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Entry Level

  • The 'Driver's License' of Salesforce, passable without prior experience.

  • Proves your first steps from CRM basics to navigation.

  • Affordable exam fee and low learning cost.

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Key Points of This Article

If you are new to IT, start with the Salesforce Associate. In 2026, its recommended to obtain the trending AI Associate as a set. Both are entry-level and easy to pass!

  • • Salesforce Associate is an entry-level certification that can be passed even without practical experience
  • • AI Associate specializes in AI ethics and data utilization. Currently the hottest certification
  • • Both have an affordable exam fee of 10,000 JPY (excluding tax) and low learning costs
  • • The trick to not giving up is starting here and aiming for the challenging Administrator certification

Overview

“I’m interested in Salesforce, but taking the Administrator exam right away seems difficult…” Good news for those people. Salesforce has an introductory certification for beginners called ” Salesforce Associate .”

Furthermore, with the arrival of the AI era, the newly established ” AI Associate ” is also attracting attention as a major trend certification in 2026. In this article, I will explain the differences, difficulty, and benefits of obtaining these two “Associate certifications.”

Salesforce Certification Complete Map

graph TD Start((No Exp)) */} Associate[Salesforce Associate] Start */} AI[AI Associate] Associate */} Admin[Administrator] AI */} Admin Admin */} AppBuilder[App Builder] Admin */} Consultant[Consultant] Admin */} Dev[Developer] style Start fill:#9ca3af,stroke:#fff style Associate fill:#22c55e,stroke:#fff style AI fill:#a855f7,stroke:#fff style Admin fill:#3b82f6,stroke:#fff

1. What is Salesforce Certified Associate?

It is the “entrance” to the Salesforce ecosystem. Targeted at beginners with 0 to 6 months of practical experience, it tests the very basics such as the basic concepts of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and navigation operations within Salesforce (what is where).

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Recommended for:
  • Users who have just started using Salesforce - People aiming for a Salesforce career coming from outside the IT industry - People using Salesforce in sales or administrative positions

2. What is Salesforce Certified AI Associate?

This is currently one of the most talked-about certifications. Not limited to just Salesforce, it tests the foundations of “AI (Artificial Intelligence)” in business, particularly ethical and effective utilization of generative AI (GenAI) and the importance of data quality.

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AI Trends in 2026

With the spread of AI agent features like Agentforce, the demand for personnel who understand AI mechanisms and risks (hallucinations, bias, etc.) is surging. It is becoming a “literacy” type certification that even non-technical people should obtain.

3. Comparison of Two Types of Associates

For those wondering which one to take, “here is a summary of the differences.

項目 Salesforce Associate AI Associate
Target Level Introductory (0-6 months practical) Introductory to Beginner (AI interested)
Main Content CRM concepts, navigation, report basics AI ethics, data quality, Einstein basics
Difficulty Easy Easy
Study Time 15-30 hours 10-20 hours
Exam Fee 10,000 JPY 10,000 JPY

In conclusion, it’s also an option to take both if you’re undecided . Since the exam scopes don”t overlap much, you can gain knowledge from each. If you are a complete Salesforce beginner, starting from “Salesforce Associate” will be smoother.

4. Study Methods and Strategies

Either certification can be passed sufficiently just with the official free learning tool Trailhead .

1

Complete Preparation Trail on Trailhead

Follow official Trailmixes for exam preparation. Covers 80% of the scope.

2

Take a Practice Test

Use mock exams in Trailhead or Webassessor to get used to the format.

3

AI Ethics for AI Associate

Focus on AI Ethics (bias, transparency). Master safe AI usage practices.

Summary

Associate certifications are an excellent starting line for a Salesforce career. Gain confidence and use them as a stepping stone to the next step, which is “Certified Administrator.”

Next is this! Certified Administrator Exam

# Salesforce # Associate # AI # Beginner # Career