NVIDIA Certified Associate: Generative AI & LLMs (NCA-GENL)

Future live training depends on interest

Prepare for the NVIDIA Certified Associate - Generative AI & LLMs (NCA-GENL) with Claudeforce

Understand the AI behind your work, using Claude + Salesforce = Claudeforce

Mike is also developing an on-demand NCA-GENL video course with Pearson. No future live cohort is scheduled. The interest list helps Mike understand what people want to learn.

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Who this course is for

For anyone preparing for NCA-GENL or wanting to learn Claude or Claudeforce.

No Salesforce experience is needed. We use a free Salesforce account for selected exercises with recommended readings, a knowledge base, and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG).

Your three-week curriculum

The three-week curriculum below describes the training. A future live cohort will run only if there is enough demand.

Week 1

Core ML & AI Knowledge Foundations

RAG, embeddings, prompt engineering, and the machine-learning fundamentals that anchor the largest slice of the exam.

  • How retrieval-augmented generation actually works, from source to answer
  • Embeddings, and why retrieval fails silently when they do not match
  • Prompt engineering as structured practice, not trial and error
  • The machine-learning fundamentals the exam assumes you already know
Core Machine Learning & AI Knowledge · 30%
Week 2

Data Analysis + Experimentation

Metrics, visualization, confounders, A/B testing, and interpreting results. The exam’s analytical core.

  • Reading what metrics and visualizations actually say
  • Confounders, and why a relationship is not a cause
  • A/B testing and sound experiment design
  • Turning results into a defensible finding, not just a chart
Experimentation · 22%Data Analysis & Visualization · 14%
Week 3

Software Development, Trustworthy AI & Exam Readiness

RAG, chatbot, and summarizer patterns, Python package roles, and monitoring, followed by ethics, privacy, and bias. Close with a domain-by-domain study plan and test-day strategy.

  • Building the three core patterns: RAG, chatbot, and summarizer
  • Monitoring a generative-AI system once it is running
  • Trustworthy AI: ethics, privacy, and where bias comes from
  • A domain-by-domain study plan, miss log, and test-day strategy
Software Development · 24%Trustworthy AI · 10%

By the end, you’ll be able to

  • Explain core ML, RAG, and embeddings in plain language
  • Read and interpret model metrics and experiments
  • Trace how RAG, chatbot, and summarizer applications use data and software components
  • Reason about ethics, privacy, and bias in AI systems
  • Use AI to turn dense research papers and technical docs into plain-language notes, study assets, and ideas you can build on
  • Keep a personal AI knowledge base with source links, study notes, and corrections mapped to NVIDIA’s exam domains
  • Build a study plan around the full NCA-GENL blueprint and the gaps you identify

Make sense of the AI behind the Claudeforce conversation.

When an assistant answers from business data, someone needs to understand the sources, recognize missing information, and judge the result. The course uses Salesforce and Claude examples to make RAG, evaluation, data analysis, and trustworthy AI concrete while preserving NVIDIA certification preparation.

Exam coverage

Knowledge areaWeight
Core Machine Learning & AI Knowledge30%
Software Development24%
Experimentation22%
Data Analysis & Visualization14%
Trustworthy AI10%

Course resources and format

Live teaching and optional office hours

Three teaching sessions and optional office hours across the three-week course. Bring questions and get help with the hands-on work.

Replay access for a full year

Revisit the recorded sessions on your own schedule as you practice and review.

Weekly hands-on projects

LABS stands for Let’s Actually Build Something, and you get one every week. Week one, you start your own exam knowledge base and make the first real entry in it. Week two, you build a chart from a real public dataset and judge it yourself, because creating visualizations is on the exam and reading about it does not count. Week three, you grade a cited answer against your own notes, write a one-page trust sheet on an AI system you already use, and build a miss log that turns every practice question you get wrong into a written reason and the source that settles it.

Your personal AI knowledge base

Use the included NVIDIA Knowledge Base Starter Tool to turn selected readings into plain-language study notes with source links, objective mappings, and questions to revisit. Check the notes against the original sources. Keep the resulting files and use them with Claude or another assistant after the course.

Learn with Claude and Salesforce

Connect NVIDIA exam concepts to practical work with Claude and a free Salesforce account. Organize your study materials, explore RAG, and evaluate AI answers.

