Google AdWords Exam Tips from an AdWords Qualified Individual
Author: Dylan Benton | Filed under: Tips & ToolsWritten By: Dylan Benton
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!
Hi
I’m from iPassExam (we’re a test preparation question bank system for the Adwords exam), so its a little disappointing that you didn’t find us when you searched for AdWords practice exams & sample questions
Please excuse the blatant plug but if any of your readers are looking for Google exam style questions please check us out: http://www.ipassexam.com .
Keep the good work up
Hi Courtenay,
I appreciate you posting on here! I actually do recall finding your site during my search, but I was a little hesitant to pay for Google AdWords sample questions without really knowing the quality and types of questions. Hopefully your questions are more reflective of the actual Google Fundamentals of AdWords Exam than the sample questions on the learning center.
Although I’m sure iPassExam offers a fine service, I’m aiming at providing PPCers with free Google AdWords advice. But thanks for checking us out! Perhaps you’d like to post a few of your sample questions here for users to see?? Might be a good way to market your service?
Hi Dylan,
Where are the quizzes that I must take before the test?
There is one test that I must pass correct?
Can you tell me more about MCC? Should I do this before or after the exam? Google recommends before. It sounds like I should do the MCC at the same time I am studying for the exam and about after 60 days take the exam?
I took the below from the learning center.
“Account spending that took place in an individual account prior to its linking with your MCC does not count toward your managed client spend requirement for program qualification. The 90-day period for accruing client account spend commences at the time the account is linked to the MCC.
Please note that you must have met and/or be maintaining all requirements concurrently to become a Qualified Individual. So, if you have not yet passed the Exam by the time you reach the 90-day minimum managed spend requirement, you must still be maintaining that spend level (at least US$1,000 – or your local currency equivalent) when you pass the Exam.”
Thank you for your help Dylan.
Thanks for your question Sheila,
To clarify a bit, there are no quizzes that are required to be taken before the AdWords Exam. However, there are many practice quizzes scattered throughout the Google learning center. These are similar to end-of-chapter textbook quizzes you may remember from high school.
The MCC stands for My Client Center, which Google defines as “a powerful tool for handling multiple AdWords accounts. MCC is ideal for large advertisers with more than one account and for third-party agencies, such as search engine marketers, search engine optimizers, and automated bid managers . You can think of MCC as an ‘umbrella’ account with multiple AdWords accounts linked to it.”
For the small business owner managing a single AdWords account, the MCC is not much of a concern. However for SEO companies, or anyone else who manages multiple client accounts, the MCC allows users to quickly navigate accounts with minimal effort.
I think you may be confused as to exactly what the MCC is. It is not a test or quiz, it is only one more option as to how to configure and manage your AdWord accounts. I suggest you take some time to study in greater depth the ins and outs of AdWords. More info can be found on the MCC here:
http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=7725
As far as the account spending required for Qualified Individual and Company Status, if you take and pass the AdWords Exam, you have to have the required account spend as well as score above 85% on the exam.
Good Luck Sheila, if you have any other questions, feel free to ask!
Hi Dylan
I wish i had read reviews about the test.
I deal a lot with Adwords, so i thought i would take the test without studying, I was so wrong. I have taken the test 3 times now and failed. The questions are very tricky and as you said there could be more than 1 answer. Some of the question are so long winded by the time you finish reading it, you have to re read it because you forgot what the first half was about. I also found some of the questions are not really well covered in the learning centre.
So now i’m back to studying with a fine comb.
Hello Ghislane, and thanks for your comment. You have obviously experienced what many of us have, now that Google decided to revamp the AdWords Exam. I had a very tough time with it as well. I have spoken with many AdWords professionals who manage large client accounts daily and who did not pass the new exam on their first try.
The good news is that you can retake the test each week. I wish Google would tell you which questions you got incorrectly, but unfortunately they do not. Keep your head up, keep studying, and try to test again. The best advice I can give is try to think of any difficult questions how a Google user would. Google has said over and over again that their main goal is to maximize the user experience in terms of relevancy and ease of use.
Keep at it, and breeze though the questions you are certain about. Mark any questions you are unsure of, and go back to them at the end. Good Luck! With enough practice and studying you will succeed! Let me know if you have any specific questions I can address for you.
