Choosing the correct marketing platform is super important for making your company successful. As a marketer, I’ve seen firsthand how good marketing can help us reach the right people and make our company more successful. That’s why we started using Marketo to help us work smarter, not harder.

Out of all the tools out there, Marketo really stood out. It’s got everything we need to create, manage, and understand our marketing campaigns. You can do pretty much anything you can imagine with Marketo. From finding new customers to lead nurturing, Marketo has become our go-to tool for all things marketing.

But what surprised me was when I decided to get Marketo certified. It wasn’t just about proving I knew my stuff – it turned out to be a big deal for my career. People with Marketo certification make around 20% more money than those without. I was also consistently bombarded with LinkedIn job offers after becoming certified.

Getting Marketo certified wasn’t just about getting a piece of paper – it changed everything. It showed that I knew my stuff, and it gave me the confidence to take on more important jobs. I started freelancing a few years back and learned that it’s really easy to charge more once I got my Marketo certification. I used to charge $50 per hour but can now confidently charge $75-150.

So, if you’re considering taking your digital marketing career to the next level, I’d say go for it! Getting Marketo certified isn’t just about passing a test – it’s about opening up a whole new world of opportunities for your career. Trust me, it’s totally worth it!

Understanding Marketo’s Significance

Before I decided to take the Marketo certification test, I knew it was crucial to understand what Marketo was all about. Marketo isn’t just any old marketing tool – it’s a powerhouse that helps businesses automate their marketing, connect with potential customers, and figure out how well their campaigns are working. Whether it’s finding new leads or keeping existing customers happy, Marketo has all the features to make marketing a breeze across different platforms.

Preparing for Certification: Step-by-Step Guide

Preparing for the certification test was somewhat complicated. Marketo has released a few different versions of the tests over the years. The old tests focused on memorization vs understanding. The new tests are focused on problem-solving and assessing if you really know how a function of Marketo works. It’s almost impossible to pass the test by just studying alone.

I knew I needed to not only understand Marketo’s features but also how to use them in real-life scenarios. That’s where Marketo University and program docs came in handy. They had courses for all skill levels, covering everything from managing leads to sending out emails and analyzing data. It was like a crash course in all things Marketo!

Choosing the Right Certification Track

Marketo offers several certification tracks tailored to diverse roles and skill sets. The most common certifications include:

  1. Adobe Marketo Engage Professional (AD0-E555): Suited for beginners – Intermediate users, or those seeking to validate foundational knowledge.
  2. Adobe Marketo Engage Business Practitioner Expert (AD0-E559): Geared towards experienced users aiming for comprehensive expertise in leveraging advanced features. This is the most common certification.
  3. Adobe Marketo Engage Architect Master (AD0-E560): Designed for individuals responsible for designing and implementing tailored Marketo solutions.

Each certification track features distinct curricula and exam requirements, necessitating careful selection based on career goals and expertise level. Read each certification requirement below to determine which track is best for you or your employees.

Adobe Marketo Engage Professional (AD0-E555)

The Adobe Marketo Professional exam is the easiest of all Marketo tests and used to be called the “Associate” certification. Minimal study time is required, and is the perfect test for let’s say an email specialist, general marketing specialist, or anyone who will be using Marketo more casually. This certification will help your resume, but will not lead to big pay jumps like the expert or master certification.

I highly recommend using our Marketo Professional course. It mirrors questions from the real test and will help you easily pass the test or your money back guaranteed.

  • Level: Professional (0-12 months’ experience)
  • Passing Score: 36/55
  • Time: 110 mins
  • Delivery: Online proctored (requires camera access)
  • Available languages: English, Japanese
  • Cost: $125 (global) / $95 (India)
  • Exam ID: AD0-E555 (English), AD0-E555-J (Japanese)
Minimum experience

You should have:

  • Approximately 6 months of hands-on experience
  • The ability to understand the marketing needs expressed by task requirements to apply a technical solution
  • The ability to build a simple program from beginning to end
  • The ability to create a Smart List and Smart Campaign
  • Knowledge of how to create segmentations
  • An understanding of Data review (cleanup)
  • An understanding of the Database (how to create people, Activity Log, unsubscribe, blocklist, email invalid concepts)
  • The Ability to understand the importance of privacy regulations
  • Understanding of Email marketing

Additionally, you should be familiar with the following tools and technologies:

  • Adobe Marketo Engage
  • Excel or Google Sheets/Doc

Adobe Marketo Engage Business Practitioner Expert (AD0-E559)

The Adobe Marketo Expert exam is the most common certification and the one I highly recommend going for. This test is recommended for people who are in Marketo day-to-day and are considered power users, Marketing operations, etc. This test gives more scenario-based questions so hands-on experience with Marketo is required.

  • Level: Expert (1-3 years experience)
  • Passing Score: 32/50
  • Time: 100 mins
  • Delivery: Online proctored (requires camera access)
  • Available languages: English, Japanese
  • Cost: $225 (global) / $150 (India)
  • Exam ID: AD0-E559 (English), AD0-E559-J (Japanese)
Minimum experience
  • Approximately 18 months of experience with Adobe Marketo Engage features and capabilities needed to create marketing campaigns and utilize customer behavior data

You should be a marketer with experience in:

  • Building, launching, and analyzing campaigns
  • Working with underlying email behavior and technologies including HTML, integrations, databases, and CRM

Additionally, you should be familiar with the following tools and technologies:

  • Adobe Marketo Engage
  • Excel and CSV file format
  • API concepts
  • CRM basics
  • Social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn
  • Microsoft Office
  • Basic HTML

I highly recommend using our Marketo Expert course. It mirrors questions from the real test and will help you easily pass the test or your money back guaranteed.

