Tips to Clear the GCP Associate Cloud Engineer Certification Exam

The 70% passing rate of the GCP Associate Cloud Engineer certification exam highlights its challenges and the need for thorough preparation. This certification is a valuable asset for cloud engineers as it can give a 20% salary raise.

In this article, we will explore the certification and learn the tips to pass the Google Associate Cloud Engineer Exam. We have provided the exam details, cost, and passing score for the GCP ACE certification. 

Furthermore, if you are interested in getting the online training for the GCP certification, you can check out our free and paid Google Cloud Platform Courses.

GCP Associate Cloud Engineer Exam Details

Here are some important details about the GCP ACE certification exam:  

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Recommended Experience Before Taking the Exam

There are no formal prerequisites for taking the Associate Cloud Engineer exam, meaning anyone can register and attempt the exam regardless of their background. However, it is strongly recommended that candidates have at least six months of hands-on experience with Google Cloud Platform (GCP) before attempting the exam.

This experience should cover areas such as:   

● Deploying and managing applications and services on GCP   

● Configuring access and security for cloud resources   

● Monitoring and maintaining cloud infrastructure   

● Working with various GCP services, such as Compute Engine, Kubernetes Engine, App Engine, Cloud Storage, and BigQuery   

Tips to Pass the GCP Associate Cloud Engineer Exam 

Follow the given tips to pass the GCP Associate Cloud Engineer exam on your first attempt:

1. Get an Overview of the Certification Exam: Visit the Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer page to learn about the exam and its certification requirements. 

2. Prepare with an Exam Guide: Review the exam guide thoroughly to understand the topics covered and what you need to prepare for. For example, the “Official Google Cloud Certified Associate Cloud Engineer Study Guide” by Dan Sullivan is available for purchase online. The book offers review questions, but the actual exam will be more challenging. 

3. Read Official Documentation: Study the official Google Cloud Platform documentation to gain a deep understanding of GCP services. 

4. Focus on Syllabus and Key Topics: To excel in the Google Cloud Associate certification exam, it's important to focus on the following key topics: 

● Identity Services: Understand Identity and Access Management (IAM), including permissions, roles, Cloud Identity, and service accounts. 

● Data Services: Gain knowledge of various data services such as Cloud Storage, Pub/Sub, Cloud Dataflow, BigQuery, Cloud Dataprep, Dataproc, and Datalab. 

● Data Storage: Familiarize yourself with different storage solutions like Google Cloud Storage, Cloud Spanner, Firestore, Bigtable, Cloud Datastore, Filestore, Cloud SQL, and the various storage classes. 

● Networking: Study Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), subnets, VPNs, Cloud Interconnect, and Cloud Routers. Additionally, focus on topics like firewalls, Cloud CDN, and load balancing. 

● Monitoring: Learn about monitoring tools and services like Stackdriver and Audit Logs. 

● Compute: Understand key compute services such as Google Compute Engine, App Engine, and Google Cloud Functions, as well as concepts like backups, images, preemptible virtual machines, and live migration. 

● Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE): Familiarize yourself with Cloud Shell and Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), which is Google's implementation of Kubernetes. 

5. Focus on gaining hands-on experience 

6. Earn skill badges: Showcase your developing Google Cloud skills by earning and sharing skill badges. Relevant badges to help you prepare for the Associate Cloud Engineer certification include:   

● Perform Foundational Infrastructure Tasks in Google Cloud   

● Automating Infrastructure on Google Cloud with Terraform   

● Create and Manage Cloud Resources   

● Set Up and Configure a Cloud Environment in Google Cloud   

7. Review extra resources: Test your understanding with sample exam questions.   

Google Cloud Engineer Certification Jobs and Salaries 

After earning the Associate Cloud Engineer certification, you can apply for various roles in cloud computing and IT. Here are some potential job titles and their estimated average salaries: 

Conclusion  

Passing the Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer exam requires a solid understanding of the core concepts, hands-on experience with Google Cloud services, and a well-structured study plan. Start by familiarizing yourself with the exam content and reviewing the official resources, including the exam guide, study guides, and documentation.

Utilize additional materials such as online courses, GitHub repositories, and practice questions to deepen your understanding. Most importantly, apply what you learn through practical experience to build the skills necessary to confidently tackle the exam.

With dedication, preparation, and practice, you can successfully earn your Associate Cloud Engineer certification and advance your career in cloud computing. 

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