How To Become Salesforce Certified?

Salesforce platform and should be able to design solutions that are specific for a particular customer need. Here are the major areas that you are expected to be well-versed in for getting the certification:

• Security and Access: This field has apparently the highest weight when it comes to appearing for Advanced Administrator certification examination. In this field, you are supposed to be an expert in record access as well as field level security. You are also required to have a working knowledge of various permission sets, custom profiles and delegated administration, along with the skill of knowing when to use them.
• Extension of Custom Objects and Applications: This is the area where you are expected to know the relationships relating to extending relevant custom objects and all the considerations the user has to make in doing to. You should be able to clearly define and know the difference between the types of relationships involved and their features that are instrumental in related a custom object with another standard, custom or external object.
• Auditing and Monitoring: In this section, you are expected to be well-versed with the four key auditing features, i.e. login history, record notification fields, setup audit trail and field history tracking. When it comes to monitoring, you will be expected to know how to monitor file and data storage as well as scheduled and background job performed by the team.
• Sales Cloud Applications: You are also expected to know a few important Sales Cloud Applications features such as pricebooks, products, quotes, schedules and forecasting. This would make sure you can handle Sales Cloud as an admin.
• Service Cloud Applications: You will be expected to be well-versed with certain specific Service Cloud features such as service entitlements and processes as well as support agent interaction.
• Data Management: It is important for you to know the processes pertaining to data management such as enhancing data quality, making sure the data is clean, finding duplicate data and supervising integration with applications.
• Content Management: In this section, you will be expected to know the type of content used on the Salesforce platform and tasks such as organising content libraries, searching within content, keeping a thorough track of relevant documents and allowing the users to subscribe to specific content libraries, tags, authors or individual files.
• Change Management: This is the area that involves the activity of moving metadata (for instance, configuration and apex code between environments) as well as knowing the appropriate practices for the use of change sets.
• Analytics Certification: You are required to have a thorough knowledge of the complicated capabilities of dashboards and reports as the examinations questions are likely to be focused on the same.
• Process Automation: It is important for a Salesforce admin to know various automation tools involved in providing specific solutions to a problem, specifically involving workflow and approval processes.

experience with the advanced features and tools. Here are some of the major fields in which you should excel in order to successfully obtain this certification:

• You are required to be well-versed with the platform of Content Builder and understand how data modelling works. You should also be able use Data Designer effectively for incorporating relevant data source into Content Builder.
• You should be able to build suitable Attribute groups
• You are also expected to thoroughly examine the business requirements and conditions of your clients, offering them with the best possible solution as a consultant.
• You should be able to help your clients with charting out the most suitable branding strategies and inform them about the external systems that can be incorporated to provide better solution.
• You should be able to build efficient data and segmentation strategies for your clients, helping them provide personalised services to their customers.
• You will be tested for your ability to explain various data objects present in Salesforce Marketing Cloud.
• You should be able to suggest the most ideal data model to your clients depending on their customer data.
• You should also be able to compare and differentiate Journey Builder and Automation Studio, and other similar automation tools.
• You should be vigilant in performing efficient account configuration.
• You should also be able to compare different standard reports as well as data views for your clients.
• You will be expected to be well-versed with the configuration of Marketing Cloud Connect.
• You should be able to help your clients create and send suitable emails based on the specific requirements of their customers.

