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Checklist: What to do before attempting 15 certifications

April 17, 2017

Preface: this post is part of the Study Guide: How to Earn 15 Salesforce Certifications series.


Focus. Get in your zone.

Before you attempt something incredible like passing 15 certifications, you have to have a plan.

Follow this checklist to make sure you’re mentally prepared to do this!

#1. Make sure you really want to get a ton of certifications

This step sounds almost silly, but I assure you, this adventure is not for everyone.

This guide is for you if…

  • You want to get many certifications, as quickly as possible
  • You want to increase your salary / market worth / job prospects as quickly as possible

This guide is NOT for you if…

  • You prefer to learn Salesforce through real-world experience and projects
  • You have moral objections to getting many certifications (yes, I know there are many of you!)
  • You are unable financially to pay for certification exams

Now that that’s out of the picture, if you’re still on board, read on.

#2. Set a goal for yourself. Officially.

Your goal should look something like this: I will earn 10 certifications in 10 months.

That’s a goal I believe is realistic for the average person who can set aside an hour a day to study. You’re welcome to change the numbers based on your own preferences. Just don’t make it too easy.

Now when I say you need to officially set a goal, that means you need to write it down. Write your goal on a piece of paper and put it somewhere where you’ll see it at least once a day. This could be on the door to your room, a poster on your wall, or even your desktop wallpaper.

The key is that you’re reminded of your goal often enough that you feel ashamed if you slack off!

#3. Prepare yourself for failure

You are guaranteed to fail certifications. And if you’re like me, you’ll fail many, many times.

You need to mentally prepare yourself and accept that failure is part of the learning process. Engrain it so deeply in your head that when you see the “FAIL” message on your computer screen after submitting your exam, you don’t feel bad. You have to be prepared to snap back and literally start studying again within the next 5 minutes. More info on this soon.

That said, fail certifications but don’t fail your goal!

#4. Budget your money now

If you’re serious about getting a ton of certifications, you have to be able to pay for it!

  • Most certifications range from $200 to $400 for your first attempt
  • If you fail a certification, you can retake it an unlimited number of times for 50% of the cost

Let’s do a little bit of math here:

  1. Let’s say your goal is to pass 10 certifications
  2. On average, a certification will cost $300 on your first attempt
  3. Assume you fail each certification once

Your grand total comes out to be $5,000, rounding up to be safe. That’s a ton of money!

This doesn’t even include your annual maintenance exams, although with the recent Three Then Free policy, this comes out to “only” $300 per year.

If you can’t budget $5,000, make budget. Don’t let finances stop you from getting certified.

The reason is simple: getting certified will increase your salary far more than $5,000!
I don’t think it’s unrealistic for 10 certifications to increase your salary by $50,000!

If you still don’t think you can afford $5,000, see if you can convince others to pay for you, such as:

  • Your employer – many employers provide learning assistance. If not, ask your boss anyway. This is the best way to fund certifications, so take it seriously
  • The government – see if you can get a tax break for learning. If you own your own business, you may be able to tax deduct some of your fees
  • Salesforce – there are certification discounts / vouchers from time to time, such as around Dreamforce, class vouchers, attending Destination Success, and the Architect promotion!

Remember, it’ll all be worth it after you pass!

#5. Have a reward in mind

Have a nice reward in mind.

If you’re going to increase your salary by $50,000, it’s not unreasonable to reward yourself with an expensive gift for all your hard work.

Now for this to be a proper gift…

  • It must be expensive
  • It must be something you want, and not need!
  • It must be something you would have never bought otherwise

For example, a trip to that one place you’ve always wanted to go to (Japan)! Or, a Nintendo Switch.

#6. Get a continuous dose of inspiration

These ones always do it for me:

The Magic Formula

1.01 365 = 37.8
0.99 365 = 0.03

And of course, check out all the latest success stories!

#7. Post your goal in the comments below

Internet fame and shame is a fantastic incentivizer!

Next post: How to pass each certification: The SFDC99 Method!

177 Comments
Dominic Carubba
August 26, 2022 @ 1:26 pm

Ooohhh Rahhh… I put down my crayons to give you a shout out Runel.
I’ve got some advice… Admin to ADV admin is a pretty tough leap.
I would recommend Admin and PAB, they’re closer to the same class.

I know, because I teach both of those classes and I failed my ADV Admin (taken without studying).
But if you’re serious… check out my Youtube channel: http://www.SalesforceZen.com and I’ve got videos up that will walk you through the trails for Admin, and I’m doing live sessions on most Wed/Thur as i build my study guide for ADV Admin.

I’m a former Marine and a Army Transportation Officer… and I Train FOR Salesforce and I conduct my own training sessions.

David’s blogs on how to study for tests are Awesome… but you would definitely need experience to really demonstrate your ADV Admin skills.

I recommend the Pentagon of Certs: Admin, Platform App Builder, Sales & Service Consultant, and the new Business Analyst Certification. That’s a Solid 5 certs that will get your career started.
Ultimately, the hardest one of those will be the ADMIN… why? Because you have to be really clear on the language and definitions of Salesforce… and the questions are designed to filter out all of the folks that just study test Dumps.

Hit me up for more info.

Reply
Runel Uguru
August 22, 2022 @ 10:37 pm

I’m shooting for 2 certifications (admin and advanced admin) in 2 months and 10 days. I desparately need a career change. Theres a Saleforce apprenticeship program for veterans that I can start in January if I meet the October deadline. I can do this!

Reply
    David Liu
    August 23, 2022 @ 9:28 pm

    Rooting for ya buddy!

    Reply
Sandeep Govindan Karukayil
May 19, 2022 @ 9:48 pm

your quotes have nice resemblence to anime lol that was inspiring

Reply
Candy Duff
May 15, 2022 @ 8:33 am

HI!
Well, I am going to shoot for 10 certs over the next 6 months. I am giving up my career as an elementary teacher, which I have done for 15 years. Education has become intolerable and I do love technology. I just hope I’m not too old to be entering a new field (almost 56 y/o). I have a resources to pay, I have a goal, I have a super supportive husband and will be on “summer break” in 2 weeks! It will be the final summer break, but I think it will be totally worth it. I cannot continue being bullied by administrators, parents and students. I want to be appreciated for my knowledge and efforts. :)

Reply
    David Liu
    May 15, 2022 @ 9:22 am

    So sorry to hear about what’s going on with teachers these days Candy!!! Welcome to the Salesforce industry though, I wish you luck on your journey !

