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The Ultimate Guide to Salesforce Admin Certifications

salesforce admin certification exam practice exam cost

Salesforce Administrators, or ‘admins,’ are the unsung heroes of the business world. They harness the power of the Salesforce platform to streamline operations and drive efficiency. According to Salesforce, companies that fully deploy Salesforce see an average of 25% increase in revenue. Admins play a pivotal role in achieving these impressive metrics by implementing tailored solutions and automating processes. Given their crucial role, it’s no surprise that Salesforce Administrators are highly sought after. The demand for skilled admins is rising globally, with a median salary of $86,000 in the US alone. Obtaining a Salesforce Administrator certification not only validates your expertise but also opens up lucrative career paths in this dynamic field. So, if you want to boost your career, earning this certification is smart. So, let’s kickstart your Salesforce admin certification journey with an exhaustive list of Salesforce admin certifications.

Read our ultimate guide to Salesforce Certifications for a deep dive into all available Salesforce certifications.

Understanding the Salesforce Admin Certification

The Salesforce Administrator certification is designed for individuals with at least six months of experience working with Salesforce. It validates a candidate’s ability to apply a broad range of applications, manage end-user features, and handle configuration and management options for Sales, Service, and Collaboration Clouds.

Salesforce Certification Pathways

Salesforce Administrator:

  • Focuses on the foundational skills needed to maintain a Salesforce implementation.
  • Covers essential admin tasks, business requirements, and platform maintenance.

Salesforce Advanced Administrator:

  • Intended for certified Salesforce Administrators with advanced skills.
  • Emphasizes platform customization, security best practices, and the application of advanced Salesforce features.

Both certification exams are carefully crafted. Candidates should be able to handle administrative tasks, respond to standard business requirements, and maintain a Salesforce platform. Thus, a Salesforce Admin should showcase a blend of technical and non-technical skills. 

What are the Required Skills for a Salesforce Admin Career Path?

Salesforce administrators often wear multiple hats, serving as project managers, IT support, database managers, business analysts, and system analysts. Key skills include:

  • Communication: Coordinate among the stakeholders to produce, design, configure, and execute Salesforce.
  • Security management: Proactively implement industry-standard security procedures for handling and safeguarding client and corporate data.
  • Data analysis: Deliver reports regularly to assist executives and users in deriving conclusions and making decisions based on Salesforce data.
  • Designer’s mindset: Improve user experiences.
  • Process automation: Build, manage, and improve business processes to automate and streamline production.
  • Project management: Arrange and supervise Salesforce projects to guarantee timely and cost-effective completion.

Key Highlights of the Salesforce Administrator Exam

Here are the important details about the Salesforce Administrator exam:

  1. Content: It contains 60 multiple-choice/select questions and 5 non-scored questions.
  2. Exam duration: 105 minutes
  3. Passing score: 65% 
  4. Registration fee:$200 (plus applicable taxes), $100 for retakes.
  5. Delivery options:  On-site or online.
  6. Prerequisite: None.

Topics and Weightage: Salesforce Admin Certification Exam

An ideal applicant should possess prior experience as a Salesforce Administrator. The Salesforce Administrator exam will comprise sections that will evaluate the following features and functions

Exam TopicsPercentage of QuestionDescriptionExamples
Configuration and Setup20%Tests about company settings, understanding and management of the user interface.Fiscal year, business hours, currency management
Object Manager and Lightning App Builder20%Tests about object architecture and relationship modelStandard object, parent/child, master-detail/lookup/junction relationships, and record types
Sales and Marketing12%Tests about sales, and productivity to identify the capabilities and implications of the sales processLead assignment rules, opportunity stages customization, campaign performance tracking,
email automation workflows
Service and Support11%Tests about case managementCase assignment rules,
service cloud console setup, knowledge base management, support process automation
Productivity and Collaboration7%Tests about activity management, features of Chatter, capabilities of Salesforce Mobile App, and AppExchange applications.Chatter configuration, activity management
Salesforce Mobile App setup, and AppExchange integration
Data and Analytics Management14%Tests about data management, backup, data validation tools, and dashboards.Data import and export, report and dashboard creation, data validation rules, data backup and recovery
Workflow/Process Automation16%Tests about automation solutions, capabilities and use cases for the approval process and flow.Workflow rule creation, approval process setup, process builder automation, flow builder configuration

