Salesforce is one of the fastest growing and most in-demand skills in IT right now, and to add that knowledge to your resume can have a payoff almost immediately. The Salesforce ecosystem extends far past its original cloud-based CRM platform, so Salesforce technical skills prove extremely useful and necessary in a wide range of areas, from system administrators, to product managers, developers, integration architects and beyond.
Becoming Salesforce Certified is not only a highly effective way to prove your skills are current and at the expected baseline level but more often than not a prerequisite for companies who seek Salesforce experts. Most Salesforce-related jobs will require a minimum of one certification, and the entry-level – but no less challenging – is the Salesforce Certified Administrator certification.
Our Greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
-Thomas Edison
One thing I hear a lot from people with multiple Salesforce certifications is that passing the Certified Administrator exam was one of the hardest. Why? Well, because it’s the first one and the material covered is very comprehensive. So although this is a prerequisite exam to several other certification paths, it’s not one you can simply show up and take the test without preparation, even if you’ve worked with Salesforce for years.
Don’t let the difficulty level of the test put you off, though. The good news is that it doesn’t matter whether you’re already an experienced system administrator who wants to take the next step and get certified, or if you come from a completely different background and decided to learn a new set of skills from scratch. Getting that first certification can be achieved in a few months, even if this is the first time you’re reading the word “Salesforce”. You just need to devise a plan, prepare and practice.
I passed the Salesforce Certified Administrator exam exactly 3 months after I started studying for it. Before that, my Salesforce knowledge was very limited, to say the least. But with that goal in mind, I also wanted to pass the first time I took the test. Ambitious? Maybe, but very feasible as I later found out.
There are different ways you can prepare for the exam.
Salesforce University runs courses onsite or online, one of them being the Administration Essentials for New Admins (Admin201), which can run you about $4500 for the 3-day course.
You read that figure correctly. So if you or the company you work for are not willing to make that investment on your certification goals, there are many self-study resources online that can help you prepare for the exam. I took the second option which proved to be highly rewarding and I plan on using those same resources for my future certification exams.
What to expect from the exam?
I found practicing my test-taking technique to be just as important as learning the contents of the exam. Understanding the format of this test will help you structure the way you study for it.
How to prepare the self-study way
1.
Set a goal for yourself
Set a goal for yourself and book the test in advance so you have to meet your deadline.
Any time is the right time, but be realistic and know you will have to dedicate yourself for many hours a day so the content stays fresh in your head. This is particularly important for the Administrator exam because there is SO. MUCH. TO. COVER.
2.
Prepare Schedule
My timeline was 3 months so during the first month I had about 16 hours a week to study. Luckily I was able to do these in large blocks, about 2 days a week. Then by month 2, I increased to 2 full days plus an additional 2 hours a day on the remaining 5 days.
I used the last month for revision. The schedule remained the same but by that point, it was all practice. I studied even a little bit every day, building Salesforce “muscle memory”.
How to Study
1
1
Download the official Exam Guide.
Become very familiar with that exam guide because it outlines the weight distribution for the topics required on the exam. Definitely concentrate on the areas of most weight (i.e. Standard & Custom Objects 15%, Security & Access 14%, Reports & Dashboards 10% etc). Anything over 10% is a high priority.
2
From that exam guide outline, prepare a study schedule.
Make a nice little spreadsheet if you’re into that sort of thing. Divide your schedule into two basic areas: large topics and smaller topics.
If you have a large block of consecutive hours, tackle one of the big topics (over 10%). I spent an entire week on Security & Access, so use as many “large blocks” to study those as you need.
Tackle the 1% and 2% topics (AppExchange, Desktop and Mobile Administration) on days you can’t study for hours consecutively but can still read up on the subject, like on your lunch break.
Overall, I highly recommend starting with Standard & Custom Objects and User & Org Setup because that’s really the beginning of everything.
15%
Standard & Custom Objects
15%
Analytics - Reports and Dashboards
14%
Security & Access
The reason why I put a high priority on these 3 topics is because they cover a large chunk of the exam, they are often interrelated, so if you understand these 3 areas really well, you will be able to answer the most difficult questions in the exam. This doesn’t mean you should skip the other topics. But learn these ones VERY, VERY WELL.
3
If you’re a Salesforce beginner (like I was!), go to Trailhead first.
