Five common certification mistakes, and how to fix them

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

Wise words from my certification master!

I’ve failed certifications. You’ve failed certifications. We’ve all failed certifications!

Failing is normal. Don’t let it get to you too much. See failure as an opportunity to learn!

Here are common failures people experience while getting certified, and how to overcome them:

#1. Getting less than 40% correct on your first attempt

First off, don’t feel bad. A bad score doesn’t mean you’re incapable of passing a certain certification – it’s more a sign that you’re not following a good studying strategy.

Basically, you’re focusing too much on memorization, instead of understanding.

Because there are so many possible questions a certification can ask – attempting to memorize all the material is impossible and futile. You’ll run out of memory. Studying for understanding, on the other hand, will let you answer the widest variety of questions using the least amount of memory.

Recommendation: focus on understand the certification material using the eight question template!

#2. Failing the same exam more than twice in a row

This is a mistake that can happen to you, though it is generally avoidable!

There are many reasons why this might happen, including:

• Assuming you’re going to pass before hitting SUBMIT, and
• Not taking time during an exam to make mental notes of the areas you are weak in

Recommendation: Read test-taking tips #6, #7, and #8!

#3. Running out of time during the test

Two hours is a generous amount of time for a 60 question multiple choice exam!

If you’re running out of time, you’re spending way too much time waffling back and forth on answers!

Recommendations:

1. See my test-taking strategies guide, which provides tie-breaking tips for when you can’t decide
2. Focus on finishing the test first, then come back and debate over your answers
3. Make sure to get a good night’s rest so you can fully focus during the exam!

#4. You’re afraid to take certification exams!

I believe The Great One said it best:

This can be scary, especially because every time you open up LinkedIn or Twitter, someone is talking about how they passed a certification. You start to worry that everyone will pass except you, and maybe, you’re just a big Salesforce fraud!

Don’t worry, the failures are there, people just have a way of talking about their successes instead =) You’ll be surprised at how many people, including Salesforce employees, fail the standard Administrator certification… multiple times!

Recommendation: Celebrate your failures and successes, life is too short!

#5. You have no motivation to study

I get a lot of emails from people telling me they don’t have motivation to learn!

Whenever I have a big task ahead, I too have a tendency to freeze!

When this happens, I turn to the trusty magic formula. It has saved me many times:

In a nutshell, the magic formula tells you not to worry about learning everything quickly. Take things slow and one step at a time. Even just learning 15 minutes a day, everyday, is better than learning nothing at all. Your knowledge will increase exponentially!

Oh ya, you can’t afford not to get certified nowadays too. I estimate each cert increases your market value by $3,000 – $5,000. Cha-ching!

Recommendation: Learn just a little each day, your knowledge will compound on itself!

…and with that, we conclude the Ultimate Salesforce Certification Guide!

I’ve had a ton of fun writing this, and honestly, I’m sad that it’s coming to an end.

But the conversation doesn’t have to end here! Please do share your stories, successes or failures, with me or in the comments below! We can always continue learning, from each other, together.

Good luck students!
David