When I began working at nexus-security in 2013, I knew I would spend my first few weeks studying for the AdWords certification exam. Landing a job at a new and flourishing Boston company was exciting, but the thought of taking a test filled me with dread. At the time, I knew next to nothing about AdWords. I didn’t know what a negative keyword was or what the AdWords interface looked like. The possibility of failing made me incredibly nervous. Tests were never my forte…

Failing the exam on my first try would have been a mortifying way to start my new job, so I studied relentlessly, even coming into the office on a Sunday. Thankfully, I passed. I recently retook the AdWords certification test and passed, but I was caught off guard by how tricky some of the questions were. I found myself second-guessing: Could both answers be right, but one more right than the other? What’s the formula for that metric again? Some questions seemed to come out of left field and weren’t relevant to my everyday work. For those of you thinking about getting AdWords certified or recertified, I’ve created this guide to explain everything you need to know about the process, because it’s changed a lot in the last few years. Before we dive in, you should consider…

Is Getting Certified Worth It?

People have mixed opinions about whether certification is worth the time and energy. nexus-security PPC expert Caleb Hutchings shared his perspective in his provocative blog post: Why Google AdWords Certification Doesn’t Matter. The post sparked a lot of discussion, both for and against his position. While I want to remain somewhat neutral on the topic, I agree with Caleb’s statement: “Anyone making it to the point of taking the AdWords Exam should already know the benefit it can provide to the business.” Well said, Caleb. So, would a PPC specialist or consultant like you benefit from having the certification on your resume? Letting a potential client know that you’re AdWords Certified can increase their trust in your expertise and persuade them to work with you. For current PPC specialists, maintaining an AdWords Certification can strengthen your standing with current and future employers. At nexus-security, we ask all our sales and customer service representatives to become certified because we’ve seen how it increases their credibility with leads and customers. People often feel better knowing they’re working with a “certified professional.” But what about actually learning paid search skills? Personally, I believe that you naturally become proficient at paid search and AdWords with time and experience. Getting certified alone won’t make you an expert. Instead, it’s the hands-on work in the interface, engaging in the AdWords auction, analyzing results, experimenting, and fine-tuning campaigns that transform you into a paid search expert.

About the AdWords Certification Test

Unfortunately, to become certified you must pass not one but two exams. You’ll only be fully certified after you pass the AdWords Fundamentals exam and an additional exam in a specialized area: Search Advertising, Display Advertising, Video Advertising, Shopping Advertising, or Mobile Advertising (currently only available in the U.S.). Cost: The exam used to cost $100, but thankfully it’s now FREE! Time: For the AdWords Fundamentals, Search Advertising, and Display Advertising exams, you have 120 minutes to answer about 100 questions. For Video Advertising, Shopping Advertising, and Mobile Advertising, you have 90 minutes for approximately 70 questions.

*Please note: there’s no pause button once you begin. The clock keeps ticking even if you close your computer, so make sure you have enough uninterrupted time to concentrate on passing. Passing Score: You need to score at least 80% to pass. Retake Period: If you don’t pass, Google allows you to retake the exam after 7 days.

How to Sign Up

Step #1: Sign in to Google Partners. If you haven’t already, Google Partners. It’s easy, and anyone managing AdWords accounts, whether an individual or agency, can join. Note that this is not the same as being named a Google Partner (one of Google’s trusted partners), but it can open doors to such opportunities. Visit google.com/partners to sign up, and watch this video if needed. Step #2: Go to Certifications à AdWords. Once you’ve signed in to Google Partners, you’ll see the Certifications tab on the left side of your screen. Underneath, choose AdWords, as shown below.

Step #3: Take the Test. It’s really that simple. This isn’t the SATs; there’s no need to book your spot months in advance. This is the digital world, so as long as you’ve got Wi-Fi, you can take the test whenever you’re ready. Choose the exam you’d like to take from the AdWords Exams section and select “Take exam.”

