Google has this specialized suite of desktop-oriented productivity applications called Google Workspace, which was once globally known as G-Suite. Workspace comprises several office-focused software, such as Google Docs for writing and editing text, Google Sheets for creating spreadsheets, and even Google Slides for formulating presentations. Apps such as Gmail and Google Drive that are a part of our day-to-day usage also contribute to Workspace.
Now, folks trying to develop their Workspace skills, such as being able to professionally collaborate with others and work with success in a shared environment, and perhaps even pursue a career down this road, should look toward what the company has formed to be the Google Workspace Certification. This paid test gauges your knowledge and ability and declares you a Workspace pro if you clear the test.
What is the Google Workspace certification?
The Workspace certification we’re referring to here is for PGWA, which is shorthand for Professional Google Workspace Administrator. The exam you’ll be taking should be for this specific role. It appears pivotal for organizations looking to cohesively arrange their infrastructure, assign roles, and swiftly manage the entire back end. A Professional Google Workspace Administrator is qualified to handle all that and then some.
The PGWA exam makes you a certified professional
In addition, a Google Workspace Administrator can be adept at working with various programming languages (but this is not a requirement for their core duty) and other tools that help them optimize workflows and take good care of supporting business ventures in any capacity possible. We’re talking about a highly skilled worker here who works at the center of their company and is the organization’s engine, no matter the niche and the operational capacity.
Field coverage of the Google Workspace certification
Now that you know who this certificate is for, let’s dive deeper into it. The PGWA certification covers all aspects of the administrator role and deems a certain someone fit to work in professional capacities. In this manner, you validate your skills under the umbrella of up-and-coming cloud technologies, allowing you to advance and nurture your career to new horizons. It’s all possible upon acquiring the certification at hand.
Moreover, you certainly stand out as a Professional Google Workspace Administrator—Google itself makes sure of that. Upon getting certified, you become liable to join the Google Cloud Certified Community, where you meet fellow approved operators and engage with them to propel your knowledge base. Furthermore, a badge is allotted to the person who passes the certification, along with the freedom to select professional Google merchandise as a way to commemorate.
PGWA test format explained
Remember, though, the PGWA exam doesn’t last forever and has to be renewed every two years for one to maintain their certification status. In addition, the exam costs about $200 (plus tax if applicable) and has a total length of about 2 hours. About 50-60 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are part of the exam, but we’re unsure how many of those you must correct to pass. We presume that Google controls this, so you must do your best.
In the next section, we’ll examine what the PGWA certification exam comprises as part of its content. Understanding something first is 50% of solving it.
Understanding the certification exam
First, the Professional Google Workspace Administrator certification exam is available in 2 different languages—English and Japanese. Additionally, you can choose to either take the test online, which has a host of requirements that you need to address first, or you can choose to visit a Google-acknowledged testing center near you to take an onsite-proctored exam. This is something that you have to figure out on your own.
Determine your preferences and act accordingly. It’s worth noting that an online proctored test may not be for everyone due to the level of security involved. Some of the enforced rules you must follow to ensure proper testing include not stepping away from your camera during the entirety of the exam and downloading a secure browser to take the exam. There are no prerequisites to taking the test, but Google does recommend some years of relevant experience.
Contents of the Google Workspace certification test
So, what does the certification exam actually comprise? What type of questions does it entail for aspiring administrators? On this particular page of Google’s exam guide, you’ll find a detailed list of the topics that may fall within the main PGWA test. This exam guide should give you a fair idea of what to expect from the forthcoming exam, but similar to other courses and their relevant tests, not every topic can make it to the final test, so you will have to cover most of the course to pass.
The five sections
The gist of it is that there are five major sections that you have to study to pass the PGWA exam. These range from “Managing objects,” “Configuring services,” and “Troubleshooting” to “Data access and authentication” and “Supporting business initiatives.” Each section further expands and entails an array of subsections to study and get into. The first section talks about transferring ownership data from one account to another, among other things, to take care of.
On the other hand, in the “Troubleshooting” domain, Google expects you to fix mail delivery hassles, not to mention being able to collect logs and reports that tie in with your support team. It would be best if you had the correct know-how of these topics to become a certified Google professional who realizes their duty. Let us now get on with actionable tips and tricks to help you make more sense of the examination in question, ultimately allowing you to pass it.
Preparing for the Google Workspace certification
One of the first tips we can offer you in terms of preparing for and passing the Personal Google Workspace Administrator exam is to diligently follow the exam guide the company has laid out for potential admins. The arrangement of the various course sections is there for a reason, so it’s highly recommended that you study accordingly and follow a linear path instead of jumping somewhere to the middle of the content. You’ll only confuse yourself that way.
Where to start?
