Advanced Topics - Final ACA-920 Study Session
We made it! This session was the last in our 5 series arc for the ACA-920! Here we covered some more advanced topics within Confluence, and also spoke a bit about register for, and taking, the exam.
Task Report Macro
In addition to serving as a knowledge base and place to keep information, Confluence allows for task tracking. Tasks take the form of checkboxes you can insert onto pages (either via a macro /action item, typing in [] then adding a space or clicking the checkbox icon in the toolbar). These tasks can be placed anywhere, and if you @ mention someone in them you’ll assign them to that person. You can also add a date (typing in // then a space) to put a due date on it.
Personally I use tasks as an in-the-moment way to record to-do items. I find this to be better than having to switch to Jira (or some other app), make whatever ticket I need, and then go back to Confluence. Instead I can use [] to easily add the task, fill it out, and keep taking my notes or leading the meeting. This does, however, lead to tasks that I lose track of.
Enter the Task Report Macro. This macro gathers tasks from an indicated space (along with some other filters, like label, assignee and status). This gives you a great way to instantly create dynamic lists of tasks (even across spaces). I use this to quickly make task lists for my team, although I will convert bigger ones into Jira tickets if it’s approprite.
Additionally you can return to your home page and click on the “tasks” menu to see all tasks you’ve created, or are assigned to you. This, however, doesn’t let you change the assignee (it’s personal!).
Attachments Macro
Confluence pages support various kinds of attachments including links, documents, files, videos and images. This can quickly get out of hand (especially for longer pages), so we have the Attachments Macro to help us see what’s on the page. Personally I don’t use this all that much (my pages tend to be a bit macro-free) - however, it can help you figure out what attachments are on a page.
Additional Content
We also spoke about two additional types of content we might run into:
Whiteboards - Whiteboards are a way to visually collaborate in Confluence. They’re similar to Vision, LucidChart and Miro and allow teams to collaborate on a digital whiteboard. Personally I find these very useful, as unlikely other tools they are natively embedded in Confluence. This means anyone with a license can use them and place them in context with other information (unlike other tools where I may be the only license holder in my org). Whiteboards also are integrated with Jira, making it easy to represent tickets and do things like sprint planning from directly within Confluence.
Databases - Databases provide a way to structure information. To me they’re in between a table and a Jira project in terms of functionality. Commonly I use them for lightweight project planning (typically done in a spreadsheet), but also for organizing Confluence space restrcutures. Check out this video for more information on them.
The Exam
While you don’t have to take the exam, it can be a great thing to help validate your skills and round out your resume. If you choose to take it, here’s some tips:
Practice! - Get hands on in Confluence and practice making pages, playing with restrictions, archiving things and the like. Nothing beats real experience in terms of understanding things.
Review - Take time to review the ACA-920 recordings, official training and more. This will help cover any gaps in your knowledge.
Sign up - Once you’re ready you’ll need to sign up and pay $100 to register. You should check if your company covers exam fees - you might be able to get reimbursed.
Take the exam - You’ll have two options - at home and in a center. Taking the test at home can be a pain as you need a “clean” environment with no distractions.. plus their software can bug out. That said, it can be easier than trying to find a testing center near you. Going to a testing center can be easier though, since you’ll just walk in, register and get started. Both options a proctored (someone is watching to make sure you don’t cheat), but if you go to a center you can take bathroom breaks…
