June 19, 2021 Current MARKETO MCSA CERTIFICATION PROCESS Process for Candidate to follow when applying Version 4.3
June 19, 2021
Current
MARKETO MCSA
CERTIFICATION PROCESS
Process for Candidate to follow when
applying Version 4.3
MCSA CERTIFICATION PROCESS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 3
OVERVIEW 3
SAMPLE CANDIDATE APPLICATION 3
AREAS OF EXPERTISE 3
ACCREDITATION 5
METHODS TO BECOME CERTIFIED 5
METHOD USED 5
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED 5
EXPIRATION OF CERTIFICATION 6
PASSING REQUIREMENTS 6
KNOWLEDGE OF SUBJECT 7
WRITING ABILITY 8
SPEAKING ABILITY 8
STRATEGY, DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT 8
PROFESSIONALISM 9
DOCUMENTATION ELEMENTS 9
CASE STUDY 9
SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENTATION 11
TIPS 11
FOLLOW UP FOR NOT PASSING 12
CONCLUSION 12
MCSA CERTIFICATION PROCESS
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INTRODUCTION
This document serves as a reference for any consultant who is considering applying for their Marketo
Certified Solutions Architect credential (MCSA) or one of the specializations associated with the
MCSA. It details what information is needed, how the process works and what knowledge/expertise is
considered when determining if a consultant meets the requirements necessary for their MCSA
certification and/or specialization.
OVERVIEW
The MCSA process is conducted like a college thesis, with the consultant presenting a case study to a
board of Marketo industry leaders to show that they not only understand how to use Marketo but are
a trusted advisor to their clients.
SAMPLE CANDIDATE APPLICATION
The following information is required of all applicants when applying to attain the various
specializations needed for MCSA designation. There is an additional form you will need to submit
when you are ready to request a certification interview.
• Date:
• Name:
• Business Email Address:
• Personal Email Address:
• Company:
• Job Title:
• Country:
• Current Number and Level of Certifications as well as Types of Specializations Achieved, if
applicable (include Expiration Date):
• MCE:
o Date Passed:
• Specializations:
• Current MCSA Specializations:
• MCSA Certificate:
o Date Passed
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
MCSA CERTIFICATION PROCESS
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Next, you will need to indicate areas you are proposing to present during the MCSA assessment. You
should present as many as three (3) areas of expertise at any one time as we only want to allot 1 ½
hours to the presentation at most.
Note: You must attain the Marketo Lead Management (MLM) specialization when first pursuing areas
of expertise. Also, a minimum of three (3) specializations are required before you are awarded the
MCSA Certification.
AREAS of EXPERTISE APPLYING FOR:
Marketo Lead Management (MLM – formally MCC) - Required
Web Personalization (WP)
Account Based Marketing (TAM)
Integrations
Native
Custom (API)
Digital Advertising
Administration
Mobile
Center of Excellence (CoE)
Advanced Analytics
Migrations - Marketo to Marketo
Advanced Creative (Velocity/API)
Note: A candidate should not present in more than three (3) areas at one time.
MCSA CERTIFICATION PROCESS
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ACCREDITATION
METHODS TO BECOME CERTIFIED
The following is the process Marketo will use to grant the MCSA certificate to a candidate.
METHOD USED
Co-Delivery – A Marketo Professional Services Consultant must validate successful completion
Onsite Certification – Consultant presents in person to board
Virtual – Consultant presents via online webinar complete with video
(Please remember your presentation will be video recorded whether it is a virtual or onsite presentation.)
You will need to provide the following to achieve your certification for MCSA:
• Possess a current MCE certificate
• You must submit and pass at least three (3) areas of concentration (advanced specializations)to attain MCSA certification. You will receive a gold specialization identifying you as MCSA-certified in the Marketo Community.
• For each specialization to be awarded, it will be required to show that the client projectswere successfully implemented and you have the results to support your presentation.
• Documentation will be expected to ensure you cover the key areas of strategy, design,implementation and results of the project. PDF/MS Word documents, Excel spreadsheets (ifneeded) as well as any other documentation necessary to confirm your expertise are requiredto accompany your PowerPoint presentation.
• In addition to outstanding content, you will also be judged on your professionalism inpresenting your findings.
Sign off from a Certification Review Board consisting of Marketo consultants, support and/or
engineering personnel will be required to confirm that you possess the proficiency needed to attain a
specialization/certification.
DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED
Documentation is needed to support the consultant’s presentation in attaining a specialization and
subsequent MCSA certification. It is expected that the consultant will create a technical spec and/or
design document showing the strategy, the design, the implementation process and the analysis of
MCSA CERTIFICATION PROCESS
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the project used to successfully address the needs of the client in the specific area of expertise.
Candidates will provide this documentation no less than one week prior to their scheduled
presentation.
