Realize the Value of Certifications
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Understand the value of a Salesforce certification for your learners.
- Explain the certification exam structure and how to help your learners register to sit for a Salesforce certification exam.
Why Certify?
A Salesforce certification can help your students stand out when applying for their first roles after graduation by verifying their Salesforce skills and their commitment to professional development.
Certified professionals have greater skills and influence at their organizations. According to a recent IDC study, certified employees are often given more responsibilities than their uncertified peers, making them 5.5 times more influential in their role and 90% more productive. Certified professionals are also 68% more efficient, bringing 30% faster time to value and resulting in two times longer tenure than their uncertified peers.
Plus, once a student has learned in-demand skills, they can show them off on their very own re-invented resume with their Trailblazer.me profile.
For a deeper understanding of the value of Salesforce certifications, read 3 Powerful Salesforce Certification Benefits.
Exam Structures and Guides
As you help prepare your students to take certification exams, it’s helpful to understand the structure of each exam, including the length and breakdown of questions.
Exam | Time | Questions | Passing Score |
|---|---|---|---|
70 minutes, timed | 40 multiple choice, and up to 5 nonscored | 62% | |
70 minutes, timed | 40 multiple choice, and up to 5 nonscored | 62% | |
105 minutes, timed | 60 multiple choice, and up to 5 nonscored | 70% |
Certification Vouchers
Certification vouchers include unique codes that your students can use to take the test either virtually online or in-person at a testing center. If your institution is a Salesforce customer, please reach out to your Salesforce account representative to discuss purchasing certification vouchers in bulk. If you plan on including certification in your course, please make voucher purchases at the beginning of the quarter or semester to ensure adequate time for delivery.
Currently, if your institution is not a Salesforce customer, you can’t purchase vouchers in bulk.
How to Register for a Certification
Here are instructions to help you enable your students to register for their certification exams, both online with a remote proctor or onsite at a testing center.
Online with a remote proctor
- At the top of the Trailhead Academy homepage, click Certifications and then select Find a Certification to get to the Salesforce certification catalog.
- Use the Product, Role, or Level filters to find the certification you’re looking for.
- Once you find the certification you want, click on the tile to view its exam detail page. On the exam detail page you’ll find what topics it covers, eligibility, and the role and level it's designed for.
- From the exam’s detail page, click Register Now and choose the Online option. Make sure you’re logged in to your Trailblazer profile and you have set up your Trailhead Academy Account.
- Once you select your delivery mode, you will be asked to verify your legal name. Your legal name must match the name listed on your driver's license or government-issued ID that you will use during the exam pre-check process. This cannot be changed once you have completed scheduling your exam, so double-check your name before submitting. Once you verify your legal name, click Schedule Now.
- Next you’ll automatically be taken to Pearson VUE, our exam delivery provider, to complete your exam registration, schedule, and pay. Click Next to continue.
- Select your preferred exam language: English or Japanese. This scheduling process is only offered for localized Salesforce certification exams.
- Review and accept the online exam and Salesforce policies by clicking the check mark next to each policy. Next, navigate to the bottom of the page and click Agree.
- Select your preferred language spoken by the proctor: English or Japanese.
- Confirm your preferred time zone. Please note, if you select a time zone different from your physical location time, the appointment will follow the time zone selected.
- Select a date and appointment start time for your exam. Once you have made your selection, click Book this appointment.
- Next, you’ll land in your cart where you’ll see your exam details including the exam name, language, length, date and start time, and price. Click Proceed to Checkout if all the details look accurate. You also have the option here to Change Appointment.
- Enter your payment and billing information. You can also add a voucher or promo code here. NOTE: Please ensure you include the correct billing address that you would like to have associated with your exam’s invoice. After completing all fields, click Next.
- A confirmation page will display the details of your exam registration. Click Agree and proceed if all the details look accurate.
- If you’re paying with a credit card, you’ll be taken to a page to enter your credit card information. After you enter your information, click Pay.
- For online exams, you must complete a system check to ensure you can successfully launch your exam. To complete a system check on your device, click Run a system test. If you switch to a different device on exam day, you are highly encouraged to re-run the system test under the new device. Please note the system test access code will be different from your scheduled exam session. To conduct an additional system test, please visit https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/salesforce/onvue.html.
- Once you complete the system check, click the Home icon to be taken back to your Trailhead Academy homepage.
- Your scheduled exam will show on your Trailhead Academy homepage in the Upcoming section. You will also receive a confirmation email with your scheduled exam's details.
- Another way to review your scheduled exam’s details is to click on the exam name in the Upcoming section of your Trailhead Academy homepage. This takes you to the exam detail page where you can see your scheduled exam's details and the exam guide to help you prepare.
Onsite at a testing center
- At the top of the Trailhead Academy homepage, click Certifications and then select Find a Certification to get to the Salesforce certification catalog.
- Use the Product, Role, or Level filters to find the certification you’re looking for.
- Once you find the certification you want, click on the tile to view its exam detail page.
- Once you’re on the exam’s detail page, click the Register Now button and choose the Test Center option. Ensure that you are logged into your Trailblazer profile and you have set up your Trailhead Academy Account.
- Once you select your delivery mode, you will be asked to verify your legal name. Your legal name must match the name listed on your driver's license or government-issued ID that you will use during the exam pre-check process. This cannot be changed once you have completed scheduling your exam, so double-check your name before submitting. Once you verify your legal name, click Schedule Now.
- Next, you’ll automatically be taken to Pearson VUE, our exam delivery provider, to complete your exam registration, schedule, and pay. Click Next to continue.
- Select your preferred exam language: English or Japanese. This scheduling process is only offered for localized Salesforce certification exams.
- Review and accept the online exam and Salesforce policies by clicking the check mark next to each policy. Next, navigate to the bottom of the page and click Agree.
- On the Find a test center page, select up to three test centers to compare availability.
- Select a preferred test center, date, and appointment start time for your exam, then click Book this appointment.
- Next, you’ll land in your cart where you’ll see your exam details including the exam name, language, length, date and start time, and price. Click Proceed to Checkout if all the details look accurate. You also have the option here to Change Appointment and Change Test Center.
- Then, enter your payment and billing information. NOTE: Please ensure you include the correct billing address that you would like to have associated with your exam’s invoice. You can also add a voucher or promo code here. After completing all fields, click Next.
- A confirmation page will display the details of your exam registration. Click Agree and proceed if all the details look accurate.
- If you want to pay with a credit card, you will be taken to a page to enter your credit card information. After you enter your information, click Pay.
- After you have completed your payment, you will be taken to a scheduled exam confirmation page. This confirmation page provides your scheduled exam's details, Salesforce certification exam policies, and directions to your testing center.
- Click the Home icon to be taken back to your Trailhead Academy homepage.
- Your scheduled exam will appear on your Trailhead Academy homepage, listed in the Upcoming section. You will also receive a confirmation email with your scheduled exam's details.
- Another way to review your scheduled exam’s details is to click on your scheduled exam’s name listed in the Upcoming section of your Trailhead Academy homepage. It will take you to the exam’s detail page where it provides you with the exam’s schedule, details, and its exam guide to help you prepare.
If you need to request accommodations in Trailhead Academy, go to your Trailhead Academy Account and scroll down to the bottom. Under Accommodations, please use the link to Request Accommodations and create a case with your request.
Now you know how to take your students from signing up on Trailhead to becoming certified Salesforce professionals—they (and you!) are true Trailblazers!