Tag: Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide

TOP 10 SALESFORCE SPRING ’22 RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS

The Salesforce Certification Exams have just switched over to Spring ’22. Aren’t we already moving into Summer ’22? That’s right. However, the exam cycles do have a shifted time frame. Salesforce learners need to be able to catch up. And here we go, if you are preparing for your Salesforce Certification Exam, make sure to familiarize yourself with the current release notes. Here are my TOP 10.

Author: Peggy Schael | Salesforce Trainer | WeLearnSalesforce

#1 Collaborative Forecast Setup Becomes More Effective

This makes so much sense. Salesforce is combining Forecast Settings and Forecast Types into one screen. You won’t find a separate menu item for Forecast Types anymore. And that’s not all.

The Forecast Settings include a few new features, such as the display of Quota-related information. You get two new columns by default, the “Gap to Quota” and the “Pipeline Coverage”.

Tip: Enable “Show quotas” in order to see the option to enable “Show gap to quota and pipeline coverage”.

#2 Display Historical Trending on Forecast Tab

You’ll love this one for sure! You may be familiar with Historical Trending which is used to track changes on records such as Forecast Items. Historical Trending is usually used in reports to analyze such changes. However, in regards to Forecast Items, you can now enable the display of upward or downward trends on the Forecast Tab. This may even make the creation of corresponding reports redundant. #admintimesaver 👏🏻

Tip: Historical Trending is not enabled by default. Make sure to enable it first. Once it’s ready you’ll receive an email. After which Forecast Users will find respective Display Options on the Forecast Tab to choose from.

#3 Selecting The Right Report Types Becomes So Much Easier

When creating a new report from scratch, the very first thing you need to choose is the Report Type. If you get it wrong, you’ll have to start all over. 🤯 Salesforce makes this easier by showing you Recently Used Report Types.

And the best part is you can now hide Report Types which should not be used at all. This feature was already available in Salesforce Classic, and finally found its way into Lightning Experience. What took them so long? 🤔

Tip: You need to enable this feature under Reports and Dashboards Settings by ticking the checkbox “Enable Recommended Report Types”

#4 Inline Editing in Reports Gets Even Better

Similar to List Views, inline editing can be a double-edged sword. On the one side, inline editing can be very practical allowing Users to make changes right from the Report without having to open the record. On the other side though, related information might get overseen and not updated. This is being improved now. Whenever you update one field on a record that is relevant to another field on the same record, this related field will be highlighted.

Note: This feature is still in Beta and may or may not become Generally Available.

Tip: If you haven’t already, enable “Inline Editing in Reports” in the Reports and Dashboards Settings.

#5 Personal Data Protection In An Online World Becomes Even More Important

You already have all these data security and access tools available to prevent unauthorized access to specific types of data. However, there’s been a gap around User Data such as Names, Addresses, Emails, etc., especially in Experience Cloud Site Users. They should not necessarily be able to see each other’s details. Therefore, make sure to enable “Enhanced Personal Information Management” in the User Management Settings.

Note: This replaces the “Hide Personal Information” feature, which you will need to disable again if you had it turned on.

#6 Sharing Rules Become More Sophisticated

In regards to data protection, you can now include or exclude specific records which are associated with High-Volume Community Users or System Users.

Tip: By default, the Sharing Rule automatically includes these records. If this is not desired, ensure to deselect the checkbox “Include records owned by users who can’t have an assigned role”.

#7 Smarter Manage Permission Set Group Assignments with Expiration Dates

Keeping an overview of who is assigned to what Permission Set or Permission Set Group is hard enough. Permission Set Groups even allow you to add expiration dates which is awesome. You can now not only see the list of Users with an expiry date, but you can now also search and filter Users.

Note: This feature is currently in Beta, and may or may not become Generally Available.

Tip: Enable “Permission Set & Permission Set Group Assignments with Expiration Dates” in the User Management Settings in order to assign and manage expirations.

#8 Identify Sloooooowwww Record Pages

Since the introduction of Lightning Experience, Users have been complaining about slow page loads. This impacts user adoption significantly and Salesforce has already made a number of improvements around this issue. The Lightning Usage App already includes a section around “Slowest Desktop Record Pages”. However, while you are building out Lightning Record Pages, you are now automatically prompted when the system recognized pages that could run more efficiently.

No tip, just keep an eye out. 😉

#9 Our Love For Flow Is Growing

Almost no other Salesforce development tool has seen so many improvements in such a short time as the Flow Builder does. We all know by now that Flow will become your go-to automation tool and Salesforce is making sure, you won’t have such a hard time. From all the new updates, here are my Top 3:

Auto-Layout becomes Generally Available

When you create a new Flow it is automatically set to Auto-Layout. However, if you prefer, you can switch it back to Freeform. I still personally prefer Freeform because I like to see all Elements and Resources in the panel on the left. #oldhabitsdiehard However, the Auto-Layout is just perfect for Flow Newbies or if you prefer a more guided approach.

Use Flow Trigger Explorer to see all Flows associated to a specific Object

One of the issues with having too many automation tools is that you don’t really know what automation is already in place for one particular Object.

The Flow Trigger Explorer has been put in place to take some of that guesswork out. Of course, it can only look at Flows, but for Record-Triggered Flows, it shows you if there are other Flows already in place for the same Object. Almost too good to be true, but it’s right there. 😉

No tip, just click on “Open Flow Trigger Explorer…”.

Determine Run Order of Record-Triggered Flows

How do you know which Flow runs first when you have multiple Flows for the same Object? Good question. Problem solved with the “Trigger Order” field which you can determine when you save a Flow. If the Flow was saved already, just go to the Flow Properties.

Note: The Flows must use the same trigger, either before-save or after-save.

And there’s heaps more. Make sure to check out the other Flow updates too.

#10 Convert Workflow Rules to Flow

A little warning first: Don’t try this one in a real Production Org, test this out in a Sandbox or Developer Org first! Plus, this is currently in Beta and may require fine-tuning. However, it’s certainly worth giving it a go.

It’s time we face it: Workflow Rules and Processes are going to be retired. While they will still be around for another (probably long) while, you won’t be able to create new ones anymore. You will only be able to edit existing ones. This means, you still need to know how Workflow Rules and Processes work. But, you will also need to learn more about Flow and how to migrate Workflow Rules and Processes to Flow Builder. Salesforce is starting to provide you with migration tools. Here’s one for Workflow Rules:

You will find a new Setup menu item “Migrate to Flow”. Select the Rules you wish to migrate and the system will do the work for you. Once the migration is completed, you will be able to test the functionality in Flow Builder. Voila!

