Is Google ads Certification hard?

Theres no denying that Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) is one of the top ways to promote almost anything online.

Whether you want to create powerful ads for your brand or offer a digital marketing service to your clients, it makes sense to gain Google Ads certification. Doing so offers numerous benefits to those that earn such certification:

• You learn the right concepts and experience all the powerful features Google Ads has to offer;
• Your certification makes you a credible marketer if you provide a PPC marketing service;
• Its a useful qualification to have on your resume.

Your earned achievements demonstrate to your colleagues, employer, or clients that you are an expert in your field.

Why do I need a Google Ads certification study guide?

Because you need to pass yourGoogle Ads exams. If you focus on the right things, you will save hours of your valuable time. With this article, youll know everything you need about Google Ads certification. And how to earn your certificate easily.

Whether youre a newbie studying to make a career in online advertising or a marketing professional wanting to brush up on your paid marketing skills, it is a great place to start.

The trouble is, some people find it challenging to pass their Google AdWords (Ads) exams on the first attempt.

A Google Ads certification allows individuals to demonstrate that Google recognizes them as an expert in online advertising.

This article will walk you through the steps of getting Google Ads certification the smarter way through Skillshop.

Get Started with a Google Account

Note: if youve already got a Google account, you can skip this step. Tip: in some cases, you would want to have a separate account for study and individual achievements.

The first thing to do is to choose the right Google account. Why does it matter? The answers simple: your certification will be tied to it both publicly and personally.

You can start the process by using a Gmail email address or a Google profile tied to a unique domain name.

SkillShop has a little known feature that could be very useful if you use multiple accounts. You can merge your achievements and certificates with your primary Google profile.

Is Google Ads certification free? Yes, it is. But your time is not. Thats why make sure you know more about Google certification before you start.

All possible exam questions with answers. All 6 exams.

100% correct and verified answers

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Get Started with Skillshop

The next step towards gaining Google Ads certification is by visiting the Skillshop website.

SkillShop term could seem new to you. You may be more familiar with Google AdWords, Google AdWords certification tests, Google Academy for Ads, or even Google Partners programs.

Google Academy for ads was previously known as Google Partners program. It contained 5 advanced Google AdWords exams and the AdWords fundamentals exam. But Google AdWords was rebranded to Google Ads. And, on 17th September 2019 Google Academy for Ads changed its name to Google SkillShop.

Not only Google AdWords certification tests have changed. The certification format is completely different. The fundamentals exam and multiple other programs were discontinued. Digital Sales, Mobiles Sites exams are just a few examples.

All possible Q&A

100% correct answers

Google Ads Certification Category

At the time of writing, there are currently six individual Google Ads certificates you can earn:

Display Certification

Display advertising exam tests your ability to create an advertising strategy for the GDN (Google Display Network), that reaches over 3.00.000 web properties. You will learn how to generate brand awareness, increase customer retention, reach new and existing customers. The main focus is on Smart display advertising campaigns, Responsive and HTMLAMP ads, bidding strategies.

Display Ads assessment contains 49 various format questions. But there are many more possible exam questions. Are you looking for a shortcut? You can get all possible Q&A here.

If you want to practice, you can try Display Ads knowledge test assessment. Its optional, but you will get familiar with the exam format. Think about this knowledge check assessment as a sample certification.

Search Certification

Search advertising certification shows your knowledge in building and optimizing Search campaigns. The main focus is on automated solutions, best practices, smart bidding, audience targeting and budget planning.

The certification exam contains 50 various format questions. They are always in random order, and there are more than 150 known questions you can expect during the assessment.

You can check your understanding of key concepts of search advertising and get familiar with exam format passing Knowledge Check Assessment. Just note that its optional, and to get certified youll need to take the certification assessment.

Measurement Certification

Measurement assessment is new in Google SkillShop. There was no such program in Academy for Ads or Google Partner badge program. The main focus is on different Googles measurement solutions, effectively tracking and measuring sales, app downloads, or leads. You should understand attribution modeling and have some practice implementing measurement solutions to get certified.

This program is the most technical in the Google Ads category. Maybe thats the reason why many find it the most difficult one.

Knowledge check assessment contains 27 questions and certification exam 50.

Video Certification

Google video advertising certificate demonstrates an understanding of how to effectively advertise on YouTube, deliver more relevant ads and drive brand performance.

The main focus in on different Video ads formats, bidding strategies and how to align them with your marketing goals and buyers journey.

The video advertising certification exam contains 50 various format questions. You should have some experience using video ads and working with Google Ads interface. Otherwise, its easy to get lost between various video ads formats and bidding strategies.

Shopping Ads Certification

Shopping advertising certification is tailored for advertisers working with e commerce websites promoting online and local inventory products. In this course you will learn how to use local inventory and local catalog ads, how Google solutions help connect retailers and boost performance.

The shopping advertising certification exam could seem quite specific if you dont have experience on e-commerce projects and product feeds. The assessment contains 46 multiple choice and matching blocks type questions.

It is always a good idea to pass knowledge check assessment before you take the exam. In this case you will have a better idea about the exam format.

Google Apps Certification

The last and the newest program in this category . Apps certification. Before the SkillShop update there was Mobile Sites and AdWords Mobile advertising exams. This Apps certification is very different from these discontinued exams.

With this course you will learn how to create App campaigns. Elevate the performance with advanced strategies of mobile advertising. Meet your marketing goals with specific app campaigns.

The exam contains 50 multiple choice questions. I would say its quite a specific one. App campaigns are very different from Search and Display Ads. If you have no experience advertising in apps, you should practice a little before taking the exam.

You may wish to get certified in one area, a few, or gain all the Google Ads certifications; the choice is down to your personal preference and requirements. In my opinion, people new to PPC and online advertising should opt for the Search Certification first of all.