Hi
Thank you for your response. Well that makes me feel better, that i’m not the only one struggling. Yes it would help if Google showed you the incorrect answers.
I’m taking my time this time round watching some of the videos trying to absorb everything even if i think it is’nt relevant to adwords.
I was wondering if i would be able to contact you as i am starting up my business and have a few questions about what to offer clients regarding SEM and if you have any tips
Many Thanks
Ghislane.
Hi Dylan,
Thanks for all the info you provided. Man, I def would have passed the exam if I took it before November 09’! I just acquired a new position about a month ago and am new to SEM. My co-workers all took the exam before Nov. 09’ and gave me all the tips to pass, but unfortunately it all changed as you have described above. I was the first out of a couple new co-workers to take it and discovered all the new complex changes (sux for me). Anyways (sorry I had to vent), a couple questions I have:
• Do you suggest cramming all the info in one shot and taking the exam or really studying for a long period of time to understand all the info in-depth?
• I read on another site that we should study more than just what’s in this link: http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=examstudy.cs. Is this true or can I just read (and understand) all this material of the Google Advertising Fundamentals Exam and I’ll be good to take the exam?
• Also, I’m really confused on the difference between Rich Media Display ads and Text, Image, Video ads. Previously, I thought display ads were the same as image ads. But, after re-reading now it seems like Rich Media Display ads are the same as text, image, and video, but then why are they separated into different topics as seen here:
http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/static.py?hl=en&guide=23634&page=guide.cs
Thank you so much for your responses (in advance)!
Hi Ghislan,
I had a quick question for you. Are the test questions different each time you have taken it or is it the same test?
I was just wondering because I was planning on studying extra hard on the areas of the test I wasn’t familiar with (at least from what I remember).
Thanks!
@Ghislane,
Videos are definitely a great way to study. They allow you to take in visual and audio information simultaneously, which is a great help to anyone who may be a bit unfamiliar with the AdWords UI. If you’d like, you can send any questions you have to trimarkblogquestions@gmail.com, and I will be glad to help you. You may also want to check out this week’s blog topic. Week 2 of the TriMark Blog Event is all about how to create and implement a successful PPC campaign. The first post is here: http://www.trimarksolutions.com/inside/pay-per-click-advertising/april-blog-4-of-12-9-tips-for-maximizing-a-ppc-ad-campaign/
@Sooch, first off, I would definitely suggest studying much more than a one time cram session. This material requires a deeper level of understanding than just definitional. Also, if your company will allow it, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the AdWords interface before you take the test again. The exam is geared toward proving that you have a true knowledge of the software (AdWords Interface, My Client Center, etc.) as well as the ideas behind the practice.
I would also suggest (at least looking through) all the exams that Google has to offer online. As you have already taken the AdWords exam once, you can probably glance at the material and determine whether it’s relevant and worth studying. However, the Google AdWords Qualified Professional exam is just that, a Professional’s exam. I would think you would need to have a high level of all Google and AdWords related material to be qualified as a PPC industry professional.
As far as text vs. image and video ads, there are unique differences between each. Only text ads may appear on the search network (Google SERPs), while image and video ads may appear on the content network. From what I recall, there are also some questions regarding the sizing allowed for image and video ads, as well as the certain restrictions within video and image ads. I strongly suggest you learn all of these rules, because I found myself stumped on a few of the “which sizing options are allowed for image ads on the Google Content Network?” question. I remember thinking that this question was absolutely ludicrous, as very few people would bother to commit such information to memory.
I hope this was able to help you out Sooch, and don’t let the fact that you did not pass get you down. It is a very difficult exam, and you seem to have a firm grasp on material, even though you are relatively new to SEM. Keep at it, you will pass. And once you do, you won’t have to worry about re-certification for a while!
Also, I have seen 4 AdWords tests since November 2009. Each I saw that the same (or very similar questions), simply in different orders. I believe studying the areas in which you remember having trouble is a great idea, as certain questions and subjects will always be on the AdWords Exam. Good Luck Guys!
Hi Dylan,
Thank you so much for your responses and encouragement
!