There are so many more features to explore. Go check them out and remember you can earn points for learning all about them: Spring ’22 Release Highlights

Let us know in the comments which features you enjoy the most. We’d love to hear from you!

WHAT ELSE…

We make learning simple with our range of well-structured Salesforce Video Tutorials, downloadable Study Workbooks and realistic Practice Exams.

And if you are brand new to the world of Salesforce, make sure to sign up to our FREE 21-Day Salesforce Beginners Challenge.

How Long Does It Take to Learn For Your Salesforce Certification Exam?

That depends! Not the answer you wanted? Bear with me. There are a number of factors contributed to your experience, study materials, career goal and more. You are going to make this work using the guidelines we’ll discuss in this article.

Author: Peggy Schael | Salesforce Trainer | WeLearnSalesforce

“Success isn’t overnight. It’s when every day you get a little better than the day before. It all adds up.” 

Dwayne Johnson | actor and former pro-wrestler

One of the most popular questions around Salesforce Certifications is how long or how much time it takes to get ready for the Salesforce Certification Exam. And this is indeed a very important question to ask yourself. Understanding the timing will help you prepare accordingly and avoid the frustration.

While there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, we can certainly apply a rule of thumb to give you some direction. Therefore, in this article we will break down the most relevant factors that will contribute to the date you’ll register your Salesforce Certification Exam for. These factors include:

  1. Your Salesforce experience
  2. Your available study time per week
  3. Study materials at your disposal
  4. Your Salesforce career plans
  5. Your desired Salesforce Certification exam date

Your Salesforce Experience

Have you had any experience with Salesforce yet? If yes, then we need to look at the type of experience.

This includes the type of Salesforce User, the type of Salesforce Org, type of involvement, and time spent in the system. Here are a few examples of what this may look like:

Type of Salesforce User:

  • Trailhead Learner completing Trailhead Modules and Projects
  • Salesforce Business User like a sales person using the User Interface, not the Setup
  • Salesforce Administrator working in the system setup

Type of Salesforce Org:

  • Trailhead Playground/Developer Org
  • Production Org such as Enterprise Edition, Essential Edition etc.
  • Robust org setup or disorganized org

Type of involvement:

  • Trailhead Learner completing step-by-step projects or completing complex SuperBadges
  • Business User working in the User Interface only, no Salesforce Setup
  • System Administrator configuring the Salesforce Setup, differentiating between simple setup items (e.g. setting up Users) or complex customizations (creating Custom Objects/Apps, Workflows, Flows etc.)

Time spent in the system:

  • Daily usage
  • A few hours per week
  • Irregular login

Where do you think you fit in? How confident do you feel about your experience with Salesforce?

Based on your previous experience, you may consider the following time frames:

0 Experience: 3-6 months

6 months+ Experience: 6-8 weeks

12 months+ Experience: 3-4 weeks

However, you need to consider how much time you can afford to study. Therefore, let’s look at the weekly study time and how this can affect your timeline.

Hours Per Week You Have Time to Study for your Salesforce Certification Exam

What does your daily life look like? Are you currently working a full-time job? Do you have kids or other people to care for? Do you have any leisure activities/hobbies to attend to?

This will help you determine how much time you can free up to focus on your Salesforce studies. You have various options, such as studying full-time or part-time or casually.

If we take the number of hours per day or week into consideration, the time frame may look like this:

And that’s not all, yet. We also need to look at the study materials you’re learning with as well as your learning pace to work through the materials.

Salesforce Study Materials at Your Disposal

You’ve got a lot of options to choose from in regards to how you are learning all the Salesforce Certification knowledge topics. These include Trailhead Modules/Project, video tutorials, study workbooks, practice exams, quizzes, and others.

If you are a Salesforce Newbie, you will certainly have more knowledge topics, or more material, to work through than someone with prior experience. And even if you are experienced, you may need to work through topics you thought you are confident in to make sure you’re not missing something you may not have been exposed to yet. At least, that’s what I’d suggest you should do. 🤓

What’s the best way to learn all that Salesforce knowledge to prepare for your certification exam?

With so much content out there, we’ve collated the essential details into a comprehensive Salesforce Certification Guide. It’s an 8-step guide telling you exactly what you should do in order to reach your exam day and pass at the first attempt. It also includes important information about what happens after you got certified. Because this is where your career really starts off. 👔

Your exam day will only be as successful as the Salesforce knowledge and skills you are bringing with you. The key to a successful exam day, therefore, is HOW you prepare yourself.

This means learning the right content in an effective way for your brain to absorb all that knowledge and retain it. It’s not just about “learning” it’s about “understanding”. There is science behind this, combined with real-life experience from other Salesforce learners.

Here are the recommended study materials that will help you prepare and give you the confidence for your exam day YOU want to have:

Salesforce’s Trailhead Modules and Projects – Each Salesforce Certification requires a different set of knowledge and tools. You will learn these through Trailhead Modules and Projects. The ones relevant for the Salesforce Certification you are preparing for are collated into so-called Trailmixes.

Salesforce Video Tutorials – Video tutorials are a great way to learn in a well-structured and coordinated way. Especially if you are a visual learner who prefers some guidance. Our video tutorials will not only help you “learn” but will offer plenty of opportunities for self-guided practice to help you “understand” what you’ve been learning about.

Salesforce Study Workbook – If you enjoy reading, taking notes, and even like to print out pages to pin at your desk, then our Study Workbooks are perfect for you. They give you a summary of all exam knowledge topics for review, and also include links to the Trailmixes mentioned earlier, so you can deepen your hands-on practice.

Salesforce Practice Exams – I believe these are a must-have for everyone. Because they do two things. One, get you familiar with the exam format and complexity of questions and answers. Two, they help you determine whether you are actually ready to take the exam. They are used to identify your strength and weaknesses, including detailed explanations and additional learning resources to strengthen your weaker knowledge areas.

NOTE: If you are a Salesforce Newbie, I would not recommend to start learning with Practice Exams, rather use them at a later point in time. They are meant to check in on your existing knowledge of the Salesforce features and functionalities.

And again, it depends on your prior experience. Salesforce Newbies may need all of the study materials, Salesforce Experienced may only need the Study Workbook and/or Practice Exams. Choose for yourself, it’s YOUR Salesforce Career!

And this brings us to the next factor.

Your Salesforce Career Plans

Now, we need to look at your Salesforce Career plans. This means, how important is the Salesforce Certification to you and how fast are you looking to use it to make a career move.

