# Platform Administrator Study Guide *Last updated September 26, 2026 ยท https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator* The CertifyForce Platform Administrator study guide covers the official Salesforce Platform Administrator exam outline in 28 units across all 8 exam sections, one unit per exam-guide topic. The exam itself has 60 scored questions plus 5 unscored, a 105-minute limit and a 68% passing score, and its largest section is Data and Analytics Management at 17%. Every unit is verified against official Salesforce documentation, cites its sources, and links to the practice questions that test it. Last updated September 26, 2026. ## Contents ### Configuration and Setup (15% of the exam) - [Company information, fiscal year, business hours and currency](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/configuration-and-setup/company-settings-fiscal-year-and-currency): What the Company Information page holds (org defaults, licenses, fiscal year), how standard and custom fiscal years differ, how business hours and holidays pause escalations, and what turning on multiple currencies and advanced currency management really changes. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/configuration-and-setup/company-settings-fiscal-year-and-currency)) - [Declarative UI, apps, list views and Lightning pages](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/configuration-and-setup/declarative-ui-configuration-and-lightning-app-builder): How admins shape the Lightning Experience without code: app visibility in the App Launcher, list view sharing, global actions and the global publisher layout, Lightning page activation, component visibility rules, Dynamic Forms and In-App Guidance. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/configuration-and-setup/declarative-ui-configuration-and-lightning-app-builder)) - [User setup, licenses, freezing and deactivation](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/configuration-and-setup/user-setup-licenses-and-deactivation): How to create and maintain users: globally unique usernames, personal locale and time zone settings, choosing user and feature licenses, why users are deactivated rather than deleted, what freezing and deactivating actually change, and how single sign-on and login-as fit in. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/configuration-and-setup/user-setup-licenses-and-deactivation)) - [Org security controls, login restrictions and sessions](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/configuration-and-setup/org-security-controls-and-session-settings): The org-level controls that protect logins and sessions and record who changed what: MFA and identity verification, trusted IP ranges versus profile login IP ranges, login hours, session settings, the Setup Audit Trail, and how an Agentforce agent user's access is governed. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/configuration-and-setup/org-security-controls-and-session-settings)) - [Sharing model and record access](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/configuration-and-setup/sharing-model-and-record-access): How record access is built: org-wide defaults as the restrictive baseline, then the role hierarchy, public groups, owner- and criteria-based sharing rules, account and opportunity teams and manual sharing to open it up, plus how report and dashboard folder access differs from record access. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/configuration-and-setup/sharing-model-and-record-access)) - [Profiles, permission sets, groups and muting](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/configuration-and-setup/profiles-permission-sets-and-permission-set-groups): How to grant object, field and system permissions with the least effort and least privilege: what only a profile can do, why permission sets and permission set groups are the recommended model, how permissions combine, and how a muting permission set removes a permission from one group without touching the others. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/configuration-and-setup/profiles-permission-sets-and-permission-set-groups)) ### Object Manager and Lightning App Builder (15% of the exam) - [Standard objects, relationships and Schema Builder](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/object-manager-and-lightning-app-builder/standard-objects-and-relationship-types): How standard and custom objects connect through lookup, master-detail, junction and hierarchical relationships, what each relationship does to deletion, ownership, sharing and roll-ups, and where record types and Schema Builder fit in the data model. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/object-manager-and-lightning-app-builder/standard-objects-and-relationship-types)) - [Fields, page layouts and field deletion impacts](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/object-manager-and-lightning-app-builder/fields-page-layouts-and-field-deletion-impacts): How to create and change custom fields (required, unique, external ID, roll-up summary, cross-object formula, dependent picklists), what page layouts, compact layouts and field-level security each control, and what happens when a field is deleted, restored or has its type changed. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/object-manager-and-lightning-app-builder/fields-page-layouts-and-field-deletion-impacts)) - [Layout assignment, record types, Lightning pages and actions](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/object-manager-and-lightning-app-builder/page-layouts-record-types-and-business-processes): How users end up seeing a given page: page layout assignment by profile and record type, record types and business processes, Lightning record page activation, component and Dynamic Forms visibility rules, and object-specific versus global quick actions. