Salesforce Admin Resource Guide

The Salesforce Architect exams each come with a resource guide, which includes helpful links for each section of the exam. I have found those incredibly useful in my study. Resource guides don’t currently exist for the standard exams, so I have compiled content into a series of resource guides. The first is the series is the Salesforce Admin resource guide.

The Salesforce Admin certification is the foundation for future Salesforce certifications. At the core, this exam encompasses the features and functions of a Salesforce org, as well as how to declaratively maintain an org.

If this will be your first exam (which is what I recommend for most roles), then use this as the foundation for your Salesforce knowledge.

Understanding the Tests

As I mentioned in a previous post, understanding the intention and structure of the exams is key to passing. Salesforce provides a study guide for every certification test. In those guides, they provide a breakdown of the different sections and their relative weight. Take note of those while studying.

Breakdown

Under each topic in the study guide, there are bullet points that describe the information you need to know. For example, the ‘Standard and Custom Objects’ section, the bullet points are:

• Describe the standard object architecture and relationship model.
• Explain how to create, delete, and customize fields and page layouts on standard and custom objects, and understand the implications of deleting fields.
• Given a scenario, determine how to create and assign page layouts, record types and business processes for custom and standard objects

These commonly break out into general understanding and best practice recommendations. Make sure you understand the intention behind each bullet point. For example, in the above point #2, it mentions ‘understand the implications of deleting fields’. So you can assume that there will be a few scenarios asking you what might happen when you attempt to delete a field. Study this topic to prepare for those scenarios.

Resources

• Official Certification Guide
• Certification Trailmix

STANDARD AND CUSTOM OBJECTS – 14%

• Describe the standard object architecture and relationship model.
  • Object Relationships Overview
  • Data Model
• Explain how to create, delete, and customize fields and page layouts on standard and custom objects, and understand the implications of deleting fields.
  • Creating Custom Fields
  • Deleting Fields
• Given a scenario, determine how to create and assign page layouts, record types and business processes for custom and standard objects.
  • Page Layouts
  • Record Types

SALES AND MARKETING APPLICATIONS – 14%

• Given a scenario, identify the capabilities and implications of the sales process.
  • Create a Sales Process
• Given a scenario, identify the appropriate sales productivity features using opportunity tools and know when products and Price Books should be used
  • Product, Price Book, Price Book Entry and Product Schedule
• Describe the capabilities of lead automation tools and campaign management.
  • Campaign Management
• Describe the capability of Salesforce Content.
  • Salesforce CRM Content Overview

SECURITY AND ACCESS – 13%

• Explain the various organization security controls (e.g., passwords, IP restrictions, identity confirmation, network settings).
  • Password Policies & Management
  • Login Access Policies
• Given a user request scenario, apply the appropriate security controls based on the features and capabilities of the Salesforce sharing model (e.g., organization-wide defaults, roles and the role hierarchy, manual sharing, sharing rules and public groups).
  • Organization-Wide Sharing Defaults
  • Controlling Access Using Hierarchies
  • Sharing Rules
  • What is a Group?
  • Manual Sharing
• Given a scenario, determine the appropriate use of a custom profile or permission set using the various profile settings and permissions.
  • Comparing Roles, Profiles, and Permission Sets
• Describe how folders can be used to organize and secure communication templates, dashboards, and reports.
  • Managing Folders

SERVICE AND SUPPORT APPLICATIONS – 13%

• Describe the capabilities of case management (e.g., case processes, case settings, and case comments).
  • Case Management Guide
• Given a scenario, identify how to automate case management (e.g., case assignment, auto-response, escalation, web-to-case, email-to-case, case teams).
  • Automate Case Management
• Describe the capabilities of solution management and Salesforce Knowledge.
  • Salesforce Knowledge
• Describe the capabilities of the Community application (e.g. Ideas, Answers).
  • Answers in Communities
  • Ideas Overview

ANALYTICS – REPORTS AND DASHBOARDS – 10%

• Describe the options available when creating or customizing a report (e.g., report type, report format, fields, summarizing data, filtering data, charting, scheduling, and conditional highlighting).
  • Reports and Dashboards Quick Start
• Describe the impact of the sharing model on reports.
  • Sharing Model and Reports
• Describe the options available when creating and modifying dashboards (e.g., dashboard components, data sources, chart types, scheduling, and running user).
  • Introductions to Reports and Dashboards
• Describe the capabilities of custom report types.
  • Creating a Custom Report Type

DATA MANAGEMENT – 10%

• Describe the considerations when importing, updating, transferring, and mass deleting data (e.g., CSV files, data quality, field mapping, record IDs, external IDs, duplicate records).
  • Things to Consider When Importing Data to Salesforce
  • Delete Multiple Records and Reports
• Given a scenario, identify tools and use cases for managing data (e.g., dataloader, data import wizard).
  • When to Use Data Loader
• Describe the capabilities and implications of data validation tools.
  • Ensuring Data is of High Quality
• Describe the different ways to back up data (e.g., data export service, exports, dataloader).
  • Best Practices: Data Backup and Recovery

WORKFLOW/PROCESS AUTOMATION – 8%

• Given a scenario, identify the appropriate automation solution based on the capabilities of workflow/process.
  • Which Automation Tool do I Use?
• Describe capabilities and use cases for the approval process.
  • Approvals Overview

USER SETUP – 7%

• Identify the steps to set up and/or maintain a user (e.g., assign licenses, reset passwords, and resolve locked user accounts).
  • Salesforce User Management
• Understand the implications of activating, deactivating, or freezing a user.
  • Deactivating & Freezing Users

ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT AND COLLABORATION – 3%

• Describe the capabilities of activity management (e.g., manage tasks, events, public calendars, multi-day events.
  • Activities: Tasks, Events, and  Calendars
• Describe the features of Chatter (e.g., feed, groups, following, security).
  • Chatter Overview

ORGANIZATION SETUP – 3%

• Describe the information found in the company information (e.g., fiscal year, business hours, currency management, default settings).
  • Manage Information About Your Company
• Distinguish between the various UI features that an administrator controls, including the implications (e.g., UI settings, search settings, list views, home page layouts).
  • Search Settings
  • Home Page Layouts
  • UI Elements, Records and Fields

DESKTOP AND MOBILE ADMINISTRATION – 3%

• Describe the capabilities of the Salesforce Mobile App.
  • Salesforce Mobile App
• Describe the installation and synchronization options of Salesforce Lightning for Outlook.
  • Lightning for Outlook

APPEXCHANGE – 2%

• Identify use cases for AppExchange applications.
  • Power Up with AppExchange

Ready for the Exam?

Book your exam now, even before you start studying. There’s no better way to drive you to study than booking your exam. Salesforce offers an Administrator practice exam that allows you to get a feel for the exam. The practice exam is not proctored, and costs $20. It is a good way to gauge your preparation for the real exam.

If you have questions during your exam, please feel free to reach out. I’ll do my best to respond with some help and guidance.