Readiness scorecard

Assess your understanding by exam domain and revisit your study priorities as you learn. Get the readiness scorecard.

Certificate of completion

Complete the course and receive a personalized certificate with your name, track and a public verification link. This records course completion; professional certification requires the separate certification exam.

The NVIDIA Knowledge Base Starter Tool

The tool turns each assigned NVIDIA reading into a plain-language note mapped to the exam objective it answers. The knowledge base you build is yours to keep, and it keeps working with Claude or any AI assistant after the exam.

The NVIDIA Knowledge Base Starter Tool with a worked reading loaded
The NVIDIA Knowledge Base Starter Tool turns each reading into an entry mapped to the exam objective it answers.

Frequently asked questions

I’m not a developer. Can I do this?
You can follow the live lessons without a coding background. We explain foundations in plain language and use guided technical examples. The NVIDIA blueprint includes software development and Python packages, so expect technical study and practice beyond the live demonstrations.
What is this exam?
The NVIDIA-Certified Associate: Generative AI and LLMs (NCA-GENL) is an entry-level credential covering core machine learning and AI knowledge, software development patterns, experimentation, data analysis and visualization, and trustworthy AI.
Do I need an NVIDIA GPU or any special hardware?
No GPU is required for the supplied cohort exercises. We use browser-based study tools, prepared examples, and instructor demonstrations to explain the concepts.
What is Claudeforce?
Claudeforce is the partnership between Salesforce and Anthropic, the company behind Claude. It brings Salesforce data and workflows into Claude.
Why is Claudeforce included in NCA-GENL preparation?
It gives us a practical setting for AI concepts such as knowledge bases, RAG and evaluating answers. The NVIDIA exam domains remain the foundation of the course.
Is the Salesforce account free and mine to keep?
Yes. You create and manage your own free Developer Edition account. You can keep using it after the course, subject to Salesforce’s usage and inactivity rules.
Is Salesforce required?
No. Using a free Salesforce account is optional for this course. You can follow the demonstrations and supplied materials without setting up an account.
Is Claude required?
No. You can follow the lessons and supplied examples without it. A Claude account will be helpful for trying the Claudeforce exercises yourself.
Can I use Codex or another AI assistant?
Yes, for supported exercises. Codex can also work with Salesforce through tools such as CLI, APIs or MCP. We discuss it as an optional alternative; Claude remains the focus for Claudeforce examples.
What is the NVIDIA Knowledge Base Starter Tool?
It is a browser tool included with the class. It turns each assigned NVIDIA reading into a note file mapped to the exam objective it answers, and the knowledge base you build is yours to keep. The knowledge base keeps working with Claude or any AI assistant after the exam.
Do I need Salesforce in Claude or Claudeforce pilot access?
No. This is NVIDIA certification preparation with Salesforce and Claude teaching examples. Enrollment does not include or guarantee access to Salesforce in Claude. You can complete the core study and evaluation exercises using the supplied materials; Mike demonstrates the connected Salesforce path. No paid AI subscription is required for the supplied fallback exercises.
How is this different from the Claudeforce Admin course?
The Admin course focuses on configuring and governing Salesforce while preparing for the Administrator exam. This course focuses on generative AI concepts, data, software patterns, evaluation, and trustworthy AI while preparing for NVIDIA NCA-GENL. You do not need to buy either course to take the other.
What is the readiness scorecard and how do I get it?
The readiness scorecard is a free self-assessment against the official exam domains, weighted the way the exam weights them. You rate yourself on each domain, then re-score as you study. It is free whether or not you enroll, and you can get yours at the scorecard signup page.
What if I can’t attend a session live?
Sessions are recorded, and you keep access to the replays for a full year. You can watch and revisit the teaching on your own schedule.
Does joining the waitlist enroll me in the course?
No. Joining the list registers your interest. We will share the course details before you decide whether to enroll.

Learn with Mike Wheeler

Mike Wheeler

AI and Salesforce trainer, O’Reilly author.

Learn through live instruction, practical examples, and hands-on work that connects course concepts to your own projects.

About Mike Wheeler

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A future live cohort depends on demand. Register your interest to hear if training is scheduled.

Register your interest