Trailhead Introduces Super Set Capstone Assessments
Introduction
For the longest time, I’ve been saying that Certifications are only PART of the equation. There are those of us who love learning new Salesforce skills and solidifying them with a Certification exam, and then there are those of us who equally love learning new Salesforce skills but simply are not able to show the extent of our expertise in an exam environment.
Superbadges have been a way for Salesforce Professionals to show that we do indeed have the skills required to work with Salesforce, only they are not often seen as an equal to Salesforce Certification. Thankfully, Salesforce Trailhead has addressed this in a recent blog post.
What are Superbadges and Super Sets?
Superbadges and Super Sets are Salesforce Credentials that hold the same value as a Salesforce Certification. They prove that a Salesforce Professional understands the content they have been studying and working through, and they know how to turn requirements into Salesforce functionality.
Superbadges are large scale projects that Trailhead offers as a way to test your thorough knowledge and understanding of a particular area of Salesforce.
Super Sets are simply a group of Superbadges that are related to a specific area of Salesforce.
These are the Super Sets that Salesforce Trailhead currently offers:
Admin Super Set
App Builder Super Set
Billing Specialist Super Set
Developer Super Set
CRM Analytics Super Set
What is a Capstone Assessment?
Think of a Capstone Assessment as a combination of a miniature Certification Exam (in that it is a multiple choice challenge that covers the same Salesforce area that the Superbadges did) and a Project Debrief (following the hard work that you did during the Superbadge completion, it gives you a chance to confirm once more that you do know Salesforce, and you know it well).
To achieve the Super Set Badge of Recognition (the Credential itself), you must complete the related Capstone Assessment. This shouldn’t be an overly large challenge for you after you’ve completed the related Superbadges as it’s simply covering the same content.
How Does This Compare to Salesforce Certification?
Superbadges, Super Sets, and Certifications are different types of Salesforce Credentials. Completion of Super Sets does not replace the Certification Exam Credentials, however they do compliment each other.
If you’re someone who struggles with Certification but have a deep knowledge and understanding of a specific area of Salesforce, you may want to consider tackling one of the Super Sets (and the relevant Capstone Assessment) I’ve outlined above. Completing one of these to the end will provide you with a fresh new Super Set Badge of Recognition that you can display on your Trailblazer Profile, just like a Certification.
Summary
To reiterate, Super Set Badges do not replace Salesforce Certifications or diminish the value of them in any way. They do, however, hold similar value in that they show that a Salesforce Professional is extremely knowledgeable in a specific area of Salesforce. They represent the hard work you’ve gone through to understand the tools and features of Salesforce, and that you’re able to translate business needs into a Salesforce solution.
If you’re interested in learning more about Salesforce Super Sets, Superbadges, Capstone Assessments, or Salesforce Certifications, click the links throughout this article to learn more.
