Note
Please be informed that Focus On Force has recently updated this Certification Course to reflect a more modern, stylish and accessible UI.
As you may have observed, we have cleaned up the Main Lesson Page to only show the Main Objectives, Mindmap (also available in Topic pages), and Feedback -- allowing you to have a more clutter-free workspace. We have created separate Topic Pages for each detailed objective which you can access at the left hand side of the page. Upon clicking, you will be presented with the Detailed Objectives under the Section that you have chosen. Additionally, we have put "Topic Progress" indicators which could guide you better on your progress.
For mobile users:
On the Main Course Page, you will see the Lesson Table wherein Percentages and Sections are listed. On the upper right hand side of the table, you will see options to "Expand All" and "Collapse All". If you click on "Expand All", it will give you the option to pick which objective you would like to access.
Resources
Lessons
Data Modeling / Database Design
- Compare and contrast various techniques and considerations for designing a data model for the Customer 360 platform (for example, objects, fields & relationships, object features).
- Given a scenario, recommend approaches and techniques to design a scalable data model that obeys the current security and sharing model.
- Compare and contrast various techniques, approaches and considerations for capturing and managing business and technical metadata (e.g. business dictionary, data lineage, taxonomy, data classification).
- Compare and contrast the different reasons for implementing Big Objects vs Standard/Custom objects within a production instance, alongside the unique pros and cons of utilizing Big Objects in a Salesforce data model.
- Given a customer scenario, recommend approaches and techniques to avoid data skew (record locking, sharing calculation issues, and excessive child to parent relationships).
- Knowledge Check
Master Data Management
- Compare and contrast the various techniques, approaches and considerations for implementing Master Data Management Solutions (e.g., MDM implementation styles, harmonizing and consolidating data from multiple sources, establishing data survivorship rules, thresholds & weights, leveraging external reference data for enrichment, Canonical modeling techniques, hierarchy management)
- Given a customer scenario, recommend and use techniques for establishing a “golden record” or “system of truth” for the customer domain in a Single Org.
- Given a customer scenario, recommend approaches and techniques for consolidating data attributes from multiple sources. Discuss the criteria and methodology for picking the winning attributes.
- Given a customer scenario, recommend appropriate approaches and techniques to capture and maintain customer reference & metadata to preserve traceability and establish a common context for business rules.
- Knowledge Check
Salesforce Data Management
- Given a customer scenario, recommend appropriate combination of Salesforce license types to effectively leverage standard and custom objects to meet business needs.
- Given a customer scenario, recommend techniques to ensure data is persisted in a consistent manner.
- Given a scenario with multiple systems of interaction, describe techniques to represent a single view of the customer on the Salesforce platform.
- Given a customer scenario, recommend a design to effectively consolidate and/or leverage data from multiple Salesforce instances.
- Knowledge Check
Data Governance
- PART 1: Compare and contrast various approaches and considerations for designing and implementing an enterprise data governance program.
- PART 2: Compare and contrast various approaches and considerations for designing and implementing an enterprise data governance program.
- PART 3: Compare and contrast various approaches and considerations for designing and implementing an enterprise data governance program.
- Given a customer scenario, recommend an approach for designing a GDPR compliant data model. Discuss the various options to identify, classify and protect personal and sensitive information.
- Knowledge Check
Large Data Volume Considerations
- Given a customer scenario, design a data model that scales considering large data volume and solution performance.
- PART 1: Given a customer scenario, recommend a data archiving and purging plan that is optimal for customer's data storage management needs.
- PART 2: Given a customer scenario, recommend a data archiving and purging plan that is optimal for customer's data storage management needs.
- Given a customer scenario, decide when to use virtualised data and describe virtualised data options.
- Knowledge Check
Data Migration
- Given a customer scenario, recommend appropriate techniques and methods for ensuring high data quality at load time.
- PART 1: Compare and contrast various techniques for improving performance when migrating large data volumes into Salesforce.
- PART 2: Compare and contrast various techniques for improving performance when migrating large data volumes into Salesforce.
- Compare and contrast various techniques and considerations for exporting data from Salesforce.
- Knowledge Check
@Martin Looks like Salesforce just updated the Exam study guide substantially and changed the weighting. Now testing on Customer 360. https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/help?article=Salesforce-Certified-Data-Architecture-and-Management-Designer-BETA-Exam-Guide
Hi John, thanks for letting us know. That update is for those taking the Beta exam, not for those taking the normal exam. We will keep an eye on it and check when the general exam outline is updated with changes.This is still the exam outline to follow: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/help?article=Salesforce-Certified-Data-Architecture-and-Management-Designer-Exam-Guide#outline
Hey Martin – when you’ve seen this in the past, how long before they switch over to the new material?