Trailhead is the official Salesforce FREE online learning tool. It’s fun and gives you a practical, hands-on approach to learning Salesforce. They divide the subjects into modules and trails that you can take at your own pace and you earn badges after you complete a module.
There’s something there for every level. A lot of the modules will correspond to topics on the exam guide but it’s not comprehensive because that’s not what Trailhead is for. The Admin Beginner and Intermediate Trails cover a lot of ground but it’s not a one-stop shop. It’s a starting point, especially if you’re stuck on a subject you don’t know much about.
Be aware that Trailhead alone will NOT get you that certification.
4
Sign up for a Developer Account.
The Developer Edition Org is a free, Salesforce practice org where you can apply the skills as you’re learning. While you’re at it, download the Salesforce1 and SalesforceA apps as well since they will also be covered in the exam. The questions on the exam are scenario-based, so practice your learning material on your Developer Org constantly but also imagine business scenarios where the tools you learn could be used.
5
Salesforce Help and Developer Documentation.
They cover everything you need to know. But I wouldn’t tackle those until you’re at least a bit familiar with the topic you’re studying. Then make the Help & Developer documentation your best friend. Every Salesforce expert does.
6
Implement the Developer Documentation “AW Computing Recruiting App”
I recommend taking the time to fully implement it on your Developer Org. That will cover a lot of scenarios.
7
Watch the “Who Sees What” video series by Salesforce
When you get to Security & Access, make sure to go to Youtube and watch the video series. You don’t want to skip that.
8
Have a Buddy-System.
It’s helpful to ask someone with Salesforce experience questions as they come along. No question is silly. If you don’t personally know anyone, the Salesforce Success Community will be more than happy to answer any type of questions you may have.
9
Take notes as you learn, write down key concepts.
I used a combination of a good old-fashioned notebook and making my own flash cards. There are flash card websites that will have tons of Admin201 notes but be mindful they are not necessarily updated with the current release and may not be accurate.
10
Find a good study guide website.
There are a few good study guide websites out there. The good ones are paid but for a tiny fraction of the price of the Salesforce University courses. Because you pay for these, you can expect a higher quality and accuracy with the material offered.
Because I had already been preparing my own flashcards on some of the key principles from each topic, I found the card and bullet point format from the Focus on Force study guide very helpful.
11
Find a good mock exam website.
Mock exams can be a hit or miss. Real “question dumps” compromise the integrity of your hard-earned certification. Real questions that get divulged by test takers out there get reported and taken down rather quickly, so don’t waste your time.
I used the Focus on Force Practice Exams, which contain all original questions but follow the same format as the actual exam: 60 questions, 90 minutes to complete. Also try sample Salesforce ADM 201 Exam Questions
That alone helped me practice my test-taking pace but I also found the difficulty level on par with the actual exam. They also give you the feedback results percentage by topic at the end, as well as details on the correct answers, with screenshots and links for reference.
12
Finally: when you study, don’t try to just memorize names and numbers.
It’s useless to know how many data types of fields there are if you don’t understand how and when to use which type. The best way to practice these skills is real life or the Developer Org.
It’s important to remember which part of the Setup you can find some of the most important configurations, like the Company Settings but the approach is always from a business case. For instance, there may be a question where you have to decide when to apply a workflow rule instead of a validation rule or an approval process.
Sometimes there isn’t a completely wrong answer, but one where you have to choose the “best” answer for that scenario.
One of the questions I asked myself a lot while studying was “do I need to learn this in Classic or Lightning Experience?”. For now, focus on Classic mode. Although Salesforce is no longer developing new tools for Classic, the skills required for this exam are still covered mainly in Classic. But do learn how to switch and when to switch and some of the limitations.
You’ve studied hard. You passed the test. Congratulations! Now what?
Getting the “Pass” mark and earning your certification is definitely not the end of the road. Salesforce Certified Administrators are required to take 3 maintenance exams per year, in order to keep their certification valid and current. It is an online and open book exam that is 30 minutes long and typically 5-10 questions, related to the current release. You can find more information about the maintenance exams for all certifications here and learn about the costs involved.
The Salesforce Administrator certification is only the first of many available, and once you earn yours you will find it’s very much like a tattoo: you will want many more! So set yourself that goal, go get it and best of luck!
