-Driven Design, Green IT, …​

Criteria for New Applicants

To be eligible to participate in a topic group, applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

Knowledge and Practical Experience

Applicants justify their suitability for the topic by summarizing their knowledge and practical experience and submitting certificates.

Criterion Description

Advanced Level Certifications

Applicants must confirm that they have the Expert Level certification.

The topic of the Expert Level certification must align with the specialization the applicant selected as part of the Advanced Level certification.

Practical Experience

Applicants can demonstrate at least 7 years of professional experience in the role of software architect within complex software projects. In particular, experience in architectural work that spans systems, domains, or organizational boundaries is required.

Knowledge

A solid understanding and practical application of the core concepts of software architecture, as outlined in the iSAQB curricula for the Foundation and selected Advanced Level topics. Specialization typically takes place in specific focus areas such as Domain-Driven Design, cloud architecture, architecture evaluation, documentation, or modernization, depending on the individual’s expertise and project context.

Knowledge Transfer and Community Contribution

Proof of knowledge transfer or community contribution, such as training and mentoring less experienced developers or architects, leading architecture or development teams, co-developing in open-source projects, as well as through publications or presentations.

Communication Skills

Applicants must be able to communicate complex matters clearly and understandably.

Organization and General Conditions

Criterion Description

iSAQB® can publish results

Applicants must agree that iSAQB® is allowed to publish and exploit the results of the topic group.

Willingness to travel

Applicants must confirm that they are willing to travel at their own expense to work together in the topic group.

Disclosure of contact data

The applicants grant permission to iSAQB® to forward the following contact details to the other members of the topic groups: first name, last name, e-mail address, and phone number.

Why Are These Requirements Important?

The CPSA Expert Level validates technical expertise and recognizes the ability to serve as a thought leader and expert within the software architecture community. Applicants must demonstrate their capacity to contribute to the evolution of the profession, going beyond architectural practice, and show that they can tackle complex challenges in dynamic and demanding environments.

The following criteria may come into operation in the future

iSAQB® may accept individuals as candidates for the Expert Level if they meet one of the following requirement:

  • People who are distinguished experts on the topic.

  • Members of iSAQB® who are not permitted to participate in the iSAQB® Advanced Level Certification since they know the examination question.

The iSAQB® strategy council and the members of the iSAQB® working group "Expert Level" make a majority decision on whether a person meets one of the stated requirements.

iSAQB® can actively invite luminaries to participate in a topic group and refund the cost.

The experts must work in the chosen topic group as well. Nobody gets a certification without active and successful work on a topic.

Criteria for a Roadmap

Criterion Requirement Description

Objective, mission

Essential

  • Are the objective and mission of the topic working group described comprehensibly?

Topic working group

Essential

  • Only for topic working groups: Are the contact details of all members of the topic working group stated?

Procedure

Essential

  • Are the roles and tasks of the members of the topic working group described?

  • Is a timetable with milestones provided?

  • Are the times and locations for the optional in-person meetings stated?

  • Are the times and resources for the virtual meetings stated?

  • Are the tools for electronic communication listed?

  • Are work packages and responsibilities defined?

  • Is the review process determined?

Literature

Essential

  • Is there a bibliography?

  • Does the bibliography comprise at least 7 sources?

  • Are the sources of academic value?

Results

Essential

  • Is the mandatory article discussed?

  • Is at least one additional result stated (e.g., instructions, example, …​)?

  • Are the form and structure discussed for each result?

  • Is there an attempt to present the results at at least one conference?

  • Is there an attempt to publish the results in at least one trade publication?

Formal Criteria for Results

Criterion Requirement Description

Article

Essential

Does the article have the following structure and content?

