Salesforce certifications are meant to help you obtain skills and knowledge in certain areas that will help them advance in their careers. And, Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant is one of Salesforce’s certifications that offers applicants a number of advantages. As we know that, IT certifications are vital for those interested in a career shift, a raise in compensation, or a change in designation, among other things. So, if you’re working on passing the Salesforce Consultant test, don’t worry about how challenging it is. Concentrate on the study plan and materials you’ll need to get started.
That is to say, Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant certification is not far away if you have the correct study materials and a thorough comprehension of the concepts and exam requirements. So, let’s get begin on learning the exam’s major areas!
Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant Exam: Overview
The Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant exam is designed for individuals who have experience working with the Salesforce Education Cloud platform and helping educational institutions optimize their use of Salesforce.
The Salesforce Certified Education Cloud Consultant exam requires the skills in developing and delivering Education Cloud solutions that match client business needs, are scalable and maintainable, and contribute to long-term customer success. Moreover, consultants should know how to plan and deploy solutions for supporting customer business processes and requirements using Salesforce Education Cloud
Exam Prerequisite:
To take the Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant exam, there are a few prerequisites that you must meet:
- Salesforce Administrator Certification: You must hold an active Salesforce Administrator credential. before you can take the Education Cloud Consultant exam. This certification demonstrates your proficiency in the core Salesforce platform and is a prerequisite for many other Salesforce certifications.
- Education Cloud Basics Credential: You must complete the Education Cloud Basics credential before you can take the Education Cloud Consultant exam. The Education Cloud Basics credential is a free online course that provides an overview of the Education Cloud platform and its features.
- Recommended Experience: Salesforce recommends that candidates have at least six months of experience working with the Salesforce Education Cloud platform before taking the Education Cloud Consultant exam.
Let’s understand more about the exam with the experience requirement!
Knowledge requirement for the exam
- You must have expertise building solutions that optimize Education Cloud capabilities and leading the implementation of these solutions within the education industry to become a Salesforce Certified Education Cloud Consultant.
- Secondly, you must have prior consulting experience in the education sector, as well as Salesforce application skills, including the ability to develop several applications in common client scenarios.
- Lastly, you should have experience with common consulting practices such as
- solution design
- Problem-solving
- troubleshooting common technical and design challenges
- facilitation skills and requirements gathering
- application of best practices
- ability to manage project timelines and deliverables
- implementation methodologies.
Exam Format:
The Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant exam will have 60 multiple-choice/multiple-select questions with 5 unscored questions. However, the total time allotted for completing the exam is 105 minutes. And, to pass the exam, you must score at least 67%. Further, the exam registration fee is USD 200 plus tax and the retake fee is USD 100 plus tax.
Talking about the exam delivery options, the proctored exam is delivered onsite at a testing center or in an online proctored environment.
Basic skills of Salesforce Certified Education Cloud Consultants:
Salesforce Certified Education Cloud Consultants want to showcase their skills like cloud computing installation consultants with a focus on Education Cloud. Salesforce Certified Education Cloud Consultant’s experience includes the following:
- Firstly, Salesforce Platform experience of at least 2 years
- Secondly, Salesforce installation experience in the education market (at least 1 year)
- Thirdly, it is recommended that you have implemented and maintained at least one project with Education Cloud Partner or consultancy experience.
- Further, the Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant also possesses the following abilities:
- Experience managing implementation projects inside the education industry with strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Solid understanding of:
- internet technologies and cloud computing
- data management and database concepts
- Basic understanding of common integrations
- Familiarity with:
- governance and change management concepts
- students lifecycles and institution operations
- software development lifecycle
- Understanding of Salesforce environment strategy and familiarity with Education Cloud product line
Abilities demonstration of Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant:
The following abilities are demonstrated:
- Installing, setting up, and customizing Salesforce Education Cloud solutions.
- Secondly, the ability to examine and suggest suitable Salesforce products as part of solution design such as:
- Sales Cloud
- Service Cloud
- Marketing Cloud
- Tableau CRM and Experience Cloud.
- Thirdly, ensuring smooth operational continuity between core products and Education Cloud.
- Then, understanding considerations, product compatibility, and the application of best practices.
- Discussing integration implications and moving data into an Education Cloud instance.
