Having Trouble with the Google AdWords Exam? I passed the exam a little over a month ago, and I remember searching endlessly for AdWords practice exams, sample questions, and study tips. Unfortunately, there just isn’t a lot of relevant information about it, especially since all the recent AdWords changes that Google implemented in November, 2009. Here is some advice from a Google AdWords Qualified Individual, employed by TriMark Solutions, a Google AdWords Qualified Company.
On November 29, 2009, Google made many significant changes to their Google AdWords Fundamentals Exam, including:
• Raised the Passing Score From 75% to 85%.
• Increased the Question amount to 120 (up from around 100).
• Increased the test time to 2 hours even.
• Allowing testers to retake the exam once per 7 days, for a $50 fee each time.
• Included many more conceptual questions, limited definitional questions.
• Included questions with many correct answers, but one “Best” answer.
• Providing testers with a review button, which you can click to skip a question, and come back to it at the end of the exam (time permitting).
• Focused more on the small details of Google AdWords, rather than the broad scale ideas.
• Included many questions regarding billing, payments, and account management.
• Focused on the My Client Center (MCC) uses and benefits.
• Included a separate browser to take the test, preventing you from having other windows open on your screen (meaning you can’t cheat!)
• Overall, made the AdWords Exam much more demanding, ensuring that the average PPCer would not breeze through it.
The best advice I can give is to obviously read through the Google AdWords Learning Center. It contains a lot of information, basic and expert, which needs to be carefully read and learned. However, the “quizzes” are very watered-down and easy, not at all similar to the actual test questions.
Also, even though you only have approximately one minute per question, make certain to read through all answers, and mark the BEST answer. Many times, I would read an answer, mark it as correct, then continue reading the remaining answer choices, and have to rethink my choice.
I wouldn’t say the Google AdWords test is intentionally trying to confuse test-takers, I think the questions are intentionally designed to weed out the people who understand the basics of Pay Per Click Advertising from the industry professionals who truly understand the “How & Why” behind the questions.
Are you planning on taking the Google AdWords Exam soon? Post your questions and concerns here, and I’ll share my knowledge and experiences!
Google AdWords Exam Update – March 17th, 2011
As of yesterday (3.16.2011), TriMark Solutions can officially confirm a new Google AdWords Fundamentals Exam Format of:
- 113 Total Questions (Down from 120)
- 3 Hours to Finish Exam (Up from 2 Hours)
Many of the questions that pertained to specific advanced exams seemed to have been moved to the respective advanced exam, and removed from the AdWords fundamentals exam. For example, the questions about acceptable image ad sizes are no longer on the Fundamentals Exam, however those types of questions are still on the Advanced Display exams. As we learn more about the new AdWords Exam format, we will continue to update this blog post.
Google AdWords Exam Update #2 – August 9th, 2011
Based on the recounts of many AdWords Test Takers, it seems that Google has made another change to the exam format:
- Exam Completion Time has Been Dropped Back Down to 2 Hours (Down from previous 3 hour timeframe)
This means that AdWords Exam takers will once again need to make sure to QUICKLY answer questions, as you will get just over 1 minute per question (113 questions in 120 minutes).
215 Comments
Hi Seth,
The exam is 113 Q’s in 2 hrs. The “case study” questions you’ve read about are scenario type questions, for example: “A advertiser in Russia want to sell flowers in Moscow & would like to target both English & Russian speakers. Which targeting options would best suit this advertiser?”
Then you’ll have a choice of four possible answers. Remember, some questions are ‘black & white’, ie: there is an obvious right answer. Other questions will have a ‘best’ answer, ie: more than one option is (possibly) correct, but one option is the ‘best’ (most applicable) answer! Make sense?
Best of luck!
@Luke, thanks for the feedback. I am not quite clear about 2 questions –
1. Are demographic options available for campaigns that are running only on the search network?
2. Is display network targeting required to run a mobile image ad?
Two days to go for the exam (17th Sep) and I’m still grappling with elementary stuff…pls help everyone
Cheers
passed the fundamentals….91% (not much but am happy). Am thinking of taking the advanced exams but not sure which one – search or display! Pls suggest as I dont’ve any experience of Adwords at all.
Cheers
I’m looking to get certified as an individual and not as a company. I’ve read in these comments that the advanced search test includes questions related to MCC. Since I manage Adwords for only one domain, I don’t have access to this. Will I still be quizzed on it? I know nothing about it.
Thanks for the blog post and comments. It’s very helpful while I’m in the preliminary stages of taking the exam.
