How to become a Salesforce Certified Administrator

Back when the Salesforce Certified Administrator certification was released, in around 2008, there were very few resources out there to pass certification. I’m proud to say that I was one of the first 100 certified admins in the world – as a certified Salesforce instructor delivering the admin workshop, we all needed to lead the way.

I recall reading through the course materials, going through the exam guide (which used to include all of the relevant content from Help & Training), and even creating my own paper-based flashcards and making my poor family test me on long car journeys.

Nowadays, there is so much out there to support you. In this blog, I’m going to point you to some of the best content (in my opinion) that will make you successful.

Take the official class:

There is nothing comparable to actually attending the Admin Essentials for New Admins in Lightning Experience class. Expert instructors (who themselves hold the certification) will lead you through around 60-70% of topics that are covered in the exam, with hands-on exercises and the opportunity for in class discussion and questions. There are also options available which are spread over a longer time period, like the Trailhead Virtual Bootcamp.

Next, comes the self-study. There are loads of resources, so we’ll just outline a few:

1. Trailhead: Our friends at Trailhead have put together this great trail. The modules include real-world scenarios, interactive flashcards, links to resources, and key topic areas to study.
2. Focus on Force: We love this site. Yes, there is a small cost, but the study guide has all of the relevant content pulled together in one easy location, and the exams are very realistic and plentiful. You can easily see the areas that you may need to study more on, and get a great feel for when you are ready.
3. Salesforce Certified Practice Test: Salesforce also have their own practice exam. Again, there is a small cost, but this is definitely worth it.
4. Certification Day: Salesforce offer free certification prep days. An instructor will take you through the key topics – this is a great way to measure your knowledge. Although it is not hands-on, you’ll still learn a lot!
5. Next, schedule your exam. This is simple to do on the Webassessor site. You can go to a training centre in person (lockdown permitting!), or sign up for a virtual test. The exam is closed book, so no study materials are permitted.

You may find that, with a quick google search, you find a lot of freely available resources online, such as electronic flashcards.  Tread carefully with these as we have often seen that answers are incorrect and you could be easily misled or confused on the content you need to be secure in.

Now obviously, we’d recommend lots of hands-on experience throughout these stages. If you don’t have access to an org, you can either use a Trailhead playground, or sign up to a Developer Edition.

We’ve successfully guided our intakes of new team members, with no prior knowledge of Salesforce, through their certifications in just weeks. If you are interested in us running a program specifically for your team, just contact us!

Take a look at all of our Salesforce training courses.