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Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II (PDII)

Overview

The Platform Developer II (PDII) credential validates advanced programmatic skills on the Salesforce platform. Candidates demonstrate mastery of Apex (advanced async patterns, Stub API, dynamic Apex, design patterns), integrations (REST/SOAP, Platform Events, Change Data Capture, Named Credentials, External Services), Lightning Web Components (events, reactivity, performance), testing (mocks, dependency injection), and deployment (SFDX, 2GP packaging, Metadata API).

PDII is the next step after Platform Developer I. Historically the credential included a coding assignment / superbadge component, but as of 2026 the credential is awarded after a single proctored multiple-choice exam (Salesforce retired the programming assignment requirement). Always verify the latest format on the official credential page before scheduling.

Quick Reference

Detail Info
Exam Name Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II
Provider Salesforce
Format 60 multiple-choice / multi-select questions (proctored)
Duration 120 minutes
Passing Score 70%
Cost $200 USD ($100 retake)
Prerequisite Platform Developer I (required to earn PDII)
Validity Maintained via free annual release exams

Credential page Exam Guide PDF

Exam Domains

# Domain Weight
1 Salesforce Fundamentals 5%
2 Data Modeling and Management 10%
3 Process Automation, Logic, and Integration 35%
4 User Interface 20%
5 Testing, Debugging, and Deployment 20%
6 Performance 10%

The exam emphasizes architectural decision-making under governor-limit constraints. Expect long code samples, ambiguous-looking choices, and questions where multiple answers compile but only one scales.

Study Materials in This Guide

File Description
fact-sheet.md High-yield reference: governor limits, async patterns, LWC lifecycle, test patterns
practice-plan.md 10-week study plan with hands-on labs
scenarios.md 15 exam-style architecture/design scenarios with reasoning
strategy.md Exam tactics, time budgeting, format notes
notes/01-fundamentals.md MVC, multi-tenant, declarative vs programmatic
notes/02-data-modeling.md Relationships, schema design, LDV, skinny tables, indexing
notes/03-process-automation-logic-integration.md Apex async, SOQL/SOSL, REST/SOAP, Platform Events, CDC, Named Credentials
notes/04-user-interface.md LWC deep dive, Aura, Visualforce, events, LMS, LDS
notes/05-testing-debugging-deployment.md Test classes, Stub API, mocks, debug logs, SFDX, 2GP packaging
notes/06-performance.md Governor limits, bulkification, query optimization, transaction control
Background Estimated Prep Time
PDI + 2+ years Apex experience 6-8 weeks
PDI + occasional Apex work 10-12 weeks
PDI just earned, limited project work 14-16 weeks
Targeting PDII without strong PDI fundamentals Take PDI seriously first

PDII is not a memorization exam. The questions reward people who have shipped Apex to production and dealt with governor limits, mixed DML, recursion, deserialization, and integration latency.

Prerequisites

  • Platform Developer I credential (required, not optional - PDII is awarded only after PDI is in good standing)
  • 1-2+ years of hands-on Apex / LWC / SOQL development
  • Comfort with REST APIs, JSON, async patterns, and design patterns
  • Familiarity with SFDX, scratch orgs, and source-driven development

Hands-on Setup

You cannot pass PDII without writing real Apex against a real org. Plan to ship at least 3-5 non-trivial integrations / async pipelines during prep.

Companion Materials

Notes

  • The 2026 PDII format is multiple-choice only. Salesforce previously required a "programming assignment" (Trailhead superbadge) component to earn the credential; this requirement was retired. Confirm the current format on the credential page before booking.
  • PDI must be active (passed all maintenance modules) before PDII is awarded.
  • Maintain PDII via free release exams ~3 times per year on Trailhead.