A Salesforce Certification is not a must-have to move into a Salesforce job, however, it will likely open more doors if you have at least one. You may even be in a current Salesforce job, maybe as an accidental Administrator, and you’re considering adding that Salesforce Certification to your CV but you’re not in a rush.

The urgency to gain the Salesforce Certification will also determine your exam deadline. And this takes us to the last but certainly not least factor.

Your Desired Salesforce Certification Exam Date

If you already have a date in mind, you can take the table from above and count backward to determine how many hours per week you would potentially have to study.

For example:

You’re desired exam date is 4 weeks from today. Two scenarios:

  • As a Salesforce Newbie, you’d have to study almost 240 hours per week. 🤯 I guess this is not very realistic. You may need to consider moving out that exam date.
  • As a Salesforce Experienced, you’d have to study 40-120 hours per week based on the type of experience. You may or may not be able to make it in 4 weeks.

🌶 Keep it realistic, and use the table above to determine your potential exam date. Yes, you can book your exam date already. This may help to push you forwards. However, if it’s an unrealistic date, you may get super stressed out and even fail while you could have prevented that by setting a realistic date.

If you are not sure whether you should book your exam date already or not, I’d suggest you get started with your learning curriculum. As you progress over the next few days or weeks, you get a feel on how well you are managing the complexity of the knowledge topics and your learning pace. Remember to make use of the Practice Exams to determine your exam readiness. Once you have a better idea, you can certainly go ahead and book that exam date.

We provide a Study Checklist to track your learning progress in combination with a traffic light system. This will give you a good idea of whether you are leaning more towards the sooner or later exam date.

What Else

Extended Hands-on Practice

Hands-on practice is included in any of the above-mentioned study materials. However, if you are a Salesforce Newbie or even if it’s just a few new topics you are studying, you should double-up your hands-on practice. The more you get your hands on the system, the better you’re learning success will be. And learning success means “understanding” your knowledge topic, which in turn will help you pass the exam. PLUS, retain the knowledge for your upcoming job interview.

This means you can either retake the Trailhead Modules/Projects in a new Trailhead Playground, or try on your own in a Developer Org. Alternatively, go and complete Trailhead Superbadges. They are based on real-life business scenarios and requirements which you need to set up in a Trailhead Playground all by yourself without any guidance. They are pretty tough and therefore the perfect way to really deepen your Salesforce skills. Yes, they do require a bit more time and patience. You can skip them, however, I’d really recommend you complete the ones listed in your Trailmixes. Superbadges can even be linked to your LinkedIn profile page, just like you can with your Salesforce Certification. That should tell you something. 💡

Here’s one which is part of the Salesforce Administrator Credential Trailmix:

Salesforce Documentation

Provides an extensive library of product features, knowledge articles, how-to documentation and so much more. While you are studying through your knowledge topics, you may want to read through some of the provided references on help.salesforce.com. They often contain additional or contributing information you should at least have a browse through. This also helps you get familiar with Salesforce Help and how to use it, because you’re going to need it, not only to prepare for your exam but also as an on-the-job reference. 🤓

Salesforce Release Notes

Contain important updates to the Salesforce platform. Each Salesforce Certification Exam is based on a release cycle. Which release cycle it is, is provided to you on the exam guide. Therefore, before you sit the exam, it helps to have a look at the exam relevant topics.

For example, if you are studying for the Salesforce Administrator, you should have a look at Analytics, Configuration, Einstein Automate, Sales, Marketing and Service.

This should give you plenty to contemplate. I hope you’ve been finding this helpful to determine your realistic exam date. Let me know in the comments when you are planning to take your Salesforce Certification Exam. We’re here to support you and help you keep going!

We make learning Salesforce simple with our range of well-structured Salesforce Video Tutorials, downloadable Study Workbooks, and realistic Practice Exams. Available for Salesforce Administrator, Advanced Administrator, Platform App Builder and more.

All materials are in line with the official Salesforce Certification Exam Outline including regular release updates.

8 HOT TIPS TO PREPARE FOR YOUR SALESFORCE CERTIFICATION EXAM

Getting a Salesforce Certification will unlock career opportunities you didn’t know were out there. But first, you need to get it, before you can add it to your CV and LinkedIn Profile. Let me share my 8 hot tips with you how you can pass the exam at 1st attempt so you don’t loose any time to find your Salesforce Dream Job.

Author: Peggy Schael | Salesforce Trainer | WeLearnSalesforce

Getting a Salesforce Certification will unlock career opportunities you didn’t know were out there. But first, you need to get it, before you can add it to your CV and LinkedIn Profile. Let me share my 8 hot tips with you on how you can pass the exam on 1st attempt so you don’t loose any time to find your Salesforce Dream Job.

Of course, I can’t promise you will pass the exam, but I can promise that your chances to pass will increase significantly.

🌶 HOT TIP #1 – Study the official Salesforce Certification Exam Guide.

It’s been created for a purpose. 😉 It contains all the information you need to know about the certification and the exam, such as timing, cost and most importantly the exam objectives and their weighting. The greater the weighting, the more complex the topic, the more you need to deepen your skills.

🌶 HOT TIP #2 – Study the right Salesforce exam relevant topics.

You’ve got the exam objectives right there. BUT… they can be hard to interpret. Each exam topic contains a number of sub-topics. To help you understand better what the exact topics actually involve and what they mean, I’ve created a Study Checklist for you. Each exam objective, which is represented as a section, is broken down into individual topics in chronological order. It includes the obvious topics plus topics beyond what the exam outline tells you. Because I don’t want to leave you guessing. 🤓

This comprehensive Study Checklist will help you focus on all Salesforce exam-relevant topics and learn in a structured way. You want to be able to connect the dots otherwise you will get lost in the maze of Salesforce features and functionalities. As amazing as they are, you can’t possibly learn them all at once.

The Study Checklist is also a great way to tick off each topic as you progress and add notes to help you learn and review.

Of course, just knowing the topics won’t help you understand how they work. So…keep reading….

🌶 HOT TIP #3 – Study and practice with Trailhead, that’s what it’s there for.

Hands-on practice is the best way to memorize all that knowledge you are learning about. Use our WeLearnSalesforce Trailmix. It is based on the official Trailmix that you will find in the exam guide. However, I’ve optimized it into a more logical structure and added some modules and projects to fill some gaps giving you a well-rounded learning experience.

🌶 HOT TIP #4 – Don’t freak out!