“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint Exupéry
Study Guide Topic Weightings
Topic | weighting |
|---|---|
WORKFLOW / PROCESS AUTOMATION | 12% |
USER SETUP | 7% |
STANDARD AND CUSTOM OBJECTS | 15% |
SERVICE AND SUPPORT APPLICATIONS | 12% |
SECURITY AND ACCESS | 14% |
SALES AND MARKETING APPLICATIONS | 10% |
ORGANIZATION SETUP (GLOBAL UI) | 2% |
DESKTOP AND MOBILE ADMINISTRATION | 1% |
DATA MANAGEMENT | 8% |
APPEXCHANGE | 1% |
ANALYTICS - REPORTS AND DASHBOARDS | 15% |
ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT AND COLLABORATION | 3% |
Salesforce Admin Certification Topic Weightings Chart
To prepare successfully for the Salesforce Admin Certification Exam, we recommend to work through our Admin Certification Study Guide and Practice Exams.
Salesforce Admin Certification Practice Exams
Test yourself with complete practice exams or focus on a particular topic with the topic exams. Find out if you are ready for the exam.
Salesforce Admin Certification Study Guide
Every topic objective explained thoroughly. The most efficient way to study the key concepts in the exam.
What was the scores of most test takers on the practice exams? and how did you fair on the real exam? I have been scoring around 58% on all the practice exams, and I’m wondering should I be ok on the real one.
I was able to get my test scores on here to 80-95 percent, but I still failed the proctored exam. I’m going to start over fresh because I obviously missed something.
80-85% by the end. The key was to going and doing the subject practice exams and clicking through the links. Making sure I understood why the answer was right, but also why the other answers were wrong.
Did anyone write the Admin test in May?
Hello,
I just recently purchased the Certified Administrator 201 course. I am a relative newcomer to Salesforce and am looking to get certified for the first time. Is there a suggested order in which I should tackle the topics on the course outline? Or am I supposed to just go through the topics from top to bottom? Appreciate your help!
– Robert
Hi Robert,
If you have admin experience, we suggest it would be better if you tackle the categories with the highest percentages first as you would get a lot of questions on them. Otherwise, the exam outline’s order is logical for people new to Salesforce.
I built my foundation for SF admin exam using trailhead. But the actual exam prep was a totally different ball game. FoF was a huge help. I passed in my first attempt. I liked the fact that the test pattern and the standard of questions (language and difficulty level) was a very close match to that in the actual exam. I also liked the explanations and references provided. For me, FoF beat all other resources that I referred to. Thank you!
I am interested in taking the email specialist exam. I wish FoF offered something on that as well 🙁
What were your test scores on the practice exams? Do you feel like the real exam was easier?
How current is the information on the exam and study guide?
Hi Jessica, the study guides and practice exams are updated in line with the Winter ’19 release.
How long after you take the exam does it take to receive results? Are we talking days or weeks?
Hi Taylor, you will receive the results at the end of your exam.
Thanks!
Hi, just wanted to write that I managed to pass the exam yesterday. Even though I’ve been working as a developer for almost 3 years now, this guide was extremely helpful. I managed to find some new information + remind myself about some standard functionalities, that I didn’t use for quite some time. You did some really nice work here! Thanks a lot!
Hi Michał, congratulations on passing the exam! We are also glad to hear that the materials helped.
Hello all, I just wanted to say that this resource was invaluable to me as a first time certification test taker. I have been an Admin now for a year, transitioning from a generalist developer type of role, and as I’m basically starting over, it helped me to really get a feel for the types of questions that would be asked and the format in which they were asked… how to read between the lines to not get caught up in the ‘tricky’ wording sometimes used. This site, along with Trailhead and practical experience helped immensely. I’m here to say that I passed my Admin 201 cert exam the first time out last month and I’m already working on the Advanced Admin and Service Cloud Consultant Certifications.
Thank you for putting this all together and I hope to get through all of them as I work towards an architect role!
AW COMPUTING RECRUITING APP LINK IS OUTDATED… Please assist.
Hi Ankit, Salesforce retired that document and replaced it with Trailhead. The page has been updated with a new link.
I have studied the course through Udemy, Revising the trails, In the focusonforce test I am not even scoring passing percentage. Kind of discouraging! I dont how to prepare as when i am taking the test the concepts are jumbled up!