    Reply
    Dominic Carubba
    August 26, 2022 @ 1:29 pm

    How did it go? Did you get the certs? I turn 56 on Sunday.
    You CAN do this.
    Here’s how I know:
    I teach hundreds of people each year… and I suck as a consultant… but I’m a great teacher.
    Look, there’s a place in the EcoSystem for YOU. When you find it, you will be great at that… and there’s a HUGE need for MORE Instructors.

    Good Luck.
    Dominic

    Reply
Bulgarian enthusiast ;)
August 20, 2021 @ 5:17 am

Short story: I have decided to quit my job in October, 2020 and start learning how to code. I was in the insurance business, so nothing IT related. I passed some academies, solved hundreds of coding tasks on different websites ( I started learning Java btw ). After sending at least 30 CV’s I managed to become an intern in a software company, non paid. After 4.5 months of learning and interviews, I was offered a job as a Junior Software Engineer in the Salesforce team. So, now the real learning begins. Thank you, David, for being my motivation all the way! Now, I will keep following your advices in order to get as many certifications as I can! I will become an Architect in 3 years!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH, DAVID!!!

Reply
    teodor neagu
    December 26, 2021 @ 5:25 pm

    brother…im romanian. same as you, i wanna change. write us our path

    Reply
      David Liu
      December 26, 2021 @ 5:43 pm

      Bro I got a video called LEARN SALESFORCE FAST on YouTube !!

      Reply
        Dominic Carubba
        August 26, 2022 @ 1:32 pm

        It’s a great video. I also like my videos, but David, You are one of the people that helped me… even AFTER I was certified and teaching the ADM201 course for Salesforce (which I still do now).

        I really appreciate the videos and, honestly, Instead of creating my own, I just send people to yours… (not a good youtube strategy)… but I definitely respect your contributions.

        I just taught a class for Google newbies, mostly in NYC, the ADM201 class and I gave you “major props” for your contributions to the community.

        I’ll keep telling people about your site. And I’m producing more videos for YouTube.

        Reply
Katie
July 29, 2021 @ 7:44 am

Thank you David for your inspiration through stories and guides! I was in transportation with no previous salesforce experience. During covid, I worked from home with 2 toddlers and looked for work that allowed me to grow and have the flex I desired. Through learning on trailhead, focus on force, and inspiration from your videos, I was able to earn my salesforce admin cert and secure a junior admin position. I just want to tell anyone out there struggling to find time or motivation, YOU CAN DO IT! I am proof of that :) Keep imagining yourself in your next role, and surround yourself with people who will motivate you!

Reply
    David Liu
    August 4, 2021 @ 11:45 am

    Congrats Katie!!!!!!!

    Reply
Pleb
March 29, 2021 @ 9:36 pm

I’m still in school aiming for an anthropology degree, but I’ve been unemployed for over two years. I have ample time to study. I’m extremely budget constrained, so my goal is to simply get two certificates in 2021. Thinking of going for admin and maybe something development related.

Reply
    David Liu
    March 29, 2021 @ 9:53 pm

    Good luck Pleb lol

    Reply
    Dominic Carubba
    August 26, 2022 @ 1:33 pm

    How did you do Pleb?
    Did you reach your goal?
    I hope so… and I hope that you are setting new goals.
    Good Luck.

    Reply
nelson lewis
February 17, 2021 @ 12:29 pm

Hi, David

My name is Nelson Lewis ( linkedin-https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelson-lewis-7590/ )

So I announce with confidence I may fail quite a few times to pass my is certs along the way but i WILL reach my goal of passing 10 cert in 2021 and make close too if not more than $90,000 a year by early 2022 !!!

Im 30, currently, an unemployed chef due to covid with 10 years experience. I’m looking for a major career change into the tech world of salesforce as an admin first, hopefully leading into a prominent developer in a few years. To be honest I had no clue salesforce existed before 2019. Covid-19 in 2020 has made me to take a hard look at my life, culinary career and wonder what I want my life to look like in the next 10 years.

After watching quite a few videos on your platforms, and taking your personality quiz ( great idea btw) to gauge which path is the best to take. Has led me to ask myself “if it is possible for me to learn coding at this stage in my life?”. I say “why the Hell not” everything is hard in the beginning. With the right foundation and mentorship/ guidance to truly understand its place in salesforce for better or worse. I really do believe I can become successful in salesforce in the years to come.

***I also welcome any new friends on linkedin on profile advice, to discuss any challenges you’ve overcome or hurdles you’ve run into along the way of passing yours certs on this new journey of rediscovery.

Reply
yerin
February 3, 2021 @ 5:35 pm

I will get Salesforce Administrator Certification next month!!! Yes I can do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I mean I have to!! to be assigned to the salesforce project!!!!!!

Reply
Nasir
January 27, 2021 @ 11:22 pm

2021
i wanna achieve app architect n system arch
7 exams in total

1. Platform App Builder [apr]
2. Platform Developer I [mar]
3. Data Architecture and Management Designer [may]
4. Integration Architecture Designer [july]
5. Sharing and Visibility Designer [sep]
6. Identity and Access Management Designer [nov]
7. Development Lifecycle and Deployment Designer [dec]

is this a correct sequence?

Reply
Shua
January 19, 2021 @ 4:46 pm

Hi David,

I just got to know about salesforce last week and looking forward to join the industry and get some certifications, but I am from HR Background (totally non- technical), so I am a bit confused, will these certifications be beneficial to me and my career AND Will I be able to complete the certifications, given that I know nothing about IT. Looking forward to your guidance.
Thank you

Reply
Eddy Zhuo
November 14, 2020 @ 12:37 am

Hello David,
I don’t know any of you still read this post. I still read it from time to time.

