As we close out 2024, it’s clear that Salesforce certifications have reflected the year’s most significant industry trends, such as AI skills, marketing expertise, and easier access to niche credentials. Alongside new certifications, Salesforce made some changes to the certification program itself, opening up previously exclusive credentials and centralizing exam management.
Whether you’re a new aspiring Trailblazer or a seasonal Salesforce professional, these updates are nothing but great news if you’re looking to upskill. Here’s everything that happened in the world of Salesforce certifications this year!
New Certifications Released in 2024
Salesforce AI Specialist Certification
With the launch of the AI Associate certification last year, Salesforce has further highlighted the growing importance of AI proficiency in this ever-changing industry. The new AI Specialist certification offers a strong foundation in understanding AI concepts and the role of features like Copilot, Einstein Sales Emails, Prompt Builder, and Model Builder.
This certification teaches you AI concepts, when to use which feature, how to apply Salesforce AI capabilities to specific business needs, and more. I recently took this exam myself, and if you’ve already taken the AI Associate released last year, I recommend brushing up more on Salesforce’s AI-related features as the questions in this one can be trickier than its predecessor.
For example, a lot of questions are heavily weighted to the Prompt Builder, and to answer most of them you need a good understanding of when to use the different prompt templates.
Salesforce Marketing Associate Certification
The Marketing Associate Cert provides an entry-level certification to Marketing Cloud – a good choice to take first if you haven’t taken your Marketing Cloud Admin exam yet. It highlights general marketing principles and the fundamentals of Marketing Cloud and its tools, making it tailored for those looking to kick-start or validate their marketing expertise in Salesforce.
This certification goes through marketing concepts, data management, understanding data-driven marketing strategies, basic knowledge of business units, and business-related account structure.
Notable Updates in the Salesforce Certification Program
AI Certifications Are Free Until 2025
Yes, you read that right – free! Salesforce launched its AI-related certifications (AI Associate and AI Specialist) to prepare professionals for the rapid adoption of AI solutions within the platform.
With Agentforce being the biggest highlight for Salesforce this year, both these AI certifications are completely free until December 31st 2025. It’s a perfect chance for beginners or professionals to develop AI expertise without the usual financial barriers that come with taking certs.
With AI skills in all-time high demand, these credentials showcase both foundational and practical understanding of AI tools in the Salesforce ecosystem.
Despite the initial exams being free, do take note that retakes will no longer be free, so check this out for AI Associate Cert guides and tips or consider checking out Trailhead and Salesforce Ben’s very own course and practice exams here.
MuleSoft Certifications Now on the Salesforce Certification Platform
This year, MuleSoft certifications officially transitioned to the Salesforce Certification Platform (WebAssessor). Previously separate, MuleSoft exams are now easier to manage, register for, and track alongside other Salesforce certifications.
For professionals working across platforms, managing Salesforce and MuleSoft certs in one place greatly simplifies credentialing and career development.
Along with this transition come certifications such as the MuleSoft Certified Catalyst Specialist and MuleSoft Certified Hyperautomation Specialist (that have also been integrated into Trailhead). These certifications aren’t entirely new, but were previously part of the legacy MuleSoft program and were initially released in late 2022 and early 2023 respectively.
Accredited Professional Credentials Now Open to Everyone
Good news for everyone looking to grow their Salesforce skills even further! Salesforce’s Accredited Professional (AP) Credentials, previously limited to consulting partners, are now accessible to all Trailblazers via the Salesforce Certification Program.
Being previously available to partners, you can expect these exams to be pretty specialized. Compared with Salesforce certifications, accreditations aren’t linear; rather, they can be categorized by function or product.
AP credentials provide targeted validation for advanced configurations and feature-specific expertise. These niche certifications are perfect for professionals looking to validate specific skills in Salesforce products like Health Cloud, FSC (Financial Services Cloud), or Revenue Cloud. Check out the list of available AP Credentials here.
Prepare for Your Certifications
Salesforce certifications are a gateway to proving your expertise and staying competitive in an evolving ecosystem. Make the most of your certification journey by making it a habit to regularly check the maintenance status of your certifications! Overlooking this can result in expired credentials – don’t let your hard-earned badge go to waste! Staying up-to-date ensures your credentials retain their value and align with the latest platform updates.
Stay informed and keep an eye on certification-related news, especially for new exam releases, updates, or changes to maintenance cycles. Don’t let maintenance deadlines sneak up on you! Staying proactive with your certifications will ensure you remain a certified Salesforce professional well into 2025 and beyond.
Final Thoughts: Looking Back at 2024
This year’s certifications and program enhancements focus on three major themes:
- AI and Automation: with great focus on Agentforce this year, Salesforce is doubling down on AI skills with free access to key certifications, making it easier to upskill and future-proof the careers of Salesforce professionals.
- Greater Access to Niche or Specialized Skills: By opening AP credentials to more people and integrating MuleSoft certifications into the Salesforce certification platform, Salesforce is removing barriers to entry and encouraging further specialization for everyone.
- Cross-Platform Career Development: With a more unified cert platform, managing credentials across Salesforce products, including MuleSoft, is more streamlined and efficient.
Whether you’re advancing your skills with free AI certifications, exploring specialized credentials, or embracing MuleSoft expertise, these updates provide opportunities to strengthen your career heading into 2025.
Stay motivated, stay certified, and keep learning! Here’s to reaching even greater heights with Salesforce in the new year.