• Logic and Process Automation: This is the field of knowledge that has the maximum weight when it comes to the certification examination you will appear for. It broadly consists of understanding certain specific declarative features, getting well-versed with basic APEX and visualforce as well as understanding advanced programmatic APEX. Having a thorough knowledge of this field would allow you to use Salesforce features and apply them to the concerned data as well as documents in a way that the concerned business gets a high degree of automation in completing tedious business tasks with high accuracy.
• Data Modelling and Management: Salesforce is all about handling valuable data and you will be required to have sufficient knowledge about the data model used in the platform and the ways in which it can be efficiently utilise to carry out specific functions and providing personalised services. You should also have knowledge of relationships such as lookup, master-detail and many-to-many in order to relate objects.
• Testing: As the name suggests, this area of expertise would expect you to undertake efficient testing of the specific framework in the platform of Salesforce and knowing features of the same in order to make sure the concerned application can be implemented successfully and can run for a longer period of time.
• Debug and Deployment Tool: Debug logs are nothing but tools that help the users keep a track of events occurring in an organisation. This field expects you to be well-versed with several types of debug logs used in the Salesforce platform. You will also be expected to know the functioning of deployment tools such as The Developer Console, Workbench, Force.com and other similar tools.
• Salesforce Fundamentals: Though this section does not contain much weight in your certification examination, a Salesforce admin is expected to know certain fundamental features and tools pertaining to the platform of Salesforce. You should know the difference between traditional development and undertaking development in a multi-tenant environment. You are also expected to have a decent knowledge about features such as shared resources, automatic upgrades, governor limits and many other features fundamental to the working of Salesforce CRM.
• User Interface: Though this may not hold much weight in your examination, it is important for a Salesforce admin to know how to display data and certain important visualisations to the users in the best possible manner. If you are expert in building and managing user interface, you can make the platform a lot of more interactive an informative for the users.
• Logic and Process Automation: This is the field that holds the highest weight in the examination. Here, you are expected to have a thorough knowledge of all the important declarative features pertaining to the platform of Salesforce CRM and knowing when to employ them in order to provide the best services to your users. This field would test you regarding the skills you have to provide a high level of automation to the users by using the tools, components and features of Salesforce, getting majority of the tedious job done in a computerised manner.
• User Interface: Having a good knowledge of designing and managing user interface is very important in Platform Developer 2 certification. Here, you will be required to know how to make the best use of Visualforce, using standard set controller, creating custom controllers as well as creating controller extensions. Ultimately, you should be able to show the users what they want to see on their systems without facing any difficulty
• Performance: In this area of expertise, you will be required to know the performance issues users might face with the concerned user interface and relevant mitigation techniques for the same. You will also be required to understand what areas would affect query performance.
• Integration: In this field, you will be required to effectively use system classes in order to integrate the platform with SOAP as well as web services base on REST. You should also have a decent knowledge of using metadata, Analytics API and streaming in order to leverage solutions pertaining to APEX and Visualforce.
• Testing: As the name suggests, this field would require you to test the working of a framework in the concerned platform. This would prevent any issues arising after the implementation is completed and would help you in handling issues arising after the implementation is completed.
• Salesforce Fundamentals: It is important for you to understand the functioning of all the base system objects pertaining to the platform of Salesforce CRM and be well-versed with the functioning of various Salesforce development platforms in order to obtain this certification.
• Data Modelling and Management: You are expected to understand all the models of data that can be used on a Salesforce platform and all the features, tools and components that are employed by the users in order to manage their data and key documents in an efficient manner.
• Debug and Deployment Tools: Here, you are expected to know how to identify the suitable tool for analysing the performance of an application and troubleshoot problems pertaining to data or performance. In addition to this, you will also be expected to select the ideal deployment tools for specific scenarios.

You will be certified if you are successful in scoring 67% by paying $200 for the first attempt and an extra $100 for every retake.

Here are the key areas you will be required to focus on for being a certified Service Cloud Consultant:

• Knowing the approaches to specific customer problems and solving them using the most appropriate Service Cloud Solution Design
• Your ability to manage several cases and solving them effectively
• The strategies you will implement while using Service Cloud and providing relevant consultancy for the same
• The knowledge you possess pertaining to the industry you function in and the market you want to cater to
• Knowledge of several channels of interaction with the clients
• Your ability to explain the Knowledge lifecycle
• Your ability to give advice regarding effective reporting of solutions by making suitable dashboards and reports
• Your ability to undertake important third party integration and managing the storing, transfer and security of the valuable business data

Here are the major areas you are expected to be well-versed in for clearing the certification examination:

• You will be tested the most on your ability to manage work order. In this field, you will be assessed on the manner in which you apply the procedural concepts in creating suitable work orders and identify the ideal resource requirements. You are also expected to know to effectively capture relevant data in order to complete the orders you receive, applying relevant KPIs and to determine the processes pertaining to the closure of your work order.
• You will also be tested on the way you customise the platform optimise the same in order to make use it in the best way possible. You should know how to employ relevant technicians as well as the equipment that is required to fulfil an order. You should also be able to accurately determine the life cycle of service appointments that are necessary to fulfil your work orders.
• You will be tested on the methodology you employ in order to configure the mobility of Field Service Lightning, allowing the degree of flexibility the services require.
• You are also expected to be well-versed in the process of configuring entitlements, warranties and contracts.
• You will be tested on how well you are able to manage cases that come to you and the assets you employ in handling them.