Know Google Ads test format before taking the exam

Theres something common to all Google Ads exams.

• Theres a time limit. You have 75 minutes to complete each test. As you see, the time limit is not great.
• Knowledge test assessments are optional. Just like practice tests. You have to pass a certification assessment to become AdWords certified professional (Google Ads now).
• You need to score 80% or above to pass the test.
• If you fail, you have to wait 24 hours before the next attempt.
• Each exam contains 46-50 questions. But there are more possible questions. And they are always in random order.
• Various format. Assessments include multiple choice, single choice, and matching blocks type questions.
• Certificate is valid for 1 year. After that you have to pass the Google exam again.
• Exams are updated frequently. One big update once a year. And multiple smaller updates every 2-3 months, depending on the exam.
• The assessments are free.

You will hate Google Ads assessments. Why?

You decide it worth your time or not. But I have to say the ugly part too. So you could see the whole picture.

I have been passing these exams since 2016. Multiple times updating my guides, verifying answers, and picking all possible questions. Insane numbers. And now I want to share some takeaways:

Google exams contain errors

No matter it was Google AdWords certification exams years ago. Or Skillshop assessments now. There are always Google-side errors.

It wont usually affect you pass the exam or not. As it will be just 1-2 questions from 50. But its more than annoying. The most common errors:

• Select two answers. But the question format is not multiple choice, and allows to select only one. Obviously, there are 2 correct options. How would you know which option is marked as correct in the backend? If you havent tested it before I did.
• Two exactly the same answer options. The correct answer is one. But there are two exactly the same options. Which one you select?
• Different correct answer in different languages. Google Ads exams are available in multiple languages. But not all training material is available in different languages. But the weird thing is that we found different correct answer marked in the test background depending on the language.
• No correct answer at all. There is 1 question that is common in Search, Display, and Shopping exams. No matter which option you select your answer will be wrong. Because there is no correct answer in the test background. I have tested it multiple times.
• Inconsistency. The same question in SkillShop and in Analytics Academy has different correct answers.

They do not test your practical skills

There is nothing more to say about the errors. But Id like to mention 2 more aspects (not errors) I dont like:

First, they do not test your skills. They only test if you have watched their training videos. Whats true in theory is often wrong in practice. You will often face the situation when more you know about online advertising, more difficult is to answer the question. And there is no option It depends.

The exam requires you to know the best answer in theory, which isnt close to the best answer in practice.

Second, self-promotional questions. Like YouTube has the most engaging audience <> helps you reach the over two billion <> Why YouTube is the best solution to drive action <>. And so on. No fun.

Sure, you can avoid all this annoying stuff and become AdWords certified (sorry, Google Ads) in a couple of minutes using our answer sheets. Just take the exam, and you will find all exam answers in a single file. 100% correct and verified.

Preparing for your Google Ads certification exams

Google thankfully provides comprehensive learning material and study guide to help you learn what you need to know.

Google provides the training content linked to each individual certification; each section will only teach you skills relevant to the certification you wish to attain. However, their study guides are quite basic. In order to succeed in getting certified, you need some practice skills also.

The great thing about Googles study guides is you can go through it at your leisure. You dont need to rush through the learning material, as doing so could mean you get some answers wrong in your exam and potentially fail it.

When mastering your Google Ads skills, its worth considering other ways to support your tuition and boost your chances of passing your Google Ads exams with flying colors:

Watch official Google Ads videos on YouTube

When reading through the help content on the Google Ads website, you might have noticed that some of their help pages have instructional videos. They can make you visualize specific processes easier. Also, there are many great study guides available for free on YouTube. Some of them are very practice based.

Review the exam questions and answers

Many people find it useful to review the exam Q&A before you take the test. I call it reverse learning method. Knowing Q&A before you take the exam, lets focus your learning efforts on the right aspects.

Also, you can save many hours this way. And spend your time on practice.

Practice what you learn

You dont need to wait until you take the test before applying what youve learned to real-life ad campaigns. It makes sense to try out the skills that you learn as you go through your learning material.

Doing so helps you visualize how things work and the effects of specific actions you take during your campaign management.

FAQs about Google AdWords certification (Google Ads)

How long does it take to become Google ads certified?

It depends. You can pass the exams in 10 minutes with the answer key. But it could take up to couple ofweeks to get familiar with exam study material, get some practice, and pass the test.

How hard is Google ads certification?

Its quite hard to pass even for digital marketing experts. Not because that theyre not familiar with the concepts. But because of the exam format, tricky and confusing questions.

What can I do with a Google ads certification?

Its a great way to showcase your expertise. Boost your resume or social profiles, add more credibility to your potential employers or clients.

Is Google Ads certification free?

Yes. Its free. But if it worth your time is another question. Hopefully, this guide will help you answer it.

Passing your exams

By now, youll have learned a great deal of information about your Google Ads certification. All thats left for you to do is take the assessment.

If you fail, its worth noting theres a waiting period before you can retake the exam. Thankfully, there are no other penalties to failing a Google Ads certification assessment.

When you pass your exams, youll get awarded your certificates. Note that you can use your achievements towards credits for the Google Partner program, download them, add them to your resume or share on LinkedIn.

Final thoughts

The process of getting certified isnt traumatic or overly challenging. All you need is a Google account and some time to devote to your education.

Of course, it makes sense to prepare for your Google Ads (formerly AdWords) exams the smart way, such as working through Googles course material, practicing, and reviewing exam questions and answers. Become certified easily.

Good luck!

Some Useful Links

Weve covered most aspects of Google Ads certification. Its up to you want to go a more traditional way. Or use one of our answer files. Here are some useful links:

Happy Certification!