MuleSoft Certified Developer – Integration and API Associate (Mule 3)

A MuleSoft Certified Developer – Integration and API Associate (Mule 3) should have the ability to work on basic Mule 3 projects with guidance and supervision. However, talking about the MCD – Integration and API Associate (Mule 3) exam, examines a developer’s knowledge and skills in designing, building, testing and debugging, deploying, and managing basic APIs and integrations.

Further, candidates passing this exam will be able to:

• Firstly, use MuleSoft-hosted Anypoint Platform for taking a basic API through all the steps of its lifecycle that includes designing, building, deploying, managing, and governing.
• Secondly, use Anypoint Studio for creating, testing, and debugging basic integrations and API implementations.
• Thirdly, connect to a range of resources like including databases, files, web services, SaaS applications, and JMS queues.
• Next, execute basic data transformations using DataWeave.
• Then, control message flow and handle errors.
• Lastly, process batch records.

Exam Format

MuleSoft Certified Developer – Integration and API Associate (Mule 3) exam is a closed book exam that will have 60 multiple-choice questions. For completing the exam, there is a time duration of 120 minutes. To pass the exam, there is a minimum passing score of 70%. The exam will cost you around $250 (USD). And, the exam can be given in the English language. However, the exam has a validity of 2 years and you can take the exam a maximum of 5 times, with a 24-hour wait between each attempt.

Schedule the Exam

For scheduling, you have to log in to your learner account. Then, purchase the certification exam, prepare for the exam, and take the certification exam. And, MuleSoft no longer supports taking certification exams at physical test centers.

Exam Course Outline

MuleSoft Certified Developer – Integration and API Associate (Mule 3) exam validates candidate’s performance on the basis of the following topics:

1. Explaining application network basics

• Explain MuleSoft’s proposal for closing the IT delivery gap.
• Describe the role and characteristics of the “modern API.” ( Reference: API Strategy Resources)
• Describe the purpose and roles of a Center for Enablement (C4E). ( Reference: Center for Enablement (C4E))
• Define and describe the benefits of API-led connectivity and application networks. ( Reference: What is API-led Connectivity?)
• Define and correctly use the terms API, API implementation, API interface, API consumer, and API invocation. ( Reference: API Strategy Resources)
• Describe the basics of the HTTP protocol and the characteristics of requests and responses. ( Reference: HTTP Request Configuration, HTTP Request Connector)
• Describe the capabilities and high-level components of Anypoint Platform for the API lifecycle. ( Reference: What is full lifecycle API management?)

2. Designing and consuming APIs

• Describe the lifecycle of the “modern API.” ( Reference: API Strategy Resources)
• Use RAML to define API resources, nested resources, and methods.
• Identify when and how to define query parameters vs URI parameters.
• Use RAML to define API parameters, requests, and responses.
• Use RAML to define reusable data types and format-independent examples.
• Read a RAML spec and formulate RESTful requests with query parameters and/or headers as appropriate.

3. Accessing and modifying Mule messages

• Describe the Mule message data structure. (Reference: Mule Message Structure)
• Use transformers to set message payloads, message properties, and flow variables.
• Write MEL expressions to access and modify message payloads, message properties, and flow variables. (Reference: Mule Expression Language Examples, Mule Expression Language (MEL))
• Enrich Mule messages using the Message Enricher. (Reference: Message Enricher)

4. Structuring Mule applications

• Parameterize an application using property placeholders. ( Reference: Configure Property Placeholders)
• Define and reuse global configurations in an application. ( Reference: Global Configurations)
• Break an application into multiple flows using private flows, subflows, and the Flow Reference component. ( Reference: Flows and Subflows)
• Specify what data (payload, message properties, flow variables) is persisted between flows when a Flow Reference is used. ( Reference: Flow Reference Component)
• Specifying what data (payload, message properties, flow variables) is persisted between flows when a Mule message crosses a transport boundary.
• Specify what data (payload, message properties, flow variables) exists in a flow before and after a call in the middle of a flow to an external resource. ( Reference: Flow and Subflow Scopes)