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/object-manager-and-lightning-app-builder/page-layouts-record-types-and-business-processes)) ### Sales and Marketing Applications (10% of the exam) - [Sales process: lead conversion, opportunities and Path](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/sales-and-marketing-applications/sales-process-leads-opportunities-and-path): How a lead becomes an account, contact and opportunity, what carries over and what doesn't, how sales and lead processes tie stage and status values to record types, and how Path coaches reps stage by stage. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/sales-and-marketing-applications/sales-process-leads-opportunities-and-path)) - [Sales productivity, Einstein scoring, forecasting and territories](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/sales-and-marketing-applications/sales-productivity-forecasting-and-territory-management): Pick the right sales productivity tool for a scenario: the Home page Assistant, Kanban, dynamic dashboards, Einstein Lead and Opportunity Scoring, Collaborative Forecasts with forecast types and adjustments, Opportunity Splits, and territory models. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/sales-and-marketing-applications/sales-productivity-forecasting-and-territory-management)) - [Lead routing, auto-response and campaign management](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/sales-and-marketing-applications/lead-automation-and-campaign-management): How Web-to-Lead, lead assignment rules, lead queues and auto-response rules capture and route leads, and how campaigns, campaign member statuses, Primary Campaign Source and the Marketing User setting track marketing results. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/sales-and-marketing-applications/lead-automation-and-campaign-management)) ### Service and Support Applications (10% of the exam) - [Cases, case assignment rules and queues](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/service-and-support-applications/case-management-assignment-rules-and-queues): How cases get an owner: the single active case assignment rule and its ordered entries, the Default Case Owner, queues as shared work lists, and case teams and parent cases for collaboration. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/service-and-support-applications/case-management-assignment-rules-and-queues)) - [Automating cases with rules, flows and Einstein](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/service-and-support-applications/automating-case-management): Pick the right case automation for a scenario: auto-response rules for customer acknowledgements, escalation rules for aging cases, support processes for Status paths, record-triggered flows for everything else, and Einstein Case Classification to fill in and route cases. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/service-and-support-applications/automating-case-management)) ### Productivity and Collaboration (10% of the exam) - [Activity management with tasks, events, and calendars](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/productivity-and-collaboration/activity-management-tasks-and-events): How tasks, events, and calendars work in Lightning Experience, and which Activity Settings, queues, and calendar types an admin uses to relate, assign, roll up, and schedule activities. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/productivity-and-collaboration/activity-management-tasks-and-events)) - [Chatter groups, access levels, and customers](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/productivity-and-collaboration/chatter-groups-and-access): Public, private, unlisted, and broadcast Chatter groups: who can find, join, and administer each one, how Chatter customers are limited to their groups, and how records are added to groups. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/productivity-and-collaboration/chatter-groups-and-access)) - [Configuring the Salesforce mobile app](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/productivity-and-collaboration/salesforce-mobile-app-configuration): How an admin tailors the Salesforce mobile app: navigation menus, phone-only Lightning pages and component visibility, app pages and launchpads, compact layouts and actions, and what Salesforce Branding can and can't change. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/productivity-and-collaboration/salesforce-mobile-app-configuration)) - [AppExchange and AgentExchange apps and packages](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/productivity-and-collaboration/appexchange-apps-and-packages): When to extend an org from the Salesforce marketplace, how managed, unmanaged, and unlocked packages differ, who can publish listings, and how to evaluate and install packages that bring flows, prompt templates, and agent actions. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/productivity-and-collaboration/appexchange-apps-and-packages)) ### Data and Analytics Management (17% of the exam) - [Importing, exporting and managing data at scale](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/data-and-analytics-management/importing-exporting-and-managing-data): Choose between the Data Import Wizard, Data Loader, Mass Transfer Records, Mass Delete Records, the Recycle Bin and the Data Export Service based on object, volume, operation and recovery needs, and plan a safe archive. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/data-and-analytics-management/importing-exporting-and-managing-data)) - [Duplicate, matching and validation rules](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/data-and-analytics-management/duplicate-matching-and-validation-rules): How matching rules and duplicate rules work together to alert, block or report on duplicates at save time, and how validation rules enforce data standards, where their errors appear, how to exempt a user, and where they run in the save order. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/data-and-analytics-management/duplicate-matching-and-validation-rules)) - [Report builder options and custom report types](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/data-and-analytics-management/reports-and-custom-report-types): Build custom report types with with-or-without relationships and renamed fields, then pick the right report tool: groupings and detail rows, bucket columns, row-level and summary formulas, cross filters, joined reports, charts, unique counts, conditional formatting and subscriptions. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/data-and-analytics-management/reports-and-custom-report-types)) - [How sharing controls report and dashboard data](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/data-and-analytics-management/sharing-model-impact-on-reports): Separates the three layers that decide what someone sees in analytics: folder access decides who can open, save or manage a report; record sharing decides which rows appear; field permissions decide which columns show values. Covers running users for dashboards and subscriptions. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/data-and-analytics-management/sharing-model-impact-on-reports)) - [Dashboards: widgets, running user and refresh](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/data-and-analytics-management/dashboards-components-running-user-and-refresh): Build Lightning dashboards from source reports and widgets, choose chart, gauge, metric or table, add dashboard filters, pick a static or dynamic running user within edition limits, and keep data current with refresh and subscriptions. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/data-and-analytics-management/dashboards-components-running-user-and-refresh)) ### Automation (15% of the exam) - [Choosing the right automation tool](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/automation/choosing-the-right-automation-tool): How to pick between lead and case assignment rules, escalation rules, auto-response rules, Flow and Einstein predictions for a routing or follow-up requirement, and what the Default Workflow User does for background automation. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/automation/choosing-the-right-automation-tool)) - [Flow types, triggers and order of execution](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/automation/flow-types-and-order-of-execution): Which flow type fits a requirement (screen, before-save, after-save, before-delete, scheduled path, schedule-triggered, autolaunched), how Flow fits the save order of execution, and how to version, secure and debug flows. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/automation/flow-types-and-order-of-execution)) - [Approval processes from submission to final action](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/automation/approval-processes): How a classic approval process is built and behaves: entry criteria, allowed submitters and recall, record locking and editability, approval steps with step criteria and approver options, rejection behavior, the four action types, activation rules, and where Flow Approval Processes fit. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/automation/approval-processes)) ### Agentforce (8% of the exam) - [Agentforce use cases, trust and agent permissions](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/agentforce/agentforce-capabilities-use-cases-and-permissions): Match a business need to the right Agentforce agent type or to deterministic automation, explain what the Einstein Trust Layer does, and troubleshoot agent access through the interacting user, the service agent user and the Manage AI Agents permission. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/agentforce/agentforce-capabilities-use-cases-and-permissions)) - [Agent Builder topics, instructions, prompts and testing](https://certifyforce.com/study-guide/platform-administrator/agentforce/agent-builder-prompts-instructions-and-testing): Write topic classification descriptions, scopes and instructions that route and guide an agent, maintain versioned Prompt Builder templates, test changes safely with the conversation preview and Testing Center, and deploy from sandbox to production. ([markdown](https://certifyforce.com/md/study-guide/platform-administrator/agentforce/agent-builder-prompts-instructions-and-testing)) ## Common questions about the Platform Administrator study guide ### Is the Platform Administrator study guide free? Partly. Every unit's summary and its "What the exam expects", "Key facts" and "Check yourself" sections are free to read without an account. The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections, reading progress and unlimited timed mock exams come with the Platform Administrator pack (USD $19). ### How current is the Platform Administrator study guide? It is written to the current official Salesforce Platform Administrator exam outline, and each unit is checked against Salesforce documentation before it is published. The most recent update was September 26, 2026, and every unit shows its own last-updated date. ### How does the study guide map to the official Platform Administrator exam guide? There is one unit per topic in the official exam guide, grouped under its 8 weighted sections: 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%). Each unit quotes the exam objective it covers word for word. ### How do the practice questions link to the study guide? Each unit lists the reviewed practice questions that test it (312 questions are linked across the guide), so you can read a topic and drill it in one click. After a practice exam, every missed question links back to the unit that teaches it.