Google AI-Powered Shopping Ads exam-day guide
Google AI-Powered Shopping Ads · Prepare for the day ahead.
Your checklist
Government-issued photo ID matching your registration name
Use the exact name on your registration. If your ID name differs (middle names, transliterations, married name), confirm with the provider before test day how to reconcile it - do not assume a mismatch will be accepted.
Appointment confirmation and test-provider login credentials
Know whether your exam is delivered through a testing-center appointment or an online-proctored session, and which account you sign in with. Rehearse the login the day before so a forgotten password does not eat test time.
Quiet, private, well-lit room with a stable internet connection (online-proctored only)
Proctoring rules on room scans, cleared desks, and permitted items vary by provider. Confirm the specific environment requirements with the provider and clear your desk accordingly.
Compatible computer with camera and microphone, tested in advance (online-proctored only)
Run any system check the provider offers at least 24 hours ahead. Close background apps that could trigger a proctor flag. Confirm with the provider whether a second monitor must be unplugged.
Review of Google Ads measurement and bidding concepts you will be tested on
Expect questions on conversion tracking, value-based bidding, Performance Max for retail, product feeds, Merchant Center diagnostics, and Shopping campaign structure. Re-read your own notes rather than cramming new material.
A short list of your own weak topics
Write 5–10 concepts you keep missing (e.g., feed disapproval causes, ROAS vs. target ROAS behavior, attribution model effects) and review only those in the final day.
Water and a light snack within reach (if permitted)
Whether food and drink are allowed at your desk depends on the provider and delivery mode. Confirm with the provider before relying on it; at a test center, plan to step out instead.
Restroom and break plan
Confirm with the provider whether scheduled or unscheduled breaks are allowed, whether the timer pauses, and whether you must remain on camera. Decide your hydration strategy around that answer.
Backup plan for technical failure
Note the provider's support contact and know their policy for a dropped connection or crashed session - whether time is restored or the attempt is rescheduled. Confirm with the provider; do not assume.
Checklist of permitted reference materials (likely none)
Most certification exams prohibit notes, second screens, and phones. Confirm the permitted-items list with the provider. Assume nothing is allowed unless explicitly stated.
Arrival buffer or early login window
At a test center, arrive with time to spare for check-in and ID verification. Online, log in at the earliest permitted moment so identity checks do not consume your exam clock. Confirm the exact window with the provider.
Scratch paper and pen only if the provider allows them
Some providers supply or permit erasable note boards; others forbid all writing materials. Confirm with the provider and do not bring your own unless told it is allowed.
Plan the day
Confirm logistics: appointment time, time zone, delivery mode, ID requirements, and permitted items - all with the provider. Resolve any name mismatch now, not on test day. Stop learning new topics; switch to consolidating what you already know.
Do one timed practice pass over your weakest areas: product feed and Merchant Center diagnostics, conversion tracking setup, bidding strategy selection (target ROAS vs. maximize conversion value), and Performance Max asset and listing-group structure. Note where you hesitate, not just what you get wrong.
Review the mechanics you are most likely to be asked to reason about: how conversion value is passed via the tag, why a product is disapproved, how a Shopping campaign's priority and inventory filtering work, and how attribution windows change reported ROAS.
Run the provider's system check if online-proctored, or confirm travel time and parking if at a center. Charge devices, clear your desk, and print or save your confirmation details.
Light review only: skim your weak-topic list once, then stop. Protect sleep. Avoid late-night cramming, which costs more in focus than it gains in recall.
Eat a normal meal, hydrate moderately, and re-read only your one-page weak-topic list. Do not start a new practice test - a poor score right before the exam damages confidence without adding knowledge.
Set up early: log in or arrive at the center with buffer, complete ID verification, close all other applications, and silence your phone. Keep your ID and confirmation within reach.
Read each question fully and watch for qualifiers like 'primary', 'most likely', or 'first step'. Answer the straightforward items first if the format allows navigation, then return to scenario questions.
For scenario questions, identify the business goal first (revenue, ROAS target, new-customer acquisition, inventory clearance), then eliminate options that contradict that goal or that describe a tactic the platform does not support.
Manage the clock: note the number of questions and total time, set a rough per-question budget, and do not let one hard item consume several minutes. Flag and move on.
If navigation is allowed, revisit flagged questions and check that every item has an answer - an unanswered question is a guaranteed loss. Submit deliberately and confirm the submission screen.
Rules to check
Bring ID that exactly matches your registration name. If it does not match, contact the provider before test day; do not attempt the exam and hope it is accepted.
Confirm with the provider which materials are permitted at your desk. Assume notes, phones, second monitors, and smart devices are prohibited unless explicitly allowed, and follow the proctor's instructions immediately.
Break policy - whether breaks are allowed, whether the timer pauses, and whether you may leave camera view - varies by provider and delivery mode. Confirm with the provider in advance rather than improvising mid-exam.
If your session drops or the software fails, contact provider support and follow their documented procedure. Do not restart the exam on your own initiative; confirm the provider's policy on rescheduling and time restoration.
Scoring and pass marks are set by the provider. Do not rely on a rumored passing score or on partial credit assumptions; confirm the scoring and retake policy with the provider.
Answer every question. Unless the format penalizes incorrect answers - which you should confirm with the provider - an unanswered item can only hurt you.
Do not attempt to record, screenshot, copy, or share exam content. This violates provider conduct rules and can void your result regardless of performance.
If a question seems ambiguous, choose the answer that best reflects the platform's documented behavior and the stated business goal, then move on. Do not spend disproportionate time litigating a single item.