Your Certs Might Be Running Out: Spring ’24 Maintenance Due

Certifications validate your expertise in your chosen field. As Salesforce professionals, maintaining our certifications is more than just a checkbox – it’s a very important part of staying current in an ecosystem that’s continuously evolving. 

With certification maintenance deadlines approaching, it’s time to ensure that your hard-earned certifications remain valid. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming maintenance requirements, and whether or not you need to act now.

Why Maintenance Matters

Salesforce certifications aren’t a one-time thing. Some may think that once you pass your exam, that’s it. These certifications require regular maintenance to ensure that professionals are always caught up with the platform’s latest updates and functionalities.

All Salesforce certifications require the completion of one maintenance module per year. These modules are easily accessible and available through Trailhead, Salesforce’s official online learning platform. Accomplishing these modules makes sure that your certifications remain valid.

Failing to complete the necessary maintenance modules by the deadlines will result in your certifications expiring (gasp!), which can impact your credibility and career opportunities. I don’t think anyone would like to risk certification expiry over one module, right? 

Key Maintenance Deadlines and Available Modules

If you hold any Salesforce certifications, mark your calendars. It’s essential to be aware of the upcoming maintenance deadlines to keep your certifications active. Below is a breakdown of the release cycles, availability dates, due dates, and the corresponding certifications requiring maintenance. 

Click on the certification’s title to access the maintenance module required to keep it valid. The next upcoming deadline is for the Winter ’24 cycle, with maintenance modules due by December 2024. So if you haven’t completed your modules yet, now is the time.

Winter ’24 Cycle

Available since: December 7, 2023 | Due Date: December 6, 2024

• B2C Solution Architect
• Data Cloud Consultant
• Marketing Cloud Administrator
• Platform App Builder
• Platform Developer I
• For those holding Architect-level certifications, the Architect Maintenance Module is designed to keep multiple certifications up-to-date, namely:
  • Data Architect
  • Development Lifecycle and Deployment Architect
  • Identity and Access Management Architect
  • Integration Architect
  • Sharing and Visibility Architect

Spring ’24 Cycle 

Available since: April 18, 2024 | Due Date: April 11, 2025

• Administrator (covers Advanced Administrator as well)
• B2C Commerce Developer
• CPQ Specialist
• Marketing Cloud Email Specialist
• CRM Analytics and Einstein Discovery Consultant
• Strategy Designer

If you’ve earned any Associate-level certifications, congratulations! There’s no need for maintenance, and your certification will not expire. As for those who have MuleSoft certifications, you’re off the hook this year as there’s no maintenance required for 2024. We’ll have to stay tuned for updates in 2025 though!

Maintaining Your Certification: A Step-by-Step Guide

Maintaining your certification is pretty straightforward especially since it only involves completing a Trailhead module. However, attention to detail is always welcome. Here’s how to ensure your credentials stay current:

1. Login to Trailhead

Click your certification above to navigate to its maintenance module, or check this trail to view all available maintenance modules.

2. Link Your Trailhead and Webassessor Accounts

Your maintenance status only appears on your Trailhead profile, so it’s crucial that you link your Trailhead and Webassessor accounts. If you haven’t done this yet, here are the steps:

• In Trailhead, hover your cursor over your avatar on the upper right and select Settings.
• Select Connected Accounts from the left and click Connect an Account.
• Enter your email address associated with Webassessor.
• Follow the prompts to link your Webassessor account.

This will display your active certifications on your Trailhead profile.

3. Complete the Maintenance Module

Take the time to complete these well before the deadline to avoid any last-minute rush. Some may only have multiple-choice questions at the end, while others have hands-on exercises. Make sure you’ve set aside enough time to understand the content of the module and accomplish the mini-tests.

4. Check Your Certification Status

Once you’ve completed your maintenance modules, verify if your certification status has been updated. You can do this by going to your Trailblazer profile. Take note that it may take up to 1 business day for your certification status to show as “Active”, so keep checking if you don’t see the appropriate status yet!

Tips to Stay on Top of Your Certification Maintenance

Here are two additional tips to help you stay on track:

• Set Reminders: Make use of calendar alerts to remind you of upcoming maintenance availability and due dates! You can quickly add these reminders through your phone, or on a physical calendar or planner if you use one.
• Regularly Check Trailhead: I know that not all of us visit Trailhead all the time, especially when we’re not actively working on a trail or badge. Even so, make it a point to periodically visit Trailhead to stay informed about new modules and updates. When this becomes a habit, you’ll automatically be reminded when a certification is up for maintenance as you see your Profile all the time.

Final Thoughts

Don’t let your certs expire, people! Salesforce certifications are a clear demonstration of your knowledge and expertise. With the deadlines for the Winter ’24 cycle set this year (and the -ber months fast approaching!), there’s no better time than now to act. 

It’s important to be attentive and keep your certifications valid by completing the corresponding maintenance modules on time. Head over to Trailhead, complete your maintenance, and continue to thrive in your Salesforce career.