Alexis Kestler
Cloud computing has fundamentally transformed how modern businesses operate. According to Flexera‘s 2021 State of the Cloud report, 92% of enterprises now have a multi-cloud strategy.
With cloud adoption accelerating so rapidly, cloud certifications have become highly valued in the job market. Getting certified demonstrates your skills in managing and optimizing complex cloud architectures.
In particular, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) has emerged as one of the top cloud providers. Gartner Magic Quadrant has positioned GCP as a Leader for its strong infrastructure, pricing and vision.
As a fellow tech professional, I‘m sure you‘ve wondered about getting Google Cloud certified and how it can benefit your career. Well, you‘ve come to the right place!
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll provide you insider knowledge and expertise to master Google Cloud certifications.
Here‘s what I‘ll cover:
- Why Google Cloud certifications matter
- Overview of GCP certification exams
- Key benefits of getting GCP certified
- Required skills and experience levels
- Top GCP learning resources
- Tips and strategies to prepare and pass
- Getting certified on a budget
- Your rewarding future as a GCP pro
Let‘s get started!
Why Google Cloud Certifications Matter
Let‘s first look at why Google Cloud skills are becoming so critical for IT professionals like us.
Google Cloud adoption has skyrocketed in recent years. According to a 2021 report by Synergy Research Group, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) now has a 9% share of the $152 billion global cloud infrastructure market.
This growth is likely to continue as more enterprises use GCP for its advanced analytics, machine learning and other capabilities.
As a result, GCP skills are in huge demand. Getting GCP certified validates your expertise to employers and sets you apart.
In fact, over 75% of certified IT professionals got a salary increment or promotion within 1 year of getting certified, according to Global Knowledge‘s 2021 IT Skills and Salary Report.
Clearly, GCP certification can be a boon for our careers. But what exactly does it involve?
Overview of Google Cloud Certification Exams
Google offers role-based certifications focused on specific skillsets on its cloud platform.
The credentials are organized into 3 levels:
Associate (Foundational):
- Google Cloud Certified Associate Cloud Engineer
- Google Cloud Certified Associate Cloud Developer
- Google Cloud Certified Associate Data Engineer
- Google Cloud Certified Associate Security Engineer
Professional (Advanced):
- Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect
- Google Cloud Certified Professional Data Engineer
- Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Developer
- Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Security Engineer
Speciality:
- Google Cloud Certified Machine Learning Engineer
- Google Cloud Certified Professional Collaboration Engineer
- Google Cloud Certified Professional Network Engineer
The certification exams aim to validate your hands-on skills and experience with GCP services.
Here are some key details about the exam process:
- Format: Multiple choice and/or hands-on labs. Duration is typically 2 hours.
- Cost: Exam fees are $200 per attempt (discounts sometimes offered).
- Passing score: Minimum score required is usually around 70%.
- Retakes: You can retry after 14 days from first attempt if you don‘t pass. Longer waiting periods apply for 3rd and 4th attempts.
- Validity: Certifications expire after 2 years. You‘ll need to recertify to stay current.
Now that you know what‘s involved, let‘s look at some amazing benefits these credentials can offer your career…
Key Benefits of Getting Google Cloud Certified
Investing the time and effort to get Google Cloud certified can be hugely rewarding.
Here are some of the biggest benefits:
1. Higher Salary
Getting GCP certified proves you possess in-demand skills. This strengthens your ability to negotiate higher salaries.
As per Global Knowledge‘s IT Skills and Salary Survey, certified IT professionals earn 9% higher salaries on average compared to their non-certified peers.
2. Career Advancement Opportunities
Your GCP skills and credentials will get you noticed for lucrative job and promotion opportunities.
Udemy‘s 2020 IT Skills Gap report states that 91% of hiring managers consider IT certifications very or somewhat important for job role recruitment.
In fact, many engineers with just 1-2 years of experience can reach Senior Engineer roles after getting GCP certified.
3. Improved Productivity
Certified professionals are able to work faster and more efficiently. Research by IDC shows certifications can make you up to 30% more productive on relevant projects.