@Seth,
Congrats on passing the Fundamentals Exam! 91% is nothing to scoff at. The Advanced Search Exam is moreso an extension of the Fundamentals exam, while the Advanced Display exam really focuses in on Display advertisements, image and video ads on Youtube and across the Google Network, etc. I would suggest studying for and taking whichever exam you think will help you more in your AdWords career.
@Drusilla,
Even if you are not planning on becoming certified as a company, you will still need to study for the MCC-related section of the AdWords Exam. Everyone seeking Google certified status will take the same version of the AdWords Fundamentals exam. There is a fairly comprehensive studyguide on the MCC in the AdWords learning center, so I would suggest starting there.
Good Luck!
Just failed with 84%. I really studied. I am completely disgusted. Many of the questions *require* guessing, you could know the material backwards and forwards and still fail. Asking for 85% and then filling the exam with vague, ambiguous, questions i.e. pick the “best” of several right answers hardly seems fair. A lot of the material on the exam is absolutely not covered in the Google Adwords Learning Center.
Hi walterbyrd,
Don’t be like this. 84 is not bad. Can i ask something? Do you have a practice on AdWords? How many hours do you spend on AdWords a day? The practice is important, so maybe that played a part?
Looking to take this over the coming weekend –
I was wondering if anyone really focused on the Google AdWords policy section – there’s a lot of information in there pertaining to Ad Link Text, character limits, click to play video formats and requirements –
Does the Google fundamental test focus heavily on the policy aspect question wise? Any other tips, sample questions anyone could provide?
Thanks in advance!
Hello Drew,
I have heard a few reports of Google changing some of the questions on the AdWords Exam, but from my personal experience, there was a few questions directly pertaining to the “nuts and bolts” technical aspects of AdWords.
While it’s true many of the questions are scenario-based, “choose the best answer” types of questions, there are some that specifically ask direct information, such as Ad character limits, etc.
Thanks everyone, and please keep up the comments! I love the continuing conversation, and reading about everyone’s experiences with the Google AdWords Exam!
This a sample questions & Answers I found at some website.
1.Google wants to make certain that Google Content Network consultants understand where people are spending their time online. Google has identified four categories where people spend their time online. Which one of the following statements ranks Internet usage for Web users from smallest to largest percentage of time online according to Google?
A. Commerce sites, content sites, communication sites, search sites
B. Search sites, commerce sites, content sites, communication sites
C. Communication sites, content sites, commerce sites, search sites
D. Content sites, communication sites, commerce sites, search sites
Answer given is D. But I disagree. It think the right answer is B.
2.Wendy has created a new Google AdWords account and she has selected her time zone as EST. Wendy later realizes that she should have selected the time zone as PST. How can Wendy change the time zone in her Google AdWords account?
A. Wendy can change the time zone as Administrative account in the Account Settings.
B. Wendy can’t change the time zone without calling the Google AdWords support center.
C. Shecannot. Once the time zone is set, it cannot be changed.
D. Wendy can change the time zone as an Administrative account through Options/Settings.
The answer given on a particular website is C. But I think answer B also applies true.
I am getting confused with these answer. The given answers are ambiguous Any suggestions?
Dylan
Thanks for the tips you have been providing… this really is helping the Aspirants, i am planning to go for the fundamentals this month, will try knocking you for any suggestions…
Planning for a Google AdWords Fundamental. Would like to know if there is any link where I could go through the past questionnaires or even sample papers to get a general idea of how the flow is?
Pls suggest.
Thanks for the valuable and reliable information about the Google adwords.
Thanks for all of that info. I had a real bad luck : 2nd approach failed at 79%:/ few days ago. There is a question about ‘position preference” – which is no longer relevant as the feature seems not available anymore…I think I’ve failed on that question:-). Anyway I took not about areas I’m feeling weak / under-studied ie. Conversion Optimzer and MMC and Locations extensions implications etc.
I used this comment thread to help prepare myself for the AdWords Fundamentals exam (to make sure I was ready for any curveballs Google had to throw.) I just wanted to give an up to date refresher on some of the key things I noticed.
The exam is 113 questions and you have 2 hours to complete it. However, it appears that the questions requiring you to “select all that apply” are no longer there. Please do NOT confuse that with questions requiring you to “select the best answer”, as those are still a major part of the exam.
I received a 92% and am very pleased with that result. If you are studying, focus on bullet points in the study guide, overarching themes/general knowledge as well as utilizing the AdWords tabs to achieve certain goals.
Thanks for the assistance, this comment post is my way of paying it forward : – )