I will earn 5 Salesforce Certification before the Summer of 2021 (Kick the COVID-19 butt!)

Let’s connect! (https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddyzhuo/)

Reply
    David Liu
    November 14, 2020 @ 12:46 am

    Cheers Eddy!

    Reply
Roland Patrice
November 11, 2020 @ 2:41 am

I plan to pass 5 certifications in the next 4 months and specially passed the Salesforce Administrator certification by the end of 2020

Reply
Juan Lopez
November 5, 2020 @ 7:24 pm

I want to be the best integration developer and salesforce developer/admin

Reply
Yee
November 5, 2020 @ 12:01 pm

I will pass the Salesforce Administrator Certification by the end of 2020

Reply
    Roland Patrice
    November 11, 2020 @ 2:39 am

    I plan to pass 5 certifications in the next 4 months and specially passed the Salesforce Administrator certification by the end of 2020

    Reply
Sean
November 3, 2020 @ 4:58 pm

Great article! Very inspiring. My goals are 3 certs by the end of this year. ! down, 1 working and 1 right at the end. Then I’m focused on 7 more next year for 10 total.

Thanks for all you do David!

Reply
Ivie
October 28, 2020 @ 8:09 pm

I just started the Salesforce journey and I am really very inspired by your articles. I hope to get 5 SF certificates within the next 4 months.

Reply
    David Liu
    October 28, 2020 @ 8:12 pm

    Thank you, good luck!

    Reply
OlgaG
September 9, 2020 @ 5:44 pm

Hello David Liu,
Thank you for being such an inspirational force!
I got my SF admin certification last year and have taken some of your courses. I work in mainframe apps and recently applied to an internal position in my company for a SF engineer and was rejected. I knew I was not ready for it but I was demoralized nevertheless, until I checked the success stories on this site and they gave me hope. My goal for this year is to go thru all the Apex courses and get my developer I certification.

Reply
    David Liu
    September 9, 2020 @ 5:45 pm

    Cheering for ya Olga !!

    Reply
Thi N.
August 9, 2020 @ 9:07 pm

I will get 5 certifications by the end of 2020!!!! My goal is to be a developer!

Thank you David for all of your hard work and sharing your experience and expertise. You are well respected in my book and I’m sure many others as well….We got this!

Reply
Justin Bolner
August 5, 2020 @ 8:16 am

I will earn six certifications by 1-10-2021.

Reply
Ankit
July 8, 2020 @ 8:42 am

Thank you for sharing your strategies! Failed once. Salesforce Certified Admin by 30-AUG-2020.

Reply
    Anonymous
    August 8, 2020 @ 6:18 pm

    Hello Ankit
    I have a doubt Maybe it is dumb doubt Sorry about that Please help me
    Can we take Salesforce Admin -201 Certification exam in any month ?
    Does it have any time limit I saw it some where like spring and fall exam

    Reply
      Michael Tookes
      September 2, 2020 @ 5:26 pm

      That’s not a dumb question whatsoever. There’s no deadline you have to take a certain exam by. Salesforce has three releases every year (Winter, Spring, Summer) and they also change up the test each release cycle as well.

      So yes, you can take the Salesforce Certified Administrator (201) Certification exam in any month you’d like.

      I wish you the best of luck my friend.

      Reply
Jules
July 7, 2020 @ 2:57 am

Salesforce Administrator by 19th August 2020.

Reply
Ren
June 10, 2020 @ 2:36 pm

i got hooked on to your websites to learn Salesforce. Its been good so far.
I am just confused on how to go about in taking the certification, i need some guidance. I have worked as Salesforce tester for the past 4 to 5 years but never though of getting certification. But now i want to change my focus and start getting certifications in this area.
Any help from you will be appreciated.

Reply
    David Liu
    June 10, 2020 @ 2:47 pm

    Thank you Ren check out this full guide here!
    https://www.sfdc99.com/ultimate-salesforce-certifications-guide/

    Reply
    Dominic Carubba
    July 21, 2020 @ 6:57 am

    Hey All… I do training for Salesforce and I put together a “Trail Guide” Playlist if you want some commentary as you go through your Salesforce Administration Trails.

    My Request: Put the Trailhead Module (not just Trail) links into the Comments of each Video Session… UNTIL they are in the Description.

    (I forgot to track all the links for each session, and I would love your help in cleaning up that resource for each person watching the video).

    Good Luck and Thank You David for all your guidance.
    I’m going from 3 Certs to 5 by the end of Aug 2020.

    First in the 24 video Playlist:


    Reply
gkb
April 25, 2020 @ 8:33 am

I have been trying to register for “Salesforce Administration” Certification. I had written the exam earlier. I needed a few more scores. I am trying to re-register expecting USD 100 fee in stead of USD 200 fee as earlier. However, the web assessor does not seem to find my old account.

How to fix this ??

Reply
    David Liu
    April 25, 2020 @ 10:03 am

    Gotta reach out to the Salesforce cert team for this!

    Reply
Chris
April 24, 2020 @ 2:03 pm

I’m brand new to the SF world and looking for a coach/study buddy. I’m in retail and need a way out – Can we be salesforce dev friends?

– Chris G

Reply
    Chris
    April 24, 2020 @ 2:05 pm

    Hey can you delete my last name from this? Thought it was needed, apologies.

    Reply
      David Liu
      April 24, 2020 @ 2:22 pm

      Done =)

      Reply
        Chris
        April 25, 2020 @ 7:36 am

        You rock, thanks David!

        Reply
The Fixer
April 8, 2020 @ 9:28 am

Dev 1, Community, Sales, Service, Marketing, and Einstein – All before the end of June.

Reply
Mike Woolf
March 16, 2020 @ 6:39 am

I set a goal over the next 100 days to acquire Admin 1, Platform App builder, and Dev 1 Certs. I plan to tackle the first two as quickly as possible in order to focus the majority of my time on Dev 1. To me, this is a very big challenge I plan on posting daily via twitter to track progress/keep me accountable.

Reply
    David Liu
    March 16, 2020 @ 7:35 am

    Very nice Mike!!