It is hard to know, sometimes the changes happen at random times, so we monitor the exam outlines regularly for any changes. The next time there would normally be an update is for the change to the Spring 20 exams, which is in April.
Hi Martin,
It says study guide reviewed on April 1, 2020.
Yes, the exam outline was updated in the first week of April. We are working hard to update the content. As there are 5 new objectives and changes to the other objectives, it will take us a few weeks to complete. As objectives are updated or created, we will update the What’s New page.
We appreciate your patience as we work to update the content.
Hi AP, For BI, Reporting and Analytics lesson, the first couple of links under ‘Learn more’ , related to “Learn what you can Do with Einstein Analytics” and “Improve Report Performance” links do not work
Hi, thanks for letting us know! Upon checking, the links seem to work fine again. This happens with Help pages sometimes.
I am preparing for BETA Exam of DA & MD .What would come under the topic “Compare and contrast various techniques and considerations for designing a data model for the Customer 360 platform. (e.g. objects, fields & relationships, object features).”
Is it normal Data modeling or something related to Customer 360?
Since the objective clearly includes “designing a data model for the Customer 360 platform“, you should focus on Customer 360.
I would recommend going through the Salesforce documentation about the basics of Customer 360, especially the Hub-and-Spoke Design, data mapping, and considerations for using the Customer 360 Data Manager. You can also go through the Customer 360 module on Trailhead and a Salesforce blog post. Please follow the links below.
https://help.salesforce.com/articleView?id=c360_basics.htm&type=5
https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/content/learn/modules/customer-360-data-manager
https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2018/09/what-is-salesforce-customer-360.html
Thanks AP !
Hi, everyone!
I was able to pass through this exam last week and I got both Data Architecture, as well as Application Architecture certifications!
I want to thank you! The content you provided helped me a lot!
Hi Guilherme, that’s great news, congratulations on achieving Application Architect!
I passed my exam yesterday and I am now a Certified Application Architect – a bonus :). Over the last year I got 9 SF certifications and retrained myself from a Siebel consultant/architect to a SF architect using a combination of SF project work, Trailhead (Ranger, 100K points), and Focusonforce materials. I passed all my certification tests on the first try and, with the exception of Field Service Lightning Certified Consultant that I prepared for using course materials, I used Focusonforce materials to prepare. I am very grateful – your comprehensive materials not only allowed me to pass tests on the first try, but also to transition from Siebel to SF in a single year. My goal for 2020 is to make CTA by the end of the year – looks that we will be parting ways for the next few certifications, since materials for the System Architect path are not yet on Focusonforce. Thank you! Happy New Year!
Hi Tomek, that’s awesome news, thanks for sharing and congrats on passing the exam and becoming Certified Application Architect! We’re so happy to hear that Focus on Force helped that much. We wish you all the best in further studying. Happy New Year!
Just Passed the Exam on my first try using Trail Head and Focus on Force. The materials provided here covered everything I needed. On the practice exams I scored 82% and 83% , In the real exam 80% so the it is really representative of the exam. As a bonus I am now an Certified Application Architect courtesy of Focus on Force. Great work by Martin and the team.
Congratulations, David! We are happy to hear that the materials helped you become a Certified Application Architect 🙂
Passed this morning on first try. All material .. especially practice questions .. were very reflective of exam questions.
Congratulations on clearing the exam, Rick! We are glad to hear that the study materials helped you prepare.
I passed the exam on my first attempt yesterday and achieved Application Architect!
The study guide and the practice exams helped a lot! Thanks for the great work on those!
Any word on the next architect tier certification courses? I’m really interested in taking the System Architect certifications side next year and I’m sure your courses would help me to achieve my goal.
Hi Dirceu, congrats on passing the exam. We’re happy to hear that our latest course helped! For now, we don’t have a plan to release any new course in the near future as the team is busy with updates and improvements of existing courses, but we will consider it for the next year.
Passed the exam on my first try, the content/practice questions were very relevant to the exam and helped prepare me well to pass!
Hi Jacob, congrats on passing, we’re so happy to hear that our latest course helped to become certified!
Just passed on first try, thanks to the wonderful materials provided here! Keep up the awesome work guys!
Hi Crystal, congrats on passing the exam. We’re so happy to hear that our latest released course already helped you to get certified.