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Salesforce Administrator - 6-Week Practice Plan

This plan assumes 1-2 hours of theory + 1-2 hours of hands-on lab per day.

You cannot pass this cert without hands-on time. Most exam questions are scenario-based. Get into a Developer Edition org early and stay there.

Lab setup (Week 1, Day 1)

Week 1 - Org Setup, Users, Security

Reading

Hands-on

  • Tour Setup; learn search-based navigation (? shortcut for Setup search)
  • Create 2 custom users with different profiles (Standard User, Marketing User)
  • Create a custom profile based on Standard User
  • Create a Permission Set granting "API Enabled" + "View Setup and Configuration"
  • Configure Org-Wide Defaults for Account / Contact / Opportunity
  • Build a 3-level Role Hierarchy
  • Create a criteria-based Sharing Rule

Self-check

  • Can I describe the 5+ layers of access (OWD, Role, Sharing Rules, Manual)?
  • Do I know Profile vs Permission Set?

Week 2 - Objects, Fields, Page Layouts

Reading

Hands-on

  • Create a Custom Object "Inspection" with fields (Date, Location, Inspector lookup to User, Result picklist, Notes long text)
  • Add a Master-Detail relationship from "Inspection Item" to "Inspection"
  • Add a Roll-Up Summary on Inspection: SUM of Inspection Items
  • Create 2 Record Types on Inspection: "Annual" vs "Quarterly", each with different page layouts
  • Build a Lightning Record Page with conditional component visibility per record type

Self-check

  • Can I list 5+ field types and when to use each?
  • Do I know Lookup vs Master-Detail tradeoffs?
  • Can I configure Record Types with different page layouts?

Week 3 - Data Management

Reading

Hands-on

  • Install Data Loader (free download)
  • Bulk insert 1,000 Accounts via Data Loader
  • Upsert (update + insert) 500 records using an External ID field
  • Configure Duplicate Rule + Matching Rule for Accounts
  • Run Mass Transfer of Accounts from one user to another
  • Configure weekly Data Export schedule
  • Tour Sandboxes (Setup → Sandboxes; you may need to imagine a Production org for cert prep)

Self-check

  • Can I pick the right import tool for a given record count?
  • Do I know the upsert pattern with External ID?
  • Can I describe Sandbox types and their use cases?

Week 4 - Automation: Flow, Validation, Approvals

Reading

Hands-on

  • Validation Rule: block save if Opportunity Close Date is in the past
  • Record-Triggered Flow (before save): set Account Type based on Industry
  • Record-Triggered Flow (after save): when Opportunity stage = Closed Won, send email + create a follow-up Task
  • Screen Flow: button on Account that creates a Contact via wizard
  • Approval Process: 2-step approval (Manager + Director) for Opportunities > $100,000

Self-check

  • Can I write a Validation Rule formula from memory?
  • Do I know when to use before-save vs after-save Flow?
  • Can I configure a multi-step Approval Process?

Week 5 - Reports, Dashboards, Sales/Service Cloud

Reading

Hands-on

  • Build a Custom Report Type joining Account + Opportunity
  • Create Tabular, Summary, and Matrix reports from it
  • Build a 6-component Dashboard
  • Schedule report subscription
  • Configure Web-to-Lead form
  • Configure Email-to-Case
  • Set up Case Assignment Rule + Auto-Response Rule
  • Tour Service Console + Knowledge

Self-check

  • Can I build a Custom Report Type with related objects?
  • Do I know report formats and when to use each?
  • Can I describe Lead conversion (creates Account + Contact + Opportunity)?

Week 6 - Practice Exams + Weak Areas

Reading

Practice exams

Drill weak areas

  • Identify 3-5 weakest topics
  • Re-read those notes
  • Build a Trailhead module-specific lab for each

Schedule the exam

  • Book through Salesforce Trailhead
  • Choose online proctored or testing center
  • Confirm 105-minute slot

Stop signals (you're ready)

  • You can configure a custom object with relationships, page layouts, record types from memory
  • You can describe the 7-layer sharing model and pick the right tool for any access scenario
  • You can build a Record-Triggered Flow with Decisions and related-record updates
  • You score 80%+ on practice exams twice in a row
  • You can solve scenarios in scenarios.md without notes

When all are true, schedule the exam.