It can feel overwhelming and you may find yourself lost with all that content on Trailhead. Trailhead is mainly text-based which can be cumbersome to work through. Plus, not all topics are actually covered on Trailhead yet.

That’s why… I have created Study Workbooks for you to keep you calm and focused. The Study Workbook covers all topics you will find on your Study Checklist and explains each topic with diagrams, flowcharts, checklists and best practices along with detailed descriptions. Each learning unit also contains additional learning resources like links to the corresponding Trailmix modules or projects and links to other supporting Salesforce Documentation.

And for those of you that love watching videos and prefer learning in a more guided way, I have created a comprehensive Salesforce Video Tutorial for you that gives you the complete learning experience. It almost feels like you are sitting in a classroom with the instructor upfront teaching you all about each topic, showing you around in Salesforce to see how things come to life. And we’ll do plenty of hands-on exercises together.

🌶 HOT TIP #5 – Check out Salesforce customer stories.

Why? Wouldn’t it be nice to see how Salesforce works in the real world? Indeed it would! While I’m including real-life business cases in our study materials, reading about Salesforce customer stories is a great addition. Salesforce has an awesome collection of customer stories showcasing how and why they are using Salesforce. These stories give you an idea of which Salesforce Products and features they are using. This helps you build the bridge between business and system requirements.

You can even use these scenarios to design your own version of a solution in your own Trailhead Playground or Developer Org. You get more hands-on practice plus you are building your own system experience which you can showcase with recruiters and potential future employers.

Source: salesforce.com/customers-success-stories

🌶 HOT TIP #6 – Check your exam readiness.

Once you have learned everything and gotten familiar with business use cases, you have probably forgotten half of what you have been studying. That’s perfectly normal.

That’s where Practice Exams come in handy. Practice Exams are the perfect way to test your knowledge and identify your strength and weaknesses. And, they give you a chance to get familiar with the exam format and complexity of exam questions and answers.

I have created a bundle of realistic Practice Exams for you so you can check your exam readiness. The results include detailed explanations and plenty of resources to help you deepen your learnings.

🌶 HOT TIP #7 – Register for the exam when you feel confident and you are ready to take it.

You will need to register through a Webassessor account. If you don’t have one yet, you can easily create a new one.

Some say that you should register for the exam ahead of time, like three months into the future. This gives you a deadline you can work towards. However the exam is easy to reschedule and you may find yourself postponing it, or, taking it, just for the sake of it because it’s booked, but then you may fail. You may not. But if you do you’re not only losing time but also money. The certification exam is US$200 and the retake is US$100.

What I recommend instead, is, yes, absolutely plan for it. Put a date in the calendar by when you’d like to be ready. When you get closer to that date, check in on your learning progress, for example with Practice Exams. If you reach at least 80-90%, you have a pretty good chance to pass the real exam, meaning you can go register. Of course, I can’t promise you will pass but the more you practice the more likely you will.

Upon registration, you will have to choose your test taker style. You can take the exam onsite at a Kryterion test center or online from home or work or anywhere you choose, as long as you have a computer, internet and a webcam. Both options are of course proctored.

The online option will require you to install some software to access the exam. Exams taken at a Kryterion test center only require some form of ID and a happy smile. You are even given scratch paper too, which you won’t be allowed to use in an online exam.

Get familiar with the requirements for each test taker style and choose the one you prefer. Many locations offer plenty of time slots throughout the week, so you should be able to book something not too far in the future.

🌶 HOT TIP #8 – Keep practicing! Practice practice practice.

Get your hands on the system. Trust me. That’s the best way to memorize what you are learning. You still have time, go back to the Practice Exams, do them again, practice weaker areas even more. This will give you so much more confidence.

I’ve put all these steps into a comprehensive Salesforce Certification Guide. It contains even more useful tips and tricks. No go ahead, and download it right away. It’s free, with no strings attached.

I hope you’ve been finding these hot tips helpful. Is there anything else you’d like to know? Please leave me a comment. I’m here to help! 🙂

How to maintain your Salesforce Certificate

This is just the beginning! You have passed the Salesforce Certification Exam and you can proudly call yourself a Certified Salesforce Professional. Now it’s all about gaining more experience and advancing your Salesforce knowledge.

Salesforce Certification Guide – [8/8] – Download Full Guide Here

Author: Peggy Schael | Salesforce Trainer | WeLearnSalesforce

In this last of my eight-part certification guide, let’s look at ways to share your proudly earned Salesforce Credential with potential employers and how to maintain your trophy.

ADD YOUR CERTIFICATION TO YOUR TRAILBLAZER PROFILE

First up, make sure your certification is listed on your Trailblazer Profile. In case you haven’t linked your Webassessor Account with your Trailblazer Profile yet, follow these instructions.

WeLearnSalesforce - Add Your Salesforce Certification to Your Trailblazer Profile
Source: https://trailhead.salesforce.com
WeLearnSalesforce - Add Your Salesforce Certification to Your Trailblazer Profile
Source: https://trailhead.salesforce.com
SHARE YOUR SUCCESS WITH POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS

Don’t be shy, share your success with the world. You have worked hard for this and can be very proud of yourself.

You can now

  • add your Salesforce Credential to your Personal CV,
  • share the link to your Trailblazer Profile on your social media accounts such as LinkedIn.
WeLearnSalesforce - Share Your Salesforce Certification Success With Potential Employers
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggyschael/
COMPLETE THE MAINTENANCE EXAMS

In order to keep your well-earned Salesforce Certification, you need to complete Maintenance Modules. Don’t worry, that sounds worse than it is. Quite the opposite, they are not that hard. Plus, they are free of charge.

Salesforce used to require three Maintenance Modules per year according to each release cycle. However, this had changed to only once per year. Phew!

Salesforce will send you email reminders about your certification maintenance and dates. You will also find this information on Trailhead.

Most Maintenance Modules have been fully integrated into Trailhead. So you can not only study new features and complete the maintenance challenges in your Trailhead Playground but also earn additional points and badges. Win-win!

WeLearnSalesforce - Complete The Salesforce Maintainance Exams
Source: Example for Administrator Certification Maintainance (Spring 20) – List of upcoming Maintenance Schedule: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/help?article=Certification-Release-Maintenance-Schedule

KEEP IN TOUCH

We truly care about your success! So let’s keep in touch. It’s all about supporting each other.

