Salesforce Platform Developer 1 Exam – Certification Guide & Tips

Introduction

You must be wondering how certification can help when you are already familiar with basics and worked on many projects as well. At the same time, it is a well-known debate for freshers, how certification can help them at the beginner level. Well, the certification has tons of benefits, and it gives you an edge over the competition. It can boost your popularity and credibility. Certification can be the biggest goal when you want more calls and attractive salaries from top leading companies nationwide.

Here is what it means to be Salesforce Platform Developer 1, Salesforce platform Developer 2, and Salesforce platform app builder Certified and how can you get the coveted certification using the Salesforce Platform.

About Salesforce Platform Developer 1 Exam

The Salesforce platform developer 1 certification was introduced in 2015. The major objective of introducing this certification was to make sure that the certified person has hands-on expertise over platforms like APEX and VisualForce. The certification was designed to check the knowledge of a person at the basic level, not at the advanced level. Here is a quick pattern of the exam, you should know before you appear for the exam.

• The exam contains 60 multiple-choice questions.
• You will be given 105 minutes in total to complete the certification exam.
• The expected passing score for the exam is 65 percent. If you can answer 40 questions, then you can definitely clear the exam.

As you know, there are a total of 60 questions, here is a breakdown of sections with an appropriate number of questions.

Section	Weight	Questions
Logic and Process Automation	46%	27 or 28
Testing	12%	7 to 8
Data Modelling and Management	12%	7 to 8
User Interface	10%	6
Debug and Deployment Tools	10%	6
Salesforce Fundamentals	10%	6

To evaluate your current skillset and how much you need to improve your knowledge, check out our quiz section on the Salesforce at a glance.

Prerequisites for the Salesforce Platform Developer 1 Exam

These prerequisites are not mandatory to clear the Salesforce platform Developer 1, Salesforce Platform app builder, and Salesforce platform Developer 2 exam but it can help you to gain an edge in the competitive world.

• You should start your journey by creating a Salesforce Developer Account and the account will entitle you to get access to a free Salesforce Developer Instance. Also, you can check thousands of tutorials as per the convenience.
• Try to get hands-on expertise in at least one OOPS programming language, either Java or C++.
• Try to get the basic knowledge of APEX programming language either through self-study or take the training.
• Read a lot of reference study materials like whitepapers, PPTs, blogs, etc.

How much coding background is needed for passing the Exam?

To pass the Salesforce platform Developer 1, Salesforce Platform App builder, and Salesforce platform Developer 2 exam, you should look for the following facts.

• There are no prerequisites to attempt for the exam, and anyone can join either he belongs to an IT or not-IT background.
• If you know something about the APEX programming language, then it can be an extra benefit for you.
• The best idea for freshers having a non-IT background or anyone completely new to the platform, join the APEX training program or Salesforce Certifications courses online and make yourself ready to clear the exam with more confidence right away!

The objective of this section is to discuss how much programming experience you actually needed for passing the Salesforce Platform Developer 1 Exam. Well, the exam has no prerequisites, but the basic knowledge of the APEX programming language like data structures, control statements, SQL variations, iterators, etc can be an added benefit.

The syntax of APEX programming language is similar to the other OOPs based languages like Java or C++. I will recommend joining some courses to learn APEX first before you actually attempt for the exam. Here is a quick idea of what you should learn to get the starting idea of the platform.

Read: How to Prepare For Salesforce Developer Interview Questions?-Tips and Tricks? Beginners Tips!

Here are the most recommended references for you –

• Platform Developer, I Guide
• Apex Workbook
• Visualforce Workbook
• com Workbook
• Developer Trailhead – Beginner

To get full detail on topics and what you should learn as part of your training online, click here and check out the syllabus now.

Tips for passing the exam from Certified Professionals

Just going through developer guides and workbooks will not produce favorable results. So, you should always start with a strategy to clear the exam in a first attempt.

• Review the study guide thoroughly and keep a close eye on the least familiar topics.
• Label each topic and start one by one based on your convenience.
• Make flashcards to get the basic idea of each topic that will be covered in the exam.
• Once you know the weak points where to start, then focus on trailhead and workbooks ahead.
• If self-study is not the option for you, then join the Salesforce certification course online and enhance your learning right away.
• Finally, make a strategy that should work for you.

