You will not get paid more because you’ve got a Google Ads certification. And the process of getting certified won’t prepare you for the real-world challenges of managing campaigns.
But that doesn’t mean it’s useless. In certain situations, having the certification on your resume actually makes sense.
In this article, I’ll explain what the Google Ads certification is, what it costs (nothing), how long it takes, and whether it’s worth your time. I’ll also share some practical tips for passing the exam.
Let me give you the bad news first.
Table of Contents
Quick facts about Google Ads certification
Before we get into the details, here are the basics people ask about most:
- Cost: Free. The certification used to cost $100 back in the Google AdWords days, but it’s been free for years.
- Where: Google Skillshop (Google’s training platform)
- Time to prepare: 3-4 hours of coursework per certification, plus study time
- Exam duration: 75 minutes
- Passing score: 80% (70% for the Apps certification)
- Validity: 1 year, then you need to retake it
- Retake policy: If you fail, you can try again after 24 hours
What Is The Google Ads Certification?
There isn’t a single Google Ads Certification. Instead, there are nine different certifications covering different parts of the Google Ads platform:
- AI-Powered Performance Ads Certification
- AI-Powered Shopping Ads Certification
- Google Ads Apps Certification
- Google Ads Creative Certification
- Google Ads Display Certification
- Google Ads Measurement Certification
- Google Ads Search Certification
- Google Ads Video Certification
- Grow Offline Sales Certification
If you pass any of these exams, you’re officially “Google Ads Certified” 😊
From Google Adwords Certification To Skillshop
If it’s been a while since you took a certification exam, the program might look totally different.
In the early days, there was the Google AdWords Individual Certification and it actually cost $100 to take the exam.
To become certified, you had to pass the Google Adwords Fundamentals exam, and one of the Advanced Adwords exams.
(When I took my first exam back, I remember printing out the whole training manual, a couple hundred pages and locking myself in a meeting room to study 🙂
And it paid off:
Around the same time, the Google AdWords Certified Partner became the Google Partners program. The biggest change: you didn’t just need a certification anymore. There were additional requirements like using new features and managing a minimum ad spend.
Today, the certification platform is called Skillshop. This is a training platform where you can learn and get certified for many Google products, not just Google Ads.
Recent update: as of February 2026, Google is rolling out the ability to apply for certifications directly from within your Google Ads account (under Admin > Policy > Account), in addition to the existing Skillshop route. It’s too early to say whether this changes anything beyond convenience. The exams themselves appear to be the same content.
Is the Google Ads Certification Worth It?
If you’re reading this post, you probably still want to get certified. So I don’t want to rain on your parade, and I will explain how to prepare and pass below.
But first, here’s why the certification falls short.
The training materials are outdated
Here is a question out of the “AI-Powered Shopping Ads Certification”:
The question references “Showcase Shopping Ads“. This is a feature that was deprecated in April 2021. That’s nearly 5 years ago.
This is knowledge that’s not only irrelevant to today’s advertisers, it also creates confusion and adds complexity where there should be.
This is not one cherry-picked example. It’s literally the second question I got served when researching to write this article. The other certifications are littered with outdated materials.
Heavy on the WHAT, light on the WHY
At Store Growers, we sell Google Ads training, and we often get asked why we’re competing against the free materials Google puts out.
Those questions usually come from people who haven’t worked with Google Ads before.
As outlined above, the Google Ads platform evolves very fast, and the training materials (or questions) don’t evolve with it.
A second, even more important reason is that everything you learn is what Google wants you to know. Their training naturally promotes the features and campaign types that benefit Google most. That’s not always the same as what benefits your business.
The image below shows the study materials that are part of the Google Shopping certification:
Of these 7 subtopics, 3 are things you don’t really need to start out:
- Local product ads
- Showcase shopping ads (been deprecated for 5+ years)
- Performance planner
Most of our students will confirm that knowing a list of features or which button to press isn’t enough. To get good results, you need strategies and tactics that these certifications don’t cover.
Like for example account structure, custom labels, and tiered bidding. These tactics will actually move the needle, while the other can be a waste of time and money.
So if nobody is asking you for a certification, and you just want to get better at Google Ads for your own business, you can skip getting certified.
When A Google Ads Certification Is Still Worth It
So with all the Google bashing, are there any reasons to actually get certified? Yes, a few.
You need it for a job
Some jobs list certification as a requirement. Sometimes it’s to test your willingness to jump through hoops. Other times, HR added it to the job description because they needed a way to filter candidates.
Either way, if a job listing asks for it, you should have it.
It’s a low bar to clear
The exam is free, and passing isn’t very difficult.
If you want to work with Google Ads and don’t have experience or a portfolio to show, this is one of the easiest things you can do to demonstrate you’re serious.
Earlier today, I gave Claude Cowork the following instructions:
47 minutes later, it passed the test without any of my input:
You want some foundational experience
For people new to Google Ads, getting experience is a chicken and egg problem. Without access to campaigns, you can’t learn. Without experience, nobody will let you manage theirs.
The certification process gives you some exposure to the platform and its features. It won’t make you competent, but it’s a starting point. And it’s better than nothing.
Although there are better places to learn what actually works in practice.
It signals credibility to outsiders
To people working in PPC, the certification doesn’t carry much weight. But to people outside the industry (clients, hiring managers, business owners), saying you’re “certified by Google” can mean something.
A certification helps as a minimum bar for credibility, especially for freelancers just starting out. If you have zero track record, at least it shows you made some effort. But the moment you have two or three client results to show, the certification becomes irrelevant. No experienced advertiser wins clients based on certifications.
