What the Salesforce Certified Platform Administrator Exam Update Means for Admins

Salesforce recently refreshed the Salesforce Certified Platform Administrator Exam, effective December 15, 2025. If you’re preparing for the exam or planning your certification journey this year and beyond, this is one update you need to know about.

The refresh doesn’t overhaul what it means to be a Salesforce Admin or what the exam tests at its core. Instead, it fine-tunes the existing exam blueprint to better reflect how admins work today, continuing to emphasize the foundational admin skills that have always mattered, while testing essential AI understanding.

If you’ve been building strong Salesforce fundamentals, you’re already well positioned to practice thoughtful AI enablement in your role—without having to start from scratch with your exam prep! Keep reading to learn about the exam updates and how to prepare.

Updated exam blueprint: What’s changed

The refresh mainly adjusts how the exam topics are weighted, so you know exactly where to focus your preparation. Here’s a quick breakdown of the updated objective weighting.

Configuration and Setup: 15%
Object Manager and Lightning App Builder: 15%
Sales and Marketing Applications: 10%
Service and Support Applications: 10%
Productivity and Collaboration: 10%
Data and Analytics Management: 17%
Automation: 15%
Agentforce: 8%

Traditional areas like Configuration, Object Manager, and Automation remain essential. These core skills are now complemented by a stronger emphasis on data literacy and AI awareness—reinforcing that innovation with Agentforce starts with a well-designed, well-governed Salesforce foundation.

New exam section: Agentforce

One of the most notable changes in the refreshed exam is the introduction of the Agentforce section, which accounts for 8% of the exam. This addition brings AI awareness and foundational knowledge of Salesforce’s AI capabilities directly into the Salesforce Certified Platform Administrator certification.

This section tests your understanding of:

The capabilities and use cases of Agentforce, including scenarios about use cases such as when it’s appropriate to use AI, security, and how to troubleshoot agent permissions
How to maintain, update, or install prompts and instructions in Agent Builder, including light testing and conversation preview

This doesn’t mean you’re expected to be an Agentforce expert. Instead, it reflects a growing recognition of the admin’s role in using AI responsibly—ensuring agents are grounded in trusted data, aligned with business needs, and deployed with the right guardrails in place.

Why these changes matter for admins

This exam refresh mirrors how the Salesforce Admin role continues to expand, especially as AI becomes part of everyday workflows.

Admins are strategic partners: Today’s admins design scalable solutions, streamline processes, and help stakeholders make informed decisions. The updated weighting reinforces the idea that high-quality data and clear insights are foundational to automation, and essential for AI to deliver real value.

Fundamentals still matter: While some weightings shifted, core skills like automation, security, and configuration still make up a significant portion of the exam.

AI is an opportunity for admins: With Agentforce now part of the exam, it’s clear that admins don’t just support AI—they operationalize it. From defining use cases and managing permissions to testing agent behavior, admins are at the center of AI adoption.

How to prepare for the Salesforce Certified Platform Administrator Exam

If you’re planning to take the exam, there are many resources available to help you prepare.

Study the updated exam guide to make sure your preparation reflects the new weighting and topics.
Build comfort with AI and data fundamentals. Even a foundational understanding of Agentforce and analytics will set you up for success. The Salesforce Admins site includes Agentforce resources designed specifically for admins, no matter where you are in your journey.
Lean into Trailhead and hands-on practice. Real-world experience often translates directly to exam confidence.

Salesforce continues to evolve, and so does the admin role. These exam changes are part of a broader shift toward skills that help organizations harness data and AI effectively, with admins playing a core role in guiding that transformation. As you prepare for the exam, now is an exciting time to lean into these skills and reinforce your impact.