Adobe Marketo Engage Architect Master (AD0-E560)

The Marketo Certified Architect exam focuses much more on strategic marketing operations thinking and the business impact of the Marketo implementation choices you make. This exam is good for freelancers who will be setting up Marketo instances across multiple companies. Not recommended if you are using Marketo for your day job only.

  • Prerequisite: Active (not expired) Adobe Marketo Engage Business Practitioner Expert Certification
  • Level: Master (3-5 years experience)
  • Practitioner certification
  • Passing Score: 32/50
  • Time: 100 mins
  • Delivery: Online proctored (requires camera access)
  • Available languages: English
  • Cost: $225 (global) / $150 (India)
  • Exam ID: AD0-E560
Minimum experience

You should have:

  • A current certification as a Marketo Engage Business Practitioner Certified Expert
  • At least five years of experience preferably with multiple instances of Marketo Engage
  • An understanding of the business impact and effectively explain/communicate their solution to the stakeholders (technical and non-technical) at different levels
  • The ability to conceptualize a solution and translate it to a Marketo Engage architecture, understand the business processes impacted by integrations
  • Familiarity with the principles of architecting an instance

Additionally, you should be familiar with the following tools and technologies:

  • Adobe Marketo Engage features, functionality, and apps
  • Database systems
  • API connectivity
  • CRM platform
  • Marketing technology platforms

Adobe Marketo Engage Renewal

Renewals are now free! To keep your Adobe certification valid, you must renew it every two years. If you let your certification expire without renewing it, you’ll have to retake the entire certification exam to regain your certification status.

Renewing your Adobe certification is a straightforward process! Depending on the type of certification you possess, you can renew it by engaging in continuous learning activities and passing assessments, or by successfully completing a non-proctored, on-demand job role exam.

Adobe Marketo Engage Professional AD5-E836

  • Level: Expert (0-12 months experience)
  • Passing Score: 27/36
  • Time: 71 mins
  • Delivery: On-demand / non-proctored
  • Available languages: English
  • Cost: FREE
  • Exam ID: AD5-E836 – Adobe Marketo Engage Business Practitioner Professional Renewal Exam

Adobe Marketo Engage Expert AD5-E824

  • Level: Expert (1-3 years experience)
  • Passing Score: 30/40
  • Time: 80 mins
  • Delivery: On-demand / non-proctored
  • Available languages: English
  • Cost: FREE
  • Exam ID: AD5-E824 – Adobe Marketo Engage Business Practitioner Expert Renewal Exam

Adobe Marketo Engage Master AD5-E834

  • Level: Expert (3-5 years’ experience)
  • Passing Score: 27/36
  • Time: 72 mins
  • Delivery: On-demand / non-proctored
  • Available languages: English
  • Cost: FREE
  • Exam ID: AD5-E834 – Adobe Marketo Engage Architect Master

Learn more about renewal certificates here.

Mastering Core Concepts: Key Areas to Focus On

To excel in the certification exam, a solid understanding of Marketo’s core concepts and functionalities is paramount. This includes:

  • Lead Management: Proficiency in capturing, nurturing, and qualifying leads effectively using Marketo’s lead management tools.
  • Email Marketing: Utilizing Marketo’s email marketing capabilities to craft personalized and targeted email campaigns driving engagement and conversions.
  • Automation: Mastery of Marketo’s automation features such as workflows, triggers, and smart campaigns to streamline marketing processes and boost efficiency.
  • Analytics: Leveraging Marketo’s analytics tools to monitor and measure campaign performance, analyze customer behavior, and derive actionable insights for optimization.

Hands-on Experience: Bridging Theory with Practice

While theoretical knowledge is essential, practical experience is equally vital for exam success, especially if you plan on getting the Expert or Master certification. Hands-on experience facilitates the application of theoretical concepts in real-world scenarios, troubleshooting issues, and gaining deeper insights into Marketo’s functionalities. I highly recommend setting up or having your market expert set up a sandbox environment to practice in.

Exam Preparation: Maximizing Readiness

After you have studied for the test, Marketo provides exam preparation resources, including study guides, practice exams, and online training modules. Utilize these resources to familiarize yourself with the exam format, pinpoint areas of weakness, and reinforce your understanding of key concepts.

  1. Marketo Courses – Includes actual questions from the tests
  2. Marketo Study Guides
  3. Marketo University
  4. Marketo Practice Tests

Taking the Exam: Navigating the Process

When ready, schedule the certification exam via the Marketo certification portal. The exam comprises multiple-choice questions assessing knowledge of Marketo’s features, best practices, and use cases. Maintain composure, focus, and effective time management during the exam. Review answers meticulously before submission to ensure accuracy.

Conclusion

Becoming Marketo certified is a challenging yet rewarding journey requiring dedication, perseverance, and a passion for digital marketing. By mastering Marketo’s core concepts, gaining hands-on experience, and diligently preparing for the certification exam, one can position oneself as a trusted expert in marketing automation. Whether advancing a career or propelling business endeavors, Marketo certification will make you more valuable and will help you make more money overall.