As far as my last question goes, I apologize, I didn’t word it properly. I understand that there is a difference between text, image, and video, but what I’m confused about is when Google talks about Rich Media Display ads. It seems like Rich Media Display ads can be text, image or video. So, I don’t understand why they are creating a separate topic for Rich Media Display ads (from text, image and video ads). As seen here:
http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/static.py?hl=en&guide=23634&page=guide.cs.
If you look within the link you will find on the left side of the page topics for text, image, video, mobile AND Rich Media Display. I guess what I’m saying is I don’t understand the difference between Rich Media Display vs. the other types of ads.
Thanks!
Sooch, To the best of my knowledge, I believe RMD ads encompass text, image, and video, while allowing users to track a bit more than you would be able to with a simple video or image ad. A good video tutorial can be seen here. http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/090401-063905
Rich Media Ads allow users to track mouseover rates as well as the usual clicks, conversions, etc. Our company does not typically use many RMD ads, and I don’t recall there being many (if any) questions on the AdWords Exam regarding the topic. However, any questions they ask on the Exam should come directly from the information provided in the learning center, so as long as you understand the basics of each ad type, you should be alright. Good Luck! Let us all know how you do!
Hi Scooch
I would strongly advise that you study long and hard to pass the exam. I did the the crash one and it didnt work, you really need to know the material, also i found that not all of the questions are covered in the learning centre alone look through videos and additional links within in the learning centre.
As for the questions for the exam they do throw in some new ones, thats why you have to be prepared.
Good luck
Hi Dylan and Ghislane,
Thank you guys for your responses and support! I will def let y’all know how I did, I may have to take it sooner than I want (work wants me to get certified asap).
Good luck to you also, Ghislane!
Dylan, you are so lucky you don’t have to worry about this thing (at least not for another year)!
So nervous…
Hey Dylan!
I have super exciting news…I passed!!! I studied long and hard, just as you guys suggested and made a 93% this time around! These are the steps I took to pass the exam:
- I mainly focused on studying the adwords learning center text material (don’t only read it, understand it well)
- If you do fail, right after you are finished with the exam jot down as many questions as you can remember and go back and find the right answers – some of the questions are the same on each test
- One to two days before taking the exam skim all the text material
I thought I was done with this exam for a whole year, but then Google decides to change their certification process. Now, I have to hit the books hard again for the advanced exam. I believe I have to take the Search Advertising Advance Exam…any tips?
Sooch,
First of all Congrats! 93% is a very respectable score on this new test. That’s an A- where I went to school, haha.
It sounds like your tedious study habits payed off, as they should have.
Unfortunately I do not have much information regarding the new Search Advertising Advanced Exam. TriMark Solutions is in the process of doing a bit more research on the topic, and deciding if/when we need to look into taking this exam. I am actually planning on creating a new blog post about it, because there has been a lot of recent buzz about it.
For the time being, all I can say is that the Google Learning Center looks to do a pretty solid job of describing exactly which topics are included on the test here: http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=examstudy.cs&exam=search
The topics which are not included on the Search Advertising Advanced Exam are all greyed out.
(**EDITED** 5/11/2010) I’ve finished my research, and a new blog. Check out our newest blog post, http://www.trimarksolutions.com/inside/pay-per-click-advertising/new-google-adwords-certified-partner-requirentsem/, which discusses the some key points to the new Google AdWords Certified Partner Program.
Thanks Sooch, and congrats again!
Thanks, Dylan!
Awesome, once I start studying for the advanced exam (which should be pretty soon) I’ll def post on your new blog with any questions or information. Thanks for all the helpful tips and information you provided on both blogs!
Hi,
Nice to know you all and get some information about the adwords as well. But what I am interested in is to have some links for videos for adwords certification preparation. If you know any of those that would be a help. I am studying for the exam but it seems to be pretty hard at first go.
Hello Jitendra,
In my post, I included a link to the Google AdWords Learning Center, which includes videos and quizzes for training and studying. During my studying, I was also able to find a few helpful videos by searching on Youtube and Google.
Good Luck on the Certification Exam, let us know how you do!
I too thought I’d breeze through the fundamentals exam w/o much studying. Wrongo!
After much studying, I did however pass it the 2nd time around. I’m now studying for the Advanced exam.
It’s disappointing to not get feedback on the questions missed. The whole “best answer” thing is frustrating. At some times it seemed a bit subjective.
