Journey to Becoming a Google Cloud Professional Architect

4 min readAug 9, 2024

Mastering cloud architecture is a valuable skill. I decided to earn the Google Cloud Professional Architect certification to showcase my ability to design, plan, and manage secure, scalable, and cost-effective solutions on the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This certification is highly respected in the industry, proving competence in tackling real-world challenges.

Let’s see how to knock this one out of the park!…

The Preparation Journey

The Exam: Google Cloud Certified Professional Cloud Architect

Number of questions: 50
Format: Multiple choice and multiple select (includes 5 case study questions)
Case Studies: MountKirk Games, TerramEarth, Helicopter Racing League, EHR Healthcare (you’ll encounter 2 of these in the exam with around 12 questions each)
Duration: 2 hours (you can finish and leave early if done)
Fee: $200 (plus tax, where applicable)
Validity: 2 years

1. Understanding the Exam Blueprint

The first step in my journey was to understand the exam blueprint thoroughly. The exam covers a wide range of topics, including:

Designing and planning a cloud solution architecture
Managing and provisioning the cloud solution infrastructure
Designing for security and compliance
Analyzing and optimizing technical and business processes
Managing implementations of cloud architecture
Ensuring solution and operations reliability

This blueprint served as a guide, helping me focus on the key areas required to pass the exam.

2. Hands-on Experience with SaaS Multi-Cloud Projects

Working on a SaaS multi-cloud project provided me with valuable hands-on experience with core GCP services. I gained practical knowledge in deploying and managing services like Compute Engine, Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), Cloud Functions, Cloud Storage, App Engine, and API Gateway. My work included implementing load balancing techniques and private network connectivity concepts like Private Link, Cloud VPN, and Interconnect. These experiences were crucial in understanding how to design cost-efficient, highly available, and resilient solutions.

3. Tackling Migration and Data Pipeline Challenges

Understanding cloud migration strategies was another key aspect of my preparation. The exam tested my ability to approach cloud migration, identify the necessary services, and utilize hybrid connectivity options. I also explored data pipeline scenarios, learning how to handle streaming and batch data processing. This included best practices for data analysis and secure data workflows.

4. Leveraging Resources and Study Materials

To strengthen my understanding, I used a mix of official documentation, online courses, and practice exams. Courses like “Architecting with Google Cloud Platform” and resources on Coursera provided comprehensive coverage of GCP services. Practice exams helped me get familiar with the exam format and identify areas for improvement.

5. Community Engagement and Knowledge Sharing

Joining study groups and online forums was an essential part of my preparation. Platforms like CloudSkillboost, LinkedIn, and the Google Cloud community were great for sharing knowledge, asking questions, and learning from others’ experiences. This collaborative environment was invaluable for gaining diverse perspectives and tips.

Exam Day Experience

The Google Cloud Professional Architect exam was challenging yet rewarding. It tested not only my technical knowledge but also my problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. The questions were designed to assess my ability to create optimized solutions that balance cost, availability, and resilience.

Exam-Ready Courses and Resources

Ranga Rao Karanam: GCP Professional Cloud Architect-Google Cloud Certification — Total Time-21hrs, Price-27.99$, Rating-10/10
Practise Tests: Whizlabs (10 practice tests-300 questions, highly recommended!) — Price-18.95$

Last Minute Revision:

Tips for Aspiring Candidates

Understand the Exam Blueprint: Know the topics and their weightage.
Gain Hands-On Experience: Work on real projects or labs with GCP services.
Use Diverse Resources: Combine official docs, courses, books, and practice exams.
Engage with the Community: Join forums and study groups for insights and tips.
Focus on Key Scenarios: Understand migration, data pipeline, security, architectures, and hybrid connectivity.

The above courses give you an idea of what Google Cloud is, its products, and services, and how it can be useful in various business use cases. But, during the exam, the questions will go beyond the basics by twisting you on various levels. To tackle this, a few cloud trainers have prepared specialized course content for clearing the Professional Cloud Architect Certification

After the Exam:

When you finish the exam, you will only be given a pass or fail grade.
On your screen, it shows that Google will take 7–10 days to send your official results, but for me, it took only 28 hrs.

Conclusion

Overall, I’m very happy I went through the process of getting certified as it opened up a new world of exploration and excitement for me and I feel this is just the start of designing high-end robust architectures. The journey of preparing for this exam will take you through multiple real-life use cases and test your knowledge in some of the trickiest situations.

Finally, I hope that you find this article and my experience helpful, and thanks for taking the time to read my article.

If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to comment.

About The Author
Suraj Solanki
Senior DevOps Engineer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suraj-solanki
Topmate: https://topmate.io/suraj_solanki