• You will be tested on methods you employ for configuring various products and set suitable prices by using relevant lookup objects and formula fields. You will also be expected to have a thorough knowledge of the sequence of quote calculation and quote line pricing fields.
• You should know to determine ideal ways in which packages managed by CPQ would fit in the platform of Salesforce CRM.
• You should be able to set up effective bundle structure as well as product rules according to the needs of your clients at any given situation.
• You will be tested on the ideal pricing strategies and pricing outcomes you choose in a given situation.
• You should be able to use the given database to generate customer orders, handling relevant contracts and making amendments as well as renewals for meeting specific business requirements.
• You should know the use of product catalog for handling CPQ data flow and setting up suitable quotes in sync with your client requirements.
• You will be expected to be efficient in the process of product selection in any given situation.
• You will also be tested in the methods you employ for the purpose of setting up native as well as advanced approvals.

Here are the major areas you are required to excel in for obtaining the Pardot Specialist certification:

• You are expected to manage the leads generated by the sales team of your clients effectively using the Automation and Segmentation Rule, keeping in mind the requirements of your clients..
• You are also expected to make effective use of the Pardot dashboard and administer the platform effectively by comparing different Pardot Connectors.
• You should be able to effectively integrate the platform of Pardot with Salesforce through efficient field mapping and field syncing.
• You should also be able to explain how you will help your clients in tracking their visitors by using the platform of Pardot.
• You should be able to undertake the process of email marketing effectively, helping your clients in choosing ideal email templates for specific situations.
• You are also expected to clearly define all the major components of an Engagement Program.
• You should know how to effectively make use of a Landing Page without a form and manage Landing Page reporting.
• You should be able to help your clients in creating prospects by using Pardot.
• You should also be able to efficiently create different lists and compare the capabilities of the same.
• You are expected to be able to secure the valuable business data of your clients by restricting unauthorised access to the platform of Pardot.
• You are also expected to be well-versed with reporting of Pardot forms..

Unlike several other certifications, Application Architect certification cannot be obtained by appearing and clearing a single examination. You need to obtain four other certifications before you appear for the examination. Here are the prerequisites and other relevant requirements you need to obtain the certification as an Application Architect:

• You need to be a certified Sharing and Visibility Designer
• You need to be a certified Platform Developer 1
• You need to be a certified Data Architecture and Management Designer
• You need to be a certified Platform App Builder
• You should be extremely well versed with the native features and functionality pertaining to Salesforce CRM
• You are expected to possess skills required to model appropriate data models and role hierarchies

In order to be a certified B2C Commerce Developer, you need to have an experience of working as a developer at least for one year and specifically as a B2C Commerce Developer for a period of three to six months. Here are some of the major areas you need to excel in for obtaining this certification:

• You will be tested on methods you employ for configuring various products and set suitable prices by using relevant lookup objects and formula fields. You will also be expected to have a thorough knowledge of the sequence of quote calculation and quote line pricing fields.
• You are expected to have a working knowledge of Storefront Reference Architecture (SFRA).
• You should be able to add reusable functionality onto a site by creating appropriate cartridges.
• You should be able to add valid business logic to a site by creating, modifying and using the most suitable JavaScript controllers.
• You should also be able to create reusable codes by using ISML templates.
• You are expected to use B2C Commerce APIs in order to make changes in the concerned site logic and use Open Commerce API (OCAPI) for the purpose of customising business logic according to the needs of your clients
• You should also be able to use synchronous as well as asynchronous methods for carrying out third party integrations with B2C Commerce.
• You are expected to use the most appropriate tools in order to troubleshoot issues using configuration or coding for the purpose of optimising the performance of the concerned site.

required for appearing for the examination. With a passing score of 67%, you will have to pay a sum of $400 to appear for the exam and an extra $200 for every retake. Here are some of the major areas of expertise you should excel in for obtaining Data Architecture and Management Designer certification:

