# How I passed the Google Cloud - Professional Cloud Architect Exam Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect (GCP PCA) is one of the most valuable cloud certifications currently in the industry. I have recently cleared the exam last week. Unlike AWS or Azure, I couldn’t find an exhaustive list of learning materials for GCP. So I have collated a list of learning materials which I had followed and I hope that it helps you to better prepare for the exam. ### Exam Pattern The exam has a total of 50 questions consisting of multiple choice or multi select questions and total exam duration is 2 hours. The [GCP PCA exam](https://cloud.google.com/certification/cloud-architect) assess your ability on following: 1. Design and plan a cloud solution architecture 1. Manage and provision the cloud solution infrastructure 1. Design for security and compliance 1. Analyze and optimize technical and business processes 1. Manage implementations of cloud architecture 1. Ensure solution and operations reliability The [official exam guide](https://cloud.google.com/certification/guides/professional-cloud-architect) provides the further drill-down on the individual topics covered in the exam. The exam would also contain questions based on certain scenarios. Currently there are 3 scenarios provided by Google. - [Mountkirk Games](https://cloud.google.com/certification/guides/cloud-architect/casestudy-mountkirkgames-rev2) - [Dress4Win](https://cloud.google.com/certification/guides/cloud-architect/casestudy-dress4win-rev2) - [TerramEarth](https://cloud.google.com/certification/guides/cloud-architect/casestudy-terramearth-rev2) ### Exam Preparation I had prepared for the exam for about 3 months and referred to the following materials. **Qwiklabs** - Qwiklabs provides the official learning material from Google. Try to complete the suggested [learning path](https://cloud.google.com/training/cloud-infrastructure/#cloud-architect-learning-path) **Linux Academy/ A Cloud Guru** - The GCP PCA course here is well structured and provide hands-on learning rather than just watching videos. It has also got a good practice exam to test our readiness. **Official GCP PCA Study Guide** -The [study guide](https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Official_Google_Cloud_Certified_Professi/MRCyDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0) gives a clear and concise details about various GCP services and various processes like DR planning an architect needs to be aware **Whizlabs** - They have a very good set of exam questions . You can learn new things from the explanation given to the answers. Try to score consistently above 90%. Finally once all you ready to take the exam, attempt the [practice exam](https://cloud.google.com/certification/sample-questions/cloud-architect) provided by Google that simulates the real exam. This will boost your confidence for taking the final exam. ### Exam Registration Kryterion is the testing partner for GCP exams. You need to register for the exam at https://www.webassessor.com. You have 2 options for taking the exam - online proctored (taking at a testing center) or remote proctored (taking at home). I took my exam at a test center ### Exam Experience The exam consists of 50 questions. Case studies will also be provided for our reference. The exam screen would be split into 2 halves vertically - left half will contain the exam questions while right half will contain the case study Important question topics are:- - questions based on 3 case studies. - big query roles - different storage options - cloud storage lifecycle - data analytics services like dataflow, data studio - stackdriver services like monitor, logging, tracer - GKE autoscaling and load balancing - hybrid connectivity services like interconnect, vpn - IAM services - roles, firewall rules - billing and cost management Once you have submitted the exam, you will receive your result immediately on screen stating pass or fail. You will receive your digital certificate within a couple of days if online proctored exam or between 1-2 weeks if remote proctored exam. Google doesn't reveal the score or pass percentage. It was really an anxious moment for me until I see Pass in the final screen!! **All the best for your exam preparation and success!** ### Additional Learning Resources - Video Playlists - [Learn GCP with Mahesh](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL8vwy2jhEtQrC-Rx6qzCZg) - [Awesome GCP](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIGDDqu5DzlaaC4XzXj_4-A) - [GCP Products](https://cloud.google.com/products) - to have a quick understanding of various offerings - [GCP Developer Cheatsheet](https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/developers-practitioners/back-popular-demand-google-cloud-products-4-words-or-less-2021-edition) - one pager of all GCP service offerings - [GCP Sketch Notes](https://thecloudgirl.dev/) - [GCP Flowcharts](https://grumpygrace.dev/posts/gcp-flowcharts/) - [Mapping exam guide to documentation ](https://www.testpreptraining.com/blog/google-professional-cloud-architect-gcp-cheat-sheet/) - [Compare AWS & Azure to GCP services](https://cloud.google.com/free/docs/aws-azure-gcp-service-comparison)