- Ability to examine third-party Salesforce applications for use in an Education Cloud implementation.
- Lastly, understanding Salesforce license types, community open-source solutions, and code repositories.
Terms To Focus:
The Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant exam tests your knowledge of the Education Cloud platform and its features, as well as your understanding of the education industry and its unique terminology. Here are some key terms and concepts that you should be familiar with before taking the exam:
- Enrollment Management: The process of managing student enrollment, including admissions, registration, and enrollment tracking.
- Student Information System (SIS): A software application used to manage student data, such as personal information, enrollment status, grades, and transcripts.
- Learning Management System (LMS): A software application used to manage the delivery of educational content, such as course materials, assignments, quizzes, and assessments.
- Program Management: The process of managing academic programs, including course catalog management, degree and certificate tracking, and academic progress tracking.
- Financial Aid: The process of managing financial aid programs, including needs assessment, awarding, and tracking.
- Student Success: The process of tracking and supporting student success, including academic advising, career counseling, and retention initiatives.
- Community Engagement: The process of engaging with the broader educational community, including alumni, donors, and community partners.
- FERPA: The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.
- Analytics: The process of analyzing and reporting on student data, such as enrollment trends, student performance, and program effectiveness.
- Integration: The process of integrating Salesforce Education Cloud with other systems, such as SIS, LMS, and external databases.
Is Salesforce Certified Education Cloud Consultant Exam difficult?
The difficulty of the Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant Exam can vary depending on your level of experience with the Education Cloud platform, your understanding of the education industry, and your familiarity with Salesforce certification exams. However, the exam is generally considered to be challenging and requires a deep understanding of the Education Cloud platform and its features.
To pass the exam, you must achieve a score of at least 67%, which requires a thorough understanding of the Education Cloud platform and its use in educational institutions. You will be tested on a range of topics, including enrollment management, program management, student success, analytics, and integration.
It is important to note that Salesforce regularly updates its certification exams to ensure that they remain current and relevant to the industry. This means that the exam content and format may change over time, so it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest exam requirements and study materials.
Overall, the Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant Exam is a challenging certification exam that requires a significant amount of preparation and study. However, with a strong understanding of the Education Cloud platform and the education industry, as well as a dedication to studying and preparing for the exam, you can increase your chances of success.
Preparing for Salesforce Certified Education Cloud Consultant Exam
1. Targeting the exam objectives
It is more essential to study the correct topics in the proper way than it is to study for hours and hours. What could be more important than the exam objectives? The Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant test assesses your knowledge and abilities in the areas listed below.
Domain Expertise: 18%
- Determine the solution set that satisfies customer requirements (marketing and engagement, recruitment and admissions, student experience, and advancement and alumni relations). (Salesforce Documentation: Engagement, Meet Social Studio), Recruitment and Admissions)
- Explain the Education Cloud solution for K-12 customers.
Education Cloud Configuration: 22%
- Discuss the capabilities and considerations of Education Cloud, including compatibility with other Salesforce products and features. (Salesforce Documentation: Education Cloud Consultants)
- Install and configure Education Cloud.
Implementation Strategies and Best Practices: 18%
- Facilitate a successful implementation (plan, gather requirements, design, build, test, document, deploy, and optimize).
- Illustrate governance, change management, staffing, implementation strategies, deployment considerations, and adoption best practices including community resources for long-term solution success. (Salesforce Documentation: Drive Organizational Change, Create a Governance Framework)
Solution Design: 19%
- Evaluate the similarities, differences, and relationships between Education Cloud account model considerations and standard Salesforce Account-Contact data models. (Salesforce Documentation: Understand the EDA Account Model, Get Started with Accounts and Contacts, Create Accounts and Affiliations)
- Design an appropriate and scalable solution for education customers.
- Locate community and open-source solutions and resources. (Salesforce Documentation: Salesforce Open Sources)
- Decide when to use Education Cloud, other Salesforce solutions, community open source solutions, and third-party applications. (Salesforce Documentation: Explore Salesforce.org Solutions and Services)
Integration and Data Management: 16%
- Evaluate integration considerations for connecting systems in an Education Cloud implementation. (Salesforce Documentation: Batch Data Synchronization, 5 Steps to an Effective Salesforce Data Management Strategy)
- Explain data management considerations (data usage, forecasting, large data volumes, migrations in Education Cloud).