    Reply
Saisharan
March 12, 2020 @ 1:00 am

Hi David,

You are an inspiration. Taking some time off to encourage others is awesome. I am 15+ yrs CRM experience in Siebel and now turning myself into Salesforce. I did my Admin few months back. Now, I am determined to complete all System Architect pre-requisites + couple of domain certifications by EOY 2020, if not sooner. 1st thing for me is to dedicate time to read, practice and finish trails.

Thanks a lot for your contributions to community. Wish me good luck.
My best wishes to everyone !!.

Reply
Anonymous
January 27, 2020 @ 2:02 am

Thanks David,

I will celebrate my 50 years old this Abril 2020 along with my Admin 201 and Sales Cloud Consultant certs, and by July completing my App Builder cert.

My history will be a 50 year old professional, emigrating from two countries (Venezuela and Argentina) in 2 and a half years, and starting over twice, while studying Salesforce, learning Portuguese and jumping from underpaying jobs to feed my family during the process!

After completing my challenges, I will have another one to overcome, it is finding a remote job to avoid moving.again

#resillience #ohana #SFsalvation

Reply
    Guru Kalle
    April 25, 2020 @ 8:38 am

    This is an achievement. I was in a similar situation.

    I had been trying to move back/forth between India and USA as well try to meet my daughter studying in India. I have been trying to find a remote job in USA to work from India.

    It looks like they want somebody already in USA.

    What you could try to do is try to find local jobs as well as try to set up a salesforce consultancy and try to sell the Salesforce Solution for businesses in Real Estate, Insurance, Automobile, Education etc that can make a good use of Salesforce

    Reply
EllieK
January 9, 2020 @ 9:01 am

I will get 3 certs within the next 6 months. I want to pace myself and not just learn to memorize, but to know and understand the material. Fighting!

Reply
Zishan
December 4, 2019 @ 1:51 pm

I am actually living and breathing the situation that you have talked about. I have been so ashamed of failure.

I had my Platform App Builder and Admin certifications, then flunked Community Cloud and could not gather the courage to try again for almost a year. I came back and completed Service cloud but failed Sales Cloud last month.

But now I am prepared to keep going and earn 2 certifications every quarter and become a Salesforce Architect by June ’20.

Thanks for the inspiration

Reply
    David Liu
    December 4, 2019 @ 3:13 pm

    Proud of you man!!

    Reply
      Zishan
      June 17, 2020 @ 2:34 pm

      I realize honesty and acceptance of my failures here has worked for me. I have kept the promise I made six months ago and am now a Salesforce certified Application Architect.

      This journey through certifications has made me stronger and wiser. I’ll continue to learn, pick up certifications to become a System Architect by end of the year and make my career brighter.

      Thanks a lot man for all the inspiration.

      Reply
        David Liu
        June 17, 2020 @ 2:43 pm

        =)

        Reply
Smita
November 18, 2019 @ 4:32 pm

I am looking for a new Salesforce Dev Role with 2 years exp and recruiters are constantly turning me down because I don’t have any certs! I will get 5 certificates by End 2020.

Reply
Stephen Dickson
November 18, 2019 @ 6:33 am

So thankful for this resource (your blog), can’t thank you enough. I will go from 1 certification to 12 certifications between now and the end of 2020.

Reply
    David Liu
    November 18, 2019 @ 10:58 am

    Go get it man!!

    Reply
Ananth Prayaga
August 25, 2019 @ 6:39 pm

Looking forward to getting Admin, Advanced Admin and Platform App Builder by the end of this year ! Thanks in advance for all the great help !

Reply
gbk
August 23, 2019 @ 9:20 am

It is a good article.When I worked in Cool Gen / Advantage Gen (a 4 GL Tool ; It is very much 4th Industrial Revolution type of a tool) for 5+ yrs as developer and for 5+ yrs as a Administrator in USA for 4 Encyclopedias and supporting 10+ applications I did not do any certification. I was so much busy with the work.

But then after I moved to Salesforce (Salesforce is like advanced version of advantage gen in that it is also 4th industrial revolution product plus has the advanced technological developmental capabilities for Web and Mobile as well as Sales,Service, Marketing cloud etc) in 2008 I did not get time to write the certification exams. I did write one and some more scores needed to pass the exam.

I have made up my mind to write one more exam and get certified when I got chance. I am also short of money as I have been on bench since Feb 2019. I hope that I will get an employer who will hire me soon so that I get some funds to write the exam as well

Reply
Jay Soni
August 23, 2019 @ 12:12 am

Love you David!, it’s very inspiring. Will Soon plan for certificate…

Reply
LuckyGuide
July 23, 2019 @ 10:36 am

This is incredibly inspiring (the comments too), I’m lucky enough to work at a company that loves his employees and encourages them to keep getting SF certs, I became and Admin and a Platform App Builder this year but reading your content makes me want to go for more! planning for 2 more before ending this year.

Reply
Guru
June 13, 2019 @ 10:06 pm

Excellent Article, Inspiration

Reply
Sandy
April 15, 2019 @ 10:59 pm

This is a old story but I still would like to share ,I am a guy from non technical background, I got trained on Salesforce admin in the beginning back in 2012 in the company that I used to work for, and unfortunately my colleague and I failed 201 cert, so we were both was insulted by our trainer before the team of 20 , and the trainer told me I will never succeed in my life and his predictions never go wrong (I still remember his bitter words), and he informed the management to transfer me to different projects other than Sf as I was not capable of doing Sf, my colleague left the company after this insult and joined a different domain, I requested , infact I literally cried before my management for another chance, within 40 days from there I cleared 201,211,app builder and also bagged best performer award for 3 consecutive months and today I own 10 certs and working as Salesforce Consultant , best part is, I am also handling a team of 20 :) (in a different company though)

David, I should say ,you are Salesforce Genie , who full fills everyones dream of becoming Salesforce champions .

Keep going…

Reply
    David Liu
    April 15, 2019 @ 11:11 pm

    Wonderful story =) You did the hard work, keep that head up high!

