Taking your Google Educator Exam? Here are my 10 Google Certification Tips to help you pass the first time!
I have helped more than 2,500 educators work on their Google certifications since 2014.
But here’s the thing – only a small fraction of them actually finish the process and become a Google Certified Educator.
Everyone is excited at first, but then the hard preparation begins.
Life gets busy. Priorities change. Stuff happens.
You can overcome these challenges and be one of the few that finishes!
Earning a Google certification isn’t easy. It takes work. This list of 10 Google certification tips will help you beat the odds and become a Google Certified Educator!
Let’s get started with the first of my 10 Google Certification tips.
This one might seem obvious, but if you ignore it, you won’t do well on the exam!
1. Make sure you pick the right exam!
Each certification has been designed for a specific type of educator.
The Level 1 exam was created for teachers who are using G Suite for Education, Chromebooks, Google Classroom, etc, on a daily basis.
The Level 2 exam was created for teachers who are not only using the products for the level 1 test, but are also familiar with things like Blogger, YouTube, Google Maps, and Groups.
Make sure you understand the tools and skills that are included on the exam that you plan on taking.
I don’t have space in this post to dig into the details of the level 1 and 2 exam.
If you are just getting started, jump over to my detailed post on all 5 Google certification exams. This post will tell you everything you need to know about each certification.
2. Take an inventory of your skills
Google Certified Trainer Eric Curts created a comprehensive list of the skills that are tested on the Level 1 and 2 exams.
Before you take your exam, spend some time taking an inventory of your skills to see if there are products that you may need to practice using before the exam.
3. Put together a study plan
After reviewing the skills checklist from Eric Curts, identify the products that you need to learn more about and create a plan to develop your skills!
This can mean working through the Google training center modules, installing the G Suite training Extension, or watching YouTube tutorials.
You may also want to consider attending my program, the Google Certification Academy.
During this 2-day event we will explore all of the essential tools included on the level 1 and 2 certification exams.
4. Practice!
Study is important, but you also need to be using G Suite products and tools every day.
Make sure you are using Gmail, Drive and Calendar on a daily basis.
Spend time using Google Sites and YouTube for your next project.
Incorporate these tools into your classroom with your students; don’t wait until you are certified!
5. Find a friend
Preparing for the certification exams by yourself is lonely and boring.
Find a colleague who is also interested in earning their certification and work together.
It is best to work with someone who you can meet with face-to-face, but if that’s not an option, join the Google Educator Certification Group on Google+ and you can connect with other educators looking for a “study buddy.”
You’re half-way through my list of 10 Google Certification Tips. We have five more to go!
This next one might be the most important, but you probably won’t like it!
6. Don’t wait until you “feel” ready
Pick a date on your calendar to take the certification exam.
Take the day off work, hire a babysitter, arrange a block of 3 uninterrupted hours to take your exam. Get it on your calendar and hold yourself to it.
You will NEVER “feel” ready to take your exam. You can always study and practice just a little bit more.
Even if you don’t pass, taking the exam will help you immensely.
You can retake the exam 14 days after your first attempt, up to three times in one calendar year. Roughly 30% of those who take the exam don’t pass the first time.
7. Register in Advance
After you purchase your level 1 or level 2 Google Educator exam you may need to wait up to 24 hours until you can actually access the exam. You are waiting for an email from Google with the login credentials for the test.
Some people have reported receiving the email within an hour while others have waited a full 24 hours.
Keep this in mind if you have arranged a block of time to finish your exam. I recommend that you purchase the exam at least one day before you plan on taking it, just to be safe.
8. Don’t let your exam expire!
Once you purchase your exam you have 7 days to take it.
If you wait more than 7 days your exam will expire and you will need to purchase it again. Get that date on your calendar!
9. Make sure you are familiar with the testing interface
Google has partnered with Kryterion, an international testing company, to administer the certification exam.
