Salesforce has been rolling out some changes to their certification lineup. Have you heard about the new BA certificate offered by Salesforce? There has been a lot of buzz about this certificate. Most trainers would recommend the Salesforce Certified Administrator certificate for business analysts, this new certificate makes that a requirement. Let's explore what exactly is this new certificate.
The first thing to do whenever you are researching into a Salesforce certificate is to check out the official Certification Guide.
Prerequisite: Salesforce Certified Administrator (ADM201)
Recommended Experience: 2 years of Business Analyst experience, including demonstrated success owning and delivering business process improvements
2 years of Salesforce Platform experience
Exam format: 65 multiple choice/ multiple select questions, including 5 non-graded
Time allotted: 105 minutes
Passing score: 72%
Registration fee: USD 200, plus applicable taxes
Retake fee: USD 100, plus applicable taxes
Available proctored onsite at a testing center or in an online proctored environment.
Exam Outline:
Customer Discovery - 17%
Collaboration with Stakeholders - 24%
Business Process Mapping - 16%
Requirements - 17%
User Stories - 18%
User Acceptance - 8%
As you can see, the focus is best practices for navigating different stakeholders in a Salesforce org. Whether it is interpreting business requirements, the implementation lifecycle, or communicating opportunities and constraints, the central element of the BA role is to be the interpreter and the interlocutor between stakeholders. Unlike many other Salesforce exams with a focus on the technical, the Business Analyst Certificate is about work processes and best practices.
Do you need this certificate to be a Business Analyst? The short answer is, probably not. It is a nice to have. The Business Analyst certificate emphasizes client relationships, mapping business processes, and user acceptance testing. These roles are often elements of the job for most Salesforce admins and consultants. With this certificate and Admin certificate, you can demonstrate your familiarity with this aspect of the Salesforce ecosystem.
What do you think? Are you signing up right this moment for the new Business Analyst certificate? Let us know, we would love to hear your thoughts and experience.
Check out our top exam taking tips, and our Youtube channel for exam prep sessions to help you along your journey.
Additional Resources
Trailhead Mixes:
https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/credentials/businessanalyst