Google Ads Search exam-day guide
Google Ads Search · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Working Google account and Skillshop login
Sign in to Skillshop (skillshop.exceedlms.com) before exam day and confirm the Google Ads Search certification appears under your profile. Use the same account you'll take the exam with - people often have several Google accounts and get locked out of the wrong one.
Stable internet plus a backup connection
Wired or strong Wi-Fi, with a phone hotspot as fallback. Keep the hotspot tested and ready, not just available in theory.
Updated Chrome browser on a reliable computer
Update the browser the day before. Close background apps, sync clients, and anything that might push notifications or pop-ups over the exam window.
Quiet, private, uninterrupted room
The certification is intended to be completed by you alone. Book a space where nobody will walk in, and tell household members the exam window in advance.
Photo ID on the desk
needs_review - Google Ads certifications are normally taken online without a live proctor, but some delivery setups do check identity. Have a government-issued photo ID within reach and confirm the requirement with the provider before exam day.
Charger, water, and a simple clock or timer
Plug in the laptop so a battery warning can't cost you time. A visible clock helps you pace without watching the on-screen timer constantly.
Know the exam format before you sit down
needs_review - the commonly cited format is 50 multiple-choice questions, 75 minutes, 80% to pass, but Google periodically revises these figures. Read the current exam details page in Skillshop and write the numbers down.
Scratch paper and pen (permission confirmed)
needs_review - confirm with the provider whether note-taking is permitted for your delivery format. If it is, use it for quick math on budget, CPA, and ROI-style questions.
Phone silenced and out of reach
Even if the exam isn't proctored, alerts break concentration. Turn on Do Not Disturb and put it face down across the room.
A one-page personal summary of weak topics
Build this in the final 72 hours from your Skillshop knowledge-check results: bidding strategies, keyword match types, Quality Score and Ad Rank components, negative keywords, conversion tracking, and Search vs. Performance Max fundamentals.
Confirmed retake and validity rules
needs_review - know in advance how long the certification stays valid and whether a waiting period applies before a retake. Confirm both on the provider's certification page rather than relying on memory.
Plan the day
Finish the Skillshop learning path and any knowledge checks, then spend remaining study time only on the topics you scored worst on. Stop reading new material the night before; the goal now is recall, not coverage.
Do one timed practice run at roughly 1.5 minutes per question so you feel the pacing. Review every miss and write a two-line explanation in your own words.
Re-read your one-page summary and the exam details page (format, passing score, time limit, attempts). Log into Skillshop once to confirm access, test your backup hotspot, and charge everything.
Confirm the exact start time in your own time zone. Set two alarms. Get a full night's sleep - a 75-minute timed exam rewards alertness more than one extra hour of cramming.
Light breakfast, one 20-minute skim of your summary, then stop. Close every other tab and application, silence the phone, and set out ID, charger, water, and scratch paper.
Start the exam at least 10–15 minutes early so login issues don't eat into your timed window. Read the instructions screen fully before the first question.
First pass: answer everything you know, flag anything that needs re-reading, and never leave a question blank. Most items hinge on the qualifier - 'best', 'most likely', 'primary' - so read the last line of the stem before the options.
Second pass: revisit flagged items with the remaining time. If a question describes a business goal, eliminate options that don't serve that goal before comparing the survivors. Submit only when your flags are cleared.
Rules to check
Complete the exam on your own. Sharing, photographing, or reproducing exam questions is prohibited by the certification terms and can void your result.
Don't open other browser tabs, messaging apps, or screens during the exam, and don't ask another person for help - even in an unproctored format, this breaches the terms.
ID verification and any proctoring or room-scan requirement vary by delivery method. Confirm with the provider what applies to your session before you start.
Assume the clock does not stop. Built-in breaks are not guaranteed, so plan hydration and any break-taking around the timer - confirm with the provider whether pausing is possible.
A pass is typically 80% and results are usually shown immediately after submission; verify the current threshold and reporting method with the provider rather than assuming.
If your connection drops or the page freezes, don't repeatedly refresh - note the time, attempt one clean reload, and contact the provider's support channel to protect your attempt.
Retake eligibility and any waiting period between attempts are set by the provider. Confirm the rules before scheduling so you know your fallback plan.
Your certificate and score history live in your Skillshop profile. Confirm how long the credential stays valid and diarise the renewal date the same day you pass.