What exactly is the max-length of a video ad. I had documentation that it was 10 minutes, but that was not an option. So, I picked the longest shown as an option (5-min) and crossed my fingers.
Hey there James,
From what I’ve heard throughout the PPC community, the pre-November 2009 AdWords Exam was more of an elementary school quiz on AdWords, and most PPC advertisers did just breeze through it. My guess is that Google figured this out too, and decided to make the test much more difficult.
As far as I know, video ads must be 2 minutes or shorter (how many customers would realistically sit and watch a 5 or 10 minute advertisement for a product?). But congrats nonetheless on a second try pass. I know a few professionals in PPC advertising who needed 3-4 tries to pass, so 2 is very respectable.
Thanks James, and please let us know how you do on the Advanced Exam!
Hi Everyone,
I took the Advanced Search Exam last week and passed (yay!!) but underestimated how much more involved and difficult it was than the Fundamentals exam. Even though parts of the exam covers the same questions as the Fundamentals exam, I would strongly advise on really studying and UNDERSTANDING the following: location extensions, managing accounts with MCC, language & location targeting, invalid click issues, and account optimization.
Dylan – thanks for sharing your experience and advise!!
Congratulations Lenzo on becoming a Certified Google AdWords Partner (I’m assuming you do or soon will have the required account spend). Are you planning on taking either of the other 2 advanced exams?
Hi Dylan,
I think I’ll take a break for now but will probably take the Advanced Reporting and Analysis exam in the near future.
Thanks!
I just wanted to write and say thanks for all of the tips. I just studied and took the Fundamentals exam for the first time tonight and passed!
Now for the Advanced exam (s) and then to work on making sure our spend is there for my company. Thanks for the help Dylan.
@ Lenzo, Congrats again on your success! Please let us know when you decide to take the other advanced exams. I’m sure everyone is interested in hearing the juicy details.
@Ryan, Passing the exam on your first try is absolutely awesome! And now that the required spend is down to 10k per quarter, it should make it a bit easier for you to become a certified partner. We’d love to hear which of the 3 Advanced AdWords exams you choose, and your thoughts on it. Congrats again, glad we could help!
Great article – thought it was just me when I saw more than one correct answer on the test, even though you can only select one.
There is nothing to tell you to select the “best” answer, not just a correct one. This could catch a lot of people out.
Anyone taking the test should take time to read and understand the questions carefully and don’t rush!
Hi Dylan,
What do you mean by “Included a separate browser to take the test, preventing you from having other windows open on your screen (meaning you can’t cheat!)”? Am I not allowed to have any other windows open during the time of the exam?
Hello Arthur. And Yes, that is exactly what I mean. Even if you use a dual monitor setup as I do in my office, the Google AdWords Exam browser opens up as soon as you agree to take the exam, and blocks out your entire viewing area. You are unable to minimize the exam or adjust the screen size at all.
The only way to have another window open for viewing the web (or looking up answers) would be to have a laptop sitting beside you. So if you will be in a single computer environment during the test, you will not be able to use any other browser windows to help look up answers. Good Luck Arthur, let us know how you do!
@Paula, thank you, and you’re right, those “best answer” questions are quite tricky when you’re being timed and trying to decide which “best” answer really is best!
I am looking into the certification. Once you pass the Fundamentals Exam and one of the advanced exams do you have your certification forever or do you have to periodically re-take the test(s).
Hello Art,
Due to the ever-changing nature of online advertising, you must retake the exams periodically to ensure you have a maximum understanding of all new AdWords standards and practices.
I honestly am not sure whether the new Google AdWords Certified Partner qualifications last for 1 or 2 years. I have heard people say both, but I have yet to see an official answer from Google. The previous Google AdWords Qualified Individual/Company qualifications were good for 24 months, my best guess is that Certified Partner Status would be the same. Regardless, you must retake the exams from time to time, it’s definitely not a pass-once-and-you’re-done-forever exam. Good Luck Art!
Hi Dylan,
I was wondering how accurate the Learning Center is as far as what is on the test? For example, you say there are now questions on billing and payments, but Google clearly leaves that section out of the study materials under all of the tests. Thanks!
Hello Dylan,
First of all I congrats you on passing the exam and also congrats you briefly explaining all questions ask by Advertisers.My question is that I have no seo comany and I am working as SEO since from three years, can I take the Google Fundamental and Search advance exams, please tell me thanks in advance.
