ACE
Associate Cloud Engineer
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ExploreAbout this exam
The Associate Cloud Engineer credential is Google Cloud's foundational certification for practitioners who deploy and secure applications, services, and infrastructure, monitor operations across multiple projects, and maintain enterprise solutions against performance targets. It suits people with experience in public cloud or on-premises environments who can perform common platform-based tasks, including work supported by AI tooling, to keep one or more deployed solutions running and scaling on Google-managed or self-managed services. The exam assesses four areas: setting up a cloud solution environment, planning and implementing a cloud solution, ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution, and configuring access and security. There are no prerequisites, but Google recommends at least six months of hands-on Google Cloud experience before you attempt it. Preparation follows a defined path: build real-world practice using free-tier products and new-customer credits, read the exam guide to confirm your skills align with the tested topics, work through the Cloud Engineer learning path of online training, instructor-led classes, and hands-on labs, complete the exam-preparation course as a readiness check, and review sample questions to learn the question style. You then choose online-proctored delivery from a remote location or onsite-proctored delivery at a testing center, and register. Certification remains valid for three years, after which renewal options apply.
What you'll study
About ACE preparation
How long is the exam and how many questions does it have?
The standard exam runs two hours and contains 50-60 multiple choice and multiple select questions. The registration fee is $125 plus tax where applicable. It is offered in English, Japanese, Spanish, and Portuguese, and can be taken online-proctored from a remote location or onsite-proctored at a testing center.
Do I need any prerequisites or prior certifications?
No. Google lists no prerequisites for the Associate Cloud Engineer exam. The recommended background is six or more months of hands-on experience with Google Cloud, plus familiarity with public cloud or on-premises environments. If you are new, use free-tier usage and new-customer credits to build that experience before registering.
How difficult is it, and what trips candidates up?
Google frames readiness around six-plus months of hands-on practice, so pure reading is usually not enough. The most common failure mode is skipping the exam guide and preparing from memory of product names rather than the listed topics. Note also that the exam was updated for recent branding changes, so review the exam guide for the product names actually used.
What is the best order to study in?
Follow Google's sequence: get real-world experience first, then read the exam guide to check your skills against the topics, then work through the Cloud Engineer learning path covering online training, in-person classes, and hands-on labs. Finish with the exam-preparation course as a readiness check and review the sample questions before scheduling.
How long is the certification valid, and how do I renew?
Validity is three years. If your certification is active and you are within the renewal eligibility period, you can renew through designated courses or skill badges in the renewal learning path in Google Skills, by taking the shorter renewal exam, or by retaking the standard exam. Renewal requires linking your accounts using the same email.
What does the renewal exam involve?
The renewal exam lasts one hour, costs $75 plus tax where applicable, and contains 20 multiple choice and multiple select questions. It is offered in English and Japanese, delivered online-proctored or at a testing center, and grants three years of validity. You must hold an active certification and be within the renewal eligibility period.
Can I take the exam remotely?
Yes. You choose between an online-proctored exam taken from a remote location and an onsite-proctored exam at a testing center. If you go remote, check the online testing requirements first. If you prefer a test center, search for Google Cloud to locate one near you, then register for the standard or renewal exam.
What free resources help me prepare without paying for labs?
Google points to free monthly usage of over 20 products, including BigQuery and Compute Engine, up to monthly limits, and $300 in free credits for new Google Cloud customers on signup. The Cloud Engineer learning path, the exam guide, the preparation course, and the sample questions are also provided directly by Google.
If my certification already expired, which exam do I take?
The standard exam. Google states that if this is your first time getting certified, or your certification has expired, you must take the standard exam. Renewal options, including the shorter renewal exam and the Google Skills course path, are only available to candidates with an active certification inside the renewal eligibility period.