What Is a Salesforce Certification? Discover the Certifications Offered + How to Get One

What is a Salesforce certification?

A Salesforce certification is a globally recognised credential that qualifies you to implement Salesforce best practices for your organisation. Salesforce offers 40 primary certifications (some requiring prerequisite certifications) to demonstrate your expertise in different Salesforce roles. 

Below, see the Salesforce certifications list, organised by the roles to which they correspond.

3 entry-level Salesforce certifications

In this section, you’ll find breakdowns of three entry-level Salesforce certifications. We classify entry-level certifications as ones that don’t require prior certifications or other prerequisites beyond a general working knowledge of the Salesforce platform.   

These certifications span different roles—Administrator, Developer, and Marketer—to give you an idea of possible starting points for pursuing a credential. For each breakdown, we’ve included the Salesforce certification cost, the exam outline and format, the passing score, and a link to the exam guide, as provided on Trailhead, Salesforce’s academy for building skills and getting certified.  

Use these breakdowns as a model for your research process. 

1. Salesforce Certified Administrator

• Cost: USD 200  

• Exam outline: configuration and setup (20 percent), object manager and Lightning app builder (20 percent), sales and marketing applications (12 percent), service and support applications (11 percent), productivity and collaboration (7 percent), data and analytics management (14 percent), workflow/process automation (16 percent)

• Exam format: 105 minutes to complete 60 multiple-choice/multiple-select questions and five non-scored questions 

• Passing score: 65 percent 

• Exam guide: Click here.

2. Marketing Cloud Email Specialist

• Cost: USD 200

• Exam outline: email marketing best practices (10 percent), content creation and delivery (24 percent), marketing automation (26 percent), subscriber and data management (26 percent), insights and analytics (14 percent)

• Exam format: 90 minutes to complete 60 multiple-choice questions and five non-scored questions 

• Passing score: 67 percent 

• Exam guide: Click here

3. Platform App Builder

• Cost: USD 200

• Exam outline: Salesforce fundamentals (23 percent), data modelling and management (22 percent), business logic and process automation (28 percent), user interface (17 percent), app deployment (10 percent) 

• Exam format: 105 minutes to complete 60 multiple-choice/multiple-select questions and five non-scored questions 

• Passing score: 63 percent

• Exam guide: Click here

4 reasons to get Salesforce certified

In addition to the fact that Salesforce certifications are globally recognised credentials, you may experience several career benefits to getting certified, as explored below. 

1. Salesforce skills are in demand across a variety of industries.

Salesforce software is customisable to meet the needs of many types of businesses. In your job search, you may find that employers across various industries are looking for candidates with Salesforce skills. 

2. A Salesforce certification keeps your skill set up to date.

While you can build skills through regular use of Salesforce tools, getting Salesforce certified—and maintaining your certification—means your skills reflect the latest updates to the tool. In addition, preparing for a certifying exam can help to structure your learning process so that you cover all areas of the software’s functionality for your desired role. 

3. You can enhance your job performance.

Just as getting Salesforce certified can help you find employment, getting a certification while employed can help you do your job more effectively. Your employer may have ideas for integrating a Salesforce certification and the skills that come with it into your role.  

4. It may increase the potential to earn a competitive salary.

You may be able to earn a salary that is competitive in today’s marketplace. The average salary of a Salesforce Administrator in India is around ₹13,50,512 per year [1]. Salesforce Architects earn ₹28,66,182 on average [2]. 

How to get Salesforce certified

Follow the five steps below to earn your Salesforce certification. 

1. Select a Salesforce certification.

The first step in getting Salesforce certified is researching and selecting a certification that best fits your desired role, career goals, and skills you want to build. 

Refer to the table above as a starting point, and then study Trailhead’s information page in more depth to discover the skills you’ll learn in the certifications you’re considering and any requirements or prerequisites for taking a certifying exam. For example, the Marketing Cloud Administrator certification is a prerequisite for getting the Marketing Cloud Consultant certification. 

2. Register for the exam on Trailhead.

When you’re ready to register for a Salesforce certification exam, you’ll need to create a Webassessor™ account. Then, you can schedule the exam and pay for registration. Here are two essential pieces of information to review: 

• Cost. One is the cost to take or retake each exam. For example, each administrator exam costs approximately USD 200 for the first sitting and USD 100 for the retake.  

• Location. The other is the procedure for taking the exam onsite or remotely. For either option, you’ll need to familiarise yourself with the requirements. For example, to take an exam online, you’ll need a built-in webcam, microphone, and Kryterion Sentinel Secure software downloaded onto your device. 

3. Prepare for your exam.

Before taking the exam, you’ll want to prepare and learn as much as possible about using Salesforce in your role. You can get ready in several ways:  

• Sign up for a Salesforce certification training webinar through Trailhead.

• Review the guide for your chosen exam. 

• Learn through Trailhead’s library of modules and projects.  

• Join the Trailblazer community to connect with other Salesforce learners, ask questions, and learn skills. 

• Take a practice test designed for your chosen certification, such as the one for the Salesforce Certified Administrator.

• Take Salesforce courses through other programmes, such as Coursera’s Salesforce Sales Operations Professional Certificate.

4. Take the Salesforce certification exam.

Arrive online or at the testing centre for your scheduled exam. Make sure you are well-rested and prepared to take your exam. 

5. Maintain your certification.

To maintain your certification after passing the exam, you’ll need to complete Trailhead maintenance modules, demonstrating your skills are current with the latest software updates. 

Read more about Salesforce certification updates here. 

Get started in Salesforce with Coursera.

Online courses can be a great way to gain skills and knowledge in Salesforce, discover career opportunities, and start your Salesforce certification journey. Explore Salesforce professional certificates on Coursera, such as the Salesforce Sales Operations or Salesforce Sales Development Representative Professional Certificates.