Updated for Winter '26 Release
Last Updated: November 2025 | Exam Version: Winter '26
This exam guide reflects the latest Salesforce Winter '26 release (November 2025). Key updates include AI-powered Grading, Generative Journeys in Engagement Studio, and the new Agentforce Testing Center.
⚡ What Changed from Spring '25 to Winter '26?
Einstein AI now grades prospects based on unstructured data from Agentforce chats
Engagement Studio can use AI to generate entire nurture branches from a prompt
New real-time, bi-directional sync for up to 10 custom objects
Salesforce Certified Account Engagement Consultant (Pardot)
Your complete guide to passing the exam and mastering B2B marketing automation
📊 Exam At a Glance
📝 Note: As of July 21, 2025, all Salesforce exams are delivered through Pearson VUE (Trailhead Academy). The exam can be taken at a testing center or online with remote proctoring.
Exam Objectives & Weightage
1. Account Configuration
20%Understand the implications of technical setup, data migration, and developing a usage governance plan. This covers connector settings, Business Units, and user management.
Business Unit management now includes granular sync settings for the new Lightning Connector v2 and its custom object sync capabilities.
View Key Topics ▼
- Articulate implications of technical setup (Connector, CNAME, Tracker Domains)
- Develop a plan for data integrity during migration
- Design a strategy for Business Units and user authorization
- Configure and manage the Salesforce-Account Engagement Connector
2. Automating Business Processes
17%Know when to use the correct automation tool (Automation Rules, Segmentation Rules, Completion Actions, Dynamic Lists) and how to design complex nurture strategies in Engagement Studio.
Generative Journeys in Engagement Studio can now build out multi-step, multi-path nurture programs from a text prompt, which is now a testable concept.
3. Evaluation
17%Analyze a customer's business objectives and current landscape to design a strategy. This includes identifying KPIs, designing scoring/grading models, and recommending solutions.
AI-Powered Grading is now a key part of prospect evaluation. You must understand how it coexists with traditional grading rules and impacts scoring models.
📝 Sample Exam Questions
💡 Test Your Knowledge
These sample questions reflect the style and difficulty level of the actual Consultant exam. Practice with these to assess your readiness.
Question 1: Account Configuration
A consultant observes that new Account Engagement prospect field values are not syncing to their corresponding Salesforce Lead fields. What is the MOST likely cause of this issue?
A) The Account Engagement Connector User's profile is missing read/edit Field-Level Security (FLS) for those fields.
B) The prospect has not been assigned to a user in Account Engagement.
C) The Salesforce 'Allow Duplicate Leads' setting is disabled.
D) The fields have not been added to the Lead page layout in Salesforce.
✓ Correct Answer: A) The Account Engagement Connector User's profile is missing read/edit Field-Level Security (FLS) for those fields.
Explanation: The Connector User acts as the bridge for data sync. If this "user" doesn't have permission to see or edit a field in Salesforce, Account Engagement cannot sync data to or from it. This is a foundational configuration check.
Question 2: Automating Business Processes
A marketing manager wants a one-time list of all prospects in the 'EMEA' region who have a score greater than 100 AND have visited the pricing page in the last 30 days. This list will be used for a single email send and should not update after it is run. What automation tool should be used?
A) Dynamic List
B) Automation Rule
C) Completion Action
D) Segmentation Rule
✓ Correct Answer: D) Segmentation Rule
Explanation: A Segmentation Rule is the only tool designed to build a static, one-time list based on complex criteria. A Dynamic List would meet the criteria but would constantly update, which is not desired. Automation Rules perform actions, not just build lists.
Question 3: Lead Management
A prospect has a score of 80. They submit a "Contact Us" form. The form's Completion Action is set to "Adjust score by +50 points". An Automation Rule is active that runs on "Form Success" for the "Contact Us" form and is set to "Adjust score by -20 points". What will the prospect's score be after submitting the form?
A) 130
B) 110
C) 60
D) 80
✓ Correct Answer: B) 110
Explanation: Completion Actions always execute first, immediately upon the form submission. This brings the score to 80 + 50 = 130. Automation Rules run *after* Completion Actions. The Automation Rule sees the form success and then adjusts the score by -20, resulting in a final score of 130 - 20 = 110.
Question 4: Reporting & Analytics
A Sales Director wants to see a dashboard that shows which marketing campaigns (e.g., webinar, trade show, email nurture) influenced the Opportunities that were won last quarter. They want to see multiple touchpoints, not just the first or last. Which tool should the consultant recommend?
A) A standard Account Engagement Campaign Report
B) A Salesforce Joined Report on Campaigns and Opportunities
C) B2B Marketing Analytics (B2BMA) Multi-Touch Attribution Dashboard
D) The Prospect Lifecycle Report
✓ Correct Answer: C) B2B Marketing Analytics (B2BMA) Multi-Touch Attribution Dashboard
Explanation: Standard Salesforce or Account Engagement reports struggle with multi-touch attribution. B2B Marketing Analytics is specifically designed to connect campaign touchpoints to the opportunity lifecycle and provide attribution models (like Even-Touch, U-Shaped, etc.).
💡 Exam Tip: The Consultant exam is heavily scenario-based. Focus on *why* you would choose one tool over another (e.g., Automation Rule vs. Segmentation Rule) to solve a specific business problem.
📚 Study Resources & Preparation
🎯 Recommended Study Plan (4-6 Weeks)
Pass Specialist exam (if not done). Review Connector v2, Scoring/Grading, and Automation tools.
Hands-on practice. Build complex Engagement Studio programs. Set up B2BMA dashboards.
Take practice exams, focus on scenario questions, and review Business Unit governance.
💡 Exam Day Tips
You have 105 minutes for 60 questions (roughly 1.75 minutes per question). The scenario questions are long, so pace yourself.
Look for keywords like "MOST efficient," "BEST," "one-time," or "ongoing." These clues will help you choose between similar automation tools.
For complex scenarios, immediately eliminate the options that are clearly wrong (e.g., using a Completion Action for a historical list).