  1. Title

    1. Does the title suit the topic discussed?

  2. Authors

    1. Are the authors named?

    2. Are the authors' e-mail addresses listed?

  3. Abstract

    1. Is the problem described briefly?

    2. Does the abstract describe the main theses or results?

    3. Is the description short and understandable?

  4. Introduction

    1. Does the introduction describe the current state of knowledge?

    2. Is the motivation discussed?

    3. Is there a description of the existing knowledge gaps that are to be filled by this academic article?

    4. Is there a description of the research questions that are to be answered in the article?

  1. Main section (chapter name(s) can be chosen freely)

    1. Materials and methods

      1. Is there a description of the information sources?

      2. Is there a description of the methods used to answer the research question?

    2. Results

      1. Is there a description of the findings?

      2. Are the findings substantiated with sufficient plausible data?

    3. Discussion

      1. Is there a description of how the findings are interpreted?

      2. Is there a discussion of questions that arise from the results?

      3. Is there a discussion of the impacts that the findings have in practice?

  2. Summary

    1. Is there a brief summary of all the research questions and their answers?

    2. Is there a brief discussion of the effects of the findings?

  3. Acknowledgments

    1. Are supporters mentioned?

  4. Conflicts of interest

    1. Are conflicts of interest mentioned?

  5. Bibliography

    1. Is there a list of all the literature used?

    2. Is the literature cited correctly?

Additional result

Essential

  • Do the form and content fulfill the purpose of the result (e.g., a new pattern according to the pattern language context, problem, solution)?

  • Is there a comprehensible description of the result?

  • Is it evident that at least two person weeks were necessary for the creation of the additional result?

Submissions

Desired

  • Has the topic working group submitted a talk or a workshop to at least one conference?

  • Has the topic working group attempted to publish the results in at least one trade publication?

Versioned results

Essential

The results must be submitted with a version history so that the examiners can verify that the results were actually developed by the topic workers and not generated by artificial intelligence.

Experience report

Essential

  • Has each member of the topic working group submitted an experience report?

  • Are all the points in the experience report completed?

Content Criteria for Results

Criterion Assessment Scheme

Importance for theory and practice

10 - Outstanding importance
08 - Important
06 - Not unimportant
04 - Rather weak importance
02 - Of low importance
00 - Absolutely no relevance

Originality and degree of innovation

10 - An important and meaningful contribution to the topic area
08 - A clear contribution to the topic area.
06 - A small contribution to the topic area. Added value may result from it in the future.
04 - There is better work on this topic.
02 - Already said many times.
00 - Contributes little or nothing at all to the topic area.

Quality of the presentation

10 - Excellently written
08 - Well written
06 - Readable
04 - Should be edited
02 - Still significant work required
00 - Unacceptable

Criteria for Participation

Criterion Required Description

Time Tracking

Required

Topic worker and all members of a topic working group must record their activities in a central list accessible to everyone, documenting at least the following information for each activity:

  • Date and duration

  • Activity

  • Work output

  • Names of the members who participated in the activity.

Total Work Time

Required

A topic worker and each memberof a topic working group must have worked at least 40 hours on the topic.

The following criteria also apply to topic working groups:

Criterion Required Description

Validation

Required

During joint meetings, the members of a topic working group review the plausibility of their colleagues' recorded activities.

Deviation from the Group Average

Required

An average indicates how many hours, on average, each member of the topic working group has contributed. Each member must have contributed at least 60% of the group average.

Different Types of Activities

Required

A member may count only up to 20% of their hours toward organizational activities.

Three Types of Activities

Required

Each member must have performed at least three different types of activities, including:

  • Organization

  • Research

  • Prepare results

    • Prepare a presentation

    • Prepare an article for a professional journal

    • Prepare a conference paper

    • Give a presentation at a conference

Travel time does not count

Required

Travel time does not count as an activity.

Criteria for Verbal Exam

Point on Agenda Duration Criteria

1) The examinee presents the topic with self-created resources.

10-20 min

  • Results and findings conclusively summarized

  • Recognizable common thread, expediency, and consistency of the steps

  • Appropriate use of resources (charts, diagrams, models, …​)

  • Presentation style (language and expression)

  • Illustrations are legible and understandable

2) The examiners ask about the content of the results.

10-20 min

  • Ability to explain and clarify the content

  • Answering at least three open questions

  • Complexity and depth of answers

  • Questions answered comprehensively and presented in a clear and logical manner.

3) The examiners test whether the candidate has understood the content, knows the background, and understands the context.

10-20 min

  • Present their opinion well and comprehensibly in the discussion.

  • Statement on the criticism of the results of the topic working group.

Examiners must have the following characteristics:

  • They are recognized experts in software architecture.

  • They have extensive and in-depth knowledge in the field of software architecture.

  • They have sufficient time to perform their work as examiners.

The iSAQB Expert Level Working Group appoints the examiners.

They work on a freelance basis as examiners for the certification bodies.