Salesforce is retiring 24 certifications on February 1, 2027. The last day to register for any of these exams was July 24, 2026, and the last day to sit one is August 31, 2026, which is 11 days from today (August 20, 2026).
If you already hold one of the 24, it stays valid. It remains on your Trailblazer Profile marked “Retired,”; you don’t need to retake it, and there are no maintenance requirements left to complete. None of Salesforce’s core, high-volume certifications (Administrator, Platform App Builder, Platform Developer I/II) are on the retiring list. Separately, 16 certifications are being renamed, mostly to add “Agentforce” to the title, with no change to what the credential proves.
Key Facts at a Glance
| Question | Answer |
| How many certifications are retiring? | 24 |
| How many are being renamed (not retired)? | 16 |
| Last day to register for a retiring exam | July 24, 2026 (passed) |
| Last day to sit a retiring exam | August 31, 2026 |
| Official retirement date | February 1, 2027 |
| Do retired certifications stay valid? | Yes, indefinitely |
| Do retired certifications need renewal/maintenance? | No |
| Will Salesforce issue free vouchers for missed exams? | No |
Source: Salesforce Help, 2027 Certification Retirements FAQ
What Certifications Are Retiring on February 1, 2027?
All 24 retiring certifications, as published by Salesforce, sit at the Accredited Professional, Administrator, Developer, Consultant, or Architect level. None are Salesforce’s core Administrator, Developer I/II, or App Builder tracks.
| # | Certification | Product Area | Tier |
| 1 | Advanced Field Service Accredited Professional | Field Service | Accredited Professional |
| 2 | Salesforce Certified B2B Solution Architect | Architecture | Architect |
| 3 | Salesforce Certified B2C Commerce Architect | Commerce | Architect |
| 4 | Consumer Goods Cloud: Trade Promotion Management Accredited Professional | Consumer Goods Cloud | Accredited Professional |
| 5 | Contact Center Accredited Professional | Contact Center | Accredited Professional |
| 6 | Salesforce Certified CPQ Administrator | Revenue/CPQ | Administrator |
| 7 | CPQ and Billing Consultant Accredited Professional | Revenue/CPQ | Accredited Professional |
| 8 | Salesforce Certified Industries CPQ Developer | Revenue/CPQ | Developer |
| 9 | Salesforce Certified Education Cloud Consultant | Education Cloud | Consultant |
| 10 | Energy and Utilities Cloud Accredited Professional | Energy & Utilities Cloud | Accredited Professional |
| 11 | Heroku Developer Accredited Professional | Heroku | Accredited Professional |
| 12 | Loyalty Management Accredited Professional | Loyalty Management | Accredited Professional |
| 13 | Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Consultant | Marketing Cloud | Consultant |
| 14 | Marketing Cloud Advanced Cross Channel Accredited Professional | Marketing Cloud | Accredited Professional |
| 15 | Marketing Cloud Intelligence Accredited Professional | Marketing Cloud | Accredited Professional |
| 16 | Marketing Cloud Personalization Accredited Professional | Marketing Cloud | Accredited Professional |
| 17 | Media Cloud Accredited Professional | Media Cloud | Accredited Professional |
| 18 | Salesforce Certified MuleSoft Catalyst Consultant | MuleSoft | Consultant |
| 19 | Salesforce Certified MuleSoft Hyperautomation Developer | MuleSoft | Developer |
| 20 | Net Zero Cloud Accredited Professional | Net Zero Cloud | Accredited Professional |
| 21 | Order Management Administrator Accredited Professional | Order Management | Accredited Professional |
| 22 | Order Management Developer Accredited Professional | Order Management | Accredited Professional |
| 23 | Process Automation Accredited Professional | Process Automation | Accredited Professional |
| 24 | Salesforce Certified Nonprofit Success Pack Consultant | Nonprofit | Consultant |
What Are the Key Dates for the 2027 Certification Retirements?
| Milestone | Date | Status (as of August 20, 2026) |
| Last day to register for a retiring exam | July 24, 2026 | Passed |
| Last day to sit a retiring exam | August 31, 2026 | 11 days remaining |
| Certifications officially retire | February 1, 2027 | Upcoming |
| Renamed certifications take effect | July 24, 2026 | Already in effect |
If you haven’t registered by now, you cannot sit any of the 24 retiring exams under their current title. Registration closed on July 24, 2026. Only candidates already registered can still test, and only through August 31, 2026.
Why Is Salesforce Retiring These Certifications?
Salesforce states the goal is to keep certifications aligned with “skills and expertise that hiring managers seek” and to build credentials “around the latest job roles, products, and features” rather than legacy product lines
. In practice, most retired credentials cover narrower Accredited Professional tracks (Field Service, Contact Center, Order Management, Net Zero Cloud) or product lines being consolidated under broader platforms, including Agentforce.
Are Retired Salesforce Certifications Still Valid?