Come and join WeLearnSalesforce on Facebook and LinkedIn:

WeLearnSalesforce Facebook Group

WeLearnSalesforce Group

WeLearnSalesforce LinkedIn Group

WeLearnSalesforce – Community Group

Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide Download Full Guide Here

Download our FREE Ultimate Salesforce Certification Guide

How to master the Salesforce Certification Exam Day

Exam Day has arrived! Are you freaking out? Don’t be! Take a deep breath and follow my recipe below. I promise you’ll survive! 🙂

Salesforce Certification Guide – [7/8] – Download Full Guide Here

Author: Peggy Schael | Salesforce Trainer | WeLearnSalesforce

In this second last of my eight-part certification guide, I want to share my 5 hot tips on how you can enter into your exam session without loosing control. Remember that you can’t possibly know everything but using good judgment and trusting what you have already learned, is the key to survival.

STAY IN CONTROL AND OVERCOME YOUR FEAR WITH THESE 5 TIPS:

#1 Take your Time before your start

Take a deep breath. Maybe jot down a few keywords on the scratch-paper (Onsite Exam only) to ease your mind.

Know that you are in control of the start button. The time only starts counting when you decide to hit that start button. So don’t rush it and only start when you are ready.

#2 Read all questions and answers very carefully

You do have enough time to familiarize yourself with the question. They often contain a tiny word or phrase that leads you to the correct answer.

Also, be aware that some questions are not necessarily about what’s correct but what is the best solution. There are often multiple ways to set something up in Salesforce, however, Salesforce wants you to use declarative low code tools as much as possible.

Example:

The Sales Team is required to create Quote records as soon as an Opportunity has reached the stage Proposal. However, some Sales Reps forget this step and the Sales Manager can’t see the correct number of Quotes in the Pipeline Dashboard. How can an Administrator ensure that the Quote is created?

A – Create a process with Process Builder which sends a Task to the Opportunity owner to create the Quote once the Opportunity Stage is updated to Proposal

B – Create a process with Process Builder which creates the Quote record when the Stage on the Opportunity is changed to Proposal

C – Create an APEX trigger which creates the Quote record at Opportunity Stage Proposal

The correct answer would be B because it’s a declarative automation tool. A is a good idea but it’s just a reminder rather than an enforcement. C is possible but requires coding and can become hard to maintain.

#3 Manage your time

If you have a question you know the answer to right away, mark your answer and move on to the next question immediately.

If you come across a question that you are not sure about, don’t let that question throw you off and spend too much time thinking about it – mark it for review and move on to the next question so you are not loosing time for those questions you know well and that will very likely get you to pass.

#4 Got a brain freeze?

That’s what your scratch-paper is for (Onsite Exams only). Draw a diagram or write down acronyms. This will help you unlock your memory. Also, think of your hands-on practice or on-the-job experience where you may have had a similar request. How did you solve that?

#5 Revisit marked questions

Towards the end, revisit the questions you had marked for review. Be aware that the order of the answers in those questions may likely have changed because they are randomized. In case you used your scratch paper to write down the letters of the answers, maybe “A”, this could now be answer “B”. So instead of writing down the letter, write down keywords from these answers. If you are still unsure, leave it and move on to the next question for review. Remember that you don’t have to achieve 100%, your passing score is 65%.

EXAMPLE:

Order of answers at the beginning:

  1. Quick Actions
  2. Custom Buttons
  3. Custom Fields

Order of answers when reviewing:

  1. Custom Fields
  2. Quick Actions
  3. Custom Buttons

GETTING THE EXAM RESULTS

Review the result and scores

Your exam results are immediate and will tell you whether you passed or failed. They will also be emailed to you. The results include the section-level scoring for each exam section. This allows you to identify where your strengths and weaknesses were. In case you failed, you can use this to review and practice your weaker areas.

Celebrate your Salesforce Certification
WeLearnSalesforce - Celebrate your Salesforce Administrator Certification

Share your success with your peers in your community groups. This will encourage your peers and they will give you a pat on the back.

WeLearnSalesforce Facebook Group

WeLearnSalesforce Group

WeLearnSalesforce LinkedIn Group

WeLearnSalesforce Group

And if you didn’t pass, don’t worry. You have already learned so much and you can only get better. Don’t bust your head in the sand, keep going! Your community is here for you to support you.

Your journey doesn’t end here. 🙂 In the next and last article of this series, I want to explain a few things to keep in mind about sharing your achievements and maintaining your credential.

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How to succeed in a Salesforce Certification Exam

Have you booked your exam appointment? And now you’re wondering whether you are actually ready to take it? Keep calm! You still have time to review and practice.

Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide – [6/8] – Download Full Guide Here

Author: Peggy Schael | Salesforce Trainer | WeLearnSalesforce

In this sixth of my eight-part certification guide, let’s walk through a few steps you can still undertake to calm your mind and increase your confidence.

Keep Calm & Prepare!

Know How to Succeed in The Exam

First up, no one can guarantee that you will pass the exam. That is entirely up to you. However, with thorough preparation, your chances of passing are very high.

I can tell from my own experience. Before my life as a Salesforce Professional, I registered for a different type of exam I wasn’t much prepared for. I didn’t even realize I wasn’t until I sat the exam and failed miserably. That taught me a serious lesson. I was lucky that I had a great mentor who provided me with all the steps I needed to complete in order to succeed in the exam. I followed the advice, and the next time, I passed with flying colors.

And that’s exactly what this Certification Guide is for. So, if you followed the steps above, learned the right topics and practiced as much as possible, you are highly likely to succeed at the first attempt!

REVIEW YOUR LEARNINGS

Go through the exam objectives one more time, using your Study Checklist. This will help confirm that you have learned and practiced all knowledge areas.

Review any mnemonic devices such as the Study Workbook from our WeLearnSalesforce Video Course which contains lots of diagrams, flowcharts and checklists.

Test your knowledge with the WeLearnSalesforce Practice Exams if you haven’t already. It’s a great way to get familiar with the format and types of questions. And it’s the last chance to review your weaker knowledge areas.

KNOW WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW

Keep in mind, that the passing score is 65%, not 100%. It’s ok if there are a few areas where you may not be 100% confident. That’s totally normal. Some topics simply take longer to understand but shouldn’t hold you back from getting your certification that you have worked for so hard.

In the next article, we will look at techniques you can use throughout the exam session to ease your mind and trust the expertise you have already acquired during your learning process.

Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide Download Full Guide Here

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How to register for the Salesforce Certification Exam

Understanding the differences between the test-taking options and choosing your preferences will make your exam day a tad bit easier.

Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide – [5/8] – Download Full Guide Here

Author: Peggy Schael | Salesforce Trainer | WeLearnSalesforce

In this fifth of my eight-part certification guide, I will give you the run-down of what to consider before you choose between an Online or Onsite Exam. And I will share the link where you need to go to finally register for the exam. Trailhead is hiding this link a bit too well (probably not on purpose).

Know Your Test-Taker Style

The certification exam can be taken either Online from a location you choose or Onsite from a Kryterion-sponsored Testing Center.

It’s important to understand the main differences so you can decide which test-taking style you feel more comfortable with. Here are the key differences:

Take the Salesforce Exam – ONLINE:

  • Take the exam remotely from your own personal or work computer
  • Proctored through a webcam
  • Requires external webcam
  • Requires installation of Sentinel Secure software
  • No scratch paper allowed during exam

Read the official instructions carefully so your computer and exam location are prepared correctly:

WeLearnSalesforce - Complete Your Salesforce Exam Remotely
Source: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/help?article=Online-Proctoring-Completing-Your-Exam-Remotely

Take the Salesforce Exam – ONSITE:

  • Take exam from a Kryterion-sponsored Testing Center. There are many to choose from worldwide, so you can schedule your exam with a testing center that is closest to you
  • Proctored through cameras set up in testing room
  • Everything is ready for you, no need to worry about technical setup and installations
  • You are provided with scratch paper

There are a few items to bring to the testing center for check-in purposes, so read the instructions carefully to be prepared:

WeLearnSalesforce - Complete Your Salesforce Exam at a Testing Center
Source: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/help?article=Onsite-Proctoring-Completing-Your-Exam-at-a-Testing-Center
Find out where your strength and weaknesses are BEFORE taking the real exam.
Register for a Salesforce Certification Exam

You will need to sign in at www.webassessor.com/salesforce.

If you have never registered for an exam with this site before, you will need to create an account first.

On the homepage, you will find all relevant information about Online and Onsite exams and how to schedule your exam.

WeLearnSalesforce - Register for a Salesforce Certification Exam
Source: www.webassessor.com/salesforce

Follow the instructions provided to you on both Webassessor as well as Trailhead: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/help?article=Scheduling-an-Exam

The Salesforce Administrator Certification Exam does come at a cost of US$200 plus applicable taxes per local law. The Retake fee is US$100 plus applicable taxes.

WeLearnSalesforce - Register for a Salesforce Certification Exam - Salesforce Certified Administrator.
Source: www.webassessor.com/salesforce

Always check against the Official Salesforce Administrator Exam Guide for the latest updates on the release cycle, costs and other requirements.

Don’t Freak Out!

The date is set and now it’s countdown time. BUT don’t stress out. If you have prepared yourself well with the steps I have described earlier, you are good to go.

In the next article, we will take a look at the steps you can take to calm your mind and increase your confidence towards your exam day.

Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide Download Full Guide Here

Download our FREE Ultimate Salesforce Certification Guide
Find out where your strength and weaknesses are BEFORE taking the real exam. With our bundle of 5 Practice Exams:

How to best test your Salesforce Knowledge to take your Salesforce Certification Exam with confidence

Know what you know and know what you don’t know. What? Exactly! You can’t possible learn and memorize everything at once. So being aware of what you are confident in and what you still need to practice will contribute to your learning success.

Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide – [4/8] – Download Full Guide Here

Author: Peggy Schael | Salesforce Trainer | WeLearnSalesforce

In this fourth of my eight-part Salesforce Certification Guide, we will walk through the steps you should follow to verify your learning progress. You don’t want to pass your exam only because you were lucky? You want to pass because you understand what you are doing, right? So let’s find out how you can test your knowledge and gain the confidence you want to achieve before booking your exam appointment.

How do you know you are READY to take the Salesforce Certification Exam?

Review the Salesforce Certification Exam Objectives

Don’t forget to check your learning progress against your Study Checklist. Have you learned and practiced all the topics required for the exam? Use the checklist I’ve provided you with to make sure you don’t forget anything.

Test Your Salesforce Knowledge

Testing your knowledge is a great way to identify your strength and weaknesses. The Official Salesforce Administrator Practice Test gives you a chance to familiarize yourself with the test environment, format and level of questions.

The Official Salesforce Administrator Practice Test comes at a small fee of US$20. It includes 60 questions with an allotted time of 90 minutes, just like in the real exam. It’s un-proctored and done online at your own convenience. Once completed you will be presented with your overall score plus section-level scores for each exam objective.

Don’t trust the test scores blindly though. You might just have been lucky. Even if an area appears to be a strength, ask yourself if that’s true or if you need to review this area as well.

The Official Salesforce Practice Test is great, but you can only do it once and you will loose access once it’s completed. Of course, you can register again for another US$20.

Verify Your Confidence Level

We want you to be really confident and give you more opportunities to test your knowledge. That’s why we have created our very own WeLearnSalesforce Administrator Certification – Practice Exams for you.

WeLearnSalesforce Practice Exams - Salesforce Administrator Certification
WeLearnSalesforce Practice Exams – Salesforce Administrator Certification
LEARN MORE
Each Salesforce Admin Certification Practice Exam Includes:
  • 60 Exam Questions
  • Covering All Exam Sections
  • 90 Minute Time Limit
  • Section-Level Scoring
  • Detailed Explanations
  • Additional Resources

How do you make sure you are READY to take the Salesforce Certification Exam

Practice Even More!

Did I mention that hands-on practice will be the key to your learning success? And not only that! It will also help you succeed in the exam because you understand what you learn.

So, review your results from your practice exams and get back into Salesforce and practice the topics you got wrong or still don’t feel confident about at least once more. 

Re-Test Your Knowledge

Do at least one more practice exam and see how your results turn out now that you have even more practice. Do you get 80-90% or more correct? And do you feel confident rather than lucky?

If the answer is Yes, then you are ready to give the exam a go. Of course, any of the above is completely optional. You don’t have to do any formal training, you don’t have to do any practice exams. BUT…they will give you the peace of mind and confidence you want to achieve as a successful Salesforce Administrator.

In the next article, we will talk about the different test-taker styles and where you need to go to register.

Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide Download Full Guide Here

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How to best learn for the Salesforce Certification Exam

Haven’t we all been struggling with the big ‘HOW’ since school? Questions like: How do I learn? How do I memorize all this? There’s no one-fits-all solution but let me give you a few hot tips that have been proven to help most of my Salesforce students.

Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide – [3/8] – Download Full Guide Here

Author: Peggy Schael | Salesforce Trainer | WeLearnSalesforce

Since there is a lot of content to work through, having a list of all the topics to keep an eye on, can be a real lifesaver. You don’t want to be missing any topics that may bring you a lot of points in your exam results. In this third of my eight-part certification guide, I will explain how you can learn all these topics in a structured way and how to split them out in bite-size chunks to give your brain time to absorb and memorize.

Learning in a structured environment

Use a Study Checklist

Every time I studied for a Salesforce certification, I kept a close eye on the exam outline to make sure I’m not missing any topics. So I’ve pretty much used it as a checklist, that I went back to regularly and marked the topics I had studied already and that I felt confident with.

Since the Trailhead Exam Guide doesn’t allow you to tick anything off, I’ve put together a Study Checklist with a complete list of all exam topics. You can print it out if you prefer, tick it off as you go and even add additional notes that help you with your studies.

WeLearnSalesforce - Salesforce Administrator Certification - Study Checklist
Download the WeLearnSalesforce Study Checklist
HOT TIP: Avoid Salesforce Exam Dumps

You may come across Websites or Facebook Groups pretending to be Salesforce Training providers that offer complete Exam Dumps for free or for a small fee. These are not legal! Even if you do consider making use of them, any smart future employer will find out quickly that you have been cheating and your chances to find a job in the Salesforce Job Market will decrease significantly.

Follow a Structured Training Curriculum

Now that you have the list of topics, how do you actually go about learning them all? By stamping blindly through the Trailhead platform and finding the related learning modules. Just kidding.

I have created a comprehensive Trailmix “WeLearnSalesforce – Salesforce Administrator Credential” for you on Trailhead. It includes quizzes and hands-on challenges or projects for each exam topic.

TRAILHEAD Trailmix by Peggy Schael WeLearnSaIesforce: Salesforce Administrator Credential Learn the fundamental Salesforce functionalities. This Trailmix is for everyone. Come visit us at https://www.welearnsalesforce.com
Source: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/users/pedev/trailmixes/welearnsalesforce-admin

It is based on the official Trailmix provided by Trailhead which is included in the official exam guide. However, I have added my own version of it. Why? Since I used to work closely with the Trailhead Academy as a Certified Salesforce Instructor for over 4 years, I know the contents really well and know what’s missing. So I’ve added a few more items to fill those gaps. I have also changed the order of the learning modules a little bit to make sure you get a more logical and therefore better learning experience.

This means you will learn each topic in chronological order building up your knowledge as you proceed. Some exam topics require prior knowledge of another topic, so I’ve structured the contents accordingly.

Join a formal Training Course

Everyone has a different learning style. From my experience in training thousands of students, I’ve realized that most students prefer to learn in a structured environment, with visual representation and guided hands-on exercises. I had a number of students join my trainings who initially started learning solely on Trailhead and found themselves lost.

In conjunction with the Trailmix I have set up for you, me and my team have created a Salesforce Video Learning Platform WeLearnSalesforce. It’s an online on-demand platform, giving you the freedom to choose a time and pace that suits your personal and business lifestyle. And since it’s all online, you can access our courses from any device such as your desktop, laptop or tablet, as long as it has an internet connection and an internet browser, e.g. Safari, Chrome, Firefox.

WeLearnSalesforce – Salesforce Administrator Certification – Video Training Course
WeLearnSalesforce – Salesforce Administrator Certification – Video Training Course

Our Salesforce Video Courses follow the Study Checklist and guide you through your Salesforce Learning Journey as you proceed. The structure of the videos is based on the essential elements of successful learning: Logical concepts using diagrams, workflows and checklists combined with common business use cases. Followed by Salesforce system demos and most importantly plenty of hands-on exercises.

WeLearnSalesforce – Salesforce Administrator Certification – Video Training Course
WeLearnSalesforce – Salesforce Administrator Certification – Video Training Course

Nothing is more important than “learning by doing”. Your own hands-on practice will help you internalize your newly acquired Salesforce knowledge. The hands-on exercises are completed on Trailhead following our WeLearnSalesforce Trailmix.

The Complete Salesforce Administrator Certification Course includes all the essential ingredients you need to prepare for your Salesforce Certification Exam:

  • 16+ Hours of Video Content
  • 600+ Pages Printable Study Workbook
  • 5 Realistic Practice Exams – 60 Questions Each
  • Covers ALL Exam Sections and ALL Exam Objectives
  • 120+ Learning Units
  • Bonus Practice Section
  • Certification Exam Guide & Study Checklist
  • Unlimited Access. Release Updates Included

Uncover the Secrets of successfully learning Salesforce

Practice Practice Practice

It’s all about Practice! You will hear me say this a lot. You can only get better with hands-on experience. It’s the key to your learning success and will help you ease your way through the exam you are preparing for.

HOT TIP: Don’t Learn By Heart

If you simply memorize the learning concepts without actually understanding the Why behind it, you will not only struggle in the exam. You will also struggle in your job when it comes to proving credible solutions.

There are aspects to the capabilities of the Salesforce platform that you will indeed need to learn by heart. This primarily includes platform limitations or license type limitations etc.

EXAMPLE:

KNOWLEDGE QUESTION (learn by heart)

How many components can be added to a Dashboard?

A) 10

B) 20

C) 50

The correct answer is B. You simply have to learn this by heart, there is no real logic behind it. The only reason might be that more than 20 becomes really hard to view, but Salesforce wouldn’t limit this if it was technically possible to add more than 20.

COMPREHENSION QUESTION (requires an understanding of context)

What are the results of deactivating a user instead of freezing?

A) Frees up a license

B) Does not remove from sharing privileges

C) Removes from Team Sharing if required

D) None of the above

The correct answers are A and C. There is a lot of logic behind these features. Deactivation is meant to be a permanent decision, e.g. when a user leaves the organization. So you would want to re-allocate the license you are paying for to someone else. Team Sharing will also be impacted. If the deactivated User would still appear as a team member, this can lead to confusion. Freezing on the other hand is a temporary solution, e.g. when running data imports or deployments.

Take Your Time

Don’t try to learn all at once. There is a lot of content to absorb and to get familiar with so it will take some time. You’ll need a bare minimum of three months, better six or more, especially when you are very new to Salesforce. Some topics are easier than others. Therefore you’ll notice that you may need to practice the trickier topics more than once.

Learn in Bite-Size Chunks

I recommend studying one unit at a time. Each unit is different in length and complexity.

