PEGACPLSA25V1

Updated on 3 October 2026. What’s new: the Pega Platform '25 exam now has four topics weighted 30%, 30%, 30% and 10%, and the exam fee is USD $190.

Passing the CPLSA exam does not make you a Pega Lead System Architect. Pega treats it as step one of two: a 60-question architecture exam (120 minutes, 65% to pass, USD $190), then a hands-on Design and Build assessment in which you get 14 days to submit a working application. This guide covers both steps, the Pega Platform '25 topic weights and a study plan.

Most people who search for CPLSA expect a single sitting. That expectation is the first thing to fix, because it changes how long the route takes, what it costs and what you practise. The architecture exam is multiple choice and tests judgement. The second step is closer to a small consulting engagement: Pega hands you business requirements and you design, build and document a solution.

The sections below follow the order a candidate meets things: who may start, what the first exam measures, what each topic asks you to decide, how the build assessment works, how to prepare, and what happens when an attempt goes wrong. Everything about Pega's rules comes from the Pega Academy pages linked in the text, read in October 2026.