Marketing Automation26% of the exam

Journey splits, Path Optimizer and Sales Cloud activities

How Decision, Engagement and Einstein splits choose a path, how Path Optimizer tests variations and when Holdback is allowed, what Update Contact writes, and how the Sales and Service Cloud activities behave in a journey.

Official exam objective
Given a customer scenario, build the appropriate Journey Builder solution.

~7 min read · 12 practice questions ·

What the exam expects

  • Configure a Decision Split: path order, the path limit, the Remainder path, restricted values and attribute-to-attribute comparison on one-to-many data.
  • State the prerequisites of an Engagement Split and predict which path Einstein Scoring and Frequency Splits use.
  • Build a Path Optimizer test: winner metric, evaluation, and when Holdback can be used.
  • Predict what Update Contact writes, and pick the right Sales and Service Cloud activity (Lead, Task, Campaign Member, Object, Convert Lead) and its constraints.
  • Key terms: Remainder path (where contacts matching no Decision Split path go); restricted values (designated filter values defined in Contact Builder); attribute-to-attribute comparison (matching a journey data value to a linked data extension value); Holdback (contacts held out of a Path Optimizer test until a winner is chosen); On Target (the Frequency Split path for contacts at their ideal frequency).

Key facts

Decision Split order
Detail
Top to bottom; first qualifying path wins
Decision Split paths
Detail
Up to 20; identical paths block activation
No path matched
Detail
Remainder path
Restricted values
Detail
Created in Contact Builder; dropdown of designated values
One-to-many row
Detail
Attribute-to-attribute comparison picks the specific record
Engagement Split
Detail
After a message activity; email tracking enabled
Frequency Split, no history
Detail
On Target path
Path Optimizer
Detail
Up to 10 paths; remaining contacts take the winner
Holdback
Detail
Run Once entry schedule only
Update Contact
Detail
Overwrites existing rows; adds a row only if none exists
Sales and Service Cloud activities
Detail
Asynchronous, up to 24 hours
Convert Lead
Detail
Lead to contact or account; can create opportunity and task
Sources for this section (8)
  • Why does a Path Optimizer test run longer than its evaluation period?
  • When does a Frequency Split include a Remainder path?
  • Why keep each contact under 1,000 rows in a linked data extension used by journey filters?
  • Who can the Task activity assign a task to?

The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.

Keep reading with the Marketing Cloud Engagement Specialist pack

  • Core concepts
  • Exam traps
  • Worked scenario

The pack includes:

  • All 31 lessons of the Marketing Cloud Engagement Specialist guide, with reading progress
  • Interactive decision walks and step-by-step sequence steppers
  • Practice exams purchase adds inline bank questions and topic practice (12 questions for this lesson)
  • An official source cited for every claim
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Practice for the Marketing Cloud Engagement Specialist exam