    Congrats!
    David

    Reply
    Christina T.
    February 22, 2020 @ 10:29 pm

    Your stories are inspiring! All the best to everyone who posted. I am training to get my Salesforce Admin certification, and will take the test in the next several weeks.

    Reply
    Bharathy Sankarasubramanian
    April 6, 2020 @ 2:49 pm

    Very inspiring! Could you please share the training materials you used for clearing the certifications

    Reply
      David Liu
      April 6, 2020 @ 2:57 pm

      Read the full guide linked in the heading of this post for more info.

      Reply
Jessica Johnson
October 25, 2018 @ 6:15 pm

Loved the Guide! Thanks for putting this together and sharing with the world. Passing the exam is like taking a photo, being a good Salesforce Admin is like living a life full of photos, built over time.

I am brand new to Salesforce. I have studied maybe 18 hours in the past couple of weeks and my goal is to pass 2 Admin certifications in the next 6 weeks and start picking up part-time gigs by the end of the year.

Thanks!

Reply
    jessica johnson
    November 11, 2018 @ 5:11 pm

    Update – I passed my first Admin Cert on 11/3/18, after only 3 weeks exposure to Salesforce. I wouldn’t have had the courage to try or tips to pass without your Ultimate Guide!

    Thanks!!

    Reply
      David Liu
      November 20, 2018 @ 3:34 pm

      Congrats Jess =)

      Reply
Vivek
August 30, 2018 @ 5:47 am

HI David!

I am new, totally new to this side of the world. I want to achieve First 3 certification which is Sales force Admin, App builder and Sales force developer.

I dont know where to begin, I have bought plural sight subscription and I have bought couple of courses from UDEMY. I am also learning slowly from trailhead.

which certification should I do first?

Need a proper guidance which path is good start?

Vivek

Reply
    David Liu
    August 30, 2018 @ 6:21 am

    That’s covered later in this guide!

    Reply
Sandesh kulkarni
August 12, 2018 @ 7:59 am

My goal is to complete Application Architect and System Architect by December 2018.
Out of which I completed
App Builder
Platform Developer
Integration Architecture Designer

I already own Sales cloud and Service cloud and Admin.

Thanks David Liu for your understanding not memorising tips !!

Best
Sandesh Kulkarni

Reply
Siri
July 31, 2018 @ 10:07 am

I am aiming to give 2 certs in Aug ’18 and 6 by end of 2018 ! Thanks David your advice is very inspirational !

Reply
    David Liu
    August 4, 2018 @ 11:07 pm

    Good luck Siri!

    Reply
Malhari
July 10, 2018 @ 9:29 pm

I will get 2 certifications by end of the 2018.

Reply
    Shwetha Ram
    July 16, 2018 @ 11:45 am

    I will get 3 certifications by end of 2018

    Reply
Ravi
July 7, 2018 @ 6:09 am

I will earn Salesforce Administrator Certification before August 12th 2018

Reply
Aziz
May 25, 2018 @ 7:09 am

I planned 5 certifications this year, including this one that I missed twice :(.
I will rigorously test your method.

Reply
Samyuktha Reddy
May 24, 2018 @ 3:06 am

Currently am with PD1, planning to do the second certificate a soon.

Really I get BOOST, with words of David, am thankful to you always…..

Cheers,
Samyuktha.

Reply
Stacey
May 22, 2018 @ 1:10 pm

I want to earn 6 certifications by the end of 2018. Thanks for the inspiration and the study guides! I wish I’d come across this site a couple of months ago.

Reply
    David Liu
    May 22, 2018 @ 8:42 pm

    Good luck Stacey!!!

    Reply
Joshua
May 15, 2018 @ 8:18 am

I will get 4 certifications by the end of this year.

Reply
Robin M
April 20, 2018 @ 5:55 am

I am working on 3 certs in SF by end of 2018 – admin, sales cloud consultant and service cloud consultant. Fingers crossed!!

Reply
delubio de paula
January 8, 2018 @ 3:14 am

My goal is to get 2 certifications by April 3rd and get on a plane back to USA before I get barred from entering the country with my Green Card.
I am an Uber/Lyft driver and 47 years old. Time for a big change. I´m getting old and I cannot stand driving anymore. I have an Associates degree in IT but never worked with IT before. I need motivation guys!!!

Reply
    random person on the internet
    March 20, 2018 @ 10:09 am

    You can do it friend! Make it happen!

    Reply
    Atreya Uppaluru
    April 9, 2018 @ 9:34 am

    I see the determination in your comment! You can do it!!!!!

    Reply
    Lukasz
    April 16, 2018 @ 2:21 pm

    I have started this year, and already I have 5 SF Certs – I think that with big commitment everything is possible.

    Reply
      David Liu
      April 17, 2018 @ 11:17 pm

      Wow! Great progress Lukasz!!!!

      Reply
    Anonymous
    May 28, 2018 @ 1:54 pm

    Bro me too i am 50

    Reply
Dipali Shelar
December 24, 2017 @ 12:32 am

Hey David,

Time to boost my professional career and time to get certified. AIming for Admin cert on 30th Dec. Next year, 2 more on the trail: advanced admin and service cloud consultant. Your sessions at India Dreamin were big moral boosters for me. Wish me luck!

Reply
Syed Abid Shah
December 18, 2017 @ 4:21 am

Hi David,

I’ll complete 2 certification Admin and developer in 2018.

Regards
Syed

Reply
    M. Michelle Smith
    December 21, 2017 @ 10:32 am

    My goal is to get 6 Certifications by June 21 2018

    Reply
Waqas Khan
December 17, 2017 @ 6:07 pm

My goal is to get 3 Certifications by March 28 2018

Reply
Shilpa Srikantachar
December 11, 2017 @ 3:41 pm

Hi David,

Came across your wonderful blog which has all the guidance in a very detailed and simple manner .

I have scheduled my Administrator exam for Jan 2018 !!I have started with the trail head for admin , have even bought a course on UDEMY . Are these two sufficient ? or I need to add more ?Please let me know if there are specifics which i need to concentrate on .
Thanks in advance:)

I’m aiming for Admin , Advanced Admin ,Developer in 2018 .Wish me luck :)

Reply
    David Liu
    December 11, 2017 @ 9:01 pm

    You got all you need Shilpa! =) It’s now on you to execute! Good luck!

