Everything You Need To Know About Salesforce Admin Certification Exam
Salesforce is a game-changer, ever-evolving, always innovating, #1 CRM platform globally. It is a huge company growing leap and bounds every year. It welcomes individuals of all types of backgrounds and opens doors for an illustrious career.
The first step to enter into the Salesforce world is through Salesforce administration certification. In this blog, we will go through everything you need to know about Salesforce admin.
What is salesforce admin?
Consider Salesforce Administrators to be your go-to people for all things Salesforce. They serve as a key link between the worlds of business and technology.
Administrators at Salesforce collaborate with stakeholders to determine system needs and modify the platform. They make it possible for users to get the most out of the Salesforce platform.
A Salesforce Admin is the one who knows the most about how to make the platform work for their company's objectives.
Who can become one?
Anyone who is inclined towards pursuing a career in the ever-growing Salesforce ecosystem can become a Salesforce administrator.
How to prepare for the exam?/ Resources
The best way to get started is on Trailhead where you can get hands-on experience. The trailblazer community is one such platform to get all your queries answered by the experts in the Salesforce ecosystem. Apart from that, a whole lot of guided videos are available on YouTube for you to understand the topic in more depth.
It is recommended that you finish both the Admin Beginner and Admin Intermediate paths on Trailhead for hands-on experience. Then, on Trailhead, complete the Admin Certification Trail and Admin Certification Trailmix. These have been created by Salesforce to walk you through the most crucial aspects of the test.
Are there any prerequisites?
To get started, you don't need any technical skills or experience with Salesforce technology. Trailhead, Salesforce's free online learning platform designed to teach new students and seasoned professionals a wide array of business skills, is available to anybody with a computer and an internet connection anywhere in the globe. The best part is that you can study to be a Salesforce Admin on your own time.
The Admin Exam
Content: 60 multiple-choice/multiple-select questions and 5 non-scored questions
Time allotted to complete the exam: 105 minutes
Passing score: 65%
Registration fee: USD 200 plus applicable taxes as required per local law
Retake fee: USD 100 plus applicable taxes as required per local law
Delivery options: Proctored exam delivered onsite at a testing center or in an online proctored environment. Click here for information on scheduling an exam.
References: No hard-copy or online materials may be referenced during the exam.
Prerequisite: None required; course attendance highly recommended
Exam Topics
Configuration and Setup: 20%
Describe the information found in the company settings (for example company settings fiscal year, business hours, currency management, default settings).
Distinguish and understand the administration of declarative configuration of the User Interface. (for example UI settings, app menu, list views, global actions, Lightning App Builder).
Given a scenario, demonstrate the proper setup and maintenance of users.
Explain the various organization Security Controls. (for example Setup Audit Trail, Login Hours, Session Settings)
Given a user request scenario, apply the appropriate security controls based on the features and capabilities of the Salesforce sharing model. (for example public groups, org-wide default, sharing: roles, subordinates, hierarchy, report and dashboard folders)
Given a scenario, determine the appropriate use of a custom profile or permission set using the various profile settings and permissions.
Object Manager and Lightning App Builder: 20%
Describe the standard object architecture and relationship model. (for example standard object, parent/child, master-detail/lookup/junction relationships, and record types.)
Explain how to create, delete, and customize fields and page layouts on standard and custom objects, and know the implications of deleting fields.
Given a scenario, determine how to create and assign page layouts, record types, and business processes for custom and standard objects.
Sales and Marketing Applications: 12%
Given a scenario, identify the capabilities and implications of the sales process. (for example sales process, opportunity, path, and forecast impact.)
Given a scenario, apply the appropriate sales productivity features using opportunity tools. (for example, dashboards, lead scoring, Einstein opportunity scoring, and home page assistant.)
Describe the capabilities of lead automation tools and campaign management. (for example, leads, lead convert, lead assignment rules, campaign, and campaign members.)
Service and Support Applications: 11%
Describe the capabilities of case management. (for example case, case assignment rules, and queues.)
Given a scenario, identify how to automate case management. (for example support process, case auto-response rules, and case escalation.)
Productivity and Collaboration: 7%
Describe the capabilities of activity management.
Describe the features of Chatter.
Describe the capabilities of the Salesforce Mobile App.
Identify use cases for AppExchange applications.
Data and Analytics Management: 14%
Describe the considerations when importing, updating, transferring, mass deleting, exporting, and backing up data.
Describe the capabilities and implications of data validation tools.
Describe the options available when creating or customizing a report or report type.
Describe the impact of the sharing model on reports.
Describe the options available when creating and modifying dashboards (e.g., dashboard components, data sources, chart types, Subscribing, running user).
Workflow/Process Automation: 16%
Given a scenario, identify the appropriate automation solution based on the capabilities of the tool.
Describe capabilities and use cases for Flow.
Describe capabilities and use cases for the approval process.
Recommended Training and References
The self-study materials recommended for this exam include:
Practice Test: Administrator Practice Test
Super badge: Lightning Experience Reports & Dashboards Specialist
Super badge: Business Administration Specialist
Super badge: Security Specialist
Tips to ace the exam
Focus more on topics you are struggling with
Make Placards to memorize the concept easily
Study with a friend
During the exam, read the questions twice before answering them
What are the job opportunities?
There is a wide array of opportunities for people who are well versed with Salesforce technology. Salesforce is used by a wide range of firms in a variety of industries and sizes, including retailers, NGOs, financial services, healthcare providers, software companies, and service businesses.
Some Salesforce Administrator Certificate holders do so to enhance their present job responsibilities – and maybe earn a greater wage. Others use it to beef up their resumes and look for a new job.
The starting salary for a Salesforce admin in the US is $ 79, 000 (Salesforce.com)
Maintaining Your Salesforce Certification
As Salesforce evolves every year with new releases and features, it is very important for you to stay updated with the latest features to maintain your certification. As a result, once a year, you'll need to complete the Administrator certification maintenance modules on Trailhead. Your accreditation will expire if you do not fulfill all maintenance obligations by the due date.
What after Salesforce admin?
There are two types of certificates, one is Salesforce admin and the other is Salesforce admin advance. If you want to dive deeper into the Salesforce administration domain, it is advisable to go for the advance certificate. If not, you can move on with several options available like Salesforce developer. Marketing cloud, service cloud, sales cloud, platform developer, App developer, etc depending on your interest level. The best part about the Salesforce ecosystem is individuals with no previous experience or technical background can get themselves acquainted with the subject easily.
To conclude, Salesforce is a wonderful place to work for and grow exponentially in your professional career. Salesforce not only provides excellent job opportunities but the work culture of Salesforce is extraordinary and everyone out there is welcomed without any bias or judgment.
We are Apphienz, Salesforce's proud registered partner. We provide exceptional services for nonprofits, SMBs, and startups. If you are looking to implement Salesforce into your company or organization, get in touch with us today. Visit our website for more information and write to us in case of any queries. We make sure to get back to you at our earliest.
Note: Register for the Exam here: https://www.webassessor.com/wa.do?page=publicHome&branding=SALESFORCE