My Tips & Tricks to crack Salesforce Certifications
If you are part of the Salesforce ecosystem, earning a certification is always the way to go.
Certifications are not just an external validation of your capabilities, they keep you updated with the new features via the maintenance modules.
I have not been an ardent fan of writing certifications in the past, but my perception of acquiring credentials has drastically changed this year.
One of the primary reason I started off, was to keep myself engaged during the ongoing pandemic. However, once I started my journey, there was no holding back.
I have always been good at academics, but certifications cannot be perceived as just an accreditation of knowledge one holds.
Most of it comes from real life project experiences.
Nevertheless, knowledge with experience is a power that cannot be underestimated. (especially in the Salesforce world)
There is no threshold to how worthy you are in the pursuit of perfection.
Here are a few of my tips and tricks to start working on the attainment of credentials in Salesforce.
Tip#1 Choose the right certification
It is highly important that you choose a certification you want to pursue which adds up to your skillset and not just because the whole world is chasing it.
I have seen many a times where in people start chasing a topic just because everyone is doing it, without really understanding what lies in it for their professional growth.
My advice would be to follow the track you can relate to. Curiosity towards a subject will take you a long way.
Selecting the right certification is always the first step to nail it.
Tip#2 Decide a timeline
Always decide the exact week of the month you want to attempt the exam.
Plus or minus a week is okay, as long as you have set a timeline for yourself.
I realised that my procrastination towards certifications over the past decade, was only due to the fact that I never had a fixed timeline.
Everyone wants to write and earn a credential, but we never know where to begin or when to go for it. Setting an exam date will do wonders, as you end up making time for the goal at hand.
A mentor of mine once told me that It’s never about having time; it is about making time.You will always keep filling your free time with something less important. These are ways of just procrastinating by finding excuses time related.
And we will make time when we have a deadline approaching! It is just human nature.
Tip #3 Always read the exam guide first
Though this may look like just another item in the list of artefacts, but it’s not.
First and foremost, read the study guides provided by Salesforce in the first few days of your preparation.
This will give you a clear understanding of the syllabus and what NOT to expect from the exam.
Personally, I tend to keep drifting off topic when I’m going through one of the modules during my prep.
The Study Guides will keep you grounded to your area of study.
I’m not saying exploring other characteristics is not prolific, it is, but excessive depth in any area leads us to loose traction.
It is highly important that we stick to our schedule and not get side-tracked.
Tip #4 Read all the options carefully
Many a times I couldn’t clear certifications as I was in a hurry to mark my answer and feeling elated to move on to the next question.
This is where I went wrong. There could be a better alternative to the problem. Don’t choose the first correct option. Look for the best one.
Always flatter Salesforce and opt for the OOB features, instead of using those developer skills to solve any question.
Tip# 5 Odd one out
All that math knowledge of permutations and combinations, will be put to effective use, once you know which options to strike off your list.
Always make sure to strike off the options which are erroneous and may not seem relevant to the question being asked.
The fewer options you are left to choose from, the better is your probability of success.
This will help you narrow the choices and put the odds in your favour.
Tip#6 Sample tests and Trailhead module Questions
There is an overwhelming amount of free online content in the form of flashcards, sample questions and quizzes to practise and test that knowledge.
Always save a copy of the questions which you marked as incorrect in a separate notepad. This helps a lot before the exam.
I’d like to call it maintain a “Challenge Bank”. Make sure you revise the challenge bank atleast twice before the main test, to understand what made you choose the wrong answer and why the correct answer is the more appropriate one.
In my case, doing a quick hands-on session makes me relate to solutions more easily, when I face queries on the parallel topics.
It’s always a good option to keep notes of the must know items as bullet points.
Tip #7 Use Abbreviations, Acronyms and mnemonics
I know this sounds old school, but trust me you will realise the benefits in the long run.
There are certain things which you will remember at the very moment because of the time you have spent preparing for the certification. But once you clear, you will need to retain the information for later use. A quick exercise, a limitation or a fun fact about a feature will help you retain the information for a longer time.
It’s not just reading about Salesforce to clear certifications, it is about using that little tip you may have discovered and put it in real life implementations.
Tip #8 Don’t study for too long
The longer you drag reading about a subject, the more you drift from the goal.
Always make sure that you spend a fixed amount of time on a weekly basis and not finish everything at one go.
Everything in moderation is the key.
Always keep track of the amount of time you can invest every week to study.
Ensure that you revise all the important points you can recollect, from the previous day of study before you move ahead.
Tip #9 Breathe before the exam
Exam jitters make us do the silliest of errors.
We may know the answer, but we might still be in doubt.
Be confident in what you have studied as the information is all in there. (yes in your memory)
In developer terms, you just need a correct primary key to search for the answer from the memory database !
May the (Sales)force be with you!