About this Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II study guide
This page is your Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II (exam code PD2)—formerly Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II study guide. The certification validates skills that employers look for in Salesforce roles—whether you're an administrator, consultant, developer, or architect. It is designed for developers and technical implementers who want to prove their knowledge with an industry-recognized credential.
Here you'll find section-wise exam weightage so you know exactly which topics carry the most questions, exam tips and prerequisites, a focused study plan, and sample practice questions with detailed explanations. All content on this page is original and unique—written specifically for this certification to help with both your preparation and search engine indexing. Use this page to align your study with the official outline and to gauge when you're ready to sit the exam. Many candidates use section weightage to prioritize high-value topics and practice questions to build exam-day confidence.
Passing this certification can support career progression, higher earning potential, and recognition in the Salesforce ecosystem. Salesforce exams are updated periodically, so we keep our materials aligned with current objectives.
Last reviewed: January 2025. Salesforce exam outlines may change; always check the official exam guide on Trailhead before booking.
Release compatible: Winter '26 — Study materials and objectives are aligned with the Winter '26 release (compared to Summer '25).
What's new in Winter '26:
- Agentforce and AI: New Agentforce for Service (IT Service), Agentic Commerce, and Agentforce Grid for low-code AI workflows—expect more AI-related objectives on Admin and Consultant exams.
- Data Cloud: Clean Rooms for privacy-safe data collaboration and zero-copy analytics; Data Cloud objectives may include new collaboration and governance topics.
- Automation & Platform: Enhanced automation capabilities and platform updates; Flow, Process Builder, and integration topics remain core—check the official outline for weightage changes.
- Tableau & Analytics: Tableau Next Concierge in Slack and conversational analytics; Tableau certs may reference new Slack and natural-language features.
- Security & Access: Continued focus on identity, access management, and secure data handling; relevant for Administrator and Architect tracks.
Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II (PD2) Study Guide
The Platform Developer II certification validates your advanced development skills including design patterns, testing strategies, and integration techniques.
Exam Weightage by Section
Exam Topics
Exam Tips
- 1Architecture and Logic are heavily weighted—design patterns, trigger frameworks, async Apex.
- 2Know when to use Queueable, Batch, Future, and Scheduled Apex.
- 3Understand namespaced packages, unlocked packages, and dependency management.
- 4Be ready for “how would you design?” and “what is the best approach?” questions.
Prerequisites
- •Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I
- •2+ years development experience
Focus Areas
- •Architecture and Design Patterns
- •Advanced Apex and LWC
- •Testing and Deployment
- •Integration
Study Strategy
Focus on design and best practices, not just syntax. Review trigger frameworks, dependency injection, and package development. Practice explaining trade-offs.
Sample Practice Questions
Test your knowledge with these sample questions. Click on an answer to select it, then check your answer to see if you're correct.
Which design pattern is recommended for creating a single instance of a class that can be reused throughout the transaction?
What is the purpose of the @TestSetup annotation?
Which approach should be used to make callouts from a trigger?
What is the benefit of using Platform Events over traditional triggers for integration?
Which interface should be implemented to allow a batch job to be chained?
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Contact Us for Full AccessFrequently Asked Questions
- What is covered on the Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II (PD2) exam?
- The Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II (PD2) exam—formerly Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II— covers section-wise weightage as shown above. Use the exam topics and practice questions on this page to align your study with the official outline.
- What is the difference between Platform Developer I and Platform Developer II?
- Platform Developer I focuses on basic Apex, LWC, and testing. Platform Developer II covers advanced topics like design patterns, architecture, advanced Apex, async processing, and package development. You need PD1 first.
- How difficult is Platform Developer II compared to Developer I?
- Platform Developer II is significantly more challenging. It requires deep understanding of design patterns, architecture decisions, advanced Apex concepts, and best practices. Most candidates need 2+ years of development experience.
- How do I prepare for the Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II (PD2) certification?
- Use the exam tips, prerequisites, and study strategy on this Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II (PD2) study guide—formerly Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II— Focus first on the highest-weighted sections, then take the sample practice questions. Schedule the exam when you consistently score well on practice tests.
- Where can I find the official exam outline for Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II (PD2)?
- Salesforce publishes exam guides and outlines on Trailhead (trailhead.salesforce.com). This page's section weightage and topics are aligned with those outlines to help you prepare.