AI is THE hot topic this year, and it was inevitable that Salesforce would release certifications that sit alongside their new messaging, “AI + Data + CRM = Customer Magic”. The AI Associate certification is an entry-level certification designed for professionals of all backgrounds to skill up on artificial intelligence and the surrounding topics such as security and ethics.
In this guide, we’ll explore what this certification entails, who should consider pursuing it, and the key topics you’ll need to master to succeed.
About the Salesforce Certified AI Associate Exam
- The exam consists of 40 multiple-choice/multiple-select questions.
- You will have 70 minutes to complete the exam.
- The passing score is 65%.
- The exam costs $75 to take and retakes are free.
- The exam can be taken online or at a testing center.
- There are no prerequisites to take this exam.
Who’s the Ideal Candidate?
The Salesforce Certified AI Associate certification is designed for individuals who want to demonstrate their proficiency in the capabilities of AI and data as they apply to CRM. You should have a foundational understanding of the Salesforce platform and its capabilities. The Salesforce Associate certification can help you gain this knowledge, and therefore, it may be beneficial to do that certification prior to the AI Associate.
The exam covers a wide range of AI-related topics, and earning this certification can open up exciting career opportunities, whether you’re an aspiring Salesforce Developer, Administrator, Consultant, Business Analyst, or indeed any type of business leader. You do not need to have experience implementing or configuring the Salesforce platform!
Now that we know what the Salesforce Certified AI Associate certification entails, let’s determine if you’re the ideal candidate for this certification. Here are some key attributes of individuals who should consider pursuing this certification:
Salesforce Enthusiasts
If you’re already familiar with the Salesforce platform and have experience working with it, this certification can be a logical next step in your professional journey. It allows you to deepen your knowledge and specialize in the AI aspects of Salesforce.
AI Enthusiasts
If you have a passion for artificial intelligence and want to apply AI principles to solve real-world business challenges, this certification is an excellent fit. It combines your love for AI with the powerful capabilities of the Salesforce platform.
Salesforce Professionals Looking to Advance
If you’re a Salesforce Administrator, Developer, or Consultant, adding the Salesforce Certified AI Associate certification to your resume can make you even more valuable to your organization. It demonstrates your commitment to staying current with the latest trends and technologies in the Salesforce ecosystem.
Career Changers
If you’re considering a career change into the tech industry and want to specialize in Salesforce and AI, this certification can help you make that transition. It provides a recognized credential to showcase your skills and knowledge to potential employers.
Key Topics
To successfully earn your Salesforce Certified AI Associate certification, you’ll need to master a range of key topics. Here’s an overview of what you can expect to encounter on the exam:
AI Fundamentals: 17%
- Explain the basic principles and applications of AI within Salesforce.
- Differentiate between the types of AI and their capabilities.
In the first section, you’ll need a solid understanding of AI, what it is, and what it does.
Swot up on AI capabilities including number predictions, classifications, robotic navigations, and language processing.
You should also be able to explain the differences between generative AI and predictive AI.
AI Capabilities in CRM: 8%
- Identify CRM AI capabilities.
- Describe the benefits of AI as they apply to CRM.
Salesforce Einstein is the AI component of the Salesforce platform. You’ll be tested on your ability to use Einstein’s capabilities to build AI-driven applications, automate processes, and personalize customer experiences.
In this section, you’ll be expected to be able to identify AI capabilities within CRM including Einstein Lead Scoring, Einstein Opportunity Scoring, Case Classification, Account Insights, Einstein Next Best Action, Einstein Prediction Builder, and Einstein Discovery.
Ethical Considerations of AI: 39%
- Describe the ethical challenges of AI (e.g. human bias in machine learning, lack of transparency, etc.)
- Apply Salesforce’s Trusted AI Principles to given scenarios.
AI and ethics go hand in hand. You’ll be expected to understand the ethical implications of AI, including bias, fairness, and transparency. Being able to design AI solutions that adhere to ethical principles is crucial.
In particular, explore the challenges faced by marketers treading the fine line between useful personalization and manipulation and the implications of data protection laws.
You’ll also need to be very familiar with Salesforce’s own trusted AI principles and able to apply them to scenarios:
Data for AI: 36%
- Describe the importance of data quality.
- Describe the elements/components of data quality.
Understanding how to clean, transform, and prepare data is fundamental in any AI project. You’ll need to know how to handle data quality issues, deal with missing data, and perform feature engineering to extract meaningful insights. You should also be aware of the implications of bad data on AI.
Key areas for revision include using dashboards and the AppExchange for evaluating data quality, naming conventions, data formatting, required fields, validation rules, and duplicate and matching rules.
Study Strategy
You should first check out the official Salesforce Trailhead exam guide. This gives you a great outline of all the different concepts you need to be familiar with before you should take the exam. This can be used as your revision plan – tick off sections once you have fully understood each concept.
For more experience, we recommend you complete both Prepare for Your Salesforce Certified AI Associate Credential and Cert Prep: Salesforce AI Associate on Trailhead. These have been specifically designed by Salesforce to guide you through the most important topics of the exam.
Question Format
The Salesforce AI Associate Certification consists of 40 multiple-choice/multiple-select questions, each with three possible answers. In this sense, it is slightly easier than other exams that would typically have a minimum of four potential answers.
Exam Strategy
When exam day finally hits, there are a bunch of tips we gathered over the years to give you the best chance of passing with flying colors.
Firstly, if there are any concepts you are struggling to get to grips with, print off a cheat sheet and try and memorize any of these before you take the exam so they are fresh in your memory.
When taking the exam, pay particular attention to the question, and read it through a few times. For the scenario-based questions, there will be huge clues as to what the correct answer actually is. If you need to (and are taking the exam in a test center), use the pen and paper provided to draw out a data schema, role hierarchy, or any other diagram that will help you visualize the answer.
When deciding on the answer, be sure to use the process of elimination to get rid of the answers that are definitely incorrect. Salesforce likes to throw in answers that are made up features or just plain incorrect. They also like to throw in curveballs, with features that appear to be correct but aren’t best practice. You can often worm out these by focusing on standard Salesforce features that accomplish a task.
You also have a great tool at your disposal, the “Mark for review” feature. On each question, you will have a checkbox that you can mark. This is great if you cannot think of an answer right at that moment, or if you are doubtful about your answer. At the end of the exam, you will have a chance to review these questions. Depending on the amount selected, this will give you a pretty good idea of how likely you are to have passed the test. Regardless of the questions marked for review, I would always recommend going through every question if time permits. I do this on every exam, and often spot mistakes I made in the answers and change a few.
Summary
The Salesforce Certified AI Associate certification is a valuable credential for anyone looking to advance their career in the Salesforce ecosystem and gain expertise in artificial intelligence.
Whether you’re already working with Salesforce or are considering a career change, this certification can open doors to exciting opportunities. By mastering key topics like data preprocessing, machine learning, Salesforce Einstein, model deployment, ethical considerations, and maintenance, you’ll be well-prepared to ace the exam and demonstrate your AI skills to potential employers.
So, if you’re ready to take your Salesforce career to the next level, start your journey towards becoming a Salesforce Certified AI Associate today!
Resources
- Trailhead Exam Guide
- Prepare for your Salesforce Certified AI Associate Credential TrailMix
- Cert Prep: Salesforce AI Associate
- ChatGPT Mastery for Salesforce Professionals