I stopped looking at certifications when evaluating someone’s Google Ads skills years ago. When I hire or evaluate someone, I look at accounts they’ve managed and ask them to walk me through specific decisions they made. A certification tells me they spent a few hours studying Google’s documentation. That’s it.
Certification requirements and exam details
Here’s what you need to know:
- Passing grade: 80% (70% for Apps certification).
- Number of questions: 46-50, all multiple choice.
- Time limit: 75 minutes, no pausing. That’s roughly 1.5 minutes per question.
- No going back: Once answered, you can’t review a question.
- Validity: One year. Retake annually to maintain it.
How to pass the Google Ads certification
If you’ve been working with Google Ads for a while, you could probably pass without studying. But if you don’t have much hands-on experience, these tips will help.
Take the exam before you feel 100% ready
When I first took the exam in 2013, I studied extensively. I ended up scoring 98 or 99%, missing a single question. That was great, but since I only needed 80% to pass, I probably wasted a lot of time.
Prepare well, but take the exam before you feel completely ready. If you fail, you can retake it after 24 hours. Some questions will be the same, and you’ll be more familiar with the format.
A certificate is a certificate. It doesn’t show how many attempts you needed.
Study the Skillshop materials
The Skillshop materials may not teach you how to actually run campaigns, but they’re the best preparation for the exam.
You’ll learn about the features Google cares about, which are the same features they ask about.
The materials are mostly text and image-based, with links to Google Ads support docs. Each section has a mini quiz (Knowledge Check) to test your understanding.
Pick one certification and focus
You need to pick one of the nine certifications to go after. Which one depends on your situation:
- Working at or applying to a marketing agency? Google Ads Search is the safe bet.
- Working in ecommerce? Shopping Ads is the most relevant.
- Working in video production? Google Ads Video makes sense.
You only need one certification to be “Google Ads Certified.” Start with one. Take the others later if needed.
Read the questions carefully
The questions are worded like those annoying school exams. They’re all multiple choice, and many are strangely formulated, seem obvious at first glance, or include “all of the above” options.
Example:
*Google Ads is the perfect tool for … (Select all that apply)*
- *Harry, who sells custom-made candles in his online store*
- *Sally, who’s a piano player looking for more gigs*
- *The University of Canterbury, that wants to attract new students*
- *Bob, who needs to get rid of car wrecks in his salvage yard*
- *All of the above*
Pay close attention to the wording. Think through each option. And remember: you can afford to miss 10 questions out of 50 and still pass.
Open your own account to practice
Most study materials are text-based, which makes studying very theoretical. To make it stick, open your own Google Ads account and explore.
It doesn’t cost anything to open an account. Create a new campaign, click through the options, and see how the interface works. It makes the whole process more concrete.
If you want to see an actual account with real data, request access to the Google Analytics demo account. It’s the Google Merchandise Store with actual campaigns. (Fair warning: the campaigns are completely mismanaged, so don’t treat them as examples.)
You can look up answers during the exam
The exam opens in a browser tab. You’re free to look at other resources while taking it.
Which is exactly what many people do. I see these searches come into my blog all the time:
Whether this is okay depends on your goals. If you want to actually learn, copy-pasting questions into Google won’t help much. But if you just need the certification, it’s fair game. Google could easily prevent this if they wanted to, but they don’t.
There are also plenty of websites that compile all the certification answers. They wouldn’t exist if people weren’t looking for them.
You’re Certified, Now What?
Now that you have your certification, here’s how to put it to work.
Apply for Google Partners
The Google Partners program requires a certification as one of its eligibility criteria. If you meet the other requirements (ad spend minimums, feature adoption), you can apply.
A good alternative to consider is the Clients First Club.
Add it to your resume
If you’re job hunting, include the certification on your resume. Many applicant tracking systems scan for keywords, so having “Google Ads Certified” checks that box.
Add it to your website and LinkedIn
If you have a personal or business website, mention your certification. If you’re in the Google Partners program, you can display the badge:
On LinkedIn, add it to the Certifications section so potential employers can find it:
Common questions about Google Ads certification
Is Google Ads certification free?
Yes, completely free. It used to cost $100 in the Google AdWords days, but Google removed that fee years ago. You just need a Google account to access Skillshop.
How long does Google Ads certification take?
The exam itself is 75 minutes. The study material for each certification takes 3-4 hours to go through. Most people can prepare and pass in a few days of focused study.
Is the Google Ads certification hard?
Not really. If you have hands-on experience with Google Ads, you can likely pass without much study. If you’re new, spending a few hours on the Skillshop material should be enough. The passing score is 80%, and you can retake it after 24 hours if you fail.
How many Google Ads certifications are there?
There are nine certifications: Search, Display, Video, Shopping Ads, Apps, Measurement, Creative, AI-Powered Shopping Ads, and Grow Offline Sales. You only need to pass one to be “Google Ads Certified.”
Does Google Ads certification expire?
Yes, it’s valid for one year. You need to retake the exam annually to maintain your certification.
Your next step
If you need the certification for a job or to show clients you’re qualified, go get it. It’s free, it takes a few hours, and the bar to pass is low.
But don’t confuse passing an exam with knowing how to run profitable Google Ads campaigns. Those are very different things.
If you actually want to learn Google Ads, the certification is a starting point at best. After that, you need real-world practice and guidance from people who manage campaigns for a living, not from Google’s marketing department.
You can find plenty of practical advice on the Store Growers blog and our YouTube channel. And if you want structured training built on what actually works, check out our courses.