This documentation may be used to create case studies, if the candidate’s client agrees, that the
partner and/or Marketo may want to post to their websites. This documentation may also serve as
the foundation for potential presentation decks for use at various partner events and/or at Marketo’s
annual Marketing Nation Summit. Additionally, these documents may be used to support, if needed,
any questions that may arise of this consultant’s ability to implement a solution.
In addition to the required documentation, the consultant/candidate will present a PowerPoint
presentation during the oral exam. This presentation will be videotaped and provided to the
consultant upon request.
EXPIRATION OF CERTIFICATION
Quality work is expected of everyone who receives a specialization or their MCSA certification. If you
are not meeting the required level of service; for example, loss of clients, too many “How to”
questions to the support team, negative reviews from clients, etc., this could potentially be grounds
for the removal of a specialization(s) and/or certification.
Additionally, you will be required to maintain your MCE certification via exam every two years.
PASSING REQUIREMENTS
Whether a candidate passes or not will be determined by a majority vote of the Review Board. At
least three (3) members of the Review Board are needed to evaluate the video, live presentation and
documentation before reaching a judgement2.
These are the key areas that will be used in judging a candidate’s competency in achieving
certification:
• Knowledge of the Subject (50%)
• Writing Ability (15%)
• Speaking Ability (15%)
• Strategy, Design, Implementation, and Success of the Project (10%)
• Professionalism (10%)
Each member of the Review Board will rate the consultant on a scale from 1–10, with 10 being
excellent for each of these five areas.
The scoring would be dependent upon the weighted average of each area of expertise. For example,
if someone received an 8 for Knowledge they would be awarded 40 points, 7 for writing and speaking
MCSA CERTIFICATION PROCESS
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would be 10.5 points each, 10 for strategy equals 10 points, and 9 for professionalism being 9 points.
Their total would be 80 points
A passing grade would be 75 points on average of all the Review Board members.
Notes: 2 In the case of using Co-Delivery as the means of certification, the assigned Marketo
Professional Services person will confirm subject knowledge and presentation skills. The rest of
the Board will review the documentation provided to determine if the consultant passes.
KNOWLEDGE OF SUBJECT
MCC/MLM: This will be the same process that Marketo uses for the MCC certification where the
consultant needs to provide a proficiency in the core Marketo functionality; including governance,
lead lifecycle including activating and maintaining the Modeler, program best practices, and
reporting.
WP: Implementation of campaigns on the client’s website, including predictive content, and the
results from these campaigns. Some actual understanding of how the tag system works for a website
will be required.
TAM: Candidates must show that they have run an TAM workshop working with Sales and Marketing
to understand the client’s sales strategy, show how they implemented successful programs and share
the results stemming from these programs.
Integration: We will require both native and custom integration experience for this specialization.
• Native: Through the administration section of Marketo, candidates must show that they have
an advanced knowledge on how to integrate Marketo with 3rd party solutions. This will
typically be the CRM solution. (We are not looking for someone who can set up a webinar
vendor.)
• Custom (API) – With the use of our API solution, candidates must display that they have a
proficiency in understanding Marketo REST and/or SOAP API.
Digital Advertising: This will require a candidate discussing the strategy methodology used to
implement digital solutions at a client, and the successful use of the Marketo Ad Bridge solution.
Administration: Candidates will demonstrate backend knowledge of the Marketo solution, including
advanced governance (workspaces and roles, deliverability management, data management, website
set up (predictive content, munchkin codes, 3rd party solutions), and subscription management.
Mobile: Candidates must show proficiency in working with our SMS solutions, webhooks, 3rd party
vendors, and responsive landing pages in providing a user experience consistent across multiple
devices.
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MCSA CERTIFICATION PROCESS
Advanced Analytics: This requires that candidates set up custom reporting in RCA or RCE that
provides the client with KPIs that address their needs at each level of management; from the CEO, to
Sales, to the marketing managers.
Center of Excellence (CoE): Candidates must show the ability to manage a client on an ongoing
project where they provide leadership in setting up and maintaining a CoE. They should provide
evidence that they are a trusted advisor for Executive steering committees, perform Quarterly
Business Reviews, drive general monthly meetings, implement process and change management,
provide Marketing Maturity assessments, and drive roadmaps to ensure the expansion of the Marketo
solution, when needed, at the client.
Migration: We are looking for a candidate who has managed a migration from Marketo or Marketo
sandbox/dev site to new production. This would involve the assessment of what assets to migrate,
previous campaign, and historical data.
Advanced Creative: Candidates must demonstrate the ability to enhance Marketo assets by using
Marketo HTML template markup/syntax, HTML/CSS, Velocity Scripting, JavaScript and/or the
Content API.
WRITING ABILITY
The board will examine the overall writing ability of the consultant.
