Failed the Salesforce Admin Exam? Here’s What to Do Next

First things first: take a breath. Failing the Salesforce Admin exam feels awful in the moment, but it is not the end of your Salesforce journey — not even close. Plenty of smart, capable people fail this exam and go on to get certified and build great careers. (We failed it twice before we passed.)

This post walks you through exactly what to do next — step by step — so you can regroup, fix the right things, and pass on your retake. No spiraling, no starting over from scratch, no giving up. Just a clear plan to get you across the line.

By the end, you’ll know your precise next moves.

What Should You Do If You Fail the Salesforce Admin Exam?

If you fail the Salesforce Admin exam, don’t panic or quit. Check your section-by-section score to see where you fell short, restudy your weakest sections (how much depends on how many you missed), confirm you’re ready with practice exams, and retake it quickly — the retake costs $100.

The single biggest mistake people make after failing is starting their entire study process over when they only needed to fix a section or two. Match your effort to your actual gaps, and you’ll get across the line much faster. Here’s how to do it.

First, Know This: Failing Doesn’t Mean You’re Not Cut Out for This

Before the steps, the mindset — because this part matters most.

Failing the exam is not a verdict on your ability. It’s incredibly common (Salesforce writes tricky, scenario-based questions on purpose), and it says nothing about whether you belong in this career. We’re living proof: two failed attempts, and we still became certified admins with careers we love. The people who succeed aren’t the ones who never fail — they’re the ones who regroup and try again. That’s going to be you.

Now let’s turn that failed attempt into a roadmap for passing.

Step 1: Check Your Score

When you finish the exam, Salesforce emails you a breakdown of how you performed in each of the 8 topic sections. This is genuinely valuable information — it’s a map showing you exactly where you lost points and where you were strong.

Pull up that results email (and use a score checker to make sense of the numbers) so you can see precisely which sections dragged you down. Don’t skip this step or study blindly — your score breakdown tells you exactly where to focus.

[VIDEO: Watch me walk you through how to check your score]

Step 2: Identify Your Weakest Sections and Check the Exam Guide

Once you can see your section scores, find the ones where you scored lowest. Those are your targets. Then head to the official Salesforce Administrator Exam Guide and look at the specific skills listed under each of those weak sections.

The exam guide spells out exactly what you’re expected to know for every topic. Go through the skills listed under your weakest sections and honestly ask yourself: can I do this one? And this one? Every item you’re unsure about is a piece of your study plan. This turns a vague “I need to study more” into a precise, short list of exactly what to review.

Step 3: Restudy the Right Amount (It Depends on How You Did)

How much you need to restudy depends on how many sections tripped you up — so let your score breakdown be your guide.

If you only failed one or two sections: good news — you were close. Don’t restudy everything from the beginning; that just wastes weeks and drains your momentum. Focus all your energy on those one or two weak sections and the specific skills you identified in Step 2. Drill those, and only those — then retest quickly (more on that below) before the rest of the material gets rusty.

If you failed three or more sections: the gaps are bigger, and that usually means the individual skills never fully connected into the bigger picture — which is exactly what the scenario-based exam is testing. In this case, a more thorough review makes sense, and going it alone is often where things break down. This is where a structured course with mentors really earns its keep: having someone to ask questions and help you connect the dots is frequently the missing piece. Our Admin Accelerator course is built for exactly this — the skills taught in the right order, with mentors and a community to help everything finally click.

Either way, the principle is the same: study what you actually need, not what you already know. Work smarter, not harder.

Step 4: Retake Practice Exams Until You’re Scoring 80%+

Once you’ve shored up your weak areas, prove to yourself you’re ready with practice exams. Pay special attention to the sections you just restudied — you want to see those scores climb.

When you’re consistently scoring 80% or higher on timed practice exams (comfortably above the 68% you need to pass), that’s your green light. This is the same readiness signal that tells any first-timer they’re ready — and now you’ve got the added advantage of knowing exactly which questions tripped you up last time.

Step 5: Retake the Exam Quickly — Don’t Wait

Here’s the step people get wrong: they wait too long. The material is freshest right now, your momentum is highest right now, and every week you delay makes it harder to get back in the saddle. Once you’ve fixed your weak spots and you’re hitting 80%+, reschedule and go.

The retake costs $100, and you can register online as soon as you’re ready. Don’t let fear or perfectionism talk you into “just a few more weeks.” You were close before — fix the gaps, and go pass it.

Your Comeback Plan

Let’s recap your path from “failed” to “certified”: check your section scores, identify your weakest areas against the exam guide, restudy only those sections, confirm you’re hitting 80% on practice exams, and retake quickly. That’s it. That’s the whole comeback.

To make restudying your weak sections as fast and painless as possible, the right tools help:

👉 Our Salesforce Certification Starter Kit ($27) gives you a focused exam-prep system — practice-exam guidance and a clear way to know when you’re ready to retake — so you can regroup efficiently instead of flailing.

Want to drill your weak sections with exam-style questions and review videos? Our Admin Accelerator course includes practice quizzes worded just like the real exam and module review videos — perfect for targeting exactly the sections that tripped you up.

And it’s free: grab the Salesforce Admin Certification Exam Playbook for the exam strategy and a readiness checklist to guide your retake.

You didn’t fail at Salesforce — you just hit one bump on the way to certified. Regroup, fix the right things, and get back in there. You’ve got this, and we’re cheering you on.This article is part of our Exam Prep series. Read the rest of the series here.