So, I finally decided to take this exam. Why did I wait a while? Well, I wasn’t sure if I should take it. First of all it is positioned as an entry / end user exam, and with over a decade now in the eco system this of course doesn’t apply to me.
Second, I don’t like taking exams for the sake of ticking boxes. For me, they need to showcase my expertise and something I can use to further my career.
Why did I decide to take it?
I want to be able to advise others on this exam. As a mentor / coach / consultant / trainer I want to be able to tell others if this is a worthwhile exam to take. And I cannot do that without having done the exam myself. I needed to see myself what the challenges are in there for someone and what should be done to prepare for it.
So my thoughts:
I liked it, it is a nice mixed exam on general knowledge about Salesforce as well as some more in-depth knowledge on some of the more base but fundamental elements of Salesforce. There are some good questions about the different clouds (health, non profit and experience cloud feature heavily in!), how to modify the user interface both as an end user and as someone who might want to become an admin or developer.
Who should take it?
- I think any end users who are interested in showing some base knowledge of the system. By having used Salesforce as user and in addition some prep work, this certification will sit well with most users.
- In addition those who want to become admins or devs but are not ready yet to sit those exams. The Admin and Dev exams can be quite tough to get ready for. This cert will be a nice lead in on how does Salesforce test users knowledge. Plus it is always good to have a broad understanding of Salesforce.
- For anyone with over 2 years experience – this will be a very easy one to get with a little bit of prep work. Most of the questions are things you do on a day to day basis
What kind of prep work did I take and is needed?
I did go through the Salesforce Associate trailmix on trailhead and I would advise anyone to do that. Especially the modules on any of the additional clouds you might not have come across are useful. I don’t think you need to sit any mock exams or need any further training to help you prepare.
If you do look for some more prep work, I can recommend the Selling Sales Cloud Specialist Superbadge as what is covered in there is covered in the cert.
To summarise
A nice exam to kick off your Salesforce career, or a nice little bonus cert if you have more experience.
I would recommend it to those who are prepping for admin but feel they are not ready for that cert yet, this one will help cement some knowledge and give you confidence for the next one.
One final thought, when you book the exam, do check the location if you are going onsite.
I discovered last minute my test centre had moved!
All in all a good start of the weekend. Onwards to the next one!
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