Here are a few more convincing tips in detail for aspirants on how to enjoy study time and pass the exam in the first attempt.

1). Focus on Salesforce Study Guide

Most of the learners don’t focus on the study guide, and they directly jump to advanced study materials. I will recommend starting with the study guide to make the foundation of your exam. It will help you to understand what comes in and out of the scope of the exam. In this way, you can always focus on the right things and free to avoid unnecessary concepts. Try to give your 80 percent time to least familiar topics and rest of the time you can spend over familiar ones.

2). Get the basic idea from Trailhead

Undoubtedly, Trailhead is the best source to learn Salesforce. In case you are not familiar with trailhead advantages then this is the right time to explore things. It will help you in preparing a learning strategy and plan your learning curriculum too accordingly. If you have not tried Trailhead yet then do it now.

3). Go for Salesforce Certification Training

In most of the cases, self-study sounds boring and people are not able to bring out their 100 percent, as it should be done. So, you are recommended to join the Salesforce certification training program. Don’t sweat, if you don’t have the budget because most of the online IT training providers are giving training in the budget these days.

JanBask Training is just an amazing resource for getting certified in Salesforce. For more information, you should discuss with expert mentors to get the complete idea of the exam. If you are not sure of the online learning environment and how it can help you to boost your skills and clear the certification exam, check out one demo class first. Availing a demo class is easy at JanBask Training where you simply have to put a request and all is set.

4). Track the progress more, not the total time investment

You should always give preference to quality instead of quantity. Also, check how are you progressing over time. Check your progress how much have you learned once a particular study session is completed. For example, under the process automation, apex, and VisualForce section, you should know how to use SOQL, SOSL, DML operations or other database statements, etc. in the same way, you need to check your progress after every session.

5). Try different methods of learning

Spend time on different learning methods like the study guide, trailhead, YouTube videos, online content, Salesforce certification training, etc. Now evaluate carefully which technique could work just the best for you.

6). Know When and Why

Once you are done with one section, ask yourself what was the concept and when to use it? If you are sure of these questions then you will definitely clear this exam because it is based on when and why concepts only not deeper ones.

Read: Future Growth of a Salesforce Developer in 2020

7). Ask questions in support firms

Firms are the places where thousands of people are connected and reply to each other query gracefully. You could answer and ask questions in support of firms freely.

8). Don’t burn out yourself

No need to do overnight stretch. Give yourself enough time to understand the topics well but don’t get over exhausted. In case, you are done with the accomplished goals of the day then take rest ahead. Go outside and enjoy nature.

What should be the Study Material?

In this section, you can encounter simple or complex snippets. You can identify the utility classes and read the code as well. Now, focus on the order of execution and what can be the outcome.

APEX Study Material

• You should check out the Apex sharing model first.
• Check out triggers and DML operations. Try to understand what should be implemented or when to choose triggers over workflows.
• Also, you should have a basic idea of primitive and advanced data types.
• You should know about conditional statements and how to process the output.
• Check out access modifiers, variable collections, apex collection, list, map, etc.
• Try to study inner classes and their limitations as well.
• Understand iterators, schema methods, and limit classes, etc.
• Understand the concept of exception handling, SOQL, SOSL, Apex unit tests, etc.

Visualforce Study Material

• Know about standard or custom controllers more
• Try to understand the security implementation of controllers.
• You should know how to merge fields
• Understand the value of Lightning and why Salesforce is promoting it actively.
• Understand the Lightning components and the needed resources too.
• Understand the information associated with each tab and for which purpose, we can use it.
• Also, try to understand changesets, application lifecycle management, etc.

Further, understand the governor limits and the code snippet that contains a DML operation. Now, check the code carefully and count the total number of DML operations. When you are preparing for the Salesforce platform developer 1 exam, you are exposed to the overwhelmed information. This certification is more dedicated to beginners, check governor limits, and other similar topics.

I will recommend memorizing things with some shortcuts like flashcards, some abbreviations, etc. The governor limits associated with advanced topics are not included in this certification. Make a list of all governor limits that are necessary to know for this particular exam.

Process Automation

In this section, your basic knowledge will be assessed for declarative features and their relationships with data models.

