What is Google Cloud certification?

This professional certification shows you have completed Google Cloud training and are proficient in the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Google cloud computing services include cloud storage and backup, database management, developer tools, Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and analytics. 

How much experience do you need to get Google Cloud certified?

Join ReviewnPrep and get access to courses, hands-on labs, quizzes, and learning paths, which take you step-by-step from novice to revienprep in your chosen area of the cloud. Check out ACG’s current cloud courses or test your knowledge with our cloud skills assessment.

Why Google launch its Cloud services?

After Amazon’s (AWS) launch of cloud computing services in 2006, Google also made its entry into the cloud services after 2 years, in 2008.

Cloud computing is not only changing how businesses store and access data, but also changing how many of these businesses operate. They no longer have to worry about scalability or performance during peak times.

Large businesses have an advantage when it comes to the cloud as they can save more in the long run by adopting a well-architected framework. Enterprise solutions often involve multi-cloud model to not depend on one cloud provider.

One of the great things about the cloud is that even small and medium-sized operations can benefit from it. Business no longer have to worry about IT infrastructures. If the system is architected properly, it helps you reduce operational costs in the longer run.

While the Google Cloud Platform is a more recent offering than some of its competitors, it draws on years of experience running Google’s massive internal infrastructure and exposes a streamlined set of solution-focused capabilities to help you build great systems. Google has created a track for IT professionals to certify as a cloud architect on the GCP platform.

Why Should you go for Google Cloud Certification Exam?

  • 87% of Google Cloud-certified individuals are more confident about their cloud skills.
  • Professional Cloud Architect was one of the highest paying certification for three straight years, starting 2019.
  • More than 1 in 4 of Google Cloud-certified individuals took on more responsibility or leadership roles at work. 

Google Cloud Platform (GCP), which has contributed to the world’s change and development. Google helped in crossing political, cultural, and social boundaries to bring real before the people. Now, Google is facilitating the process of learning and development of an information system.

Google Cloud Platform has been used by most Fortune 500 companies as it is easy to use, no issue with availability, comfortable to use, and added features that support the data recording, processing, updating, and analysis process.

That’s why students/beginners and professionals worldwide prefer GCP(Googe cloud platform) certification. It has become the preference of reputed companies that can offer better pay and job security in the present-day world, where job markets face complete chaos.

Google Cloud certification demonstrates proficiency using Google Cloud products and solutions. It shows that a service provider or prospective employee can manage and execute Google Cloud technologies into a company’s workflow.

These skills are highly sought after and may lead to improved job prospects and salary.

“Certification is a commitment to a profession and makes you stand out in the corporate world”

What are the entry-level GCP certifications?

If you are complete beginner, you should start from Google Cloud Digital Leader. This certification is for anyone who wishes to demonstrate their knowledge of cloud computing basics and how Google Cloud products and services can be used to achieve an organization’s goals. 

If you have some level of Cloud experience, you should go for Google Associate Cloud Engineer. This certification is a good starting point for those not completely new to the cloud and can be used as a path to professional-level certifications.

Comparison of Digital Cloud Leader vs GCP Associate Cloud Engineer

Both the exams have no prerequisites and are multiple choice and multiple select.

Below are important characteristics of both Google Cloud Digital Leader and Google Associate Cloud Engineer:

Digital Cloud LeaderGCP Associate Cloud Engineer
Price$99 USD$125 USD
Time Allotted90 minutes120 Minutes
Recommended ExperienceExperience collaborating with technical professionals6+ months hands-on experience with Google Cloud
LanguagesEnglish, JapaneseEnglish, Japanese, Spanish, Portuguese
PrerequisitesNoneNone
Exam TopicsLink to Exam Guide
– Introduction to Digital Transformation with Google Cloud
– Innovating with Data and Google Cloud
– Infrastructure and Application Modernization with Google Cloud 
– Understanding Google Cloud Security and Operations 
Link to Exam Guide
– Setting up a cloud solution environment
– Planning and configuring a cloud solution
– Deploying and implementing a cloud solution
– Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution
– Configuring access and security
Time Taken to Prepare2-3 hours every day for 3-4 weeks. 2-3 hours every day for 2 months
Practice ExamsAvailable on ReviewNPrepAvailable on ReviewNPrep
Comparison of Digital Cloud Leader vs GCP Associate Cloud Engineer

To schedule your exam, you must log in with your existing Google Cloud Webassessor account to see the catalogue and register for an exam.

If you do not have a Google Cloud Web assessor account, you can create a new account.

Free Resources for Google Cloud Digital Leader and GCP Associate Cloud Engineer

Some of the free resources you can use for the preparation are:

We encourage you to pass the Google Cloud Certification exam on the first attempt and strongly believe that these practice exams will actually make a difference.

You can also go through various preparation journeys of certified professionals and connect with them via LinkedIn; this will give you a nice outlook of how-to and from where to start.

Types of Google Cloud certifications

Associate certification

The associate-level GCP certification is focused on the fundamental skills of deploying, monitoring and maintaining projects on Google Cloud.

