How To Pass The Google Adwords Exam: What You Need To Know

Google AdWords is one of the most recognized and widely-used online advertising tools on the web. Whether you are new to using AdWords or have been managing an account for years, it’s never too late to take the AdWords exam and get the official certification under your belt — not to mention you’ll get the Google AdWords Qualified Professional logo to use as website eye-candy. I recently took the exam for the first time and passed, but the first thing I would say about the test is not to underestimate the exam. Don’t be too intimidated – I’m here to help!

Before I get into test-taking specifics, you might be asking a few questions:

What’s up with the new exam format?
If you are reading any information related to the AdWords exam that is dated earlier than December 2009, the information may be obsolete. Around this time, Google phased out the old Google AdWords Professional (GAP) Exam and replaced it with the Google Advertising Fundamentals exam as part of the new AdWords Certification Program.  From what I’ve heard from people who took the old exam, it used to be heavily focused towards the interface and technical aspects of AdWords.  How is the new exam different? Simply put, it’s harder. The test now focuses more on strategy and real-world applications (read: lots of hypothetical situations). To boot, the passing score was raised from 75% to 85%.  Although a little intimidating, you should embrace these changes because passing the exam will carry a lot more weight and prove that your AdWords knowledge is relevant. Plus, I’ll be giving you some great tips to help you ease your worries about the test.

How Do I Prepare for the AdWords Exam?
The main resources you’ll need to prepare for the exam are the Google Advertising Fundamentals Exam Learning Center and an AdWords account.  You should read all 9 lessons that will be tested on the Fundamentals Exam and know the information well. Some of the lessons have interactive presentations, which are useful tools to practice applying the knowledge you’ve learned. I would also strongly suggest navigating a Google AdWords account for familiarity, as you won’t get a good understanding of the interface by simply reading about it.

Where Do I Take the Adwords Test?
You would think signing up for the test would be the easy part of this process, but  surprisingly, finding the link and registering to take the exam was a challenge in itself! (Hint to Google – put a link to the test in the learning center!). Once you are good and ready, the test awaits you at http://google.starttest.com. Before taking the test you’ll have to track down your Candidate ID number, which you can find in the “My Exams” section after you sign-up with the Google AdWords Professional program. The exam costs $50, which is a good motivator to be prepared and pass the first time around. You can take the test in any setting you’d like, but remember that it is timed. You will have 120 minutes to complete 120 questions – once you start you will NOT be able to pause the exam and come back later.

What are Some Tips on Passing The AdWords Exam? How Do I Prepare for the AdWords Exam?
Check out my preso to find out what you need to know to pass the Google AdWords test. I’ll tell you more about the test specifics and give you my two cents on the areas you should really concentrate on when studying for the exam.

Oh, and if you find this totally daunting and want nothing to do with managing your own AdWords of PPC campaign, well, talk to me! The JAR Group actually likes doing this stuff, and we’re good at it. Get in touch with me at askjar@thejargroup.com if you want to find out more about how we can help you reach your online advertising goals.

Good Luck!