How I Passed My Salesforce Marketing Cloud Email Specialist Certification in 28 days

Finally, the coveted Salesforce Marketing Email Cloud Certification is finally mine!

The Salesforce certification process isn't easy and should not be taken lightly. It requires research, trailhead tutorials, and a lot of revision if you do not have a photographic memory (Like me)

Photo by Amith Nair on Unsplash

Having said that, it is highly achievable for everyone that puts the level of dedication needed for them. There are a number of resources out there, both free and paid, to help take you to the next level.

I started my prep after registering for the exam assuming that 4 full weeks would suffice. Luckily, I was right!

I invested 60-90 mins a day for 28 days (4 weeks) to prepare for my Salesforce certification.

Proof!

What you need to do before you get started

• Set a test date: I would recommend setting an exam date first and work backward from there with your exam prep. I say this because I conveniently pushed my exam prep for a year. Register for the Salesforce exam on https://www.webassessor.com/

• Create a Trailhead Account - Full disclosure. I created my trailhead account 5 weeks before my test date. My Trailblazer Link - https://trailblazer.me/id/yogesh87

• Use the links shared below for mock question - I would recommend taking a shot at the mock tests after completing your course on trailhead TWICE. You just have to trust me here :)

You might want to bookmark this page right about now

Below is the laundry list of reference links and modules I completed before passed my exam.

• Exam Guide - Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Email Specialist This exam guide has the information you need to help you study and prepare for your exam.   
  

• 32 Trailhead Modules: Pro tip - Read every link in the Resources section of every module

  • Marketing Cloud Basics - (Click here)

  • Email Studio Basics - (Click here)

  • Email Creation and Sending - (Click here)

  • Transactional Messaging - (Click here)

  • Content Builder Basics - (Click here)

  • Content Builder Features - (Click here)

  • Interactive Email Forms - (Click here)

  • Audience Segmentation - (Click here)

  • Quick Start: Create and Send an Email with Marketing Cloud - (Click here)

  • Customer Journey Basics - (Click here)

  • Journey Builder Basics - (Click here)

  • Journey Builder Campaigns - (Click here)

  • Path Optimizer in Journey Builder - (Click here)

  • Journey Campaign Analytics and Optimization- (Click here)

  • Advanced Customer Journeys - (Click here)

  • Quick Start: Create and Send a Message in Journey Builder - (Click here)

  • Email Marketing Strategies - (Click here)

  • Marketing Automation Strategies - (Click here)

  • Digital Advertising Transformed with Customer Data - (Click here)

  • Social Media Marketing & Engagement - (Click here)

  • Consumer Interaction Management - (Click here)

  • Marketing Intelligence and Analytics - (Click here)

  • Customer Data Management for Modern Marketers - (Click here)

  • Learn Privacy and Data Protection Law

    • European Union Privacy Law Basics - (Click here)

    • US Privacy Law Basics - (Click here)

    • California Consumer Privacy Act Basics - (Click here)

  • Distributed Marketing Administration - (Click here)

  • Marketing Cloud APIs - (Click here)

  • Marketing Cloud Setup - (Click here)

  • Marketing Content Creation - (Click here)
    

• Reference Links:

  • CAN-SPAM Compliance - (Click here)

  • Email Deliverability Best Practices for Email Studio- (Click here)

  • Easy Ways to Quickly Grow Your Email Subscriber Base - (Click here)

  • The Email Design Best Practices You Need to Know - (Click here)

  • Design emails that go to work for you - (Click here)

  • Email Studio Admin - (Click here)

  • Message Creation Best Practices and Tips - (Click here)

  • Master Personalization for Email, SMS Messages and Landing Pages - (Click here)

  • Introduction to Programmatic Marketing Content - (Click here)

  • Email Marketing Automation Tips that Will Drive Growth - (Click here)

  • Microwave Your Email Marketing for Instant Gratification - (Click here)

  • Data Extensions with Enhanced Subscriber Features in Marketing Cloud - (Click here)

  • Use the SQL Query Activity - (Click here)

  • Audience Builder - (Click here)

  • Auto-Suppression Lists - (Click here)

  • Tracking in Email Studio - (Click here) READ IT AGAIN!
    

• Mock Tests - There are a plethora of places you can get mock tests. Google Search is your best friend.

Was I prepared?

Even after three weeks of studying and racking up the Trailhead modules TWICE, I was really worked up on my way to the exam (Which was my bedroom. I took the proctored exam :P ). Ensure you complete all the pre-requisites well before the exam and find a spot where you wouldn't be disturbed for 90 minutes. If you are the only one at home while taking the test and the doorbell rings, let it ring. (Seriously!)

During your test, there is a checkbox selector to indicate whether you want to flag it for later review. As I went through the test, I chose only to flag those where I was 100% confident in my answer. When you go to the review all section before submitting, the exam tells you how many are flagged. (They’re also marked with an asterisk in the overview.)

Pro tip - Remember to read carefully and really think through scenarios.

The exam will provide multiple answers that look 99% correct, but one that's 100%. Coming back to look at a question fresh in a review pass should help you make sure you've got the right one.

If I can do it, after managing other people using the tool rather than doing it myself for years, you definitely can.

All the best!

- Yogesh Babu

PS - Do share your thoughts on the article in the comments below. I will respond to you as soon as I can.