This is because the applied skills and best practices you learn prepare you for real-world cloud environments.
4. Industry Recognition
Most leading technology vendors and partners require or encourage their staff to get certified.
Getting GCP certified displays your dedication and competence to potential recruiters and peers.
5. Career Security
Cloud technologies are evolving rapidly. What‘s hot today could become obsolete tomorrow.
Getting certified regularly shows you‘re up-to-date with the latest developments. This makes you a valuable long-term asset for employers.
Clearly, the advantages of skilling up and getting Google Cloud certified are too good to ignore for tech professionals like us.
Now let‘s look at what skill level you require to get started…
Required Skills and Experience for GCP Certifications
Google Cloud certifications cater to both early-career professionals as well as seasoned experts.
Here‘s an overview of the skills and experience needed for each level:
Associate (Foundational):
- Basic understanding of cloud infrastructure and services
- Familiarity with any one of Python/Java/Go/Node.js
- Ability to navigate the GCP Console UI
- Around 6 months experience recommended
Professional (Advanced):
- Strong hands-on expertise with GCP architectural principles
- Experience with infrastructure as code tools like Deployment Manager
- Prior implementation of cloud systems at scale
- At least 3 years of industry experience recommended
Speciality:
- Deep skills in a specific domain like big data, ML, networking etc.
- Direct work experience with the relevant GCP services
- Typically aimed at mid-senior level professionals
While Associate certifications are great for early-career professionals like helpdesk engineers and system admins, the Professional and Speciality certifications target more seasoned cloud experts looking to boost their credentials.
Now let‘s look at the best resources to master the skills and ace those exams!
Top Google Cloud Learning Resources
With the right learning materials, you can gain GCP skills quickly even if starting from scratch.
Here are the best Google Cloud courses and practice resources I recommend based on personal experience:
1. A Cloud Guru
A Cloud Guru (ACG) has one of the most comprehensive and well-regarded GCP course libraries.
Some popular courses are:
- Google Cloud Certification: Getting Started – 7 hours
- Architecting with Google Cloud Platform Speciality – 20 hours
- Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect – 23 hours
- Google Cloud Certified Professional Data Engineer Certification – 13 hours
ACG combines short video tutorials, demos, visual aids and knowledge checks to deliver an interactive learning experience.
Their courses teach you through real-world examples and hands-on labs to build practical skills. For exam prep, ACG also offers mock tests to assess your progress.
Pricing starts at $39/month for access to the full course library.
2. Coursera
Coursera has authorized GCP training programs designed by Google to prepare you for the cloud certifications.
Some featured programs are:
- Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer – 90 days
- Preparing for Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer Exam – 12 weeks
- Architecting with Google Cloud Platform Specialization – 6 months
- Preparing for the Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer Exam – 4 weeks
Coursera combines video lectures, demos, hands-on labs and industry case studies for applied learning. Google also offers industry-recognized certificates that validate your skills.
Their monthly plans start at $49/month. But free 7-day trials are available letting you preview courses.
3. Whizlabs
Whizlabs is renowned for its practice tests closely mirroring the actual GCP certification exams.
They offer test banks covering questions on:
- Google Certified Professional Cloud Architect
- Google Certified Professional Data Engineer
- Google Certified Associate Cloud Engineer
- Google Certified Professional Cloud Developer
- Google Certified Professional Cloud Security Engineer
These tests are based on the latest exam syllabus and help identify your weak areas.
Whizlabs has a test interface very similar to the real exam to prepare you for the actual GCP exam experience.
Practice tests start at just $15. Their bundled courses including video lessons, study guides and tests provide excellent overall value.
4. Linux Academy (A Cloud Guru)
Linux Academy – now part of A Cloud Guru – has dozens of beginner-friendly courses to learn Google Cloud skills interactively.
Some top courses include:
- Google Cloud Essentials – 7 hours
- Introduction to Google Compute Engine – 4 hours
- Managing Deployments Using Kubernetes Engine – 6 hours
- Monitoring and Logging with Stackdriver – 3 hours
Their hands-on labs give you access to live GCP environments to practice your skills risk-free. Pricing and features are similar to ACG above.
