A few days ago, Salesforce announced the brand new entry level certification - The Certified Associate. The certification has no prerequisites and is a great way for people who want to take their first step towards the salesforce ecosystem. 

Currently the Salesforce Administrator certification is considered the foundational credential for any salesforce professional and is often one the most hardest exams to pass because of the range of topics and features it entails. 

When starting off with Salesforce, it can be hard to attain hands-on, real experience which is needed to succeed in the exam. With the new associate certification, Salesforce is addressing this difficulty and the increasing demand for Salesforce skills in the market. As Salesforce is on the path of generating millions of jobs, there is a key demand for a better way to enter the salesforce platform, and this certification addresses this demand. 

The new Salesforce Certified Associate is for anyone with 0-6 months of experience with Salesforce. It is the ideal step before taking the Salesforce administrator certification. The certification provides knowledge of what the Salesforce platform is, what it does and how it can solve business needs. Furthermore, unlike other salesforce professional certifications, the new certification will not require ongoing maintenance. 

The Salesforce certified associate certification exam tests a candidate's knowledge and understanding of the Salesforce Customer 360 platform and their understanding of the fundamental functionality of Salesforce at the foundational level. Salesforce Associate candidates are also expected to have awareness of how a CRM platform solves business challenges by connecting departments and customer information.  

The exam is split into four sections :

1. Salesforce Ecosystem: 32%

• Describing how companies use salesforce
• Based on a case, identifying which customer 360 offerings could be used
• Based on a situation, be able to describe different resources available to learn and apply in-demand salesforce skills
• Differentiating between various job roles and careers in the Salesforce ecosystem 

2. Navigation: 28%

• Based on a situation, identify where salesforce customisation takes place
• Based on a situation, identify where users can locate and access necessary information

3. Data Model: 25%

• Based on a situation, identifying which features to use to ensure data visibility 
• Based on a situation, determining which tool to use to ensure data security 
• Explaining the relationship between the core standard objects

4. Reports and Dashboards: 15%

• Describing reports on Salesforce 
• Describing dashboards on Salesforce

The exam:

• Will cost $75 
• You need 62% to pass 
• You need to answer 40 multiple choice questions
• You will have 70 minutes to complete the exam
• There are no prerequisites for this exam 
• You can give the exam online or at a test centre
• Resource : The Trailhead exam guide 

The announcement of the new certification is exciting news for everyone trying to make their way into the Salesforce ecosystem. If you are looking for your next salesforce job opportunity or are looking for top Salesforce talent, Savant is here to help. We can support you with access to great opportunities through our long-standing client relationships and get you the best talent in the industry that can be technically vetted through our salesforce partnerships with experts and market-leading onboarding advice and consultation. To know more about how we can assist you, please reach out to us at technology@savantrecruitment.com