• You are expected to be able to evaluate the available techniques and choose the best one in order to design the data model for the platform of Salesforce Lightning. Also, the data model you build should be able to process large volumes of data sets.
• You should be able to efficiently identify the matters that affect the quality of data possessed by your clients along the important dimensions and recommend corrective measures for the same.
• You should be able to understand and apply the most ideal techniques for improving the performance of the platform while important data is being migrated from various systems into Salesforce CRM in large volumes. You should also be able to generate productive reports, dashboards as well as undertake the process of querying large volumes of data on the platform of Salesforce.
• You are also expected to be vigilant in applying relevant business intelligence, analytics and efficient reporting according to the requirements of your clients.
• You would be evaluated on the basis of the approach you would take for the purpose of creating a data archiving or data purging plan for your clients, keeping the data storing and management needs of the clients.
• You should be able to undertake smooth, quick and efficient data migration across relevant systems.
• You should be able to provide effective Master Data Management solutions to your clients.
• You will be expected to know how to design a wholesome business data governance program, keeping in mind all possible considerations.

sprint planning and version control in order to deploy most ideal strategies according to the specific needs of their clients. Here are some of the major areas you should focus on in order to be a certified Development Lifecycle and Deployment Designer:

• You are expected to know which sandboxes should be used in specific activities and manage multiple work streams simultaneously.
• You should know the different deployment tools that can be used for moving metadata between multiple organisations and should be able to choose the most ideal option depending on the requirements of your clients. Also, you should know when to use change sets and when to use Force.com IDE.
• You should be able to provide effective assistance to organisations where continuous integration is a necessity and should understand the important tools as well as their limitations.
• You will be tested on your knowledge of various development methodologies available and the ones you would recommend for any given situation. You should also know the situations where an agile methodology is suited the most and the ones where you should use the waterfall methodology.
• You should be able to establish an efficient governance model depending on the client you are dealing with.
• You should also be able to conduct effective testing for different environments and should ascertain which sandboxes should be used in each of the cases. You should also know how to handle specific bug fixes.

implementing all the basic integrations and APIs pertaining to Salesforce MuleSoft (Mule 4). A developer with this certification also gets an edge over their competitors as they are believed to use Anypoint Platform for the purpose of efficiently taking an API through its entire life cycle. They are also believed to effective control the event flow, handle all possible errors and effectively process batch records according to the need of the clients. Here are some of the key areas of expertise you need to master in order to successfully clear the certification examination:

• You should be able to clearly explain all the fundamentals of Application Network, including the proposal by MuleSoft aimed at shortening the IT delivery gap./li>
• You are expected to have a thorough understanding of the use and consumption of relevant APIs. You should also be able to clearly describe the life cycle of modern APIs.
• You should be able to use RAML for the purpose of defining the parameters, responses and requests for a specific API.`
• You should be able to effectively assess and modify Mule events based on the needs and preferences of your clients.
• You should possess the skills to structure Mule Applications efficiently.
• You should be able to build Application Interfaces for specific APIs.
• You should be able to route specific events and transform relevant data using DataWeave.
• You should also be able to use connectors and process all the necessary records based on the requirements of your clients.

pertaining to Mule 3. Here are some of the key areas you need to excel in for being a MuleSoft Certified Developer Integration Professional (Mule 3):

• Being a MuleSoft Certified Developer Integration and API Associate (Mule 3) would officially verify the fact that you have all the necessary knowledge and skills required for designing, testing, debugging and implementing the basic APIs and integrations for Mule 3. Here are some of the major areas you need to excel in for obtaining this certification:
• You should be able to clearly explain the basics involved in MuleSoft implementation and design concepts regarding the platform.
• You should be able to efficiently track the movement of data through the concerned application according to the requirements of your clients.
• You should know the situations in which to use flow and session variables along with the knowledge of how to use them.
• You are expected to know how to write Mule expressions and create files regarding Mule properties.
• You should be able to create inbound as well as outbound HTTP endpoints and know what effect the content type of HTTP has on various browsers.
• You are expected to be extremely well-versed with flow references, flows and sub-flows.
• You should have sufficient knowledge of the strategies regarding flow processing and should be able to efficiently code relevant exchange patterns.
• You should be able to be vigilant in flow control and handling errors effectively..
• You should be able to transform relevant data sets using DataWeave by writing scripts for converting XML, JASON and Java structures to required data types.
• You should be able to use and configure batch processing and effective use the Catch Scope for storing and reusing data that is frequently operated upon.
• You should be able to debug and troubleshoot all necessary Mule applications.