5. Qwiklabs
To gain practical experience using the Google Cloud Console and APIs, Qwiklabs is a great option.
It provides you access to real GCP environments through guided labs and sandboxes.
Some featured labs cover:
- Creating a Virtual Machine
- Getting Started with App Engine
- Perform Foundational Data, ML, and AI Tasks in Google Cloud
- Deploy and Manage Cloud Environments with Google Cloud
These labs let you experiment and tinker with GCP services at your own pace. 1-month access starts at $29.
6. Google Cloud Training YouTube
Google‘s own Google Cloud Training YouTube channel has a huge repository of free hands-on tutorials on GCP services.
With new videos added regularly, it‘s a great free resource for visual learners.
7. Google Cloud Skills Boost
Google‘s Skills Boost program offers free courses and labs to build hands-on expertise in GCP.
Some featured learning paths for certification prep are:
- Cloud Engineering
- Data Science & Machine Learning
- Application Development
- Product Discovery
The structured learning paths make it easy to find materials tailored to your specific role.
Clearly, high-quality and affordable training resources for GCP skills are abundant. Consistently using these materials will get you exam-ready quickly.
Next, let‘s look at some tips and strategies to prepare efficiently and pass the certification exams.
Handy Tips and Strategies for Exam Preparation
Based on my experience helping others crack these certifications, here are some handy tips:
Choose your certification wisely
Research the exam details and target roles before registering to pick the right credential aligned to your experience level.
Learn conceptual foundations first
Start with fundamental courses to cement core concepts before specializing. Balance theory with hands-on practice.
Optimize your practice tests
Leave practice tests for the end of your preparation after covering all study materials. Use them to identify knowledge gaps. Review explanations for questions you get wrong.
Read the exam guide carefully
The exam guide outlines the blueprint, format, scoring, duration and policies. Familiarize yourself completely before attempting.
Manage exam time wisely
These exams have around 100 questions for completion in 2 hours. Divide your time and don‘t get stuck on any one question. Come back to tricky questions at the end.
Join online communities
Engage other learners in communities like LinkedIn and Reddit to discuss strategies and get peer learning support.
Don‘t neglect real-world experience
Hands-on experience with GCP environments through labs and sandboxes is invaluable preparation for the practical components of the exam.
Maintain exam-day discipline
Get plenty of rest the night before. Stay calm and focused during the exam. Review flagged questions at the end. Avoid distractions and anxiety.
Preparing smartly using these tips will help you pass your exam confidently in the first attempt!
Getting Google Cloud Certified on a Budget
The total cost for getting GCP certified ultimately depends on the credentials you pursue and resources you use.
Let‘s look at how to optimize costs:
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Start with free preparatory courses on platforms like Coursera, Udemy, YouTube and Qwiklabs before investing in paid materials.
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Opt for bundled study packages that combine courses, mock tests and labs at discounted pricing.
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Consider annual memberships for online learning platforms to get the lowest effective monthly cost.
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Take advantage of student discounts, first-time buyer offers, cashbacks and vouchers from various vendors.
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Books and self-study guides can provide structured content for less than video courses.
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Split costs of resources with colleagues to share materials.
With the right strategies, you can get fully prepared while spending only around $100-$500 depending on your chosen credential path. The long-term dividends for your career will make it an excellent investment.
Your Rewarding Future as a Certified GCP Pro
The demand for certified Google Cloud skills will only grow in the coming years as more organizations adopt it for critical workloads.
As a certified GCP professional, you‘ll be ready to capitalize on this soaring demand.
You‘ll have the credentials to instantly land exciting and well-paid roles like Cloud Architect, Infrastructure Engineer, Data Engineer, Security Engineer and more!
So are you ready to skill up and get Google Cloud certified?
I hope this guide provides you the insights and tips you need to progress your career as a certified GCP expert!
Wishing you the very best.
