SugarCRM Training & Certifications: Fees, Exams, Career Scope

SugarCRM training mainly comprises online and live courses for developers, administrators, architects, marketers, and business users. Its official site offers all the learning and exams. Find the learning paths based on roles, live instructor-led virtual training, self-paced courses, and the exam-based Sugar Certification Program that has a couple of role-based tracks. 

SugarCRM Training | Role-based Learning Paths

SugarCRM training is available for four roles. Depending on the complexity and use of this CRM platform and its products and integration, you will find a mix of free and paid options. Also, the paid courses are usually in live virtual mode. 

1. Business Users - Creating and Using Sugar Reports, Sugar Reporting, Using Sugar Connect for Office 365, etc. 
2. Administrators - SugarBPM, an exam prep course for the Sugar Administration Specialist Exam, How to Configure Sugar Serve, and so on. 
3. Marketers - How to Manage Your Lead & Contact Cards, Email Builder Overview, SugarPredict for Sugar Market, etc. 
4. Developers & Solution Architects - Sugar for Solution Architects.

SugarCRM Training | Instructor-led Live Classes

For the live virtual classes from SugarCRM experts, you must make a booking and pay the class fee. You must also complete some free or paid courses to take these classes. 

For example, the live Sugar Admin Fundamentals class is around USD 899. To enrol here, you must complete the How to Use Sugar Sell or the How to Use Sugar Serve course.

SugarCRM Training | Self-Paced Courses

The self-paced courses are for all roles and products within the SugarCRM ecosystem. These are mostly free, as they are not live. 

Sugar Administration Specialist Certification

To become a Sugar Administration Specialist, you must pass the certification exam. 

The primary training resources recommended for exam preparation are self-paced courses and live training. 

1. Self-paced eLearning: Preparing for the Certified Sugar Administration Specialist Exam
2. Live Training: Sugar Admin Fundamentals (multi-day class)
3. Live Training: Introduction to SugarBPM (multi-day class)
4. SugarU Podcast for Administrators 

Sugar Developer Specialist Certification

The Sugar Developer Specialist needs to complete these areas before taking the exam. 

1. Developer Office Hours
2. SugarClub Developer Onboarding Framework
3. Documentation: Sugar Installation and Upgrade Guide
4. Documentation: Sugar Developer Guide 12.0
5. Documentation: Knowledge Base
6. SugarCloud Policy Guide

Certified Sugar Solution Architect Professional

This certification for the Solution Architect requires the following.

1. Sugar Hint Administration
2. Enabling and Configuring Modules for Sugar Maps 
3. Doc Merge
4. Use Case: Rejecting a Lead
5. Action Buttons
6. Sugar Automate Administration
7. Copying Content
8. Reassigning Records
9. Copying User Preferences, Dashboards, and Filters to Other Users
10. SugarIdentity Guide
11. Backups
12. eLearning: Sugar for Solution Architects
13. Sugar Platform Architecture Overview
14. Sugar Development Methodology
15. Developer Onboarding Framework
16. Sugar Installation and Upgrade Guide
17. Sugar Administration Guide
18. Sugar Community Forum
19. Developer Knowledge Base

Certified Sugar Market Specialist

For marketers to get this certification, the following are required for exam prep. 

1. Sugar Market Integration Guide
2. Sugar Market User Guide
3. Learning Plan: Preparing for the Sugar Market Specialist Exam 

Other necessary documentation includes Accessing the Sugar Market Connector, Installing the Sugar Market Connector, Integration Steps, CRM iFrame, etc. 

All certification exams for SugarCRM have a fee of USD 125. Each exam is 60 minutes long. 

Sugar Administration Specialist Certification Exam Topics

1. System Configuration - Here, you have to demonstrate your knowledge of troubleshooting tools, using scheduler settings, etc. 
2. E-mail Configuration, Connectors and Integrations - Configuring archiving, inbound and outbound email settings and so on are expected.
3. User Configuration - Showcase knowledge of user and password management concepts. 
4. Team and Role Security - Highlight knowledge of the difference between team and role and what permissions exist for each. 
5. Module Configuration - You must be able to customise application functionality by managing module visibility, editing layouts for different views and establishing relationships between modules. 
6. Forecasting - Configure the forecasts module in SugarCRM with import and export functions.  
7. SugarBPM -  Managing SugarBPM processes and explaining them would be necessary. 
8. Cloud Tools  - You have to know backup locations and concepts within Cloud Insights.  

Sugar Developer Specialist Certification Exam Topics

1. Application Design - You need to be able to apply customisations with the Sugar file system and understand how Sidecar view’s context and the metadata are related, among other topics. 
2. Web Services - Know REST API  - how it can be extended, how you can perform CRUD operations, etc. 
3. Developer Best Practices - Showcase the best ways to store and retrieve Sugar configuration values, load SugarBean instances, etc.
4. Extensions Framework - You should be able to describe the pros of the extensions framework and extending the Sidecar layout. 
5. Database Schema - It is expected that you know how to identify database schema for module customisations.  
6. Troubleshooting - You should be able to know what to troubleshoot within Sugar infrastructure, debug applications, etc. 

Certified Sugar Solution Architect Professional Exam Topics

1. CRM Project Fundamentals - With the learning, you are expected to have a deeper knowledge of CRM business advantages, the lifecycle of CRM implementation, etc.
2. Sugar Platform - You have to have a good idea of the Sugar application architecture, as you have to know how components become essential for integration and user experience. 
3. Design - You need to be able to completely design production architecture by understanding what a business demands. 
4. Integration - Show how you can apply different patterns to integrate the CRM with different web service-enabled apps, applying Sugar REST API. 
5. Sugar Implementation - You will have to show how customer requirements can be met through Sugar, and also be able to explain the development methodology.
6. Quality Assurance  - You will have to define the entirety of the testing methodology and even optimise deployment. 
7. Deployment - It will be required from you to understand the Sugar deployment components. 
8. Security - Customising the Sugar visibility model will be essential here.