Superbadges have long been a cornerstone of hands-on learning on Trailhead, Salesforce’s free online learning platform. They’re a great way to prove your technical skills by tackling real-world scenarios without step-by-step guidance. But as the Trailhead ecosystem continues to evolve, so too must the tools that help you learn and grow. That’s why Salesforce is reimagining Superbadges to be more accessible, flexible, and aligned with today’s learning needs.
In this article, we’ll explore why Superbadges are changing, what the changes are, and whether they have any impact on your existing Superbadges.
Why Are Superbadges Changing?
The essence of a Superbadge is to go beyond the ordinary and push yourself to a higher level of achievement. However, the current format, which often takes six or more hours to complete, has posed challenges for many learners. Based on community feedback, Salesforce has set out to simplify and enhance the Superbadge experience.
The new approach focuses on shorter, skill-based challenges that can be completed within a couple of hours.
Instead of being labeled as credentials, these revamped Superbadges will purely focus on hands-on learning. This change makes it easier to dive right into topics that matter to you without feeling overwhelmed.
What’s New with Superbadges?
So, what changes can you expect? Here’s a breakdown of the most significant changes coming to Superbadges:
- Streamlined Format: Superbadges will now take about one to three hours to complete, making them more manageable and focused.
- Skill-Building Focus: Superbadges will no longer be considered credentials but purely practical exercises that showcase your expertise.
- Improved Experience: A new webpage layout will make expectations clearer, progress tracking simpler, and content more accessible.
- Additional Retirement: All Super Sets and multiple-choice capstones will be retired, and the terminology “Superbadge Unites” and “Super Sets” will no longer be used.
- No Longer Credentials: Superbadges will no longer be considered as credentials.
- Collaborative Learning: Since Superbadges will no longer be credentialed, the security policy will also be updated and encourage collaboration, allowing you to work with others and leverage the Trailblazer Community for guidance.
- No Prerequisites Required: You can start any Superbadge that interests you without completing a list of prerequisites. Recommendations will still be provided to set you up for success, but they’re not mandatory.
What Happens to Your Existing Superbadges or Supersets?
If you’ve already earned Superbadges or Super Sets, don’t worry; your achievements and points will remain on your Trailblazer profile.
Going forward, all existing long-format Superbadges will either be retired or transformed to fit the new model. Additionally, Super Sets and multiple-choice capstones will be retired.
Summary
Even with these changes, the spirit of Superbadges remains the same: push yourself to think critically, solve problems, and demonstrate real-world skills.
The changes will be rolling out over the next few months, starting in March 2025. Let us know what you think of the changes in the comments!
