Salesforce Platform Developer I (PD1)

Salesforce Platform Developer I Practice Exam: PD1 Certification Practice Questions

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The Salesforce Platform Developer I exam is 60 scored questions in 105 minutes, you need 68% to pass, it costs US$200 to register (US$100 to retake), and there is no required prerequisite. It covers Apex, SOQL, triggers, Visualforce, and Lightning Web Components across four domains, and it is the required first step toward Platform Developer II. It does not cover Agentforce, Einstein, or AI. One trap to avoid: the downloadable 2018 exam guide PDF still says 65% and 110 minutes with a six-part outline. The current guide is 68%, 105 minutes, and four domains.

Last updated July 2026

Ignore the 2018 PDF: the current numbers are 68% and 105 minutes

Search "Platform Developer I exam guide PDF" and the top result is a Salesforce-hosted file marked copyright 2018. It is genuinely out of date, and it is the single most common reason people walk in with the wrong expectations. That PDF states a 65% passing score, 110 minutes, and a six-section outline weighted 10/12/46/12/10/10. The live exam guide replaced all of that. The current numbers are a 68% passing score, 105 minutes, and four domains.

The four-domain rewrite is not cosmetic. The old PDF crammed 46% of the exam into a single "Process Automation, Logic, and Formulas" bucket. The current guide spreads the weight more evenly and separates Developer Fundamentals, User Interface, and Testing into their own domains, which changes how you should budget study time. If your prep material still shows the six-part outline or the 65% bar, it predates the current guide. Build your practice questions from the current four domains below.

What the Platform Developer I exam tests

The current exam guide lists four domains. Process Automation and Logic is the heavyweight at 30%, and it is where the Apex and declarative-versus-code decisions live, so that is where most of your practice questions should land. Here is the full weighting and what each domain actually asks.

Domain What is actually in it Weight
Process Automation and LogicThe core. Apex classes and triggers, SOQL and SOSL, DML, collections, control flow, and crucially the judgment call of when to use declarative automation such as Flow versus when to write an Apex trigger. Governor limits show up here too.30%
User InterfaceBuilding UI on the platform: Lightning Web Components, Visualforce, and when each is appropriate. Component communication, wiring UI to Apex, and the basics of the Lightning component model.25%
Developer FundamentalsThe data model and platform basics a developer must know: objects and relationships, the save order of execution, MVC on the platform, and how the platform's declarative features shape what your code has to do.23%
Testing, Debugging, and DeploymentApex unit tests and the 75% code coverage requirement, test data and the testing framework, debug logs and the developer console, and moving metadata between environments with change sets and packages.22%

No single domain dominates the way the old 46% bucket did, so breadth matters more than it used to. That is exactly what question drills are good at: generate practice questions from your own Salesforce notes across all four domains, weighted toward Process Automation and Logic, rather than over-reading the parts of the platform you already use at work.

Exam fee
US$200
Format
60 Q / 105 min
Passing score
68%
Prerequisite
None

Why drill questions for Platform Developer I?

Because PD1 is not a pure syntax exam. It rewards the judgment of a developer who knows the platform, not just someone who can write an Apex method. The questions describe a business requirement and ask which approach fits: a record-triggered Flow or a trigger, a rollup summary or Apex, a before-save or after-save context. You can write flawless Apex and still miss these if you have never had to defend the choice. Practice questions that force the decision are the fastest way to build that instinct.

Where candidates lose points

The declarative-versus-code questions, the order of execution, governor limits, and the testing rules. Working developers often coast on the Apex and then drop points on when Flow is the correct answer, on what fires in which save context, and on the 75% coverage requirement and how to write proper test data. Drill those four and you cover most of the exam's traps.

The staleness test for your prep

Check the numbers your material quotes. If it says 65% to pass, 110 minutes, or a six-section outline, it is built on the 2018 PDF and is out of date. Also confirm it teaches Lightning Web Components, not just Visualforce and the old Aura framework, since LWC is squarely in the current User Interface domain. Keep good material for fundamentals, but generate your questions from the current guide.

Uploading your notes and generating questions from them is cheap insurance on a US$200 exam with a US$100 retake and no free second attempt. It forces you across all four current domains in the platform's current naming rather than practicing only the corner of Salesforce your day job happens to use.

Where Platform Developer I sits in the Salesforce path

PD1 is the entry point of Salesforce's developer track, the way the Administrator cert is the entry point of the admin track. Here is how it lines up against its neighbors so you pick the right exam.

