Ce rt if ic at io n Ex a m Gu id e

SALESFORCE CERTIFIED
PLATFORM DEVELOPER I
Winter ‘17

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SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

CONTENTS
About the Salesforce Certified Platform Developer Program ........................................ 1
Section 1. Purpose of this Exam Guide........................................................................... 2
section 2. Audience Description: Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I .............. 3
Section 3. About the Exam .............................................................................................. 4
Section 4. Recommended Training and References ..................................................... 5
Section 5. Exam Outline................................................................................................... 6
Section 6. Sample Exam Questions ................................................................................ 9
Section 7. Answers to Sample Exam Questions ........................................................... 11
Section 8. Maintaining a Certification........................................................................... 12

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SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

ABOUT THE SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER

PROGRAM
The Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I credential is intended for individuals who have
knowledge, skills, and experience building custom applications on the Force.com platform.
The program covers the breadth of application development on the Force.com platform,
including the declarative and programmatic capabilities of Apex and Visualforce.

 The Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I credential encompasses the

fundamental programmatic capabilities of the Force.com platform to develop
custom business logic and interfaces to extend Salesforce using Apex and
Visualforce. To achieve this credential, a candidate must successfully pass the exam.
This exam is a prerequisite to the Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II exam.

 The Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II credential encompasses the advanced

programmatic capabilities of the Force.com platform and data modeling to develop
complex business logic and interfaces. To earn this credential, a candidate must
successfully complete all components.
This exam guide provides information about the Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I
exam.

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SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

SECTION 1. PURPOSE OF THIS EXAM GUIDE

This exam guide is designed to help you evaluate if you are ready to successfully complete
the Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I exam. This guide provides information about
the target audience for the certification exam, recommended training and documentation,
and a complete list of exam objectives—all with the intent of helping you achieve a passing
score. Salesforce highly recommends a combination of on-the-job experience, course
attendance, and self-study to maximize your chances of passing the exam.

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SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

SECTION 2. AUDIENCE DESCRIPTION: SALESFORCE CERTIFIED

PLATFORM DEVELOPER I
The Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I exam is intended for an individual who has
experience developing and deploying basic business logic and user interfaces using the
programmatic capabilities of the Force.com platform, including practical application of the
skills and concepts noted in the exam objectives below.

The Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I generally has one to two years of experience as
a developer and at least six months of experience on the Force.com platform.

The Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I candidate has the experience, skills, and
knowledge outlined below:

 Can use the fundamental programmatic capabilities of the Force.com platform to

develop custom interfaces to extend Salesforce capabilities and develop custom
business logic.

 Can extend the Force.com platform using Apex and Visualforce.

 Is familiar with, and able to leverage relevant declarative capabilities of the platform,
where appropriate.

 Knows when to use declarative vs. programmatic methods.

 Is familiar with the development lifecycle from development to testing, and has
knowledge of the available environments.

 Is familiar with the Salesforce1 mobile app capabilities and the basics of the
Lightning framework.

 Knows when to use the Lightning Process Builder vs. an Apex trigger.

 Has experience with object-oriented languages such as Java, C#, and Ruby.

 Has experience with data-driven applications and relational databases.

 Has experience with Model View Controller (MVC) architecture.

 Has invested time in studying the resources listed in this exam guide and the
additional required study materials provided by Salesforce.
A candidate for this exam is not expected to administer any standard Salesforce applications,
develop mobile apps, develop and publish managed products on the App Exchange,
perform tuning or design integrations such as callouts, APIs, and email services.

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SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

SECTION 3. ABOUT THE EXAM

The Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I exam has the following characteristics:
 Content: 60 multiple-choice/multiple-select questions*

 Passing Score: 68%

 Registration fee: USD 200; Retake fee: USD 100

 Time allotted to complete the exam: 105 minutes
 Delivery options: Proctored exam delivered onsite at a testing center or in an online
proctored environment. Click here for information on scheduling an exam.

 References: No hard-copy or online materials may be referenced during the exam.

 Prerequisite: None required; course attendance highly recommended.

*Please note that on occasion, Salesforce Certification may place a small number
of unscored questions on an exam in order to gather data on question performance.
These unscored exam questions are in addition to the 60 scored questions on your exam,
and have no impact whatsoever on your final exam score.

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SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

SECTION 4. RECOMMENDED TRAINING AND REFERENCES

As preparation for this exam, Salesforce University recommends a combination of: hands-on
experience, training course completion, Trailhead trails, and self-study in the areas listed in
the Exam Outline section of this exam guide.

To access the most comprehensive training list, download a copy of our Salesforce Guide to
Certification available here.

To enroll in instructor-led courses and launch online training from your Salesforce
application, click the Help & Training link in the upper right corner of the screen (requires
login) and search for the desired courses. Non-Salesforce customers can register for
instructor-led courses here.

Instructor-Led Training recommended for this exam:

 Instructor-led course: Programmatic Development Using Apex and Visualforce

(DEV450)

To review online Documentation, Tip Sheets, and User Guides – search for the topics listed in
the Exam Outline section of the exam guide and study the information related to those
topics. Documentation, Tip Sheets, and User Guides can also be accessed through Help &
Training. Documentation is also available in PDF format here.

Trailhead trails can be accessed here.

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SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

SECTION 5. EXAM OUTLINE

The Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I exam measures a candidate’s knowledge and
skills related to the following objectives. A candidate should have hands-on experience
developing custom applications on the Force.com platform and have demonstrated the
application of each of the features/functions below.

