FAQs on Google Cloud (GCP) Certifications

5 min readNov 2, 2022

In trainings that I conduct, I get quite a few frequent questions about the Google Cloud certifications, the exams, registration, rescheduling, etc. I’m listing my responses here for public reference.

Subscribe to my YouTube channel that teaches you to apply Google Cloud to your projects and also prepare for the certifications: youtube.com/AwesomeGCP. Check out the playlists I currently have for Associate Cloud Engineer, Professional Architect, Professional Data Engineer, Professional Cloud Developer, Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer, Professional Cloud Network Engineer, and Professional Cloud Security Engineer.

Registration

* Where can I take the exam?
Onsite at a test center, or Remote/Online, like your home.

* Can I take the exam in office?
Any place where you have private, secluded, undisturbed access is fine. If your office has a place like this, that’s fine.

* But my office meeting room has glass walls!
Then, no — you can’t take your test there.

* But I can’t get a quiet room at home!
Choose Onsite (test center) proctored, if possible.

* Can I change from remote proctored to onsite proctored?
Yes, contact kryterion support.

* Where do I register for the exam?
Go to the landing page for the certification, click “Register” button.
It will take you to this page: https://webassessor.com/googlecloud
You need to first create an account, if you haven’t already.

* How do I reschedule/cancel an exam?
Login to your webassessor account.
Click “My Assessments”.
Scroll down for the “Scheduled Exams” table. Exams you have registered for will be listed here.You should see a “Reschedule/Cancel” button for the exam.
Click that and follow the instructions.

* How do I launch an exam? (for remote exam)
About 10 minutes before the scheduled exam time, login to your webassessor account.
Click “My Assessments”.
Scroll down for the “Scheduled Exams” table. Exams you have registered for will be listed here.
There will be a “Launch” button for the exam.
Click that and follow the instructions.

(Note: if it still shows “Reschedule/Cancel”, wait until it gets closer to the exam.)

* How do I start an onsite exam?
Arrive at the test center at least 20 minutes in advance.
Show your government issued photo-ids to the test center staff.
Show a print out of your exam registration email.
Empty your pockets and keep all your belongings in a locker that the staff shows you.
The staff will lead you to a computer, enter your exam code, and start your exam for you.

* What is “biometric profile” with respect to the exam?
A photo of your face.

* Where can I check my mic and cam? (for remote exam)
http://test.kryteriononline.com/webcam-checker/

* Do I have to take the certifications in any order?
No. You can do them in any order.

* What email should I use when creating an account on webassessor (the exam site)?
I recommend that you use your personal address. When you change jobs, it is easier to retain the same email address.
There is a separate entry/textbox/field where you can enter your organization/company email address and your organization/company name.

* Which are the available test centers?
You will find it on the webassessor site. Login. Then start with “Register for an Exam”. Choose a certification. Choose “Onsite” button for that exam. You will now be shown a list of test centers. By default, it shows you test center in the region you are in based on your profile.

Vouchers

* If I have a voucher, how many attempts are allowed with one voucher?
Only one.
If you don’t pass the exam in that attempt, usually, you can’t reuse the same voucher.

The Exam

* How long is the exam?
CDL: 90 minutes
All other generally available exams: 2 hours
Beta exams: typically, 4 hours.

* How many questions are in the exam?
Google does not publish how many questions there are in each exam. But from experience, we have these general numbers:
CDL: About 60+
PMLE: About 60
All others: About 50+

* Can I install the exam software on a company machine? (for remote exam)
Try it. For some it worked. You might not have permissions.

* What do I do if I can’t install the software on my machine? (for remote exam)
Either choose a test center or borrow/use a machine that allows you to install the software.

* Where can I find the exam software to install?
After you register for an exam, you can find it within the “My Assessments” tab. There is a box with information on installing the “New Secure Browser”. See picture below.

* What happens if my network/mic/camera goes down during the exam?
Exam progress is automatically saved as you advanced through the exam.
If the network goes down for a little time, you will continue the exam from where you were.
If the network goes down for a long time, it is up to the discretion of the proctor — they might allow you to continue the exam or they may cancel the current one. In this situation, they might reschedule the exam for you for another day or you might have to do it on your own.
(In the recent version of the exam, a page shows up when there is a network error that reassures you that progress has been saved and that you needn’t worry.)

Exam Results

* What is the passing score?
We don’t know because Google doesn’t publish it.
But from personal experience, I would guess that this is unlikely to be a low %. It’s likely to be higher - in the 70s or 80s.

* Will we get a subject based score of how many answers we got right/wrong?
No. You are given only a PASS or FAIL result at the end of the exam.

* What is the validity of certifications?
CDL, ACE: 3 years
All Professional certifications: 2 years

* How many times can I re-attempt the exam?
As many times as you want, following the cool-off period.
After 1st failed attempt, wait 14 days for next attempt.
After 2nd failed attempt, wait 60 days for next attempt.
After 3rd failed attempt, wait 365 days for attempts thereafter.

Note that even if you’re in the cool-off period for one certification (say PCA), you can still attempt another (say PDE).

* Will I know the results immediately?
You will get a provisional (interim/temporary) result immediately after the exam.
If you’ve passed the exam, usually within 7 business days, you will be mailed a digital certificate.

* Where can I find my Google Cloud certificates?
https://googlecloudcertified.credential.net/

* Are recertifications free?
No.

Github Repo: awesome-gcp-certifications

A collection of posts, videos, courses, qwiklabs, and other exam details for all exams: https://github.com/sathishvj/awesome-gcp-certifications