Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect Exam – Key Details

Purpose of the Exam:

The Professional Cloud Architect certification proves that you can design, deploy, and manage secure, scalable, cost‑effective solutions on Google Cloud — a key skill for cloud architects and technical leaders.

Exam Format:

Type of questions: Multiple choice and multiple select (standard exam).
Case studies: Included (2 case study scenarios appear in the exam). Case study questions make up about 20–30% of the total.
Case studies present business problems that you solve using Google Cloud services.

Length & Timing:

Standard exam duration: 2 hours (120 minutes).
You must manage your time to read scenarios and answer questions effectively. For example, some candidates report about 2.25 minutes per question on average.
Number of Questions:
50 questions total in the standard Professional Cloud Architect exam.

Scoring / Passing:

Official passing score: Not publicly disclosed by Google — you’re simply shown Pass or Fail at the end.
Many candidates estimate an effective threshold of around ~70% correct answers, although Google doesn’t publish this number.
Scoring is based on your accuracy across the exam, including case study questions.

Exam Result & Validity:

Once passed, the certification remains valid for 2 years.
You can renew early with a shorter renewal exam (about 25 questions in 1 hour) focused on generative AI topics.

What the Exam Tests:

Rather than memorizing facts, the exam evaluates your ability to:

Design cloud solution architectures
Manage and provision cloud infrastructure
Ensure security and compliance
Analyze and optimize systems
Manage implementations
Ensure solution reliability
These areas reflect real‑world architecture responsibilities.

Tips from Test Takers:

Case studies are given on screen — read efficiently to save time.
Most questions are scenario‑based and test understanding, not memorization.
Practice with mock exams that simulate 50–60 questions in 120 minutes to build pacing.