Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist - Certification Preparation Guide 

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement: Certification Roadmap 

Thinking about becoming a Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist? Awesome choice! This certification shows you know how to design and build great marketing campaigns using the Account Engagement platform (formerly Pardot). You’ll learn to create smart marketing processes for email marketing, lead generation, and lead qualification. Plus, you’ll get good at using reports to make decisions based on data.

There are two certifications for Pardot: Pardot Specialist and Pardot Consultant. You need to pass the Specialist exam before you can take the Consultant exam, which builds on what you learned in the Specialist exam.

The program is split into modules with estimated times for each. Most sections have links to expert articles, YouTube videos, and Salesforce documentation to help you understand the topics. I suggest getting a sandbox account to try out the features yourself. Some sections are also explained in Trailhead trailmixes, which you can review to get familiar with the MCAE interface and functions.

If you can spend 10-15 hours a week studying, you’ll be ready for the certification in about 4 weeks. If you’re busy and can only manage about 5 hours a week, you’ll still finish in about 7 weeks.

Key Information About the Salesforce Certification Exam

• Content: 60 multiple-choice/multiple-select questions and five unscored questions  

• Time: 90 minutes  

• Passing score: 72% 

How to Prepare for Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot) Certification Exam

To prepare effectively, consider the following resources: 

Self-Study

review online documentation, white papers, and user guides related to the topics listed in the Exam Outline section. Access documentation through the Market to Your Customers with Account Engagement Help Docs. 

Official Exam Guide

Refer to the official exam guide for detailed information. 

White Papers

Can be accessed here and topical blog posts can be accessed here.  

Trailmixes   

Account Engagement Pardot - Getting Started Trailmix 

• This trailmix is designed for those aiming to expand their knowledge or achieve certification, it covers key modules such as Email Marketing, Account Engagement, and Data Quality. 

• By completing this trailmix, you’ll not only gain valuable insights but also earn extra points toward becoming an X-Star Trailhead Ranger. 

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist Credential 

• It provides essential content and best practices related to account engagement. 

• By following this trailmix, you’ll be well-prepared for your certification journey. 

Study Tips and Resources 

• Thumbs up to the marketers who create helpful content! If you find YouTube videos or blog articles useful, support the creators by liking, subscribing, or following them on LinkedIn. 

• If you encounter broken links in any study materials, feel free to reach out, and I’ll assist in fixing them.  

• Allocate time for study based on your current knowledge. While Pardot isn’t extremely complex, grasping the basics takes time. 

• Spread your study sessions over several days or weeks to enhance retention and avoid burnout. 

Remember to let me know when you finish your exam - I wish you the best of luck! 

Account Engagement Training Environment  

Explore the Salesforce Demo Org, which includes Account Engagement features. Visit this page for more information. 

Exam outline and studying materials 

1. Visitors and Prospects 8% 4h 45min 

1.1 Relationship between visitors and prospects 3h 45min 

• Expert Article: The Difference Between Visitors and Prospects in Pardot - Rakesh Gupta - (7 min) 

• YouTube: Pardot Visitors and Prospects Tutorial - Datarati - Implementation Guru - (18 min) 

• Salesforce Guide: Managing Visitors and Prospects - (2h 25 min) 

• Trailhead module: Account Engagement for Targeted Audiences  - Trailhead - (55 min) 

1.2 Prospect Audits 1h 

• Expert Article: Mastering Prospect Audits in Pardot - Rakesh Gupta - (20 min) 

• Prospect Audits: Behind the Scenes - Sophie Daniline - (8 min) 

• YouTube: Pardot Prospect Management - Salesforce Apex Hours - (24 min) 

• Salesforce Guide: Use Prospect Audits - (8 min) 

2. Administration 11% 3h 

2.1 Creating, editing, and mapping fields 1h 

• Expert Article: Ultimate Guide: Pardot Field Sync Behavior & Null Value Sync - Lucy Mazalon - (23 min) 

• YouTube: Data Sync and Field Mapping in Pardot - Salesforce Apex Hours - (17 min) 

• YouTube: How to Map Your Salesforce Custom Fields Into Pardot - Salesforce Apex Hours - (17 min) 

