Welcome again to the Ranch.
The architect cert has 4 parts: multiple choice exam, design assignment & essay and mandatory training. The training can be done anytime.
The MC exam tests you the concepts like architecture, web tier, business tier and integration tier technologies as well as design
patterns and security. Overall, it covers
alot.
The assignment is the meat of the cert
testing you how you would approach a problem given a scenario (instructions). The design process will produce a bunch of UML diagrams and HTML files stating your approach and decisions (aka defending your solution). Lastly the essay is done at a test center, answering questions
you should have prepared beforehand (similar to defending your solution just without your notes).
The purpose of the architect MC exam isn't testing you detail stuff like the programmer or
JEE developer exams. It tests the high level (what, when, why) of JEE stack. So during the preparation, making a list of the pros and cons of the different technologies will be a great resource for the assignment and work.
You may check out the
FAQ and
online resources for more info.