MCAE-Con-201 · ● Active · Professional · Salesforce
Exam facts
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost | USD 200 (plus applicable taxes); retake USD 100 |
| Duration | 105 minutes |
| Questions | 60 (55 scored, 5 unscored) |
| Passing | 67% |
| Format | Multiple choice / Multiple response |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE proctored (online or testing center) |
| Languages | English |
| Valid | 3 years |
| Renewal | Maintain by passing a higher-level cert or retaking |
| Prerequisites | Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist |
| Released | 2020 (renamed from Pardot Consultant 2021) |
| Retiring | N/A |
Vendor source — Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Consultant ↗
Exam preparation — Account Engagement Consultant Trailmix ↗
About
The Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Consultant credential validates expertise in designing and implementing Account Engagement (formerly Pardot) solutions that align with customer business requirements. This professional-level cert builds directly on the Specialist credential, requiring 12+ months of hands-on experience with the Account Engagement Lightning App and Salesforce Platform. Consultants demonstrate the ability to architect scalable, maintainable solutions and translate business strategy into automation, lead management, and reporting frameworks. The cert was relaunched in 2021 following Salesforce's rebrand of Pardot as Account Engagement.
Domain context — Marketing/CRM
B2B marketing automation, customer engagement platforms, and Salesforce ecosystem marketing tools. Account Engagement is Salesforce's dedicated platform for multi-touch attribution, lead scoring, account-based marketing, and sales-marketing alignment in complex B2B environments.
Read full deep dive — Salesforce Ecosystem →
Topics covered
The exam blueprint distributes 60 scored questions across eight domains, with the following weight distribution:
- Account Configuration & Setup (20%) — account settings, users, roles, permissions, Sender Authentication Package (SAP), data retention policies
- Automating Business Processes (17%) — Automation Studio, Journey Builder, drip campaigns, triggered sends, conditional logic, dynamic content
- Evaluation & Strategy (17%) — analyzing customer use cases, mapping business goals to features, recommending KPIs, designing account engagement strategies
- Lead Management & Qualification (14%) — lead scoring, qualification, grading, prospect segmentation, lifecycle stages
- Email Marketing (10%) — email templates, A/B testing, send-time optimization, deliverability, compliance (CAN-SPAM, GDPR)
- Reporting, Metrics & Analytics (11%) — custom reports, dashboards, engagement metrics, ROI analysis, Salesforce integration reporting
- Personalizing the Prospect Experience (8%) — dynamic content, personalization tags, AMPscript fundamentals, progressive profiling
- Sales Emails & Alerts (3%) — Sales Engage (email tools within Salesforce), sales alert configuration
Source: Salesforce Exam Blueprint ↗
Common skills at Marketing/CRM · Professional
Shared competencies for marketing automation and CRM integration roles at Professional level.
- B2B marketing strategy and demand-generation funnel design
- Marketing automation platform configuration and administration
- Salesforce CRM integration and data synchronization
- Multi-touch attribution and campaign ROI analysis
- Email marketing compliance (CAN-SPAM, GDPR, local regulations)
- Lead scoring and qualification methodology
- Account-based marketing (ABM) frameworks and execution
- Customer journey mapping and automation design
- Reporting and analytics for executive stakeholder communication
- Professional communication with sales and business leadership
Recommended courses at Marketing/CRM · Professional
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce Trailhead | Account Engagement Consultant Trailmix | Free | ↗ |
| Salesforce Trailhead | Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist Cert Prep | Free | ↗ |
| Udemy | Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Consultant Prep | $50–80 | ↗ |
| Focus on Force | Account Engagement Consultant Course | $99–149 | ↗ |
| Salesforce Ben | Account Engagement & Pardot Training Resources | Free–$199 | ↗ |
Practice exams
| Provider | Title | Cost | URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus on Force | Account Engagement Consultant Practice Exam | $99 | ↗ |
| Udemy | Salesforce Account Engagement Consultant QA / Practice Test | $15–25 | ↗ |
| Salesforce Trailhead Academy | Official Practice Exam | $40 | ↗ |
Books
Limited dedicated study guides exist for this cert at the Consultant level. The Specialist-level materials (MC-201) provide foundational coverage; Consultant exam prep relies heavily on Trailhead modules, vendor documentation, and hands-on lab experience.
| Title | Author(s) | Publisher | Year | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist Study Guide | (Various Salesforce-certified authors) | Focus on Force / Udemy | 2022–2024 | Udemy ↗ |
| Pardot Essentials for B2B Marketing | Brian Abruzzini | Salesforce Ben (digital) | 2021 | ↗ |
Note: Formal textbooks are scarce; community-authored guides and Trailhead modules are the primary study materials.
Typical job titles at Marketing/CRM · Professional
Account Engagement Consultant · Marketing Automation Consultant · Pardot Consultant · B2B Marketing Architect · Marketing Operations Consultant · Solutions Consultant (Marketing Cloud) · Account Engagement Solutions Engineer
(Job titles drawn from current job postings that list this cert as required or preferred.)
Salary
| Region | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| USD | $112,500 – $208,800 (Engagement Consultant family) | Glassdoor ↗ |
| ZAR | No region-specific data available — use Salesforce Consultant general benchmark | Pnet.co.za ↗ |
| GBP | £65,000 – £95,000 (Consultant-level, marketing automation) | IT Jobs Watch ↗ |
Salary note: Account Engagement Consultant roles fall into the broader "Marketing Automation / Solutions Consultant" category. Salaries vary significantly by region, company size (Fortune 500 vs. boutique agencies), and customer-facing responsibility. Certified professionals in major markets (US, UK, Germany, Australia) typically command 15–20% premiums over Specialist-level peers.
Skills validated
Competencies this exam specifically assesses, distinct from shared domain skills.
- Account Engagement platform architecture and multi-tenant configuration
- Automation Studio workflow design and troubleshooting
- Journey Builder multi-touch campaign sequencing
- Lead scoring model design and governance
- Email deliverability, compliance, and authentication (SAP, DKIM, SPF)
- AMPscript personalization and dynamic content rules
- Custom field mapping and Salesforce-Pardot sync configuration
- Marketing Cloud Connect integration patterns
- Campaign and engagement reporting with custom metrics
- Account-based marketing (ABM) setup and execution
- Sales Engage integration and sales email configuration
- Business process analysis and requirements translation
Related certifications
- Prerequisite: Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist ↗
- Stacks with: Salesforce Certified Administrator ↗ · Salesforce Certified Platform Developer I ↗
- Escalates to: Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Consultant ↗ (broader Marketing Cloud scope)
- Equivalent alternative: HubSpot Certified Partner (HubSpot CRM) — similar B2B automation focus, smaller ecosystem
- Vendor overview: Salesforce Ecosystem Overview ↗
Sources
- Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Consultant (Official Credential Page)
- Account Engagement Consultant Exam Preparation Trailmix
- Salesforce Exam Pricing and Registration
- Focus on Force — Salesforce Certification Courses
- Salesforce Ben — Account Engagement Training & Resources
- Glassdoor — Engagement Consultant Salary Data
- Udemy — Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Courses
Last verified: 2026-05-01 Parent ecosystem: Salesforce Ecosystem Parent domain: Marketing/CRM