5. Building API implementation interfaces

• Manually create a RESTful interface for a Mule application. ( Reference: Build an Application from an API Specification)
• Describe the features and benefits of APIkit. ( Reference: About APIkit)
• Use APIkit to create implementation flows from a RAML file. ( Reference: Generating RAML-based Flows, Generate a Mule Flow from an API Specification)
• Describe how requests are routed through flows generated by APIkit. ( Reference: APIkit Anatomy)

6. Routing messages

• Use the Choice router to route messages based on conditional logic. ( Reference: Choice Router)
• Using the Scatter-Gather router to multicast messages. ( Reference: Scatter-Gather Router)
• Use Filters to filter Mule messages. (Reference: Filters, Message Filter)
• Validate data using the Validation module.

7. Handling errors

• Describe the default exception strategy in a Mule application. (Reference: Mule Exception Strategies)
• Define a custom global default exception strategy for an application and identify in what situations it will be used.
• Define exception strategies for flows.
• Combine multiple catch exception strategies in a choice exception strategy. (Reference: Catch Exception Strategy, Choice Exception Strategy, Reference Exception Strategy, Rollback Exception Strategy, Mule Exception Strategies)

8. Transforming data with DataWeave

• Write DataWeave scripts to convert JSON, XML, and Java data structures to different data structures and data types. ( Reference: Supported Data Formats)
• Use DataWeave operators. (Reference: DataWeave Operators)
• Define and use custom data types. ( Reference: Custom Data Types in Flow Designer)
• Apply correct DataWeave syntax to coerce data types. ( Reference: Type Coercion with DataWeave)
• Apply correct DataWeave syntax to format strings, numbers, and dates. ( Reference: Format Dates and Times)
• Call Mule flows from a DataWeave script. ( Reference: DataWeave Scripts, lookup)
• Call global MEL functions from a DataWeave script. ( Reference: MEL DataWeave functions)

9. Using Connectors

• Retrieve data from a Database using the Database connector. ( Reference: Database Connector Examples – Mule 4)
• Retrieve data from a REST service using HTTP Request.
• Use a Web Service Consumer connector to consume SOAP web services.
• Use the Transform Message component to pass arguments to a SOAP web service.
• List, read, and write local files using the File connector. ( Reference: List Files Using the File Connector, Read a File Using the File Connector, To Write a File Using the File Connector)
• List, read, and write remote files using the FTP connector. ( Reference: List Files Using the FTP Connector, Write a File Using the FTP Connector, Read a File Using the FTP Connector)
• Use the JMS connector to publish and listen for JMS messages. ( Reference: Publish Messages Using the JMS Connector)

10. Processing records

• List and compare and contrast the methods for processing individual records in a collection. ( Reference: Batch Processing)
• Explain how Mule messages are processed by the Foreach scope. (Reference: Foreach Scope)
• Use the Foreach scope to process records.
• Explain how Mule messages are processed in a Batch job.
• Use a Batch element with Batch Steps, Batch Filters, and a Batch Commit to process records.
• Use the Poll component to trigger a flow. (Reference: Poll, Poll Scheduler)
• Describe the features, benefits, and process to use watermarking.
• Configure watermarks in the Poll scope.
• Persist data between flow executions using the Object Store. ( Reference: Store Application Data Using Object Stores, Object Store Module)

11. Debugging and troubleshooting Mule applications

• Use breakpoints to inspect a Mule message during runtime. ( Reference: Breakpoints)
• Install missing dependencies and drivers to a Mule project.
• Read and decipher Mule log error messages. ( Reference: View Log Data)