Jay, When I took the exam, it was right after Google released the new exam, but before they had updated the AdWords Learning Center. So anyone who took the exam during that time was essentially still studying for the previous “AdWords Professionals Exam”, not the new Fundamentals Exam. To answer your question, our new intern just passed the exam yesterday on her first try, after having studied the AdWords Learning Center for just over 2 weeks. She said the material found there was very useful, and was closely related to the exam. I also looked over the info, and it seems that Google has in fact updated the Learning Center to be much more accurate.
Muhammad, Anyone is able to take the AdWords Fundamentals and Advanced Exams. There are no restrictions associated with companies. However, I would recommend devoting plenty of time to studying for the exam, as even many seasoned PPC professionals find some of the questions difficult and tricky.
Good Luck Jay and Muhammad, let us know how you guys do!
83%-Fail. The eLearning did not make the difference for me. These “best choice” type answers are the worst and a lot are worded very poorly. Google needs to give you at least a category that you did worst on to study again. I have no idea what I could have gotten wrong.
Hey there Jay. I’m sorry to hear that news. And yes I completely agree that Google should tell you which areas to try to improve on. If it makes you feel any better, someone in our company failed with an 84%….. and he said he wanted to shoot himself, ha. So I understand your frustration.
The good news is that you were 2-3 questions from passing. Now just take these 7 days to brush up on any areas that you may have found yourself “guessing” at the best answer. And when you retake it, try to think of every answer as what Google would want for the user, not necessarily what you would want, as the advertiser.
Best of luck, I hope my advice helps a bit, and I certainly hope you pass on your next try. Keep at it Jay, you’ll pass.
On a side note, our newest intern just passed the exam on her first try, we are very proud of her! She has even written a guest post about it on our blog. Check it out here, and show her some love for passing!
http://www.trimarksolutions.com/inside/trimark-news/life-of-an-seo-marketing-intern-taking-the-google-adwords-exam/
Hi Dylan,
i have also appeared for the adwords exam this week and failed it and trust me it really hurts when u prepare so much for any kind of exam and fails. Well i appeared only for the fundamental exam and as per the fundamental course material “http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=examstudy.cs&exam=fundamentals”
MCC is grayed out which means it is not an important section for the fundamental exam. But i was wrong i found so many questions related to it.
Now i am again preparing for the exam. Could you please help me out how should i manage my timing s and how should i study. Well its true Google have made this test so difficult and i really want to pass this exam this time with atleast above 90%.
One more confusing area i found after appearing is targeting Mean Questions like (If a english user change the language setting to spanish than what kind of ads will appear). These sort of questions are really confusing. Please Help….!!!
Thanks,
Suresh.
Hello Suresh, Well with the new Google AdWords Learning Center setup, it does gray out the materials that are supposedly not on the exam. However, looking over it all, I found that you really need to fully understand all of AdWords to do well on the test. So my best advice is to take a bit of extra time and study all the material in the learning center, even if it says it is unrelated to the fundamentals exam.
As far as managing your time, I would quickly answer all the questions you were sure about, then mark the ones you were unsure about, and go back and review them all at the end. Try to think of how Google wants users to see ads and content, as relevant and useful.
The language targeting questions can be very tricky, here is a helpful page from the AdWords Learning Center. http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=43816
I’d start here, and maybe even get inside AdWords and create some fake campaigns to see how your language targeted ads show.
I hope this helps, good luck on your second try!
Hi Dylan,
Terrific blog!
I am studying for Individual AdWords Certification (Fundamentals and Search exams). I have a question pertaining to which materials in the Learning Center I am (and am not) responsible for learning for the exams.
Specifically, if you click on any links in the outline (for the applicable exams) here…
http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/static.py?hl=en&page=examstudy.cs&ctx=go
… you are taken to a page of content. But on these pages there are almost always links to other pages of related content. Am I responsible for learning the content on those pages as well? And what about the links off of those pages? You can be taken to a near endless level of content.
So my question is, how deep into the linked pages do you need to study?
Thanks for any insight you can provide, Dylan — much appreciated!
Hello Michael, First off, thanks!