    Reply
      Shilpa Srikantachar
      April 16, 2018 @ 8:55 am

      Hi David ,

      Woohoo :) I am a certified Salesforce admin now !! Cleared my exam in March 2018.. I was supposed to finish it by Jan but took a while to get on track and finish it . But the happy factor is that I have cracked the certification . Your guidance has helped me so much . I want to Thank you :)
      I am planning on taking up the next certification exam . Could you please guide me if it is better to take up Advanced admin or Platform app builder next .

      Also , should I start with a job since m currently on a break and in parallel prepare for the next certification ?

      Please guide .

      Thanks a ton
      Shilpa

      Reply
        David Liu
        April 17, 2018 @ 11:17 pm

        I generally recommend the order on this page:
        https://www.sfdc99.com/2017/04/22/guide-to-passing-all-salesforce-certifications-2017/

        Gotta feed yourself so keep looking for a job!

        Reply
          Shilpa
          April 25, 2018 @ 12:46 pm

          Woah !! m soooo happy to see your reply :)

          Its like M in touch with the Salesforce GURU himself !! Okie then ,on track for the next certification.

          Leaving an update here makes me more focussed . Thank a ton.
          Keep motivating and guiding us .

          Reply
            David Liu
            April 25, 2018 @ 9:24 pm

            =P

            Reply
Cece Adams
November 12, 2017 @ 4:51 pm

I currently have 7 Salesforce Certs. My goal is to have 10 by the end of 2017. Salesforce QtC, Advanced Admin and Platform Dev 1.

Reply
    David Liu
    November 12, 2017 @ 6:57 pm

    Great!!!!

    Reply
Krishna Bidwai
October 29, 2017 @ 1:57 pm

I don’t have specific number that I will be having before I complete my Masters study. But you have motivated me to think of certification seriously keeping job prospects in mind and keeping the financial barrier aside.

Reply
Brandon Nelson
October 23, 2017 @ 10:49 am

Here we go. I have put this off too long. Tonight is the night I study for the Admin exam. I will take the test before 12/1 and be certified! Then by end of Dec, have the Dev I done.

Reply
    David Liu
    October 23, 2017 @ 11:36 pm

    ^_^

    Reply
Guillaume Beaulieu
October 21, 2017 @ 11:50 pm

I am lucky enough to have an employer willing to invest in me. They provided me with time, flexibility and financial support to do as many certifications as I want as long as I prioritize my projects. Since I was on the “bench” for the last month and a half, I completed 4 certifications in the last month alone! The “Buy 2 Get 2” promotion for designer’s certifications really motivated me.

I now have 12 certification and I intend to reach 16 by next spring.

Reply
    David Liu
    October 23, 2017 @ 11:38 pm

    Wow!! Great achievement!!!

    Reply
Angelina
October 16, 2017 @ 5:32 am

Hi David,

My goal is to have another 3 certifications before the end of this year – Salesforce Admin, Sales Consultant, Cloud Consultant!

Hope i carry the motivation i have right now till the end

Reply
    David Liu
    October 16, 2017 @ 9:27 am

    Go get em Ange!

    Reply
Neeraj
October 7, 2017 @ 11:08 pm

Hi David,

I came across this blog after being laid off. I am determined to get 5 certifications by the end of the year. With me dedicating a good 4 hours a day to going through trailhead and udemy (I purchased 2 courses on Salesforce admin on sale). Do you think this would be enough to write the exams for Admin and Advanced Admin? Of course i will use the resources you have mentioned on this site, but was wondering if there was anything else I could leverage?

I have the time and desire to spend on upgrading my career. I no longer want to be at the mercy of companies and their misfortunes. I want to be in a place where if I get laid off in the future, I can quickly find a job bc i am so qualified. I see the way through Salesforce certification. I am hyped!

Thanks for putting this site together!

Reply
    David Liu
    October 7, 2017 @ 11:10 pm

    Excellent! Check out many of the success stories to see how people got 5 certs in really short amount of time!

    Willpower is all you need to succeed in this industry, keep it up!

    Reply
José
October 4, 2017 @ 1:42 pm

Hi David,
I was inspired by your page, so I recently set the goal to take and get 3 certifications at Dreamforce to take the cost down. I’m going to be studying as 3 hours a day (it helps that my commute is an hour each way), with an hour of studying the guides, 1 of flash cards, and then 1 of coding practice and classes (Apex Academy included!). I hope to earn the Advanced Admin, the Platform App Builder, and Platform Developer 1, and I’m already pounding away on the studying now!
Wish me luck,
José A.

Reply
    David Liu
    October 5, 2017 @ 7:07 pm

    Good luck Jose!!!!!

    Reply
Chris Barry
August 31, 2017 @ 1:01 pm

My goal is 100 certifications before 2018. With your free resources I am sure I can accomplish this. I do not have any yet but thanks in advance, David.

Reply
    David Liu
    August 31, 2017 @ 1:03 pm

    I don’t think your goals are ambitious enough sorry

    Reply
      wackwack
      November 6, 2017 @ 3:26 pm

      Hey David, do you think I will impress girls when I get my certifications?

      Hey baby, I got my 5 SalesForce certifications in 5 week. Do you wanna go out with me?

      lol

      Reply
        David Liu
        November 9, 2017 @ 7:46 pm

        Lol, well, my wife could care less how many certs I have so I’m gonna say no.

        Women and dating is a big mystery to me but hope to hear your success story here soon! =P

        Reply
ThomasB
August 5, 2017 @ 2:34 am

I am taking lessons on Udemy in order to pass the Admin certification.
85 lessons, 40+ hours of video…!
Will be needing practice!
Was a solo-preneur from 2013 to 2017 and had a basic Salesforce account, the difficulty of which deterred me from using it for my simple needs.
Now looking to take a revenge on life after time wasted selling classic cars with what can essentially be called crooks…
Have 4 Hubspot certifications already and would love to learn what synergy can stem from using both tools.
Looking forward to signing up to Apex.
Thanks,
Thomas
France

Reply
    David Liu
    August 5, 2017 @ 11:50 pm

    Good luck Thomas =)

    Reply
Siddharth
July 16, 2017 @ 12:06 pm

Thank you David for inspiration.