• Salesforce Guide: Create Custom Prospect Fields - (5 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Map Salesforce and Account Engagement Custom Fields - (6 min) 

2.2 Relationship between Account Engagement and Salesforce 1h 35min 

• Expert Article: Understanding Pardot and Salesforce Sync Behaviours - Carl Mortimer - (10 min)  

• Trailhead: Configure Salesforce and Pardot for the Connector - (20 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: How Do Pardot and Salesforce Work Together? - Lucy Mazalon - (20 min)  

• Trailhead module: Pardot Salesforce Integration for Lightning App - (45 min)  

2.3 Account Engagement Recycle Bin 20min 

• Expert Article: Pardot Prospects and the Recycle Bin - James Haney - (5 min)  

• YouTube: MCAE Pardot Recycle Bin | How to undelete assets from Bin? - MC Account Engagement (Pardot) & Salesforce Expert - (10 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Using the Recycle Bin - (5 min)  

3. Account Engagement Forms, Form Handlers, and Landing Pages 5h 10min 

3.1 Account Engagement forms 3h 

• Expert Article: Pardot Forms: 12 Things You Should Know - Lucy Mazalon - (15 min)  

• YouTube: Pardot Forms, Form Handler & Landing Page theory & hands-on Training - MC Account Engagement (Pardot) & Salesforce Expert - (90 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Capture Leads with Forms and Form Handlers - (75 min)  

3.2 Landing pages 20% 2h 10min 

• Expert Article: Pardot Landing Page best practices to improve conversion rates - Matt Lincoln - (5 min)  

• Expert Article: Boost Conversions: Best Practices for Landing Pages - Cara Weese - (5 min)  

• Expert Article: Top Features of the Pardot Landing Page Builder - Lucy Mazalon - (20 min)  

• YouTube: Form, Landing page and Layout template in Pardot - Salesforce Apex Hours - (28 min)  

• YouTube: Pardot (Account Engagement): Landing Pages - Kelli Meador - (10 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Build Landing Pages Faster with Drag-And-Drop Editor - (6 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Draw in Visitors with Account Engagement Landing Pages - (55 min)  

4. Lead Management 24% 8h 15min 

4.1 Automation rules 1h 10min 

• Expert Article: Pardot Automation Rules (in Account Engagement) + 6 Examples - Lucy Mazalon - (20 min)  

• Expert Article: Choose the Right Pardot Automation [+ Interesting Facts] - Lucy Mazalon - (20 min)  

• YouTube: Pardot (Account Engagement): Automation rules - Kelli Meador - (6 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Automation Rules - (20 min)  

4.2 Lists 1h 55min 

• Expert Article: Pardot List Types - Tom Brinker - (10 min)  

• Expert Article: Pardot Dynamic Lists for Faster Segmentation (+ 10 Examples) - Lucy Mazalon - (20 min)  

• YouTube: Build static and dynamic prospect lists in Account Engagement (Pardot) - Integrated Media Group - (5 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Segmentation - (65 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Managing Prospect List Membership - (15 min)  

4.3 Completion actions 1h 

• Expert Article: Creating Effective Account Engagement (Pardot) Completion Actions - Greenkey - (20 min)  

• YouTube: How to Create Completion Actions in Pardot - Rotive - Brian Hays - (4 min)  

• NEW FEATURE: Conditional Completion Actions in Pardot (Salesforce Summer 22 Release) - Rotive - Brian Hays - (4 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Completion Actions - (30 min)  

4.4 Segmentation rules 1h 10min 

• Expert Article: A Complete Guide to Pardot Segmentation - Chloe Prowse - (4 min)  

• YouTube: Live workshop: Let's build advanced segmentation lists in Account Engagement (Pardot) - Ben LaMothe - (52 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Create and Manage Segmentation Rules - (15 min)  

4.5 Page actions 45min 

• Expert Article: Pardot Page Actions: Inject Action Into Page Views - Lucy Mazalon - (20 min)  

• YouTube: Pardot (Account Engagement): Page Actions - Kelli Meador - (5 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Page Actions - (20 min)  

4.6 Scoring 1h 5min 

• Expert Article: The Complete Guide to Pardot Score - Lucy Mazalon  - (20 min)  