We have both full practice exams where the questions are weighted according to the official study guide weightings, but we also have topic specific tests, so you can focus on one area at a time. Many people like to study topics one by one using trailheads and our study guide and then take our topic exams, before doing final preparation using the full practice exams.
Hello Martin, Can you please let me know, if the Admin Certification Questions are from Classic or Lightning or from both? Please let me know, whether I should focus more on Classic/LEX for Admin Certification. Thanks
They are a mixture of both and we are distinguishing in the questions when there is a difference between the two. Many topics are independent of the UI.
This link isn’t working: https://trailhead.salesforce.com/credentials/SG_CertifiedAdministrator.pdf
Hi, thank you for informing us. We have updated the link.
Hi Martin,
I just earned my very first ADM-201 certificate in the first attempt thanks to your course and practice tests. The course content is tailored appropriately to speed up the learning process without getting bored. And the practice test questions are by far the best to test our knowledge.
I have already purchased your platform app builder course. Thank You once again!!!
Hi Martin,
I am newbie and while I have gone through some of the topics on Salesforce, I am yet to do a deep dive. Can you please let me know when is the next exam scheduled and how time would be needed for the preparation.
Thanks in advance.
Vishwanath
Hi, regarding the exam scheduling, you may book and take the test at a test centre, or remotely on your own computer. The second option is monitored through a webcam and you must submit your biometrics and follow strict guidelines beforehand, but may be worth it if you don’t have a test centre near you or need more flexibility in terms of scheduling. You can find the information about scheduling your exam and the guidelines here:
http://certification.force.com/pkb/articles/Public_KB/Scheduling-an-Exam
Thanks Martin for the great content. I successfully completed Admin cert last week with quite good results! All the questions and explanations with links to official documentation are the reason why the course is so useful. Now I’ll be attacking the last course you’ve put online, Dev II. Thanks!
Hi Guillaume, that’s great that you passed and thanks for the feedback, glad you found it useful.
Best wishes for your next one!
Thank you martin , how much effective will be your course for the exam which i am about to undertake in few days.?
Hi Mohit, it will help you be well prepared by covering the topics in the official study guide, but obviously it is up to you to learn! Best wishes for your exam.
Hi Martin,
I am giving a salesforce adm 201 exam on 28 november, as of now i’ve prepared the syllabus but need to do some work out .could you please help me out with the latest questions . And one more thing .. as this would be Winter 18 exam . so how much it will differ from summer 17 exam ? Please guide.
Hi Mohit, the Winter 18 official study guide was just released and does not have any changes to the topics from the previous release. My understanding is that each new release will have a few release specific and lightning questions, but the questions that test the fundamentals will stay pretty much the same.
This website helped me out so much! The questions in the Admin 201 practice exam really helped me prepare for the exam! 100% recommend! 10/10!
Hi Martin,
Great material and information. Greatly appreciate putting this together. I called to register for Admin 201 exam was told Sales force is doing some maintenance and wont be available till 11/20. Do you think they might be changing the exam? does the material are up to date?
Hi Ketan, Salesforce will be updating the official study guide and exam to Winter 18 on the 20th of November. We alway check for any changes to the study guide and update the materials accordingly. From release to release, there are usually only small changes.
Thank you Martin,
Hi Martin,
Once I finish with my preparation can you please guide me where i can book my test .
thanks
Manaz
Hi Manaz, see the information in this link about how / where to book the test:
http://certification.force.com/pkb/articles/Public_KB/Scheduling-an-Exam
Hello Martin,
Thanks you for the profound explanation!
if I study full-time for the administrator certificate, how much time can I take for preparation.
just to plan well
To buy the curse and the exam, I need to have a PayPal account?
Hi Naziha,
The time you take for preparation will depend on your previous experience, and amount of time you have available each day, but I would suggest at a minimum a couple of weeks to make sure you go through each topic thoroughly.
You don’t need a Paypal account, Paypal allows purchases using a credit / debit card without a Paypal account.
hello dear friends i am planning to strat preparing for salesforce admin 201 .i dont know how to start i am getting confusion please let me know friends how to prepare for 201 certification thank u in advance..
Hi, I suggest going through the Salesforce Admin Trailheads, then the Focus on Force study guide, then the Focus on Force practice exams. If you complete all of that you will be well prepared.
Also read this article:
https://focusonforce.com/salesforce-administrator-certification/
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