• Do they provide a clear concise document where the audience can follow the process used to
implement the solution? Evidence will include proficiency in creating MS Word documents,
PowerPoint presentations and/or any other support documents.
SPEAKING ABILITY
How are the consultant’s presentation skills?
• Do they possess the vocabulary necessary to communicate well with the client and other
consultants?
• Do they speak clearly?
• How is their body language?
• Do they have the confidence to lead a room in a strategy session?
STRATEGY, DESIGN, IMPLEMENTATION, AND SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT
Did the consultant use best practices, logic and efficiency when implementing the project? Were the
methods employed the best way to implement and did their approach clearly show success in the
project?
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PROFESSIONALISM
• Do they appear professional?
o Courteous, and professional in their demeanor
o Not allowing distractions during a presentation (phone ringing, popups on desktop,
etc.)
o On time
o Dressed professionally
DOCUMENTATION ELEMENTS
When putting together your case study to present, you should include all the following components.
CASE STUDY
Case Study Title
Author: names, job titles, institutional affiliations, short professional biography and a professional
photograph.
Executive Summary (Abstract): Summarize key points for busy readers in 150 – 200 words. Used in
promotional communications.
Case Presentation
Problem Statement: Describe the challenge that the initiative or program sought to address,
including its scope. Provide readers with a brief history that helps them understand the
problem/challenge in context, highlighting the key factors that led to the decision to develop the
initiative or program, including opportunities and partnerships that made that decision possible and
obstacles surmounted. (Tip: address relevant policies, pressures, incentives, and sources of support.)
Initiative/Program Description: From design to implementation, describe the plan/course of action
taken to address the problem or challenge.
Contributors: Identify all contributors on the client team, Marketo, and any additional partners
involved. Describe the roles they played in relation to the overall initiative or program (i.e.
technical solution, as a sponsor, key contributors).
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Design: Describe the stated goals and measurable outcomes of the solution, the hypotheses it was
designed to test, the premise that influenced its design, and the framework selected to evaluate it.
Implementation: Describe the implementation process. Address any unexpected hurdles,
distractions, or other challenges that arose during implementation and how these were—or were
not—overcome.
Supporting Technologies: Describe the process used to select supporting technologies, if needed,
appropriate to the problem/challenge. Identify the technologies ultimately selected and the
practical rationale for selecting these specific technology approaches/partners.
Evaluation and Outcomes: Describe the learning and/or outcomes of the solution and the results.
How, and to what degree, did the initiative or program contribute to meeting the goal(s) of the
client? Did the solution ultimately address the original problem or challenge? Is it a viable solution
that others should consider?
Analysis, Discussion, Lessons Learned: Looking back, what were the essential factors leading to,
or contributing to, eventual outcomes—for example, was it the creative, the timing of the
communication, the technologies involved, etc.? Were there any roadblocks that had to be overcome
to achieve the desired outcomes or made it necessary to redefine the goals? What lessons were
learned in executing the solution?
Future Plans: Looking forward, describe your plans—if any—for ongoing iteration, integration, along
with an overall marketing maturity roadmap for your client. Given hindsight, what would you do
differently?
Conclusion: Offer final thoughts and considerations. In your experience with this initiative or
program, what conditions must be in place for the client to collaborate deliberately and successfully?
What makes collaboration work—or not?
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SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENTATION
We will expect you to have supplemental documentation to support your case study. We would
expect for you to present your case study in a PowerPoint presentation covering the areas above, as
well as Excel spreadsheets and/or PDFs when necessary.
Tips
Summary: Write the summary last.
Provide Numbers: What was the original quantity vs what you have now once implementing the
solution? What was the delta change/improvement – with quantity, time, quality, etc.? Did you have
a control group?
Be Specific: So, you doubled the client’s website traffic or sales, right? How did you do it? This is
where you sell your products or services simply by saying which ones you used and how they led to
the desired result. You shouldn’t just say “our online marketing services led to these results.”
Instead, you should say “it was a combination of a three-month dedicated social media campaign
focusing on Facebook and YouTube as well as five months of link building that led to an increase in
rankings plus the improved brand exposure that led to these results.”
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FOLLOW UP FOR NOT PASSING
If a consultant is not given a passing grade, they may be asked to do one or more of the following:
• submit another area of expertise
• work on having a better knowledge of the solution
• provide another proven implementation of the subject
• work on their presentation skills
• work on their writing skills
We want consultants to succeed. The Review Board will provide quality feedback and guidance for
the consultant. For example, attending a PMCSA (Pre-MCSA) workshop might be a required next step.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the new MCSA certification process should resolve the issue of partners being
certified without actual experience implementing a solution.
If you have any questions, please contact Marketo Partner Enablement at grp-marketo-
To initiate an application for MCSA certification, please visit this link:
http://premierpartners.marketo.com/mcsa-application-requirements.html.