12. Deploying and managing APIs and integrations

• Package Mule applications for deployment. ( Reference: Package a Mule Application)
• Deploy applications to CloudHub. ( Reference: Deploy to CloudHub)
• Use CloudHub properties to ensure deployment success.
• Create and deploy API proxies. ( Reference: Set Up and Deploy an API Proxy)
• Connect an API implementation to API Manager using autodiscovery. ( Reference: Autodiscovery)
• Use policies, including client ID enforcement, to secure an API. ( Reference: Client ID Enforcement Policy)
• Create SLA tiers and apply SLA-based policies.( Reference: Applying an SLA-Based Policy)

Check MuleSoft Developer: Integration and API Associate (Mule 3) Exam FAQS

Exam Terms and Conditions

MuleSoft’s Certification Exam provides various terms and conditions that are applied for all certifications. Some of them are:

1. Eligibility

For taking MuleSoft Certification exams, candidates must be 18 years of age or older. There should be only one exam account. However, if there are multiple exam accounts then, a violation of this agreement will be there.

2. Reschedule or canceling the exam

• Firstly, log in to your account at training.mulesoft.com. Then, click on Dashboard from the top menu.
• Secondly, click on Certification Exams under Enrollments. Then, locate the exam you want to reschedule.
• Thirdly for rescheduling the exam, click the BLUE calendar icon. This is available next to the name of the exam. After that, choose a new date and time.
• However, if you need to cancel your scheduled exam, then, locate the exam you want to cancel and click the RED calendar icon with an “x” inside of it. 

MCD – Integration and API Associate (Mule 3) Study Guide

1. Get Familiar with the Exam Topics

The MuleSoft Certified Developer – Integration and API Associate (Mule 3) exam measures your knowledge and skills on the basis of topics. These topics will help you understand the areas as well as you will be able to apply your knowledge and skill in each of the areas. However, the topics for the exam are:

• Explaining application network basics
• Designing and consuming APIs
• Accessing and modifying Mule messages
• Structuring Mule applications
• Building API implementation interfaces
• Routing messages
• Handling errors
• Transforming data with DataWeave
• Using Connectors
• Processing records
• Debugging and troubleshooting Mule applications
• Deploying and managing APIs and integrations

2. Instructor-led training

This is a 5-day training class that is recommended as the most efficient method of preparation. This will provide developers and architects a hands-on experience in using Anypoint Platform for building APIs and integrations. Here, you can discover, consume, design, build, deploy, manage, and govern APIs as well as focus on using Mule 3 and Anypoint Studio for creating applications for use as API implementations and/or integrations. However, this instructor-led course also includes two exam attempts. Further, at the end of the course, candidates will be able to:

• Firstly, create an application network using API-led connectivity and an Anypoint Platform.
• Secondly, connect to databases, files, web services, SaaS applications, JMS queues, and more.
• Thirdly, add application logic, handle errors, and convert data using DataWeave.
• Lastly, structure applications for facilitating development and deployment.

3. Self-study training

This training provides step-by-step video-based training exercises to teach you the basics. Here, the content is accessible instantly for you to start preparing. Further, this has the support of the MuleSoft training forum. 

4. Exploring Learning Paths

MuleSoft offers various learning paths from which you can start preparing according to the role you have applied for using the step-by-step pathway. However, this is for both beginners and experienced user who wants to succeed in their role. Moreover, this also provides you an exam pattern in which you can select the exam according to your skills and experience.

5. Do-it-yourself exercises

This contains DIY exercises for gaining experience and using knowledge to better understand the concepts. However, this course can be considered a self-assessment quiz. Because it tests your knowledge and helps in the preparation for the MuleSoft Certified Developer – Integration and API Associate (Mule 3) certification exam.

6. Assessing yourself using Practice Tests

Using the practice tests will help you to find out your weak areas. Moreover, taking the tests will improve your answering skills and help you get a strong revision by evaluating after every topic. So, start practicing using the MuleSoft Certified Developer – Integration and API Associate (Mule 3) practice exam tests and pass the exam.

Prepare for MCD – Integration and API Associate (Mule 3) Exam Now!