• You should be very much sure of different database relationships, and you should know how master-detail and lookup relationships are different.
• Also try to understand the external objects, their relationships, and how to initialize them.
• Next is formula and roundup fields, try to understand the relationship between them and what can be the output for a particular relationship.

You should understand each of the questions carefully. There are multi-faceted questions; you need to understand. I will advise attempting and focusing on one question at a time. The Apex, VisualForce, and Process Automation account for a significant part of the exam and rest topics are somewhat gentle, but it is better understood them thoroughly.

The other common topics are MVC architecture, multi-tenant environment, AppExchange, data model and management, etc. You should understand the basic concepts of each of them and attempt related multiple-choice questions for practice. Also, study about the junction object to learn many-to-many relationships in deep.

Next is schema builder, how to make modifications to objects or variables like add/delete etc. You should know about different relationships too so that you can understand which can be used over others. Also, understand the relationships between standard objects like –

Things don’t end here and there is a lot more to understand. We have given an idea of topics that will be included under the Salesforce platform developer 1 certification exam. Focus on standard objects or relationships only; you don’t have to worry about advanced topics here. We wish you luck for the exam. In this section, we have covered everything about certification and topics covered under the exam.

Let us see a few tips that can help you in passing the exam in the first attempt. These tips are taken good for almost every individual and compiled after deep research by discussing with certified professionals who have already passed this exam successfully.

Certifications can help build your resume

Till the time we have learned about the certification, exam pattern, tips for passing the exam, and what should be the study materials. I hope it must have encouraged you enough for getting engaged in the discussion. In this section, we will tell you how certifications can help build your resume.

Resume building is a constant effort. Even if you are an entrepreneur, you are still growing your resume. The resume works more than just to apply for job profiles. An impressive resume helps you to communicate the success in this competitive world.

Read: Top 12 Salesforce APP Builder Interview Questions and Answers 2018

For example, if you need a job in a multinational Company and your resume is blank then what can you get? They probably will not hire you. If you have certifications that claim the success in your resume, companies would love hiring you.

Resumes can communicate your personal strengths too. You can show your achievements and don’t forget to explain how you can be the right fit for the position. Take one more example, how certifications are vitally important for your careers.

Let us say, employers, search for the best profiles who have earned at least one certification and they find you eventually. They check out your profile to give feedback on the suitability. They want to know your work experiences and history.

• They will quickly check out the Company name where you have worked in the past.
• They will check out for certifications instead of going through your resume word-to-word.

Ultimately, they will figure out in minutes if you are the right fit for the job or not. So, make sure that you have listed your work experiences, achievements, and certifications in short and the best way.

Therefore, resume building is the critical step when looking for a new job in the IT industry, and JanBask Training can help you in preparing an impressive you that can attract and convince recruiters quickly. You will start receiving multiple calls from potential employers right away.

Certification gives you Promotions

Resumes are the first vital impression that reflects your work ethic, dedication, and character. When certifications are added to a resume, it automatically becomes more valuable and builds your personal brand. If you want to grow your credibility then you should apply for the Salesforce Platform Developer 1 exam today.

Getting a Salesforce certification can help you in multiple ways. You can build your social profile, gain credibility, and enjoy big fat salary packages as compared to others.  One of the best benefits that come your way is free promotion.

Let me tell you what I mean by free promotion here.

When you are certified, you will add it your social profiles, your resume and can be noticed by companies quickly who are searching for a certified Salesforce professional. You can attract recruiters, and it will give you a leg up on the competition.

Why should you get Certified?

Today, there is a huge need for skilled professionals who can help Companies in running successful Salesforce implementations without wasting thousands of dollars in poor attempts. When it is difficult to differentiate yourself, and too legit in such a competitive world, certifications can take your career to the next level with ease. It is a platform that helps in communicating values and credibility.

Most importantly, you can swim and stand out in a sea of opportunities. It helps you in putting a cherry on the top that speaks about your skills loudly. Further, the Salesforce platform certifications also help in building your resume and a personal brand. The Salesforce platform license helps you in receiving free promotion too and gets hired by top companies worldwide. So, what is the most compelling reason that inspired you to earn the Salesforce platform developer 1 certification? Share your comments and thoughts below!

Read: All About Salesforce Certifications You Must Know