Yes. Salesforce’s own language is direct: “A retired certification is still a valid certification. It demonstrates your knowledge of the product and your commitment to building expertise in that area”. Two specifics matter beyond the headline answer:
- Your Trailblazer Profile keeps the credential. It stays listed as part of your professional history, marked “Retired”.
- The public certification verification page will not show it. Salesforce’s own certification lifecycle page states retired certifications “will not show on the certification verification page,” even though the credential itself remains valid and appears on your Trailblazer Profile.
That distinction matters if a client, employer, or recruiter checks your credentials through the public verification tool rather than your profile directly.
What Certifications Is Salesforce Renaming Instead of Retiring?
Sixteen certifications are not retiring. They are being renamed, effective July 24, 2026, mostly to add “Agentforce” or “Accredited” branding. The underlying exam content and validity are unchanged; only the title on the credential changes.
| Current Name | New Name (effective July 24, 2026) |
| B2B Commerce for Administrators AP | Salesforce Accredited B2B Commerce Administrator Professional |
| B2B Commerce for Developers AP | Salesforce Accredited B2B Commerce Developer Professional |
| Communications Cloud AP | Salesforce Accredited Agentforce Communications Professional |
| Consumer Goods Cloud AP | Salesforce Accredited Agentforce Consumer Goods Professional |
| Financial Services Cloud AP | Salesforce Accredited Agentforce Financial Services Professional |
| Health Cloud AP | Salesforce Accredited Agentforce Health Professional |
| Manufacturing Cloud AP | Salesforce Accredited Agentforce Manufacturing Professional |
| Public Sector Solutions AP | Salesforce Accredited Agentforce 360 for Public Sector Professional |
| B2C Commerce Cloud Developer | Salesforce Certified B2C Commerce Developer |
| Field Service Consultant | Salesforce Certified Agentforce Field Service and Operations Consultant |
| Marketing Cloud Email Specialist | Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Specialist |
| Nonprofit Cloud Consultant (NPC) | Salesforce Certified Agentforce Nonprofit Consultant |
| Revenue Cloud Consultant | Salesforce Certified Revenue Management Consultant |
| Sales Cloud Consultant | Salesforce Certified Agentforce Sales Consultant |
| Sales Foundations | Salesforce Certified Agentforce Sales Foundations |
| Service Cloud Consultant | Salesforce Certified Agentforce Service Consultant |
This mapping is compiled from third-party tracking; Salesforce’s own certification lifecycle page confirms the 16-rename count and the July 24, 2026 effective date but does not publish the name-by-name table itself. If your certification title changed under your account, verify it directly on your Trailblazer Profile.
Is the Salesforce Administrator Certification Retiring?
No. The Salesforce Administrator certification is not on the 24-certification retirement list, and it is not on the 16-certification rename list. Neither is Platform App Builder, Platform Developer I, Platform Developer II, or the standard Sales Cloud/Service Cloud entry-level Specialist tracks.
The retirements and renames are concentrated in Accredited Professional add-ons and specific Consultant/Architect tracks tied to CPQ, Field Service, Order Management, Marketing Cloud, Heroku, MuleSoft, Nonprofit, Energy and Utilities, Net Zero Cloud, and Media Cloud.
Discover More: Salesforce Admin Certification Worth It
Is It Worth Rushing to Pass a Retiring Certification Before August 31, 2026?
Salesforce does not publish official pass rates (the percentage of candidates who pass), for any certification, retiring or active. It does publish a minimum passing score per exam guide, and third-party trackers report typical passing thresholds by tier from candidate data and exam guides:
| Tier | Reported Passing Score |
| Associate/Foundations | ~70% |
| Accredited Professional / Specialist | ~62% to 65% |
| Consultant/Professional | ~63% to 68% |
| Architect | ~67% |
These figures are third-party estimates, not Salesforce disclosures. One official signal worth noting: Accredited Professional retakes cost the same as the first attempt ($150 both times), while Administrator-tier retakes are discounted ($100 versus $200 initially), a structural difference in how the two tiers are priced.
The prep-time reality:
21 of the 24 retiring certifications are at the Accredited Professional, Consultant, or Architect level. These exams test scenario-based configuration knowledge on a specific cloud (Field Service, Order Management, Net Zero Cloud, and similar), not general platform terminology. If you don’t already have hands-on project experience in that product, 11 days is not enough runway to build exam-ready competence from zero, regardless of how much Trailhead content you complete in that window.
| Your Situation | Recommendation |
| Actively working in the product daily; exam is mostly revision | Worth attempting if you can still get a testing slot before August 31 |
| Completed Trailhead badges, no real project experience | High risk of paying $150 to $400 to fail; consider skipping |
| Just researching, no hands-on time invested | Skip; put study time toward an active certification or the announced successor instead |
| Already hold the certification, just want it to look “active” | No action needed; it stays valid indefinitely and only the status label changes to “Retired” |
Learn More: Market Value of Salesforce Certifications in Recent Times
What Replaces Each Retiring Certification?