Here are some of the key areas you need to excel in for being a MuleSoft Certified Developer Integration Professional (Mule 3):

• Being a MuleSoft Certified Developer Integration and API Associate (Mule 3) would officially verify the fact that you have all the necessary knowledge and skills required for designing, testing, debugging and implementing the basic APIs and integrations for Mule 3. Here are some of the major areas you need to excel in for obtaining this certification:
• You should be able to clearly explain the basics involved in MuleSoft implementation and design concepts regarding the platform.
• You should be able to efficiently track the movement of data through the concerned application according to the requirements of your clients.
• You should know the situations in which to use flow and session variables along with the knowledge of how to use them.
• You are expected to know how to write Mule expressions and create files regarding Mule properties.
• You should be able to create inbound as well as outbound HTTP endpoints and know what effect the content type of HTTP has on various browsers.
• You are expected to be extremely well-versed with flow references, flows and sub-flows.
• You should have sufficient knowledge of the strategies regarding flow processing and should be able to efficiently code relevant exchange patterns.
• You should be able to be vigilant in flow control and handling errors effectively..
• You should be able to transform relevant data sets using DataWeave by writing scripts for converting XML, JASON and Java structures to required data types.
• You should be able to use and configure batch processing and effective use the Catch Scope for storing and reusing data that is frequently operated upon.
• You should be able to clearly explain the benefits and concepts pertaining to the creation of Mule clusters.
• You are expected to be able to distribute application flows in order to facilitate cluster processing by using queues..
• You should be able to deploy necessary applications on the platform of CloudHub.
• You should be able to undertake the creation and testing of custom Java components and integrating the same in necessary flows.
• You should be able to effectively configure and efficiently use data connectors.
• You should also be able to manage relevant transactions by clearly explaining the transactions and ascertaining the end-points for supporting them.

The certification examination consists of fifty eight questions multiple choice questions that are to be completed in not more than 120 minutes and the passing requirement to be 70%. The examination would cost you a sum of $375, with additional $250 to be paid for retakes.Here are some of the major areas of expertise you need to excel in for obtaining this certification:

• You should be able to thoroughly optimise the Anypoint Platform and configure permissions, roles and business groups present within the same.
• You should be able to choose the ideal option between identity management and client management using Anypoint Platform.
• You are expected to choose the most appropriate style of integration for your clients, provided you are given the necessary description of the concerned integration problem.
• You should know to identify the situations where using message correlation is necessary.
• You should be vigilant enough to choose the most relevant deployment option pertaining to Anypoint Platform according to the needs and preferences of your clients.
• You should be able to efficiently use SOA-based approach for the purpose of designing important parts of integration solutions.
• You are expected to know the situations in which the use of batch would prove to be advantageous to the client.
• You should be able to identify the requirements can be addressed better using transactions.
• You should be able to know which connectors can be employed for specific transactions.
• You should be able to use integration or ETL tools that are batch-oriented in the process of designing a specific integration.
• You should be able to ascertain whether the process of horizontal scaling would facilitate a Mule application in meeting its performance targets.
• You should be able to use the ideal storage mechanisms at specific situations.
• You should be able to efficiently use Enterprise Integration Patterns by using appropriate Mule 4 constructs.
• You would be required to have thorough knowledge of using streaming in order to manage heavy payloads in Mule applications.
• You should be able to ascertain the purpose, network protocol used and its ability to support incoming or outgoing connections of a Mule 4 connector.
• You should be well-versed in identifying the situations that may require the use of domain-level connectors
• You should be able to check whether a connector is able to connect to or from an external system that spans across the boundaries of your client organisation.
• You should be able to ascertain the major advantages and shortcomings of managing and storing properties pertaining to Mule applications.
• You should also be able to ascertain the important steps to be taken in order to undertake testing pertaining to specific API or integration.
• You are expected to clearly specify the purpose of multiple MuleSoft products belonging to CI/CD/DevOps.
• You should be able to chart out ideal strategy for source code management which includes the practices of branching and merging.
• You should be able to clearly ascertain various metrics for API innovations as well as implementations that could be effectively overlooked using Anypoint Platform.
• You should also be able to identify the important metrics as well as operations naturally exposed through JMX.