I will complete Platform Developer I and Platform App Builder in next 2 months.

Reply
Anonymous
June 23, 2017 @ 3:43 am

Hi David,

Thanks David for your tutorials!!!
I am a mainframe developer and really looking to change my technology to something new like Salesforce. I have completed all your tutorials and really looking to get certified.

Could you please let me know which certification i should go for ?

Shubham

Reply
    David Liu
    June 23, 2017 @ 7:16 am

    Welcome! This tutorial series recommends a certain order, read on!

    Reply
Saleema
June 7, 2017 @ 7:37 am

Wow!!! Great post and motivated to see the comments. I aim to pass Salesforce admin, Sales & service cloud by end of this year. I need to be really focused and achieve my goal. Many thanks to David,
Good luck everyone!

Regards
Saleema

Reply
    David Liu
    June 7, 2017 @ 9:57 pm

    Goooo Saleema!

    Reply
Maria
June 1, 2017 @ 9:36 am

I want to complete 4 more certifications by end of Dec. I currently only have my admin 201

Reply
    David Liu
    June 1, 2017 @ 9:32 pm

    Yay Maria!!!

    Reply
Srinivas.
May 29, 2017 @ 12:03 am

He Liu,

I will get 2 certifications in the next 2 months, i.e End of June 2017.

I am taking the inspiration to become a SF Developer from one of my friend who is currently working as a SF Developer.

Coming to my background, I am currently working as Web Designer, so can you please help me out that which certifications that I have to choose first.

Can you please help me in this.

Reply
    David Liu
    May 29, 2017 @ 3:59 pm

    Gotta read this post!
    https://www.sfdc99.com/2017/04/22/guide-to-passing-all-salesforce-certifications-2017/

    Reply
Todd Hartnett
May 21, 2017 @ 12:43 pm

Love the goal of not getting out of whack by failing the exams. I failed my first 2 Admin 201 exams and thought, after hearing soooooo many people say how easy it is, that I may not be cut out for SF.
It is nice to hear there are others that have difficulties with SF.

Reply
    David Liu
    May 22, 2017 @ 9:17 pm

    No worries at all, IMO that one is one of the most difficult!

    Reply
Ranvijay Kumar (@ranvijay_k_)
May 7, 2017 @ 4:59 am

Passed the Platform App Builder transition yesterday, was not as straight forward as I was hoping. This was also my first online exam on your advice, and it surely is much better to take the exams online, there is so much flexibility with the scheduling as well.
I have scheduled the Platform Dev 1 a few weeks from now, and plan to get the Application Architect requirements in next 6 weeks.
Thanks David for all the guidance and motivation.

Reply
    David Liu
    May 7, 2017 @ 10:01 am

    Congrats!!!

    Reply
      Ranvijay Kumar (@ranvijay_k_)
      May 18, 2017 @ 10:21 am

      Hi David!! Wanted to update that I have done Platform Dev 1 and Sharing Designer now. SFDC99 has been a big help in this, specially in motivating to go for this. Now Data Architect next :)

      Reply
        David Liu
        May 18, 2017 @ 8:58 pm

        Yay!!! Congrats Ranvijay!!! BIGTIME!!!

        Reply
          Ranvijay Kumar (@ranvijay_k_)
          June 3, 2017 @ 12:38 am

          Just wanted to let everyone know that I have completed all the four pre-reqs of the Application Architect exam now. And also did Adv Admin to take the total count to 10 ;)
          5 certifications in 5 weeks. Yayyyyaaayyy :) :)

          Thanks a lot David for all the inspiration, strategies and materials. For sure I would not have gone for it if I had not visited SFDC99.

          Reply
            David Liu
            June 3, 2017 @ 11:21 am

            Woohoo!!! Congrats Ranvijay!! Very proud of you and very impressive!!!

            Reply
    Gayathri
    May 23, 2017 @ 11:09 pm

    Hi,
    Greetings of the day,

    I am planning to take Platform App builder certification.I am worried about this certification.

    Could you please guide me what I need to study and concentrate, and also provide me exact dumps, whether all the questions come from the dumps ? .please help me. I ll be grateful to you, Thanks in advance.

    Reply
    Gayathri
    May 23, 2017 @ 11:13 pm

    Congrats Ranvijay, :) I am planning to take Platform App builder certification.I am worried about this certification.

    Could you please guide me what I need to study and concentrate, and also provide me exact dumps, whether all the questions come from the dumps ? .please help me. I ll be grateful to you, Thanks in advance.

    Reply
Travis W
May 6, 2017 @ 5:39 am

Failed my Administrator Exam the first time around, it was a tough test. I have not failed a test in many, many years, heck I passed my NREMT exam first go round, not bragging, just saying the Administrator exam is tough. But I am more determined than ever to pass. I am going to use the methods David (thanks!!) shows on this site to study for a week straight and re-take it. I will be testing againg the week of May 15th 2017 and will report back that I have passed. David is right, ANYONE can do this, I started this goal / journey on Feb 18th 2017. 3 mos in and I almost passed the Administrator exam my first try.
David, you have been a great help to me, thanks again,
Travis W

Reply
    David Liu
    May 6, 2017 @ 7:30 am

    That’s the spirit!!

    Reply
pghack
May 3, 2017 @ 9:29 am

I want to earn 2 certs by end of June.

Reply
    David Liu
    May 3, 2017 @ 5:57 pm

    YAY!!

    Reply
Tina
May 1, 2017 @ 10:27 pm

I will get 3certs every month

Reply
    David Liu
    May 1, 2017 @ 10:32 pm

    Very nice! Good luck!

    Reply
Joe ortiz
April 20, 2017 @ 7:42 pm

I’m hyped and inspired to get my first cert in two weeks

Reply
    David Liu
    April 20, 2017 @ 9:35 pm

    You can do it Joe!!!!

