6 Days to Salesforce Admin Certification - A Crash Course!

Can a Salesforce novice with little practical experience and a nonexistent budget pass the Salesforce Admin Exam?  Absolutely!  This is the story how I aced the Salesforce Administrator Certification Exam in 6 days primarily using Trailhead.

                       Background - How I became a Trailhead Baby

My fascination with Trailhead began when I was 6 months old.  Before Trailhead, I was a standard baby doing normal things like eating, napping, exploring.  After Trailhead life became much more exciting, as a badge earning hobby quickly became a nightly obsession.  When Mom and Dad turn off the lights and tuck me in for the night,  I boot up my laptop and get to work.  I started with the "Admin Beginner" trail then moved onto topics as they peaked my interest.  I tackled the Lightning Specialist Superbadge (see Super Badge for a Super Baby) then went on to complete the "Admin Advanced" trail.  I started this blog in order to inspire other babies  to join Trailhead and to share my love of Astro (my favorite Salesforce mascot).  By the time I achieved crawling status and 9 months of age, I had accumulated 58 Trailhead badges and was ready to test the knowledge. 

The right tools 

Step 1: 

If you have been following the Trailhead Baby for a while, you may remember a post listing a variety of free resources for Salesforce Admin certification.  This is how I started - researching the best options that fit my own learning style.  Next, I joined the Salesforce Certification Study Group on the success community.  Note- There are profile requirements in order to join:

     - Full first / last name:  Trailhead Baby

     - Photo
     - Company Name:  Capstorm (Where my Mom works)
     - Title: Blogger & Professional Napper

If you have not updated your profile or are just getting started, this part is easy!  Click on the down arrow next to the round circle containing your initials, (Far right at the top!)  select "My Profile" then pick "Edit" on the far right.

One year of real-world experience is required before joining a study group session.  Being a mere 9 months old, I was unable to register for a study session, however, access to the wider Study Group unlocked some excellent resources.  In the Group Files section - far right of the page - one document was critical in my quest for certification.  "Salesforce Certification Study Group: Rules and Best Practices Guide."  Listed inside were Trailhead badges that are required prior to joining a study session.  I compared this list to my earned badges and quickly realized that I was missing a few.  Before continuing, I spent a few hours completing the final badges.

If you are Salesforce newbie, I would start with this badge list.  Aim for tackling a few each week and make sure to read the content thoroughly along with completing the hands-on challenges.  It was vital to understand the practical application of the information - not just to memorize a list of facts.

Step 2:  

Print the Salesforce Certification Exam Guide.

This resource is extremely helpful for several reasons:

• General focus - a breakdown of categories by weight
• Specifics - details within each topic that provide precise areas to study

Step 3:

The last tool is a self-created study plan with daily goals.  I had a limited window of time each night, so it was important to maximize every hour.  In order to create urgency and ensure that I stayed focused, I scheduled the test for the end of the week.  (Thank you Dad for dropping your credit card on the floor yesterday!  Being 9 months of age, my financial resources are limited.)  While I had the card, I also signed up for one paid tool - the full study guide from Certified on Demand.  Other than Certified on Demand, I only used free resources.  

For the next few posts, I will show you my plan - how I passed the certification test in 6 days using Trailhead - and still had time for an afternoon nap.