Is getting your Pardot Specialist certification one of your 2019 goals? Good idea! Pardot is an increasingly popular Salesforce product. If your LinkedIn feed looks anything like mine, you’ve seen an uptick in Pardot Specialist Cert announcements.

As a Pardot blogger and certified Pardot Consultant, I’m frequently asked for my tips on passing the Pardot Specialist exam. I have a Chrome bookmarks folder with all my study resources, and the list takes up my whole screen!

I have been asked so often for study tips, I finally decided to sit down and put together a comprehensive Pardot Specialist Study Guide. 

 

Pardot Specialist Study Guide

First released in my Pardot Newsletter, my Pardot Specialist Study Guide is a Google Sheet that allows you to track your study progress as you use it. It’s made up of three tabs.

The first tab is an overview of all the topics on the Specialist exam with a scoring mechanism that allows you to assess your confidence in each topic. It’s inspired by Chris Aldridge’s study guide and uses Salesforce’s official study guide. At the bottom, there’s a formula that tells you if you’re ready to take the exam (it literally says “You’re Ready” or “You’re Not Ready”) based on your confidence level.

The second tab is a list of 53 resources you’ll need to study for each topic on the exam. It includes videos, help articles, blog posts. It’s interactive and as you check off items on the list the sheet will tell you how many items you have left to study.

The third and last tab is a compilation of helpful mock exams, flash cards, and blog posts with advice on the Pardot Specialist exam.

You’ll need to make a copy of the Study Guide to use it for yourself. You should check it out! Click the button below to view the Pardot Specialist Study Guide.

 

GET THE PARDOT SPECIALIST STUDY GUIDE

 

Tips for the Exam

There’s no easy way around this: the Pardot Specialist exam is known to be a difficult test. Personally, I think it was harder than the Pardot Consultant exam. I suggest at least two months of regular studying unless you’re a daily end user of the tool. Then I’d suggest one month.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take the exam! If you’re at all interested in Pardot, use it for work, or want to expand your Salesforce certifications, this one is a good one to have. You’ll need to do a few things first, though.

What you need to do before you start studying for the exam:

• Understand general digital marketing best practices. A good place to start is Trailhead. Most of my resources in the Pardot Specialist Study Guide came from Pardot documentation but Trailhead is a fun prerequisite to diving into the technical side of Pardot.
• Pick an exam date. So many people ask for my advice on the exam but don’t plan to take it for many months. Let’s change that. Setting a date is a great motivator and will keep you focused on your goal.
• Consider talking to your boss about this. Are you using Pardot at work? Are you a fellow Salesforce Consultant looking to expand your certs? Talking to your employer about your goal to be Pardot Specialist certified can’t hurt (if it does, you might need to start looking for a new job). It’s a highly marketable and valuable skill for them too. Ask how they can support you (think about exam fees, devoting some of your work time to studying, etc).   

Now let’s get to what you really came here for.

 

What’s your honest advice on what to study for the Pardot Specialist exam?

My answer: every feature.

By that, I do not mean everything about Pardot, just every feature. The Specialist exam is made for “those who can demonstrate skills and knowledge in designing, building, and implementing marketing workflows through the Pardot platform.” You’ll want to focus on features a daily end user would need to know about.

 

What do I do after the Pardot Specialist exam?

Once you pass, you should update your resume and post about your certification on LinkedIn. Really.

This isn’t about you looking for a new job. This is about celebrating your accomplishments. You did it! Let the world know!

Tag me in the post– I’d love to say “Congratulations”.

Next, consider getting your Pardot Consultant certification. Of course, I made a guide for the Consultant exam as well. You can find it, along with more advice on the exam, here. 

 

Where else can Pardot take me?

It’s been an amazing few years for me working in Pardot. I’ve become certified and a bonafide Pardot Consultant. I’ve blogged about Pardot for Salesforce and Pardot. I’ve manned the Pardot Genius booth at Dreamforce. And I’ve made so many new Pardot friends.

I’ve found something I’m passionate about, and that’s pretty cool. I want to help you find your passion, too! Getting your Pardot Specialist Certification can be a great step in your career, and I’ll be rooting for you.

 

This blog post was originally posted on www.idealistconsulting.com