    Reply
Efren Maldonado
April 20, 2017 @ 10:10 am

I received my first 4 certifications from 2013-2015(Admin, Developer, Sales, Service), but “didn’t have time to pursue” others until now. I made a goal in 2017 to earn 5 more certs this year, and have achieved two (Platform App Builder and Community Builder). I’m currently studying for the Advanced Administrator and Sharing & Visibility Designer in the next month. Wish me luck!

Reply
    David Liu
    April 20, 2017 @ 9:37 pm

    Good luck Efren!! Glad you are prioritizing this now!!

    Reply
      Efren Maldonado
      May 5, 2017 @ 1:33 pm

      Thanks David! Just passed my Advanced Admin today (on the second attempt, I got caught off guard the first time with reporting and Sales Cloud questions). But I continue to move onward. I may take a little more time before I get my Sharing & Visibility Designer cert since it’s $400(!!!). As you said, need to save up.

      Reply
Christ V
April 19, 2017 @ 10:41 am

Got my first 2 certs at Destination Success App Builder and Admin. Working on Dev 1 then Dev 2, then Admin 2 then Sales Cloud and Service Could that’s 7 before the end of the year. Motivated by you and the prize(s) I plan for myself at the end.

Reply
    David Liu
    April 19, 2017 @ 7:45 pm

    Great goal!! Congrats!!

    Reply
Gustavo Tandeciarz
April 18, 2017 @ 6:48 pm

Awesome post. My goal is to pass my CTA certification review board exam this year! I haven been working with other CTAs and coaching as well was reviewing online materials. I think I have strong understanding of all domains. Just need to button it up!

Reply
    David Liu
    April 18, 2017 @ 6:57 pm

    I wish you luck Gustavo!!! A massive achievement no doubt!

    Reply
Bhaskar Thalvayapati
April 18, 2017 @ 4:38 pm

Dave, You are the best. The way you constantly encourage Salesforce community to succeed in their careers and lives is awesome. I hope one day in the nearest future, I shake your hand and be share my gratitude with a beer. God bless you and your loved ones.

Reply
    David Liu
    April 18, 2017 @ 6:07 pm

    Thank you Bhaskar, very kind of you =)

    Reply
Bill Powell
April 18, 2017 @ 3:46 pm

Great article, David. Got my 3rd in March, planning on having 8 by the end of 2017. Want to add CPQ Specialist, Service Cloud Consultant, Community Cloud Consultant, Advanced Admin, and potentially giving Platform Dev I a shot :-)

Reply
    David Liu
    April 18, 2017 @ 6:07 pm

    Congrats Bill!!

    Reply
Chad
April 18, 2017 @ 7:24 am

I currently have three now looking to get my fourth this month! Will shoot for three between Sept. and Dec.of this year. In 2018 shooting for all the Architect specialization certs. IT’S ON!! I needed this motivation!!! Thank you!!

Reply
    David Liu
    April 18, 2017 @ 6:05 pm

    NICE!!!

    Reply
      Chad
      April 22, 2017 @ 4:07 pm

      Today i just passed the Platform Developer I. Working the plan!! Again, thank you for your encouragement and inspiration!

      Reply
        David Liu
        April 22, 2017 @ 6:58 pm

        Yea!!!! Congrats Chad!!

        PDI is HUGE! HUGE!!!!!!

        Reply
Jitendra Anagani
April 18, 2017 @ 5:32 am

Hi David,

It really inspired me. As I am new. I am planning to give PD1 certification exam next 2 months. And After that I can increase my speed.

But I need your suggestion. Is it really good to give directly PD1 certification after getting trained on Sales force from last 4 months ?

Reply
    David Liu
    April 18, 2017 @ 6:05 pm

    Will post my philosophy on this shortly!

    Reply
Larry Williams
April 18, 2017 @ 3:38 am

2 by year’s end. Your story @David is very inspiring. THANK YOU!

Reply
Jaya Koti M
April 18, 2017 @ 2:51 am

Already have 4 certifications. Will earn another 5 by EOY 2017.

Reply
Paarth Jolly
April 17, 2017 @ 11:12 pm

Looking forward for 4 Certifications in upcoming months , Thanks for motivating David

Reply
    David Liu
    April 17, 2017 @ 11:14 pm

    Good luck Paarth!

    Reply
John Salomon
April 17, 2017 @ 10:16 pm

Thanks David, I’m really looking forward to the rest of this series! So far, I’ve achieved already 4 certifications in 5 weeks following your previous advice. My goal is in the next two months to pass the Service Cloud and Platform Dev I Certifications. And my next goal after that is to pass Sharing & Visibility and Data Architecture & Management to become an Application Architect by Dreamforce.

Reply
    David Liu
    April 17, 2017 @ 10:23 pm

    WOW!!! Great velocity!! Proud of you John!!!! WOW!!!

    Reply
Medhanie Habte
April 17, 2017 @ 9:45 pm

I’ll be honest, when I saw the costs of the designer certs, I was a bit concerned given that they’re about $400 a pop and there are 6. I’ve decided that I will revisit those at a later time given my budget. For now, my next big goal is to get community cloud and Platform Dev 1 certified within the next eight months, which is great because my employer is looking into the Community Cloud for our staff. You’re courses in Pluralsight and constant guidance has helped me and many others. I can say it a billion times over, but when I talk to others about Salesforce, I often reference you among many other Salesforce rock stars as someone who’s changed my career and in turn my life!

Reply
    David Liu
    April 17, 2017 @ 10:08 pm

    Thanks Medhanie, you’re a rock star yourself!!

    Reply
salesforcemusingsbymuniramajmundar
April 17, 2017 @ 9:31 pm

Excellent!!

Reply
Ram
April 17, 2017 @ 9:25 pm

I will get 4 certifications in the next 4 months! Platform App Builder, Platform Developer 1, Platform Developer 2, Advanced Administrator.

Thanks for all the motivation!

Reply
    David Liu
    April 17, 2017 @ 9:34 pm

    BOOM!!

    Reply

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