GCP DevOps Engineer
Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer
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ExploreAbout this exam
The Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer is a Google Cloud certification for practitioners who implement processes and capabilities across the systems development lifecycle using Google-recommended methodologies and tools, enabling efficient software and infrastructure delivery while balancing reliability with delivery speed. It suits engineers with 3+ years of industry experience, including at least 1+ year designing and managing production systems on Google Cloud; there are no prerequisites. The exam runs 2 hours and presents 50-60 multiple choice questions in English or Japanese for a $200 registration fee (plus tax where applicable). It is delivered either online-proctored from a remote location or onsite-proctored at a testing center, and the certification is valid for 2 years. Assessed areas span bootstrapping and maintaining a Google Cloud organization, site reliability engineering practices, CI/CD pipelines with continuous testing across application, infrastructure, and machine learning workloads, observability and troubleshooting, and performance and cost optimization. Preparation typically starts with the official exam guide, then the Professional DevOps Engineer learning path of online training, instructor-led classes, and hands-on labs, supplemented by DORA and SRE resources, Google Cloud documentation and solutions guidance, and the published sample questions.
What you'll study
About GCP DevOps Engineer preparation
How long is the exam and how many questions does it have?
The exam length is 2 hours, and the format is 50-60 multiple choice questions. Because the source publishes a range rather than a fixed count, plan your pacing to leave review time across any plausible number of items in that band.
How much does it cost to register?
The registration fee is $200, plus tax where applicable. The fee is the same regardless of whether you choose the online-proctored option from a remote location or the onsite-proctored option at a testing center.
What passing score do I need?
Google Cloud does not publish a passing score on the certification page, so no numeric target can be quoted. Treat the published exam guide as your scope definition and aim to cover every listed topic area rather than optimizing for a specific threshold.
What happens if I fail - can I retake it?
The certification page does not publish a retake policy. Before you book, review the exam terms and conditions and the certification support center, which are the authoritative places for scheduling, rescheduling, and retake rules.
Where can I take the exam?
Two delivery methods are offered: you can take the online-proctored exam from a remote location, or take the onsite-proctored exam at a testing center, where you search for Google Cloud to find a location near you.
Do I need prerequisites or a certain amount of experience?
There are no prerequisites. The recommended experience is 3+ years of industry experience, including 1+ years designing and managing production systems using Google Cloud, so candidates without production GCP exposure should budget extra time for hands-on practice.
How long is the certification valid and how do I renew it?
The validity period is 2 years. Renewal is via Google Skills: designated courses and/or skill badges in the renewal learning path, completed within the last year of the certification's active date, after linking your CM Connect and Google Skills accounts using the same email.
What languages is the exam offered in?
The exam is offered in English and Japanese. If you are not testing in your first language, factor that into your timing practice, since the 2-hour limit applies to the full 50-60 question set.
In what order should I prepare?
Start with the exam guide to check whether your skills align with the listed topics, then work through the Professional DevOps Engineer learning path of online training, in-person classes, and hands-on labs. Use the DORA and SRE resources, Google Cloud documentation, and the sample questions to confirm format familiarity before scheduling.