Associate Cloud Engineer exam: cost, duration, format, booking

The table lists what Google publishes for the standard exam, the one you take the first time or once your certification has expired.

Questions are multiple choice (one answer) and multiple select (several answers). Many questions describe a concrete scenario and ask for the exact command or configuration.

When you finish you see a provisional pass or fail, and Google confirms it within 7 to 10 days. Google does not publish a passing score: it explains that the exam only determines whether you meet a minimum standard and that what counts is your total of correct answers, not passing each section. If you fail, your Candidate Portal shows a section-level report.

On the official exam page click Register, create your CM Connect account if it is your first time and choose Schedule/Launch an Exam. You select the delivery method (test center or online), language, date, time and, if applicable, test center, and pay. Pearson accepts major credit and debit cards, vouchers and coupon codes.

The first and last name on your account must match your government-issued photo ID; if they do not, you cannot sit the exam and you lose the fee. Since March 2026 the provider is Pearson (it used to be Kryterion), and you do not need a separate Pearson account.

The price is the same for both. Online delivery uses Pearson OnVUE: check the technical requirements beforehand and avoid a corporate laptop, which Google advises against because of firewalls and VPNs. There are no breaks: if you get up, the session is cancelled.

The appointment includes 15 extra minutes for check-in and agreements; the 2-hour timer starts when the exam launches. You can reschedule or cancel in CM Connect up to 24 hours before; after that a penalty applies and you can lose the fee.

If you fail, you can retake after 14 days; after a second fail you wait 60 days, and after a third, 365. The maximum is four attempts in two years, and every attempt is paid again.

The certification lasts 3 years. From 180 days before it expires you can renew with the standard exam or the renewal exam (1 hour, 20 questions, $75), each adding 3 years. You can also complete designated courses or skill badges in Google Skills during the final year, which adds one year of validity.

At $125 per attempt and waits of 14 days or more after a fail, it pays to arrive with a margin. Try some sample questions, shore up weak points with the study guide and, when you want to measure yourself with a mock exam, start free.