Cost of the Salesforce Admin Certification Exam

Here is a snapshot of the Salesforce Admin certification cost

Salesforce Administrator Certification Snapshot

Certification TitleCourse GuideCostLevelExperiencePrerequisite
AdministratorStudy Guide$200Mid-level1-2 yearsAdministrator credential
Advanced AdministratorStudy Guide$200Mid-level1-2 yearsAdministrator credential
Platform App BuilderStudy Guide$200Mid-level1-2 yearsAdministrator credential
CPQ SpecialistStudy Guide$200Mid-level6-12 monthsNone
Business AnalystStudy Guide$200Mid-level2 yearsAdministrator credential

Preparation Strategy: Salesforce Admin Certification Practice Exams and Tests

While the Salesforce Administrator certification may appear intimidating, one can pass this exam with careful research and planned study with flying colors. Listed below are some of the study strategies for the Salesforce certification exam. Harness the gamut of learning tools, educational programs, tutoring services, and educational resources created to improve students’ results on standardized examinations.

  1. Leverage Trailhead: Utilize Salesforce’s free learning platform, Trailhead, for modules, preparation kits, and maintenance modules. Use the Trailblazer Community to connect to new employment prospects, learn in-demand skills, and obtain credentials worth adding to a resume. Apart from Trailhead, here is a list of other resources for learning Salesforce for free.
  2. Explore expert-led Prep Courses: Expert-led courses provide invaluable insights and a deep understanding of the subject matter to prepare for the Salesforce certifications. They are essential for learners seeking guidance from seasoned professionals who can offer personalized feedback and strategies tailored to each student’s unique learning needs. Here is a list of Salesforce training courses to prepare for your admin and other certifications.
  3. Gain Hands-On Experience: Practical experience solidifies theoretical knowledge. Gain practical experience with the Salesforce CRM platform tools to solidify the theoretical knowledge that one has acquired.
  4. Familiarize with Exam Format: Take mock exams to get comfortable with the multiple-choice/select question format. Salesforce exams use multiple-choice or multiple-select questions. Taking mock exams is one of the best approaches to getting acquainted with these exams, as they accurately mirror the real exam.

Exam Strategy: Salesforce Admin Certification Exam

Below are some exam tips one can follow while attempting the exam. 

  1. Take the time to read the question multiple times and pay close attention carefully. The answers to scenario-based questions will provide helpful indicators to guide you toward the correct response.
  2. Use the provided pen and paper to sketch patterns, the role hierarchy, or any other design to help you visualize the answer.
  3. Apply the elimination technique while selecting an answer. Salesforce often provides responses that are factually incorrect or consist only of features.
  4. Candidates can use the “Mark for review” feature on the exam portal. They can come back later to a particular question anytime.
  5. Take the time to review all your answers to minimize the chances of making any silly mistakes.

Salesforce Admin Certification Exam Code of Conduct

Must-haves

  • Examine and follow the instructions for both on-site and online proctored certification tests.
  • If you witness any action compromising credential security, reach out to the Credential Security team.

Strictly Avoid!

  • Share, use, or ask for solutions of super badges or certification exam questions and answers.
  • Ask or accept assistance during the exam.
  • Acting in any way that undermines the terms of the Salesforce Credential & Certification Program.

Consequences

  • Termination of any upcoming certification assessments.
  • Debar or suspension from taking proctored online tests.
  • Prohibition from sitting for any certification tests.
  • Superbadge and certification revocation.

These consequences are not limited to the application. It will based on the gravity of the act.

How CloudAlly Academy Can Help

CloudAlly Academy offers tailored study programs and materials for Salesforce certification preparation. Whether you’re a beginner or at an intermediate level, our courses can guide you through the Salesforce certification pathways. Explore our comprehensive learning resources to kickstart or advance your Salesforce admin career path. Check out our free flagship course, “Principles of Salesforce SaaS Data Protection with Francis Pindar,” at CloudAlly Academy. Led by Francis Pindar, an 8-time Salesforce MVP, the course offers in-depth insights and practical tips for data protection in Salesforce. Moreover, you can also get a hands-on feel of taking an actual Salesforce backup with a full-feature 14-day trial of CloudAlly’s top-rated Backup and Salesforce recovery serviceStart your free trial here.

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