SALESFORCE FUNDAMENTALS
 Describe the considerations when developing in a multi-tenant environment.
 Describe how the Salesforce platform features map to the MVC pattern.
Weighting
 Describe the capabilities of the core CRM objects in the Salesforce schema. 10%
 Identify the common scenarios for extending an application's capabilities using
the AppExchange.
 Given a scenario, identify common use cases for declarative customization.

DATA MODELING AND MANAGEMENT

 Given a set of requirements, determine the appropriate data model.
 Describe the capabilities of the various relationship types and the implications
of each on record access, user interface (UI), and object-oriented Weighting
programming.
12%
 Describe the impact of schema design and modifications on Apex
Development.
 Describe how to visualize and create entity relationships.
 Describe the options for and considerations when importing and exporting
data into development environments.

LOGIC AND PROCESS AUTOMATION

 Describe how to programmatically access and utilize the object schema.
 Describe the capabilities and use cases for formula fields.
 Describe the capabilities and use cases for roll-up summary fields.
 Describe the capabilities of the declarative process automation features.
 Describe when to use declarative automation features vs. Apex classes and
Weighting
triggers.
46%
 Describe how to declare variables and constants in Apex and how to assign
values using expressions.
 Describe the primitive and complex Apex data types and when to use them.
 Describe how to use and apply Apex control flow statements.

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SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

 Describe how to write and when to use Apex classes and interfaces.
 Describe how to use basic SOSL, SOQL, and DML statements when working
with objects in Apex.
 Describe the basic patterns used in triggers and classes to process data
efficiently.
 Describe when to use and how to write triggers.
 Describe the implications of governor limits on Apex transactions.
 Describe the relationship between Apex transactions, the save execution order,
and the potential for recursion and/or cascading.
 Describe how to implement exception handling in Apex.
 Describe how to write Visualforce controllers.
 Describe when and how to use standard Visualforce controllers vs. Apex
custom controllers and controller extensions.
 Describe the programmatic techniques to prevent security vulnerabilities in
Apex and Visualforce.
 Describe how Apex impacts the ability to make declarative changes.

USER INTERFACE
 Describe how to display Salesforce data using a Visualforce page.
 Describe the types of web content that can be incorporated into Visualforce
pages. Weighting
 Describe how to incorporate Visualforce pages into Force.com applications. 10%
 Describe the benefits of the Lightning Component framework.
 Describe the resources that can be contained in a Lightning Component.

TESTING
 Describe the testing framework and requirements for deployment.
 Describe how to write unit tests for triggers, controllers, and classes.
 Describe when and how to use various sources of test data.
 Describe how to execute one or multiple test classes. Weighting

 Describe the differences between invoking Apex in execute anonymous vs. unit 12%
tests.

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SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

DEBUG AND DEPLOYMENT TOOLS

 Describe how to monitor and access various types of debug logs.
 Describe the capabilities and security implications of the Developer Console,
Workbench, and Force.com IDE.
Weighting
 Describe the different processes for deploying metadata and business data.
10%
 Describe how the different environments are used in the development and
deployment process.

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SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

SECTION 6. SAMPLE EXAM QUESTIONS

The following questions are representative of those on the Salesforce Certified Platform
Developer I exam. These questions are not designed to test your readiness to successfully
complete the certification exam, but should be used to become familiar with the types of
questions on the exam. The actual exam questions may be more or less difficult than this set
of questions.

1. Which three use case requires a partial copy or full sandbox?

Choose three answers
A. Scalability Testing
B. Development Testing
C. Quality Assurance Testing
D. Batch Data Testing
E. Integration Testing

2. In the Lightning Component framework, where is client-side controller logic contained?

Choose one answer
A. Apex
B. Visualforce
C. HTML
D. JavaScript

3. A developer creates a method in an Apex class and needs to ensure that errors are
handled properly. Which three would the developer use?
Choose three answers
A. ApexPages.addErrorMessage()
B. A custom exception
C. .addError()
D. Database.handleException()
E. A try/catch construct

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SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

4. Which two are valid in the where clause of a SOQL query?

Choose two answers
A. A geolocation field.
B. An encrypted field.
C. An aggregate function.
D. An alias notation.

5. What is the correct way to describe how Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture is

implemented on the Salesforce platform?
Choose one answer
A. Model: Standard and Custom Objects; View: Visualforce Pages; Controller: s-
Controls
B. Model: Schema Builder; View: List Views; Controller: Setup Console
C. Model: Standard and Custom Objects; View: Visualforce Pages; Controller: Apex
Code
D. Model: Apex Code; View: List Views; Controller: Setup Console

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SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

SECTION 7. ANSWERS TO SAMPLE EXAM QUESTIONS

1. A, D, E
2. D
3. B, C, E
4. A, D
5. C

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 SALESFORCE CERTIFIED PLATFORM DEVELOPER I

SECTION 8. MAINTAINING A CERTIFICATION

One of the benefits of holding a Salesforce credential is always being up to date on new
product releases. Our release exams are designed to ensure you have the latest information
you need to be a successful Salesforce Certified expert.

Click here for information regarding requirements and cost to maintain your Salesforce
certification.

If you earned the Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I credential on or before October
26, 2016 you are required to pass the Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I – Winter ’17
Release Exam. Click here for details about the release exam objectives, number of questions,
recommended preparation, and registration information.

AB O U T S ALES FO RCE UNI V ER SI T Y

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your organization’s Salesforce environment. Whether you need a customized private course for your whole team or an in-
depth instructor-led classroom experience for one person, Salesforce University can help you take the next steps on your
journey to success. Contact us today to learn how we can help you get the most out of your Salesforce investment.

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