Professional Cloud Architect
Professional Cloud Architects enable organizations to leverage Google Cloud technologies. With a thorough understanding of cloud architecture and Google Cloud, they design, develop, and manage robust, secure, scalable, highly available, and dynamic solutions to drive business objectives.
The Professional Cloud Architect certification exam assesses your ability to:
- Design and plan a cloud solution architecture
- Manage and provision the cloud solution infrastructure
- Design for security and compliance
- Analyze and optimize technical and business processes
- Manage implementations of cloud architecture
- Ensure solution and operations reliability
PCA Renewal beta exam
Registration for the Professional Cloud Architect Renewal beta exam opens on October 30. If you became a Professional Cloud Architect on or after May 2021, you can renew your certification by sitting the beta. The beta exam focuses on the latest changes in Google Cloud technology and presents new case studies that validate a Professional Cloud Architect's ability to use Google Cloud's generative AI solutions to realize business value. The Professional Cloud Architect Renewal beta closes December 1, 2024.
If your PCA certification expired in May 2023 or later (or is still active) and you are interested in taking the beta exam, please review the Professional Cloud Architect Renewal beta exam guide and new case studies. Refer to the Google Cloud Certification Help Center for more information on beta exams.
About the PCA Renewal beta exam
Beta certification exams are newly developed assessments. We gather performance statistics on the questions and use these statistics to create the certification standards for the final exam. Beta participants will be notified of their exam results in late December. Eligible candidates can pass the beta exam to renew or extend their Professional Cloud Architect certification.
Why beta?
- Pass this exam to stay Google Cloud Certified
- Save 40% on the cost of certification
- Vouchers are accepted for beta exam attempts
- Get exclusive Google-branded merchandise
- Beta exam attempts do not count toward the total number of allowable exam attempts
- Refer to our FAQs for more details
Beta exam details
Length: 3 hours
Registration fee: $60 USD (plus tax where applicable)
Language: English
Exam format: multiple choice and multiple select questions aligned to beta exam guide
Case studies: Cymbal Retail Case Study and Altostrat Media Case Study
Exam delivery method:
a. Take the online-proctored exam from a remote location
b. Take the onsite-proctored exam at a testing center
Prerequisites: You became a Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect on or after May 2021.
Recommended experience: 3+ years of industry experience including 1+ years designing and managing production systems using Google Cloud
Eligibility: You can participate in the beta exam if you were certified on or after May 2021 – even if your PCA certification has expired. If you are already certified, passing the beta exam counts as recertification and your two-year certification term restarts.
About this certification exam
Length: 2 hours
Registration fee: $200 (plus tax where applicable)
Languages: English, Japanese
Exam format: 50-60 multiple choice and multiple select questions
Case studies: Each exam includes 2 case studies that describe fictitious business and solution concepts. Case study questions make up 20-30% of the exam and assess your ability to apply your knowledge to a realistic business situation. You can view the case studies on a split screen during the exam. See the Exam Guide for the 4 available case studies.
Exam delivery method:
a. Take the online-proctored exam from a remote location
b. Take the onsite-proctored exam at a testing center
Prerequisites: None
Recommended experience: 3+ years of industry experience including 1+ years designing and managing solutions using Google Cloud
Certification Renewal / Recertification: Candidates must recertify in order to maintain their certification status. Unless explicitly stated in the detailed exam descriptions, all Google Cloud certifications are valid for two years from the date of certification. Recertification is accomplished by retaking the exam during the recertification eligibility time period and achieving a passing score. You may attempt recertification starting 60 days prior to your certification expiration date.
Exam overview
1. Review the exam guide
The exam guide contains a complete list of topics that may be included on the exam, helping you determine if your skills align with the exam.
2. Start training
Prepare for the exam by following the Professional Cloud Architect learning path. Explore online training, in-person classes, hands-on labs, and other resources from Google Cloud.
3. Sample questions
Review sample questions to familiarize yourself with the format of the exam and example content that may be covered on the Cloud Architect exam.
4. Schedule your exam
Register and select whether to take the exam remotely or at a nearby testing center.
Review exam terms and conditions and data sharing policies.