  Platform App Builder Platform Developer I Platform Developer II
StyleDeclarative, no codeProgrammatic entry: Apex and LWCAdvanced programmatic
Format60 questions, 65% to pass60 questions, 68% to passMultiple choice plus programmatic assignments
CostUS$200US$200US$200
PrerequisiteNoneNonePlatform Developer I required
Best forAdmins configuring apps without codeAdmins moving into Apex, junior developersWorking Salesforce developers

If you are still mostly declarative, the Salesforce Platform App Builder practice exam is the better first step, and many people take it before PD1. If you administer a real org and want the security and automation depth instead of code, the Salesforce Advanced Administrator practice exam is the admin-track counterpart. New to Salesforce entirely? Start with the Salesforce Administrator practice exam.

How to build Platform Developer I practice questions that match the exam

The exam tests developer judgment across four domains. Your questions should drill exactly that.

1
Upload current material
Feed in notes that use the current four-domain guide and teach Lightning Web Components, not the retired 2018 PDF. Questions built from stale material will drill the wrong weights and the wrong framework.
2
Weight toward automation
Process Automation and Logic is 30% of the exam. Make it the largest share of your practice sets, with Apex, triggers, SOQL, and the declarative-versus-code decisions front and center.
3
Drill the judgment calls
Generate scenario questions that ask which tool fits: Flow or trigger, before-save or after-save, rollup or Apex. Retake until the right answer for a described requirement comes back instantly.
4
Lock in testing and limits
Build a dedicated set on unit tests, the 75% coverage rule, the order of execution, and governor limits. These are the reliable point-droppers for developers who study only syntax.

Platform Developer I exam questions, answered

How much does the Salesforce Platform Developer I exam cost?
US$200 plus applicable taxes to register, and US$100 plus tax to retake. There is no free retake. It is the same pricing as the Administrator and Platform App Builder exams. If you think it might take two attempts, budget US$300, which is still a good reason to drill practice questions until you are consistently over the bar before you book.
What is the passing score for Platform Developer I?
68%, which on 60 scored questions is roughly 41 correct. Be careful here: the widely circulated 2018 exam guide PDF still says 65%, and a lot of prep sites copied that number. The current guide raised it to 68% and cut the time from 110 to 105 minutes. Prepare for the current figures.
How many questions are on the Platform Developer I exam?
60 scored multiple choice and multiple select questions, plus up to 5 unscored questions that Salesforce integrates at random and that do not affect your result. The time limit is 105 minutes, so you have a little under two minutes per question, which is comfortable if you do not get stuck on the longer Apex scenarios.
Do I need to be an admin before taking Platform Developer I?
No. There is no required prerequisite certification, so you can register and sit PD1 cold. Salesforce recommends admin and Platform App Builder knowledge, and the declarative background genuinely helps with the tool-choice questions, but neither cert is enforced. That is a real difference from Advanced Administrator, which requires the Administrator cert first.
Does Platform Developer I cover Lightning Web Components and Apex?
Yes to both. Apex, SOQL, SOSL, DML, and triggers are the heart of the exam, and Lightning Web Components appear in the User Interface domain alongside Visualforce. What is not on PD1 is Agentforce, Einstein, or any AI feature, so if your prep leans on those, it is aimed at a different, newer exam and will waste your time here.
What is the difference between Platform Developer I and Platform App Builder?
Platform App Builder is declarative: flows, formulas, page layouts, and app configuration with no code. Platform Developer I is programmatic: Apex, SOQL, triggers, and Lightning Web Components, plus knowing when code is the right answer versus a declarative tool. They overlap on the platform data model, which is why many people take App Builder first, but it is not required for PD1.
Is Platform Developer I worth it?
For anyone moving from admin or App Builder work into writing Apex, yes. It is the credential that tells employers you can build on the platform in code, and it is the required first step toward Platform Developer II. If you stay fully declarative and never write Apex, your time and US$200 are better spent on Platform App Builder instead.
How long is Platform Developer I valid?
There is no fixed expiration date, but you must complete the Platform Developer I maintenance module once a year on Trailhead to keep the credential active. Miss the annual deadline and it expires. The maintenance module is a short, free release-knowledge check that keeps you current with platform changes, not a full re-sit of the exam.

PDFQuiz is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Salesforce. Salesforce, Apex, Visualforce, and Lightning are trademarks of Salesforce, Inc. This generator builds practice questions from material you upload and is a study aid, not a substitute for the official exam guide or training. Exam details change, so always confirm current details on Salesforce's certification page before you book.

Related study tools

Mapping out the Salesforce track? The Salesforce Platform App Builder practice exam is the declarative counterpart most people pair with PD1, the Salesforce Administrator practice exam is the usual starting point, and the Salesforce Advanced Administrator practice exam is the admin-track equivalent of moving up. Any study guide works with the certification exam generator, or start from any PDF with the PDF to practice test generator.

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