Salesforce Certified Catalyst Specialist

The Salesforce Certified Catalyst Specialist certification is intended for professionals involved in identifying business outcomes, planning engagements, and creating composable architecture solutions using the Catalyst methodology.

Knowledge Requirement

Candidates for the Salesforce Certified Catalyst Specialist certification should have the knowledge, skills, and experience to:

• Identify and articulate the fundamental pillars and concepts of Catalyst, including playbooks, delivery approaches, asset lifecycles, terms of use, engagement types, phases, delivery models, and associated roles and responsibilities.
• Structure the drivers of the business environment, along with the organizational vision, strategic goals, objectives, key performance indicators (KPIs), and initiatives into a coherent network of influences.
• Implement Catalyst principles in architectural design to enhance reuse and maximize potential while addressing short-term goals.
• Utilize the organizational context (drivers, goals, objectives) to create engagement roadmaps aimed at achieving specific business outcomes.
• Describe the foundational assets of the Center for Enablement (C4E), detail the process for promoting C4E, and outline how to maintain its operations effectively.
• Highlight the advantages of adopting a Catalyst approach and customize messaging to align with the interests of various stakeholders.

Exam-Related Job Roles

Typical job roles for a Salesforce Certified Catalyst Specialist may include:

• Architects
• Developers
• Technical Project Managers
• Integration Product Owners
• IT Professionals
• IT Operations Staff

Exam Details

The Salesforce Certified Catalyst Specialist exam consists of 45 multiple-choice questions and up to five non-scored questions, with a total time allowance of 90 minutes for completion, including time for the unscored questions. A passing score of 70% is required, and the exam can be taken either onsite at a testing center or online. Note that no hard-copy or online reference materials are permitted during the exam.

Course Outline

The Salesforce Certified Catalyst Specialist Exam evaluates a candidate’s understanding and proficiency in several key objectives. Candidates are expected to utilize essential concepts of the Catalyst methodology in tasks such as identifying business outcomes, planning engagements, and creating composable architecture solutions. Furthermore, Catalyst Specialist candidates should know architecting according to Catalyst principles, achieving business outcomes, establishing a Center for Enablement (C4E), and designing composable solutions. The topics include:

Topic 1: Apply Catalyst principles 9%

• Articulate the role architecture plays in aligning business and technology.
• Organize business environment drivers, organizational vision, strategic goals, objectives, key performance indicators (KPIs), and initiatives into a logical network of influences.
• Analyze the value of each principle of architecting with Catalyst for projects and engagements.
• Articulate the role of integration architecture in realizing end-to-end business processes.
• Create a backlog of architectural significance to capture engagement scope in a way that is conducive to architecting in a Catalyst context.

Topic 2: Leverage Catalyst Knowledge Hub 7%

• Explain the structure and types of Catalyst-related content in Knowledge Hub.
• Explain the types of assets in Knowledge Hub.
• Explain the asset metadata model used by Knowledge Hub.
• Evaluate the applicability of individual assets for a given deployment type.

Topic 3: Architect to Catalyst principles 27%

• Critique too narrow engagement scope definitions and objections to their widening.
• Architect to maximize reuse and reuse potential without neglecting short-term objectives.
• Analyze the advantages that architecting on top of a digital platform brings to projects.
• Apply an application programming interface (API)-led approach to connectivity on the conceptual and logical level, making idiomatic use of interaction types and patterns.
• Architect in the context of projects to support productization of APIs.
• Architect to achieve both short-term outcomes and long-term goals, in a balanced way.

Topic 4: Realize business outcomes with a Catalyst approach 11%

• Articulate business outcomes and their expected value.
• Discover and define business outcomes.
• Align business outcomes with stakeholders.
• Align engagement scope with stakeholders.
• Measure and track business outcomes.

Topic 5: Implement a Center for Enablement (C4E) 15%

• Describe what C4E is and explain its value proposition.
• Explain the difference between C4E and Center of Excellence (CoE).
• Explain the impact of not having a C4E.
• Describe the C4E organizational models.
• Describe the components of building a C4E.