Studying a unit includes:

  • A video with learning concepts for each topic
  • A follow-along segment within the same video where I demo the learnings in Salesforce
  • A PDF Workbook for download, covering all units and to use to take notes
  • Time to practice on your own*
  • Time to study additional resource materials provided

*If you would like to practice the exact same steps, I recommend creating a new Playground to avoid duplication issues. Or use your own Developer Org and practice without guidance to gain more confidence.

WeLearnSalesforce – Salesforce Administrator Certification – PDF Workbook
WeLearnSalesforce – Salesforce Administrator Certification – PDF Workbook

Connect with Your Salesforce Learners Community

You are not alone. There are thousands of Salesforce learners out there. Connect with your peers to ask questions, get answers and share your own expertise and experiences.

I have set up dedicated WeLearnSalesforce Community Groups.

Come and join WeLearnSalesforce on Facebook and LinkedIn:

WeLearnSalesforce Group

WeLearnSalesforce – Community Group

We are looking forward to meeting you!

And in the next article, we will look at strategies to test your knowledge. It’s one thing to learn and practice but it’s another to actually apply your learnings and find out whether you understand what you have been working on so long.

Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide Download Full Guide Here

Download our FREE Ultimate Salesforce Certification Guide

Where to find the most relevant Salesforce Learning Content

Knowing where to start and what Salesforce learning contents you should focus on will ensure you are getting on the right track.

Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide – [2/8] – Download Full Guide Here

Author: Peggy Schael | Salesforce Trainer | WeLearnSalesforce

It’s easy to get lost amongst all that information that is available out there. In this second of my eight-part certification guide, I will take you through the steps where you should get started, what you need to set up your learning environment and where to find the learning topics you need to focus on.

Where Should You Get Started

Sign-up for Trailhead

If you are new to Salesforce, the first step on your way to becoming a Salesforce Certified Professional is to sign up for Trailhead. This is Salesforce’s very own learning platform with a lot of free content. Of course, creating an Account on Trailhead is optional, but comes with great benefits.

Watch this video on how to “Get Started with Trailhead“
WeLearnSalesforce - How to get started with Trailhead
How to get started with Trailhead
Get Access to Free Salesforce Practice Orgs

Trailhead does provide you with free Salesforce logins, so called “Playgrounds”, to practice the skills you are learning about hands-on. And most importantly, you can earn points and badges throughout these hands-on exercises. Apart from Playgrounds, you can also sign up for a personal Salesforce Developer Org, which can be connected to your Trailhead account.

Watch this video on how to “Set up your Trailhead Playground“
WeLearnSalesforce - How to set up your Trailhead Playground
How to set up your Trailhead Playground
Watch this video on how to “Set up a Developer Org“
WeLearnSalesforce - How to set up a Salesforce Developer Org
How to set up a Salesforce Developer Org
Create Your Salesforce Knowledge Trailblazer Profile

The points and badges you can earn on Trailhead are accumulated on your so called Trailblazer Profile which is generated with your Trailhead Account. Your Trailblazer Profile is a modern way of building a knowledge curriculum that you can share on your personal CV or LinkedIn Profile.

And once you are certified, your Salesforce Administrator Certification and other certifications you may acquire over time will be displayed on your Trailblazer Profile right at the top. So you will have all your Salesforce certifications and topic specific badges in one place!

WeLearnSalesforce Blog - Create Your Salesforce Knowledge Trailblazer Profile

What Topics You Need To Learn

Study The Salesforce Administrator Exam Guide

With so much free content on the Trailhead platform, however, it can be quite overwhelming to find out where to start.

So your next step is to identify the learning objectives for your certification. Salesforce has put together a baseline Salesforce Administrator Certification Exam Guide including all the exam objectives you will be tested on. This exam guide is provided to you on Trailhead.

WeLearnSalesforce - Study The Salesforce Certified Administrator Exam Guide
Source: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/help?article=Salesforce-Certified-Administrator-Exam-Guide

You don’t need a Trailhead Account in order to access the exam guide. You do however need an account if you want to do the hands-on exercises. And since hands-on practice is the most important part of your learning journey, I highly recommend signing up for a Trailhead Account.

The Exam Guide contains details about the scope of the exam such as a number of questions, passing score, allotted time, exam fee and retake fee. And you will find the Exam Outline with all knowledge areas and specific topics that will be covered in the exam.

Exam Outline The Salesforce Administrator exam measures a candidate's knowledge and skills related to the following objectives. A candidate should have hands-on experience as a Salesforce Administrator and have demonstrated the application of each of the features/functions below. > Organizational Setup: 3% > User Setup: 7% > Security and Access: 13%
Source: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/help?article=Salesforce-Certified-Administrator-Exam-Guide

Each knowledge area is associated with a percentage that indicates the importance of each knowledge area. This means, knowledge areas with a higher percentage are more complex and will therefore come with more questions in the exam.

Get Familiar with the Salesforce Classic and the Salesforce Lightning Experience User Interfaces

Salesforce comes with two different user interfaces, the original Salesforce Classic and the newer Salesforce Lightning Experience. The exam objectives are not interface specific. It’s about understanding the concepts. Both interfaces use similar Setup items, some of them simply looking different. I have been using both extensively and can tell the difference quite well. Saying that some Classic features have not or will not get migrated into Lightning Experience and vice versa. So for some items, you will need to switch between the interfaces.

Since Salesforce is focussing its efforts more and more on the Lightning Experience Integration, it’s enforcing the use of Lighting Experience accordingly. This means it’s best to start learning or moving your learnings to Lightning Experience but get familiar with the Classic Interface too.

WeLearnSalesforce - Salesforce Classic User Interface
Salesforce Classic User Interface
WeLearnSalesforce - Salesforce Lightning User Interface
Salesforce Lightning User Interface
Study the latest Salesforce Release Notes

Be aware that Salesforce has three release cycles per year, Winter, Spring and Summer, based on the northern hemisphere. Each release comes with new features that a Salesforce Administrator should be familiar with. The Exam Guide will indicate which release cycle you are currently on. So at the time that you are about to register for the exam, check the release cycle and make sure you have studied the relevant Release Notes as well.

WeLearnSalesforce - Study the latest Salesforce Release Notes
Source: https://releasenotes.docs.salesforce.com/

Focussing on the right topics you need to study, not only helps you succeed in the exam.  You gain the knowledge of the core features and functionalities to leverage the capabilities of the Salesforce platform in a smarter way.

In the next article, I want to share with you what a good learning environment looks like and how you get through all the learning topics in a structured way without loosing sight of your learning progress.

Salesforce Administrator Certification Guide Download Full Guide Here

Download our FREE Ultimate Salesforce Certification Guide