Analytics: 7%
- Distinguish between reporting solutions in Education Cloud.
- Demonstrate when a data analytics solution is appropriate.
2. Using the recommended training methods and resources
A combination of hands-on experience, training course completion, Trailhead trails, and self-study in the areas indicated in the Exam Outline part of this exam guide is advised for optimal preparation. However, the following are some of the self-study materials that are recommended for this exam:
Education Cloud Academy: Consultant Fundamentals
Salesforce.org Education Cloud is a CRM-based suite of products that enables schools to promote student achievement from prospect to alum across the life cycle. It consists of the Salesforce Platform, Education Data Architecture (EDA), solution sets for Recruiting & Admissions, Student Success, Advancement, and purpose-built solutions, as well as the Salesforce Platform. Use this to learn the fundamentals of deploying Education Cloud, and prepare for the Education Cloud Consultant Certification Exam by exploring the wide self-study materials accessible to consultants. However, this course is suitable for:
- Firstly, SFDO Consulting Channel Partners, which are enabling education customers to implement Salesforce.org products and services.
- Secondly, Salesforce.com Program Partner pursuing Salesforce.org Consulting Channel Partner status.
- Thirdly, SFDO ISV Program Partners, which deal with education customers and are aiming to become Salesforce.org partners. Channel Partner Consultant
- Then, volunteers who are working on implementations with our school customers for free.
- Members of the Vetforce (Certified Admins) who want to become Education Cloud Consultants.
- Lastly, customers in the Salesforce education space who are working on a Salesforce nonprofit project.
Be a part of Trailblazer Community
Join a community group and find a study partner and/or mentor to collaborate with other Trailblazers in the Trailblazer Community. Here you can post your questions, doubts, and accomplishments to assist the professionals in better understanding your path. Expert assistance can help you improve your preparation and get clarity for the Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant exam.
3. Gain Hands-on Experience using Practice Tests
It’s essential to note that the exam will cover a wide range of topics, both practical and theoretical. As a result, you should get as much experience as possible before taking the exam. You must have prior knowledge of Salesforce’s products, according to Salesforce. And, the best way to do so is using the exam practice tests.
Taking a Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant Practice Exam can help you better understand your study plan and prepare for the real thing. Additionally, you can recognize your weak areas in order to improve them. Furthermore, you will be able to comprehend the question structure as well as enhance your replying abilities in order to manage time throughout the exam.
4. Useful Tips For the Exam
The Salesforce Education Cloud Consultant exam is designed for individuals who have experience working with the Salesforce Education Cloud platform and helping educational institutions optimize their use of Salesforce. Here are some key topics and tips to help you prepare for the exam:
- Understand the Salesforce Education Cloud platform: The exam will test your knowledge of the Salesforce Education Cloud platform, including features such as student and faculty data management, enrollment management, academic program management, and more.
- Know the industry-specific terminology: You should be familiar with the terminology and common practices in the education industry. This includes knowledge of student information systems, learning management systems, and other education-specific technology.
- Understand the implementation process: Be familiar with the implementation process for Salesforce Education Cloud, including requirements gathering, design, configuration, and testing.
- Understand the integration process: The exam will test your knowledge of integrating Salesforce Education Cloud with other systems and technologies, such as learning management systems, student information systems, and external databases.
- Understand security and compliance: Be familiar with the security and compliance requirements specific to the education industry, such as FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act).
- Understand reporting and analytics: Be familiar with the reporting and analytics capabilities of Salesforce Education Cloud and how to create custom reports and dashboards to meet the specific needs of educational institutions.
- Take advantage of Salesforce resources: Salesforce provides a range of resources to help you prepare for the Education Cloud Consultant exam, including study materials, training courses, and practice exams.
Final Words
The Salesforce Certified Education Cloud Consultant examination will consist of 60 questions and will take 105 minutes to complete. So, if you’ve completed all of the above-mentioned targeted studying and practice exams, the actual test shouldn’t be too difficult. Furthermore, in order to increase your preparation, you must focus on all of the critical areas. On the other hand, only those who put in a great amount of effort will be successful. To pass the examinations, give it your all and study hard.
