Salesforce AI Associate Certification Overview
I recently passed the AI Specialist Certification from Salesforce. This certification is a step towards proving your knowledge of AI solutions, especially in Salesforce. It focuses on key knowledge areas and has specific requirements for candidates aiming to take the exam.
Recently Salesforce has announced a move to hire more employees with AI knowledge and a directive towards sales. With the announcement it appears they are offering the AI certification for free.
Exam Format and Scoring
The Salesforce AI Specialist exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions and you need to have at least 65% of the questions answered correctly to pass.
It’s helpful to have experience using Salesforce’s AI capabilities, including hands-on work with tools like Prompt Builder, Model Builder, and Agents. See my earlier posts on using prompt builder in Salesforce.
While there are no strict prerequisites, having a background in Salesforce administration or development is helpful too. The first attempt for this exam is free until the end of 2025 and if you need to take it again if you don’t pass it costs $50 USD.
The exam’s topics cover different aspects of AI use within Salesforce, including security and implementation strategies. Each topic contributes a specific percentage to the exam score. I can expect a practical approach, testing how well I can apply AI concepts. Preparing through interactive tools and study paths is a great way to get ready for this certification.
The Trailhead trailmix, Prepare for your Salesforce Certified AI Associate Credential, is a great place to get started with your studies if you want to pass the certification.
It’s also great to look into the study guide and review the concepts and focus on the areas with the most weight ( Ethical Considerations of AI at 39% and Data for AI at 36%).
I have existing certifications in Salesforce so a few days of study on the trailhead and I was ready to take the exam. Be aware though, these certification exams are not your typical multiple choice exams. There may be answers that look correct but a word or a phrase is off. So know the new Salesforce AI terms and processes well. Some areas I found helpful to study for the exam were the following sections.
Data Set Preparation
Data set preparation involves structuring the data appropriately for analysis.
- Data Normalization: I standardize the data to reduce redundancy and improve integrity.
- Feature Selection: I identify and select the most relevant features that contribute to predictive performance. This simplifies models and speeds up processing.
- Training and Test Split: I divide the data into training and test sets, ensuring that I have enough data to validate my models’ accuracy.
Fundamentals of Salesforce AI
Salesforce AI is built on core concepts that promote intelligent decision-making.
- Machine Learning: This enables systems to learn from data and improve over time without explicit programming.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP): This allows the system to interpret and respond to human language, making interactions more intuitive.
- Predictive Analytics: This analyzes historical data to forecast future trends, helping businesses stay ahead.
The AI Specialist Certification is also being offered for free so take advantage of these opportunities to get free AI Certifications.