Passing PD1 Without Coding Experience
As someone who entered the Salesforce ecosystem from a background other than coding, the Platform Developer 1 certification is definitely the biggest hurdle I’ve faced pursuing the Application Architect side of the Salesforce architect pyramid (see below if you haven’t seen the Certified Technical Architect pyramid). It became the only certification left before I completed Application Architect, and this article is about my journey toward passing PD1 as a declarative resource.
I first started studying for Platform Developer 1 in December 2023, splitting time between the “Prepare for Your Salesforce Platform Developer I Credential” trailmix and the Focus on Force study guide and practice tests. After passing a full practice test on Focus on Force a couple times in January, I decided to sign up for the real test. I’ve been trying to get over the mental hurdle of taking the real exam for the first time and if you’re passing the practice tests then the best way to find gaps in knowledge is to take the real test and see which sections you need to bring up to par. I felt okay throughout the test, but ultimately fell short by just a few questions. Close but no cigar. I was definitely disappointed, but at the same time not entirely surprised. I didn’t expect it to be easy to pass Platform Developer 1 coming from a declarative configuration background.
After I failed the test on my first attempt, I took a couple weeks off practice tests and focused on video content available on Youtube and Salesforce’s own sites. I came back to my first practice test since failing and was nervous to see if taking time off the test questions would hurt my scores. I ended up being very pleasantly surprised, and not only passed my first practice test with a lot of room to spare but passed two more–meaning I had successfully passed three full practice tests in a row on Focus on Force. A couple weeks off, and a lot of video content, seemed to have helped a lot. I decided it was time to try the real test again, and not let the disappointment of the first failure prevent me from trying again.
The second time I took the real test felt much different from the first time. As I went through the test, it seemed like all the questions on the real test went a level deeper than the questions in the Focus on Force practice tests, and my lack of real world developer experience hurt me even more than the first attempt. Fortunately, I didn’t do as badly as I felt. Unfortunately, I again failed the test with just a few more questions needed to succeed. So close to getting the certification for Platform Developer 1 and Application Architect, yet even more unsettling than the first failure.
That attempt was about two months ago, and while I’ve been increasingly busy with other work I’ve also been able to continue my pursuit of the Platform Developer 1 certification. I’ve slightly shifted my approach from how I had been studying for the first two attempts at the real test. First, I’ve continued to do practice sections and full exams on Focus on Force but I’ve lowered the proportion of my overall studying that it makes up. I’ve replaced that time with increased Trailhead work to get hands-on experience in VS Code and working with the actual code that Salesforce had more of on the exam. I’ve also continued to consume content created by developers for people studying for the exam, primarily on Youtube but also on Salesforce sites and Focus on Force study guides. I’m hoping this more well rounded approach will be able to get me over the hump and pass the test on my third try.
Now you’re up to speed on my pursuit of this test so far, and what I’m doing to try and pass it as soon as possible. If you are currently studying for this test, or planning to take this eventually, as a declarative resource let this be a guide to double down on the hands-on code that you are seeing and writing as part of your studying. For developers the Trailmix practice might not be necessary, because they come from that background and/or get experience with Apex in their day to day jobs, but for declarative resources the practice and experience seeing the code will be immensely helpful when you try to pass the real test. Stay tuned to get updates on my studying for the Platform Developer 1 test as a declarative minded resource. PD1 and Application Architect will be an amazing accomplishment, so I’ll be excited to announce my success and give my perspectives on all the certifications in the Application Architect side of the architect pyramid.
Image Credit: Salesforce
The Declarative Architect 