And to help answer your question, when you click on an individual exam, the material that is not covered is grayed out. That means the selected test does not focus much on that material. However, due to the deep level of understanding needed for each exam, it is very important that you understand all the ins and outs of AdWords.
Because you are planning on taking advanced exams as well as the fundamentals exam, I would strongly suggest you study all material found under each section.
The Fundamental and Advanced exams are no walk in the park. If you have the time and patience to study all the materials provided in the learning center, I would do so. If you are on a strict time budget, then definitely study all materials that are not grayed out for the fundamentals and advanced search exams. Bethany Brewer, the newest member of our marketing team, just passed the fundamentals exam on her first try, and she studied ALL the content available on the learning center (advanced exams and all).
Good Luck Michael!
Thanks Dylan – I hear you.
Perhaps an example would illustrate my specific question. Here’s a page of content required for the fundamentals exam:
http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/static.py?hl=en&guide=23671&page=guide.cs
At the bottom of the above page you’ll notice two links: The first is “Lesson 12. Optimizing Performance”. When you go to this page, you’ll notice at the top of the page (under the heading “13. Optimizing Performance”) that it says in a small gray font “Exams: Fundamentals, Reporting, Search”, so obviously knowing the content on this page is required for these exams.
However, when you click the second link, “Learn more about how ads are ranked”, no mention is made at the top of the page about this page’s content being tied to any exams. So, do I need study this page for the exams?
Hope that helps to clarify my question.
Thanks again Dylan!
Michael,
Ahh, I understand exactly what you’re asking now. Well unfortunately, I don’t think there is an exact answer for your question, because the learning center is so interwoven. Many of the different chapters will link back and forth between one another. When I was studying (and Bethany said she did the same), I simply studied any page I had not seen before.
I think the “Learn more about how ads are ranked” link you are asking about serves to provide that additional, in depth, info that will really benefit you when you are taking the exam.
Another option is to use the AdWords glossary page: http://adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/topic.py?hl=en&topic=15464 to simply go through and read the definitions of prettymuch every term associated with AdWords. That may serve to help you as well.
I’m sorry I can’t give a more exact answer Michael, but I think it’s safe to say that you shouldn’t ever skip any information unless you feel 100% confident that you understand it completely.
Passed the 2nd time with a 92%! I ‘m curious, has anyone taken the advanced search and how did they do?
Thank you Dylan! I just passed the Fundamentals Exam minutes ago on my first try with a 94% score, and I couldn’t have done it without your help.
For future test takers: the recommended sections within the Learning Center are enough to do well (meaning, grayed out areas are not necessary). However, the caveat is that the highlighted areas should be completely mastered, and in that sense looking into the extra sections may be helpful.
Congratulations Derek! First try 94%! Fantastic Job, I’m glad I was able to help!
And I assume anyone taking the AdWords Fundamentals Exam is probably planning on taking one of the Advanced exams as well. I would just recommend reading though all the areas (even the grayed out ones) and paying particularly close attention to the areas highlighted in the Fundamentals section, just as Derek suggested.
Thanks everyone, keep the comments and questions coming!
Dylan, thank you for the tips. I passed the GAP while working for a company that no longer exists. My goal is to maintain my professional status, and I read that I can do so by retaking the fundamentals every two years.
What would you suggest? Given that the company went under, should I start fresh by taking the fundamentals plus one of the advanced exams?
Is there an easier way to go about this?
Much obliged,
Jessica
Hello Jessica,
To the best of my knowledge, Google tracks professional status by the email address you registered with when you took the exam. I was able to actually contact a Google Rep before with a similar issue we had. We had taken and passed an AdWords Exam, but it wasn’t yet associated with our business. We were able to have the Google Rep connect that email address (and therefore that passed exam) with our company. If you are able to spend a bit of time on the phone and explain your situation, Google may be able to allow you to connect your passed exam status with your new company.
Unfortunately I know much more about AdWords than the loopholes of associating passed exams with accounts, but the Google Representatives I spoke with were very friendly and helpful, and I would think they could help you out in your situation as well. Worst case scenario, then yes, you may need to retake the exam under a personal or new company email address. However, I’d definitely try contacting Google first. Good Luck Jessica, and please let us know the outcome. I’m sure many other PPC Advertisers are in your shoes and would love to hear what Google says about the issue.