Step #4: Repeat the Process for Your Next Exam. Don’t bite off more than you can chew—study for and take the exams one at a time, beginning with AdWords Fundamentals. Once you’ve passed, hold off on the champagne and think strategically about which exam you should tackle next. As I mentioned, you can choose any of the specialized tests to become certified, so determine which area of advertising would be most useful to you. Do most of your clients operate in e-commerce? Then take Shopping as your second exam. After passing two exams (one being Fundamentals), you are officially AdWords Certified!

How to Prepare for the AdWords Certification Tests

Before we start celebrating, we need to talk about test prep. It might not be the LSAT, but you’ll wish you had prepared if you don’t, especially since you need to score over 80% and you’re working against the clock. That being said, you don’t need to go crazy with stacks of flashcards or pull all-nighters. While it may seem like Google designs some questions to be intentionally difficult, for the most part, you should pass the exam without a problem if you’re confident in your AdWords knowledge. The time limit is more than enough for most people, and if you’re unsure of some answers, there’s no proctor watching your every move—meaning you can cheat a little (even though you shouldn’t). To avoid feeling overwhelmed, break up your studying into two sections, one for each exam. Here are some resources I recommend to get you ready.

• Google’s Exam Study Guides: Google provides an in-depth study guide center for each exam. If I’m being honest, it’s a bit too in-depth for me. I don’t have time to wade through the massive amounts of content for every section of each exam, especially when it seems like every link leads to even more information. No thank you. That’s just not my style. I do, however, appreciate that the study guides are divided into sections, allowing you to focus on areas where you need a refresher. Don’t make the mistake of printing everything out and going through it with a highlighter; you’ll just end up with a headache and a guilty conscience for all the trees you killed.
• iPass Exam: Now this is a much better option for the environmentally conscious. I’m a huge fan of this program and even recommended it in my first blog post for nexus-security. My opinion hasn’t changed—their system is a great way to practice for and pass the AdWords exams. The program offers practice tests with questions that are very similar to those on the real exam. I recently used the system again before getting recertified and saw a number of the same questions from iPass on the actual exam. These practice tests highlight the areas that need more attention before you take the real deal. While iPass has some free study materials, their most helpful offerings, the practice tests, require a small fee. I recommend trying out the free trial and then making your case to your boss as to why it’s a worthwhile investment.
• Get Real-World Experience: This is arguably the best advice I can give you for passing the exam with flying colors. If you don’t absolutely have to take this exam before doing real client work or in-house PPC, get some actual AdWords experience under your belt first. I can almost guarantee that answering the questions will feel much more intuitive this way. Even Google suggests getting some on-the-job AdWords experience before attempting the certification exams. Want to do even more test prep? Check out PPC 101: A Beginner’s Guide to PPC

What to Do After You Pass

Congratulations! You passed! Once you’ve recovered from your celebratory festivities, you might want to think about how you’ll get the word out about becoming certified. As we discussed earlier, certification can build trust with potential clients or employers, so make sure you have a plan for showing it off. First, to find and print your certification, sign in to your Google Partners account and choose “My profile” in the overview section. You’ll see a link that says “AdWords Certified” under your profile picture. Click there to access and print your certificate.

To make the most of your new certification, I recommend:

• Adding the certification to the Certifications section on your LinkedIn profile.

• Promoting it on any other social media platform you use for professional purposes. For example, if you’re a regular on Twitter, add it to the description under your profile picture.
• Adding your certification status to your resume, website, and business cards.

Post-Exam: Staying Certified

Keep in mind that the AdWords certification is only valid for one year. After that, you’ll need to retake and pass both the AdWords Fundamentals test and your second exam of choice to maintain your certified status.

AdWords Certification vs. Partner Badge

You may be confused about the difference between the two. In short, individuals generally become certified, while agencies become badged. To earn a badge, your agency must go through a special process after joining the partner program (it’s not automatic after signing up for Google Partners). Learn more here. So, there you have it. While you ultimately decide whether getting certified is the right move, use this guide to help navigate the process.