Customer relationship management systems help companies streamline the management of their customer data, and improve customer handling, database management, marketing, and insights. One of the most in-demand CRMs in the market today is Salesforce. In addition to outperforming other CRM tools in the functions above, it’s also easy to integrate with third-party apps, making it a favourite with organizations across all industries and sectors. For these and other reasons, Salesforce has been reviewed as the best CRM software for small businesses and is also considered to be among the fastest growing CRM systems for enterprises. Â
Using Salesforce requires a certain level of mastery. There are courses offered for it, at the end of which those who pass examinations receive credentials. In this article, we will discuss the role of salesforce admin practice exams in helping you prepare for, and pass your exams. But before we do that, let’s first have a look at the structure of Salesforce certification. Â
A Brief Look at Salesforce certification
Salesforce offers different certification for its various areas of specialization. As with all other salesforce certifications, the Salesforce Admin Certification focuses on certifying for a job role. It is meant for professionals who work with data, create reports and dashboards, maintain salesforce applications and manage security and workflows.
Figure 1: Administrator certification is one of the top certificates offered by Salesforce
The Salesforce administrator certification exam contains 60 multiple questions, to be completed within 90 minutes. You need to attain 65% and above to pass it.
You can sit for your exams at an onsite testing centre or online, but must first sign up through Webassessor. It costs $200 for new registrations and $100 for re-sits. If you intend to sit for an onsite exam, book it from the same platform. Webassessor (Kryterion) has testing centres all over the world, and they partner with Salesforce to make use of these facilities. It’s advisable to register at least a week prior to your exam date, to guarantee you’ll find a seat. Â
Online exams are monitored by a proctor through a webcam and software that allows the proctor to view your screen. A great thing about online exams is that you can sit for it on the same day you register.
Tips to pass the Salesforce Admin exam
If you plan properly, study smart and show up for each scheduled study time, you will pass your exams. As with most exams, success lies in the retention of content studied. For a technical course like salesforce, success also depends on how well you understand the concepts. To study smart, follow the following tips:
Understand the weighting each exam topic Â
Below are 2 tables showing what each section of your exam will cover. Based on this information, you can prioritize and dedicate more time to areas that have more weighting. The weighting reflects how important those areas are in real work scenarios. These areas also have more questions, meaning that they take more work to prepare for.
Figure 2: Topics with the most weight
Figure 3: Topics with medium to low weight
The exam evaluates the practical experience of the areas mentioned above. If you have never worked as an administrator, it is imperative that you study and practice before you register for Salesforce Admin Exam.
Don’t Crum. Aim to Understand the topics
Nothing is straightforward in Salesforce exams. As such, memorizing training material will not help you as you will be answering scenario-based questions. More so, after the exam, you are highly likely to forget everything you crammed. Additionally, considering you will need that knowledge in your future work, it’s better to understand concepts and go into the job confident in your knowledge.  Â
As you study and take your simulated exams, you will notice topics where your weaknesses lie. Go back to the study material, find out what you may have missed, and once you have figured out the answers, retake your simulated exams.
Learn the fundamentals before you move to more complicated levels
To understand everything in Salesforce, you need to learn the fundamentals, before you progress to deeper topics. Salesforce has layers and levels, and you cannot learn them by skipping all over your study material. Understanding concepts such as the security portions and organization setup will help you to know how to manage all the data in the objects and how to analyze it best.
Take Salesforce Admin Exam simulations
Simulators are a great way to experience your certification testing conditions prior to taking your exam. They help you prepare for what to expect. SimpliLearn offers 4 free sales force administrator simulation as part of their study package, in addition to 20 case studies, 4 projects, and 16 quizzes. Â The benefits of taking Salesforce Admin simulators include the following:
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You will test your knowledge with almost similar questions
Questions in the exam will be structured differently from what you experience in the simulation. Â However, simulated Salesforce Admin Exam questions are almost similar to what you will be asked and will help you to anticipate what will come in the real exam.
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You can assess when you are ready to sit for the real exam
If you attain a low average on your first simulation, go back to your study material and then take the simulated exam again. With each simulation, you will raise your average to a point where you are comfortable sitting for the real exam.
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You will boost your confidence
A simulation is a mockup of the real thing. As such, when you see the real exam, everything will be familiar. This will help you relax and eliminate nervousness common in examinations situations. Â
Bottom Line: Your Salesforce Certificate is never a waste
Having a salesforce certification improves your credibility in your workplace and increases your value in the job market. A certificate has the following benefits:
- It demonstrates your proficiency in using the platform.
- It is a significant mark of recognition of one’s expertise among companies.
- It will make you more employable and improve your salary prospects. According to a Salesforce Salary survey, Â 39% of professionals with salesforce certification got better salaries after receiving their certification. With such clear rewards, it is clear that investing time and money in a salesforce admin certification will be worth your while.
In view of this, enrol for a course, practice with simulated tests, sit for and pass your Salesforce Admin Exam, and get a certificate that is guaranteed to improve your chances in the job market.