Professional certification

Professional certifications span key technical job roles and assess advanced skills in design, implementation, and management.

  1. Professional Cloud Architect (PCA): PCA enables organizations to make effective and efficient use of Google Cloud technologies. This certification is intended for cloud architects who want to build complex cloud solutions and services using GCP. PCAs must develop a thorough understanding of cloud architecture in general and the Google Cloud Platform in particular. Those who hold this credential can design, develop and manage dynamic Google Cloud Platform solutions to meet business objectives that are robust, secure, scalable, and highly available. Check out the preparation guide for this certification.
  2. Professional Data Engineer (PDE): PDE focuses more on analyzing and using data stored in the Google Cloud Platform rather than in designing, deploying, or maintaining such environments as with the ACE and the PCA. PDE is meant for Data Engineers who want to design and build data collecting and processing machine learning models on GCP. As such, PDE supports and facilitates data-driven decision-making based on collecting, transforming, and visualizing data. The PDE curriculum and exam puts particular emphasis on ensuring that such data processing systems are secure, reliable, and fault-tolerant, as well as scalable, accurate, and efficient. Check out the preparation guide for this certification
  3. Professional Cloud Developer (PCD): PCD is ideal for software developers who want to build full-stack scalable applications on GCP. Candidates should possess the skills necessary to successfully integrate GCP services and conduct application performance monitoring. Candidates should have the knowledge to successfully use Stackdriver to debug, trace code, and produce metrics. Proficiency in at least one general programming language is also recommended.
  4. Professional Cloud Network Engineer (CNE): A CNE manages and implements network architectures using GCP. You should do this certification if you want to design, implement and manage network architectures on GCP. In addition to GCP, successful candidates should be skilled in working with technologies such as hybrid connectivity, network architecture security, VPCs, network services, and the GCP Console command-line interface.
  5. Professional Cloud Security Engineer (CSE): This certification is aimed at security engineers who want to build, implement and maintain security services, also secure your company’s cloud infrastructure by using GCP security technologies. An expert-level credential, CSEs are well-versed in industry security requirements, regulations, best practices, and security-related topics and technologies, such as identity and access management, data protection using GCP, configuring security at the network level, analyzing logs, managing incidents, and recommending organization-wide security policies. CSEs also possess the skills necessary to design, implement and manage secure infrastructures on GCP.
  6. Collaboration Engineer (PCE): This is the next level in becoming a G Suite specialist and taking up this exam. A PCE transforms business objectives into tangible configurations, policies, and security practices as they relate to users, content, and integrations. Google suggests at least 3+ years of industry experience and 1+ years of G Suite administration.
  7. Professional DevOps Engineer(PDE): A Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer is responsible for efficient development operations that can balance service reliability and delivery speed. They are skilled at using Google Cloud Platform to build software delivery pipelines, deploy and monitor services, and manage and learn from incidents. The Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer exam assesses your ability to Apply site reliability engineering principles to a service, optimise service performance, Implement service monitoring strategies, Build and implement CI/CD pipelines for a service, and Manage service incidents.
  8. Professional Machine Learning Engineer(MLE): A Professional Machine Learning Engineer designs builds, and produces ML models to solve business challenges using Google Cloud technologies and knowledge of proven ML models and techniques. The ML Engineer is proficient in all aspects of model architecture, data pipeline interaction, and metrics interpretation and needs familiarity with application development, infrastructure management, data engineering, and security. The Professional Machine Learning Engineer exam assesses your ability to Frame ML problems, Architect ML solutions, Prepare and process data, Develop ML models, Automate & orchestrate ML pipelines, and Monitor, optimize, and maintain ML solutions.

Become GCP Certified with these GCP Practice Exams on SALE.

Practice Exams

Picking the right Google Cloud certification – Free Career Journey Tool

Google cloud beginner

Google Cloud Platform offers multiple certifications, from Associate Cloud Engineer to Professional Cloud Architect.

Going through Google, searching, and reading all the way can be overwhelming, and after all this effort, we are still not sure if we would get the answer to which Google Cloud certification to go for.

Considering this issue, Reviewnprep came up with a Career Journey tool that helps you decide which certification is best suited for you and that too in straightforward steps.

You need to follow the below steps to make the most of the career-journey feature:

Step 1: Select your difficulty level

Step 2: Select the available roles applicable or your area of interest

You can check the tool for GCP certifications here.

Career journey tool for your learning path:

gcp certifications

Conclusion

Let your certification speak for you:

Show your technical skills and ability. Get Google Cloud Certified and tell the world that you possess the ability to design, develop, manage, and administer application infrastructure and data solutions on Google Cloud.

GCP certification is the most recommended certification that has been favoured by every professional to achieve a better job position & job promotion in their career. 

While Google cloud certification can be one of the best professional certificates, one should also check out AWS and Azure when starting with your cloud journey, it can help you decide which certification is right for you. They all share the common elements of a public cloud, like flexible computing, storage and networking along with self-service and instant provisioning, autoscaling, plus security, compliance and identity management features.

Further Reading

AWS-The Ultimate BEGINNERS Guide

Microsoft Azure Beginners Guide

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