Topic 6: Position and reframe with Catalyst methodology 11%

• Position the benefits of a Catalyst approach to stakeholders.
• Incorporate the principles of the Catalyst approach to scope engagements.
• Reframe the value of a Catalyst approach when the team is diverging from a Catalyst approach.
• Resolve common objections to a Catalyst approach.

Topic 7: Design composable solutions 20%

• Describe the principles and properties of composability.
• Identify the generic patterns, interaction types, and interaction patterns on the conceptual and logical levels and apply them to common architectural styles.
• Address the cross-cutting concerns such as idempotency, transactionality, reliability, etc., in the solution design adhering to Catalyst principles.
• Apply principles of an API-led approach to connectivity to common integration patterns beyond simple RESTful APIs.
• Articulate the benefits of automation and identify use cases for it.

FAQs: Salesforce Certified Catalyst Specialist

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Salesforce Exam Candidate Code of Conduct

At Salesforce, trust is a top priority, and safeguarding the security of Salesforce credentials is a shared responsibility. By participating in the Salesforce Credentialing Program, you must agree to the terms outlined in the Salesforce Credential and Certification Program Agreement.

Participants in the Salesforce Credentialing Program are expected to:

• Use official Salesforce study resources on Trailhead, including exam guides, trail mixes, and Trailhead courses to prepare for certification exams.
• Engage with the Trailblazer Community to find additional training, collaborate with peers, and connect with study groups or mentors.
• Follow the rules for both online proctored and in-person certification exams.
• Report any activity that compromises credential security to the Credential Security team.

Participants in the Salesforce Credentialing Program are prohibited from:

• Sharing, using, or seeking out certification exam questions and answers, or superbadge solutions.
• Requesting, offering, or accepting assistance during your certification exam.
• Engaging in any activity that violates the Salesforce Credential and Certification Program Agreement.

Violations of the Program Agreement may result in:

• Cancellation of upcoming exams.
• Suspension from taking online proctored exams.
• Ban from participating in any certification exams.
• Revocation of existing certifications and superbadges.
• Removal from the Salesforce Credentialing Program and the Trailblazer Community.

Salesforce Certified Catalyst Specialist Study Guide

1. Explore the Salesforce Exam Guide

This exam guide aims to assist you in assessing your readiness to successfully take the Salesforce Certified Catalyst Specialist Exam. It includes details about the target audience for the certification, recommended training resources and documentation, as well as a comprehensive list of exam objectives, all designed to support you in achieving a passing score. Salesforce strongly advises a blend of practical experience, course participation, and independent study to enhance your likelihood of success on the exam.

2. Recommended Training and Resources

Salesforce advises utilizing a mix of hands-on experience, completion of training courses, engagement with Trailhead trails, and self-study in the areas outlined in the Exam Outline section of this guide. Recommended self-study materials for this exam include:

• Trailmix: Driving Successful Business Outcomes with Catalyst
• Practice Exam: Salesforce Catalyst Specialist Practice Exam
  • This provides an opportunity to become acquainted with the format and types of questions you may face on the actual exam. The questions are designed to reflect the style and difficulty level of the real exam. Self-scoring your results will help you pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to concentrate on areas that need further improvement.

3. Explore Salesforce Trailhead Academy

Salesforce Trailhead Academy provides a comprehensive platform for candidates preparing for the Salesforce Certified Catalyst Specialist exam. It offers curated learning paths that cover essential concepts and practices of the Catalyst methodology, emphasizing hands-on experience through real-world scenarios. Interactive Trailhead trails focus on key topics relevant to the exam, while live training sessions led by experienced instructors facilitate direct interaction and clarification.

Additionally, candidates can access practice exams that mimic the actual exam format, helping them gauge their readiness. The academy also offers community support, allowing learners to collaborate and share insights, along with various resources to deepen their understanding of the material. By utilizing Salesforce Trailhead Academy, candidates can effectively prepare and enhance their chances of success on the exam.

4. Take Practice Exam Tests

Once you have finished your preparation, it’s crucial to take practice tests. This stage of self-assessment helps you identify your strengths and weaknesses, boosts your confidence, and improves your time management skills. Practice exams simulate real test conditions, giving you a realistic experience to gauge your readiness. By identifying specific areas for improvement, you can make adjustments before the exam day. Regular self-evaluation is key to optimizing your performance and ensuring a smooth exam experience.