• YouTube: Pardot Scoring and Grading Explained - Rotive - Brian Hays - (15 min)  

• YouTube: How to Set Up Scoring in Pardot - Rotive - Brian Hays - (5 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Scoring Prospects - (25 min)  

4.7 Grading 35min 

• Expert Article: The Ultimate Guide to Pardot Grading - Lucy Mazalon - (20 min)  

• YouTube: How to Set Up Grading in Pardot - Rotive - Brian Hays - (5 min) 

• Salesforce Guide: Grading Prospects - (10 min)  

4.8 Custom redirects 35min 

• Expert Article: 7 Use Cases for Pardot Custom Redirects (Marketing Links) - Lucy Mazalon - (20 min)  

• Expert Article: 4 Unique Ways to Use Pardot Custom Redirects - Georgie Grigore - (5 min)  

• YouTube: How to Use Pardot Custom Redirect Links - Rotive - Brian Hays - (10 min)  

5. Email Marketing 20% 2h 50min 

5.1 Emails vs. Email Templates 1h 

• Expert Article: When to Use a Pardot List Email vs. Email Template (and what to do if you build the wrong one) - Joanna Roter - (15 min)  

• YouTube: Creating a Account Engagement (Pardot) Email Template - Integrated Media Group - (10 min)  

• YouTube: How to Build Pardot Email Templates - Datarati - Implementation Guru - (25 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Classic Email for Account Engagement - (5 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Reuse Email Designs with Account Engagement Templates - (10 min)  

5.2 Email capabilities and use cases 30min 

• Expert Article: Pardot Email Marketing - Tom Brinker - (5 min)  

• Expert Article: What is Salesforce Pardot Used For: Meaning, Features & Use Cases - Yana Yarotska - (10 min)  

• YouTube: Pardot Email Capabilities Tutorial - MC Account Engagement (Pardot) & Salesforce Expert - (5 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: List Email Report - (10 min)  

5.3 Email reporting metrics 2h 

• Expert Article: Pardot Email Reporting: Key Metrics and Where to Find Them [Infographic] - Tom Brinker - (5 min)  

• Expert Article: Pardot Read Rate: Are Prospects Spending Time on Your Emails? - Lucy Mazalon - (10 min)  

• YouTube: Overview of Pardot Reports - Rotive - Brian Hays - (5 min)  

• YouTube: PardotConsultantBootCamp Day07 - Reporting & Analytics - SFMCTrailblazers - (70 min)  

• Trailhead: Track and Report on Email Engagement - (30 min) 

6. Engagement Studio 17% 1h 5min 

6.1 Components of an engagement program 35min 

• Expert Article: 5 Pardot Engagement Studio Examples – and How to Build Them - Timo Kovala - (15 min)  

• YouTube: Pardot (Account Engagement): Engagement Studio - Kelli Meador - (15 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Engagement Studio Overview - (5 min)  

• Engagement Studio Implementation Guide - (30 min) 

6.2 Updating engagement programs and assets 50 min 

• Expert Article: 9 Pardot Engagement Studio Best Practices - Chloe Prowse - (5 min)  

• Expert Article: Moving from Automation Rules to Engagement Studio in Account Engagement (Pardot) - Ann-Marie Khor - (20 min)  

• Deep Dive into Pardot Engagement Studio & Marketing Campaigns - Pareto Pi - Kristina Alexandra - (20 min)  

• Salesforce Guide: Edit an Engagement Program - (5 min)  

Extra materials: 

Extra Videos:  

• Pardot Bootcamp Jun 2020 - 8h 

• Choose the Right Pardot Automation [+ Interesting Facts] – 30 min 

Great resources: 

• https://greenkeydigital.com/pardot-basics/ 

• https://thespotforpardot.com/ 

• https://jennamolby.com/ 

• https://www.salesforceben.com/ 

• https://www.pardotpro.com/ 

• https://marcloudconsulting.com/blog/ 

Udemy course: 

• Pardot Training: Get up and running with Salesforce Pardot 

Mock Exams and quizzes: 

• https://quizlet.com/879849042/pardot-specialist-2024-flash-cards/ 

• Salesforce Certified Pardot Specialist Practice Exam (Jenna Mobly)