Once you have landed on the verification page, you will have to enter your Webassessor email in the box titled Certification Holders: Check Your Status. Shortly after you add this credential, you will receive an official email showing you the status of your certification. Apart from this information, you will also receive the maintenance modules you require, important due dates and also the status of your linking of Trailhead account with Webassessor. However, it is not necessary to check the certification status every now and then as the company would keep sending you relevant updates and notifications via email, helping you to stay up-to-date with all the details you need to know regarding your Salesforce certification status. Having said that, it is also important to note that these notifications are sent to the email address mentioned in the Webassessor profile you hold and not on your Trailhead account. It is therefore important to keep your Webassessor profile regularly updated in order to stay in sync with your verification. Once you get the email verifying your Salesforce certification status, you would see a table showing you the details as follows:

• Credential: This column would show all the credentials/certifications you have applied for.
• Credential Status: This is the column you were looking for. It shows you the real-time status of your certification(s) which you can use to ascertain your pending maintenance or check if you are up-to-date.
• Next Required Maintenance Module: This column shows you all the maintenance you are required to complete in order to be in sync with the process of maintaining your credentials on a timely basis. You can get the details regarding each module by clicking on the respective link mentioned in the column.
• Completion Due Date: As the name suggests, this column shows you the date by which you are supposed to complete your maintenance modules. This is the date by which if you fail to complete the modules, your existing/pending credential will expire.
• Here are some of the most important tips you need to keep in mind as you undertake a Salesforce certification check and request the status of your credentials:
• Always remember that the due dates for maintenance modules are subject to change. It is advisable for every user to go through the maintenance schedule from time to time in order to stay updated with critical information.
• If you are requesting the information regarding the status of your credentials on the verification page, the results will include all the certifications you used to hold and are now expired. On the other hand, automated reminders and notifications will only limit the results to your current certifications.
• It is also important to know that it might take up to one day for the changes you made regarding your Webassessor email or completion of your maintenance module to get successfully applied and reappear.

It is important for both these entities to know the Salesforce certification cost before they make the decision to opt for the concerned examination(s). If you are an independent Salesforce professional, you will have to allocate your personal funds according to the certification you need to obtain. On the other hand, if you are handling a business organisation whose employees are appearing for the certification examination, there are high chances that the cost for the same would be taken out of the business funds, making it important to consider the cost you may have to incur for facilitating Salesforce certification pertaining to all the concerned employees working in your company. The Salesforce certification cost can bill you anywhere between $200 and $6,000. Do not be astonished by looking at the upper limit as this charge is made for only one certification Salesforce Technical Architect. This is because it is a highly in-depth, detailed and important certification that can be obtained by the concerned professionals. One of the reasons behind the Salesforce Technical Architect Certification being priced this way is the fact that this certification has several smaller credentials forming a part of the umbrella such as:

• The Salesforce Architecture Designer credential
• The Salesforce Appication Architect credential.
• The Salesforce System Architect credential
• You can only obtain the main certification after you have successfully cleared examinations pertaining to all the other related credentials. Apart from the certification pertaining to Salesforce Technical Architect, majority of other Salesforce certifications would cost you around $200-$400 on an individual basis. It is also important to keep in mind that in case you fail to secure the specific passing percentage pertaining to the concerned certification, you will have to pay an extra charge for every retake examination you appear for, which would cost you half of the original cost of certification. However, you donot have to pay for every single certification that is available for Salesforce professionals. Of all the certifications, there is only one that can be availed without the applicant having to pay any fee the Salesforce Accredited Sales Professional Certification. This certification is essentially designed for the already approved Salesforce partners and Businss Development professionals who have significant and reliable experience of marketing various Salesforce solutions and providing them efficiently to the clients. It is also important to know that if you are appearing for an examination that has multiple choice questions, the exam-takers are required to clearly demonstrate relevant Salesforce Advantage Knowledge by giving an appropriate white-board presentation before the examination starts. It is therefore important to take the matters concerning Salesforce certifications seriously and getting Salesforce Certified as soon as possible as it is bound to train you sufficiently for the services you provide to your clients and increase your value as a Salesforce professional in the market you are functioning and in the realm of data science in general.