The Busy Person’s Guide to Studying for the Salesforce Exam

If you are reading this you may be drowning in the firehose of information on how to start your Salesforce studying journey. When I first decided to set out on this Salesforce Admin journey I was blasted with resources and suggestions and frankly very overwhelmed. Here’s a condensed list of how I organized myself and dealt with the onslaught of information. For Talent Stacker members this and more is available in Module 2.

1. Sign up for Trailhead. Don’t get lost in the rabbit holes of trails. Start the Trailmix “Prepare for your Salesforce Administrator Credential”. If later on you want more information or practice on a specific topic then search for that at the time. I used this as my base for learning and branched off from there.
2. Figure out your learning style. This will help you get the most out of your study sessions and find the best resources for you. There are various tests online to help you determine it if you aren’t sure. For me it was taking notes, highlighting, and drawing visuals.
3. Find another learning resource. The trailmix doesn’t cover everything and it’s best to find something that shows you how to use the system. YouTube has many but I used Mike Wheeler’s Course on Udemy which can be found here: https://www.udemy.com/course/salesforce-administrator/. I also used David Massey’s course which can be found here: https://www.udemy.com/course/pass-the-salesforce-admin-certification-2022/. They have different styles so preview and see what works better for you. Focus on Force is also a must I would say as they go into detail that many other resources do not. In a future post I will post the other resources I used.
4. Stay focused. With so many resources online such as the internet, YouTube, Facebook groups and LinkedIn its so easy to go down a rabbit hole. Set a goal for your study sessions, plan out a schedule and stick to it. If you must go on one of the sites for a resource remember what the purpose is. Set a timer if needed. Look into the Pomodoro timer which really helped me stay focused. Take advantage of any open time in your schedule and use it to your advantage (flashcards, Trailhead mobile, etc).
5. Be resourceful. It’s easy to go on LinkedIn or Facebook groups and ask others for what you need and wait for a response. But many have asked the same or similar questions. Search the Facebook group, Trailhead community groups, or whatever resource you are looking at because a lot of times someone has asked before. YouTube and google are also great resources.