Salesforce has named direct successors for a handful of the 24. For the rest, it points candidates to Trailhead learning content and Partner Learning Camp instead of a single replacement exam.
| Retiring Certification | Stated Successor Path |
| Salesforce Certified CPQ Administrator | Salesforce Certified Revenue Cloud Consultant (itself renaming to Revenue Management Consultant on July 24, 2026) |
| Salesforce Certified Nonprofit Success Pack Consultant | Salesforce Certified Nonprofit Cloud Consultant (NPC) (itself renaming to Agentforce Nonprofit Consultant) |
| Heroku Developer Accredited Professional | Salesforce Certified Heroku Architect |
| 4 Marketing Cloud certifications (Account Engagement Consultant, Advanced Cross Channel AP, Intelligence AP, Personalization AP) | Upcoming Agentforce Marketing certification, expected late 2026 (Apex Hours) |
| Remaining 19 certifications | No 1:1 successor exam named; Salesforce directs holders to Trailhead and Partner Learning Camp content |
Salesforce has also confirmed two additional certification programs in development beyond Agentforce Marketing: Tableau Next and Marketing Next, though exam dates for either have not been published.
How Much Do Salesforce Certification Exams Cost in 2026?
| Tier | Initial Fee (USD) | Retake Fee (USD) |
| Foundations/Associate | $75 | Free |
| Administrator, Consultant, Developer, Designer, Marketer, Business Analyst, Data Analyst | $200 | $100 |
| Accredited Professional | $150 | $150 |
| Architect (standard) | $400 | $200 |
| Technical Architect, Evaluation | $1,500 | $750 |
| Technical Architect, Review Board | $4,500 | $2,250 |
Source: Salesforce Help, Certification Exam Pricing
Pricing is set in USD globally, with Japan billed in JPY. Salesforce states exams “are taxable per local laws,” with Pearson VUE collecting applicable tax at registration, which means candidates in the EU (VAT), Australia (GST), India (GST), and Canada (GST/HST) should expect local tax added on top of the listed USD price.
On “salesforce certification free”: Trailhead’s study content, trail mixes, and practice questions are free. The exam sitting itself is not, and Salesforce has explicitly ruled out courtesy vouchers for candidates who miss the August 31, 2026 deadline for a retiring exam.
For a more detailed Salesforce certification breakdown, check out: How much do Salesforce certifications cost? All Salesforce Certifications Updated Cost- 2026
How Do You Verify a Salesforce Certification, Including a Retired One?
Salesforce’s official verification tool is at trailhead.salesforce.com/credentials/verification. To use it:
- Enter the candidate’s full name exactly as First Name followed by Last Name (the tool gives “John Smith” as its formatting example).
- Review the results for account linking status and any upcoming maintenance requirements.
- Allow up to one business day for recent updates to appear.
The tool is built for currently active credentials. As noted above, Salesforce’s certification lifecycle page states retired certifications will not display on this public verification page, even though they remain valid and stay visible on the certificate holder’s own Trailblazer Profile.
Does a Retired Certification Hurt Your Job Search?
Salesforce’s own framing treats retirement as a catalog change, not a competency downgrade: the credential “demonstrates your knowledge of the product,” and it stays on your profile as professional history rather than being deleted. Two practical points for candidates and hiring teams:
- A “Retired” label on a Trailblazer Profile reflects Salesforce’s catalog decision, not a competency finding about the individual.
- Because retired certifications drop off the public verification page, a recruiter checking status through that tool alone (rather than the candidate’s own profile) may not see it, which is a reason to keep a Trailblazer Profile link on your resume or LinkedIn rather than relying on verification-page lookups.
What Should You Do in the Next 11 Days?
- If you’re already registered for a retiring exam: Keep your slot. You can test through August 31, 2026.
- If you’re not registered: You cannot register for a retiring exam under its current title; registration closed July 24, 2026. Redirect prep time to an active certification or the named successor path.
- If you hold one of the 24 already: Do nothing. It stays valid, stays on your profile, and carries no new maintenance requirement.
- If your certification is on the 16-title rename list: Confirm the new title on your Trailblazer Profile; no exam or action is required.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Will I lose my Salesforce certification if it retires?
No. Retired certifications remain valid indefinitely and stay on your Trailblazer Profile marked “Retired.”
Can I get a refund or voucher if I miss the August 31, 2026 deadline?
No. Salesforce has confirmed it will not issue courtesy vouchers for candidates who miss the final exam date on a retiring certification.
Is there an official Salesforce thread on Reddit about the 2027 retirements?
No single official or dominant thread exists. Discussion is scattered across r/salesforce, the Trailblazer Community, and LinkedIn; the two Salesforce Help FAQ articles remain the authoritative source rather than any community thread.
What new certifications is Salesforce launching to replace the retiring ones?
An Agentforce Marketing certification is expected in late 2026 to cover the four retiring Marketing Cloud exams, alongside Tableau Next and Marketing Next programs in development, though neither has a confirmed exam date yet.