Start with the first section, “Managing objects,” and continue there. This systemic mode of studying is bound to streamline your progression and help you understand the fundamentals organizationally. That is why it’s important not to skip past any section and study from top to bottom. On that note, let’s begin with the following tips and tricks to help you complete this exam.
Begin Google’s specialized learning path
Google Workspace Administrator Learning Path
One of the primary things you must take care of before attempting the PGWA certification exam is to embark on Google’s dedicated learning path. This free-to-use optimized channel is filled to the brim with on-demand courses, labs, and even skill badges to give you a glimpse of Workspace’s core technicalities. This platform is a must-complete if you’re a new user with little to no technical background.
Considering how the instructions have been laid out in an easy-to-understand manner, all you have to do is go through the learning path step by step before you come to grips with what’s happening here. One lab, six courses, and a final quest to wrap up the learning path. These are:
- A Tour of Google Cloud Hands-on Labs
- Preparing for Your Google Workspace Administrator Journey
- Introduction to Google Workspace Administration
- Managing Google Workspace
- Google Workspace Security
- Google Workspace Mail Management
- Planning for a Google Workspace Deployment
- Configure your Workplace: Google Workspace for IT Admins
Attend a dedicated webinar for tips and tricks
To help potential operators progress with successful candidacy, Google has even arranged a webinar covering the Professional Google Workspace Administrator certification exam in detail. This is a recommended step that you must take. Doing so only bolsters your chances of passing the test at hand. Thankfully, you don’t have to stray far to sort that out. Google is conducting webinars to facilitate people in passing the PGWA certificate test.
Head to the Google Cloud Webinars section and sign in to your account there to get started. If you don’t have a Google account, you must register a new one to get started. A webinar is a pre-recorded online session where a teacher presents valuable information regarding a specific topic. Typically, multiple people join a webinar to consume content collectively. Given how we’re preparing for a test here, the opportunity couldn’t be more advantageous.
Review sample questions to get a better idea of the exam
If you’ve ever prepared for school or college exams, then you already realize the significance of past papers or sample questions that otherwise mimic what the content of the final product would be like. Doing so would serve as a confidence booster; this can be possible in the blink of an eye, thanks to Google. Check out this page on Google Docs to know what the format of the questions will turn out like and whether your preparation is headed in the right direction.
In addition, the sample questions may also encompass content that would fall under the course syllabus of the Professional Google Workspace Administrator certification exam, so this is no less than a win-win for users of different capacities. Do note that you must sign into your Google account to access the swath of sample questions.
Take to Coursera for added valuable content
Google Professional Workspace Administrator Professional Certificate
To give you an example of seeking out additional help, Coursera is a fantastic way to acclimate yourself with extra learning. There are courses on there that teach you about specific Google Workspace policies, all of which cater to helping you get through the PGWA exam. Moreover, Coursera is also desirable because it sports an organized interface of classes, tests, and other assessments. That way, you clearly see how to proceed with your learning.
Take this Google Professional Workspace Administrator Professional Certificate, for example. This beginner-level 5-course series learning lets you earn a career credential by teaching you the fundamentals of the topic here and then grading your assessments to land you a certificate. The whole process plays out smoothly and takes a much-needed step-by-step approach toward pumping the learner full of educational information about Google Workspace. It’s worth a shot.
Register for the exam to push yourself mentally
Another tip we’d like to focus on is that the earlier you register for the test, the better you prepare. This is just basic psychology that helps wonderfully in most cases. Set deadlines for yourself and strictly follow them. The aforementioned learning path and the exam guide are both great objectives to pursue. If you plan on day one and try to stick to your initiatives, it’ll be no wonder when you end up nabbing that PGWA certificate.
Therefore, the best time to start is now, but, of course, do take your time to understand the brevity of the test, its format, and how exactly you’ll be passing it. Folks who’ve tried and nailed the exam say that all you need to do is touch base with each Workspace fundamental daily and revise religiously. That’s going to do the trick for you. Hence, head to this page to select the type of test you’ll take, either remote or onsite, and begin the registration process.
Conclusion
The Professional Google Workspace Administrator certificate can be a solid addition to your portfolio as you grab that certificate and show the world that you’re a properly registered Google professional. The test helps people land jobs in related fields, such as IT systems administrator, cloud solutions engineer, collaboration engineer, systems engineer, and others.
However, knowing a programming language isn’t necessary, as Google itself has clarified. You need to know your Workspace features and tools and be willing to learn how to use them, even if they do not relate to your core duties, for the best results. In this guide, we’ve learned how to prepare for the PGWA exam by dropping actionable tips that can help you ace the exam. Let us know when you’re taking the test and whether your preparation is going well.
Thanks for reading!