I recommend that you read this post which will walk you through the testing interface so that you know what to expect and how to use the available tools.
10. Plan your testing strategy
There are lots of great strategies taking your exam. Here are a couple of popular options
Two Device / Monitor Setup – Use one computer (or a second monitor) to access the testing interface and a second device / monitor to research questions or look up information. This will help you avoid getting “lost” in lots of windows.
Incognito Window – To avoid any account conflicts while taking your exam you should consider opening the exam in an incognito window. Use this window to sign into the test account that Google provides for taking your exam.
(Bonus) 11. Share what you learn!
Don’t wait until you are certified to share what you are learning.
Offer to lead a 10-minute “tech tip” session during your next staff meeting. Apply to present at a local Google summit or tech conference. Start a blog. Record a series of screencasts and post them on YouTube.
Teaching someone else will help you master the information. Furthermore, sharing knowledge is a key characteristic of the Google for Education program.
We learn so that we can share and make education better for the students we serve.
I hope these 10 Google certification tips will give you the confidence to take your level 1 or level 2 exam! Remember, you will never “feel” ready. It’s YOUR turn to become a Google Certified Educator!
If you need a hand preparing, I would recommend signing up for my free certification email course (below) or you can RSVP for my next LIVE Google Certification webinar!
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14 comments. Leave new
“Use one computer (or a second monitor) to access the testing interface and a second device / monitor to research questions or look up information”. Wouldn’t this border on exam dishonesty? All along I thought one has to depend on head knowledge.
You won’t have enough time to look everything up. You need to be very efficient with your time.
So I’m of the opinion that you should be able to look up information for these Google tests (and similar tests), because that is how we function in the real world. When you don’t know how something works, you use your search skills and find it.
Delighted to know that it is actually encouraged!
I’m not sure about test tip #10, “Two Device / Monitor Setup – Use one computer (or a second monitor) to access the testing interface and a second device / monitor to research questions or look up information. This will help you avoid getting “lost” in lots of windows.” I have heard conflicting information about this, so I inquired through the help center and got this response: “A tester is not supposed to have additional materials or a second screen with answers, or work with anyone else during the exam. The exam is proctored via webcam with the system retaining a documentation of what occurred while the exam was in progress.”
Yes, I agree.
You should not use the second device to video chat with another person or access unauthorized testing material (i.e. the answers to the questions).
Thank you. I took the Level 1 certification exam upon finishing 3 days of training and fail horribly. I will take the exam again. Everything that could go wrong did on my behalf. I appreciate all of your tips. I will apply them as I try again. However, this time I will stay home and take the exam.
I need to do a retake on Google for Educators 1 exam. They let me know the 3 areas that I needed to review. Will the retake test be just on those missed items, or will it be again the same 3 hr. entire test?
You will need to retake the entire test.
I took the exam but was timed out halfway through the ninth scenario (out of eleven scenarios). I feel confident I was doing well up to this point. Multiple choice questions were completed with time to spare, I self-monitored 30 minutes and finished in about 25 minutes. Since I did not complete the entire last two scenarios because of the time limit, does this mean I did not pass the exam, even if I did well leading up to those? I can’t bare the thought of having false hope if whether I passed or not for the next fourteen days. What has your experience been with this?
If two entire scenarios were unanswered, it is very unlikely that you will receive the 80% required to pass.
I failed last week after many hours of study. With all of Googles abilities, I really think there has to be a way in which they could provide a review of specific errors made on the exam. I’m not going to give up. Right now, I am reviewing a series of nine YouTubes that review all the skills. Taking notes also.
Don’t give up!
Most people have a “feeling” about the apps they are less comfortable with (Google Groups & Sheets frequently make the list). I would focus on reviewing and using those tools.
Why does Google make you retake the whole test rather the portion of the test that you have passed? 3 hours is a VERY long time to take any test at my age!!!
It’s like the ACT / SAT. The test is different every time you take it.