Google Cloud Certifications: Finding The Right Fit For You And Your Team

(CTN News) – In today’s digital landscape, cloud computing has become an essential tool for businesses to stay competitive and agile. As a result, Google Cloud certifications have gained significant importance, offering a way to validate and expand one’s skills in emerging cloud technologies.

In this article, we will explore the different types of Google Cloud certifications, and the requirements to help you make an informed decision about which certification is right for you and your team.

Why Get Google Cloud Certified?

Google Cloud certifications are designed to nurture, expand, and validate your skills in emerging cloud technologies. They are the surest way to evolve with the cloud, advance your career, and drive digital transformation. 

By becoming Google Cloud certified, you can demonstrate your value to employers, receive exclusive benefits, and unlock new opportunities.

Types of Google Cloud Certifications

There are three types of Google Cloud certifications:

• Foundational
• Associate
• Professional

Foundational:

Currently, only the Digital Cloud Leader certification is categorized as “Foundational.” This certification validates a broad understanding of cloud concepts and Google Cloud products, services, tools, features, benefits, and use cases.

It’s ideal for individuals in technical roles who can benefit from grasping the basics of cloud computing.

Associate:

The Cloud Engineer certification is classified as an “Associate” certification. This serves as an ideal starting point for individuals aiming to pursue Professional certifications. It covers fundamental skills related to deploying, monitoring, and maintaining projects on Google Cloud.

Professional:

Each Professional-level certification focuses on a specific advanced role. While all Google certifications have a broad scope, Professional certifications delve much deeper than the Associate level, encompassing both the technology and the business aspects relevant to those roles.

Google Cloud Certifications

Here are the current Google Cloud certifications to consider for your cloud career:

1. Google Cloud Digital Leader
2. Google Associate Cloud Engineer
3. Google Professional Cloud Architect
4. Google Professional Data Engineer
5. Google Professional Cloud Developer
6. Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer
7. Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer
8. Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer
9. Google Professional Cloud Network Engineer
10. Google Professional Cloud Database Engineer

Each certification offers unique opportunities to advance your skills and expertise in Google Cloud Platform.

1. Google Cloud Digital Leader Certification

For those starting out in the realm of Google Cloud certifications, the Google Cloud Digital Leader certification provides a solid foundation.

Designed for individuals aiming to demonstrate their grasp of GCP fundamentals, basic cloud computing principles, and the application of Google cloud services for organizational objectives.

The exam for Google Cloud Digital Leader covers key areas such as:

• Digital transformation with Google Cloud
• Leveraging data and Google Cloud for innovation
• Modernizing infrastructure and applications
• Ensuring security and efficient operations on Google Cloud

The only prerequisite for embarking on the learning path toward obtaining the Google Cloud Digital Leader certification is a general understanding of computers and the internet.

To prepare for the certification exam, individuals can enroll in Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud Digital Leader Exam Preparation course and then proceed to take the practice exam.

Alternatively, if one feels adequately prepared, they can directly attempt Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud Digital Leader Exam.

2. Google Associate Cloud Engineer Certification

The Google Associate Cloud Engineer certification is tailored for individuals responsible for deploying applications, overseeing operations, and administering enterprise solutions. This role-based Associate-level certification assesses competencies across various domains:

• Setting up a cloud solution environment
• Planning and configuring a cloud solution
• Deploying and implementing a cloud solution
• Ensuring the smooth operation of a cloud solution
• Configuring access and security

To embark on the journey toward obtaining the Google Associate Cloud Engineer certification, candidates should meet the following prerequisites:

• A basic understanding of Google Cloud Platform products and services
• Familiarity with cloud concepts such as virtual machines, containers, and networking

For those aspiring to become certified, Cloud Academy offers a comprehensive Google Associate Cloud Engineer Exam Preparation course followed by a practice exam.

Alternatively, if you’re confident in your readiness, you can directly attempt Cloud Academy’s Google Associate Cloud Engineer Exam.

3. Google Professional Cloud Architect Certification

The Google Professional Cloud Architect certification is a pinnacle achievement demonstrating advanced design and implementation proficiency. Geared towards IT professionals adept at crafting solutions on the Google Cloud Platform, this certification demands practical, hands-on expertise relevant to the job role.

The Google Cloud Architect exam evaluates competencies across six key subjects:

• Designing and planning a cloud solution architecture
• Managing and provisioning a solution infrastructure
• Designing for security and compliance
• Analyzing and optimizing technical and business processes
• Managing implementation
• Ensuring solution and operations reliability

A prerequisite for embarking on the learning path toward obtaining the Google Cloud Architect certification is a fundamental understanding of IT concepts.

To prepare for certification, individuals can enroll in Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud Architect Exam Preparation course, followed by a practice exam. Alternatively, if you feel sufficiently prepared, you can directly attempt Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud Architect Exam.

5. Google Professional Cloud Developer

If you’re seeking the ideal Google Cloud certification for developers, the Google Professional Cloud Developer certification is tailored for you. This role-based certification targets software developers proficient in building applications on the Google Cloud Platform.

The Google Cloud Developer exam evaluates expertise in five key areas:

• Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications
• Building and testing applications
• Deploying applications
• Integrating Google Cloud services
• Managing deployed applications

To embark on the learning path and attain the Google Cloud Developer certification, you should possess:

1. General knowledge of IT architecture
2. Software development experience

For certification preparation, consider enrolling in Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud Developer Exam Preparation course, followed by a practice exam. Alternatively, if you’re confident in your readiness, you can proceed directly to Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud Developer Exam.

6. Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer

The Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer certification is designed for individuals who have honed their expertise in cloud security, covering areas such as identity and access management, data protection, and network security defenses. The certification exam assesses proficiency in the following domains:

1. Configuring access within a cloud solution environment
2. Configuring network security
3. Ensuring data protection
4. Managing operations in a cloud solution environment
5. Ensuring compliance

To enroll in the learning path and achieve the Google Cloud Security Engineer certification, a fundamental understanding of cloud concepts like virtual machines, containers, and networking is required.

If you’re interested in obtaining certification and becoming a professional cloud security engineer, consider Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud Security Engineer Exam Preparation course, followed by a practice exam.

Alternatively, if you’re confident in your readiness, you can directly attempt Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud Security Engineer Exam.

For tech managers, addressing security concerns is crucial for advancing cloud adoption. Cloud Academy’s training library offers extensive coverage of IT Security, enabling your team to stay abreast of emerging security threats and solutions.

7. Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer

The Google Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer certification targets individuals responsible for effective development operations within an organization, capable of balancing service reliability and delivery speed. The Google Cloud DevOps Engineer exam evaluates proficiency in the following domains:

1. Applying site reliability engineering principles to a service
2. Building and implementing CI/CD pipelines for a service
3. Implementing service monitoring strategies
4. Optimizing service performance
5. Managing service incidents

Prerequisites for enrolling in the learning path and obtaining the Google Cloud DevOps Engineer certification include:

1. Basic understanding of cloud concepts (virtual machines, containers, networking, etc.)
2. General knowledge of IT architecture
3. Familiarity with DevOps practices and principles

If you’re interested in becoming a certified professional DevOps engineer, consider Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud DevOps Engineer Exam Preparation course.

8. Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer

The Google Professional Machine Learning Engineer certification is designed for individuals who specialize in designing, building, and deploying machine learning models to address business challenges using Google Cloud technologies. The Google Cloud Machine Learning Engineer exam evaluates proficiency in six subject areas:

1. Framing machine learning problems
2. Architecting machine learning solutions
3. Designing data preparation and processing systems
4. Developing machine learning models
5. Automating and orchestrating machine learning pipelines
6. Monitoring, optimizing, and maintaining machine learning solutions

Prerequisites for enrolling in the learning path and obtaining the Google Machine Learning Engineer certification include:

1. Basic understanding of cloud concepts
2. Experience writing Python code

If you’re interested in becoming a certified Google Cloud professional ML engineer, consider exploring Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud Machine Learning Engineer Exam Preparation course, followed by a practice exam. Alternatively, if you feel prepared, you can directly attempt Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud Machine Learning Engineer Exam.

9. Google Professional Cloud Network Engineer

The Google Professional Cloud Network Engineer certification is tailored for individuals responsible for implementing and managing network architectures within Google Cloud Platform (GCP). The Google Cloud Network Engineer exam assesses proficiency in the following subject areas:

1. Designing, planning, and prototyping a Google Cloud network
2. Implementing Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) instances
3. Configuring network services
4. Implementing hybrid interconnectivity
5. Managing, monitoring, and optimizing network operations

A prerequisite for enrolling in the learning path and obtaining the Google Cloud Network Engineer certification is a fundamental understanding of cloud concepts such as virtual machines, containers, and networking.

To pursue certification and become a professional cloud network engineer, consider Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud Network Engineer Exam Preparation course, followed by a practice exam. Alternatively, if you’re confident in your readiness, you can directly attempt Cloud Academy’s Google Cloud Network Engineer Exam.

10. Google Professional Cloud Database Engineer

The Google Professional Cloud Database Engineer certification is tailored for individuals seeking to master the design, creation, management, and troubleshooting of Google Cloud databases utilized by applications for data storage and retrieval. The Google Cloud Database Engineer exam evaluates proficiency in four key subject areas:

1. Designing scalable and highly available cloud database solutions
2. Managing solutions spanning multiple database solutions
3. Migrating data solutions
4. Deploying scalable and highly available databases in Google Cloud

If you’re interested in obtaining certification, explore the Google Cloud Database Engineer certification.

Preparing for a Google Cloud Certification Exam: 5 Essential Steps

Preparing for a Google Cloud certification exam requires thorough training and practice to ensure success. Here are five essential steps to follow before taking your exam:

1. Take Relevant Learning Paths: Cloud Academy offers comprehensive learning paths covering all necessary topics for each Google Cloud Platform certification. These paths include courses, hands-on labs, and exams tailored to each certification.
2. Get Hands-On Practice on GCP: Utilize Hands-on Labs and Lab Challenges to gain practical experience in real cloud environments without the need to deploy your own infrastructure, helping you develop critical skills.
3. Review Official Exam Guide: Familiarize yourself with the outline provided in Google’s official exam guide and identify any knowledge gaps that need to be addressed during your preparation.
4. Study Case Studies (For Cloud Architect Exam): The Cloud Architect exam often includes questions based on lengthy case studies. Ensure you thoroughly read and understand these case studies provided in the exam guides to better prepare for such questions.
5. Take Practice Exams: Utilize Google’s own practice exams, such as the “sample questions” link on the Cloud Architect home page, to gauge your readiness and familiarize yourself with the exam format.

Once you’ve taken the exam, you’ll receive a result of either “Pass” or “Fail.” If you don’t pass, you can retake the exam after a 14-day waiting period. However, failing on the second attempt requires a 60-day waiting period before the next attempt.

Upon passing the exam, you’ll receive an online certification badge that can be showcased on professional platforms like LinkedIn. Additionally, you’ll receive a coveted Google Cloud certification hoodie as a symbol of your achievement.