Demystifying the Associate Android Developer Certification
For the longest time, the Android Certification has been on the back of my mind and I have been postponing it since it came out (a few years ago), but recently I said no more! and took the dive, head first 😅, and it was very rewarding.
If you're planning on taking it, let me give you a little intro first:
Fancy name, but… what is it about?
Aimed to both new developers and those who want to advance their career, the Associate Android Developer Certification is a way to showcase your skills, and its corresponding Android Basics in Kotlin curriculum tries to compile what Google considers the most valuable knowledge for Android Software Development.
After completing the course, you can proceed to take the Certification exam (which is $149 USD).
All the uncertainty can give you a little anxiety prior to starting the process, so let me guide you through the experience, so you'll know what to expect. We can fragment the whole thing into 3 stages: The Curriculum, The Exam and The Exit Interview.
The Curriculum
Recently, there's been a few changes (for the better) on the way Google presents the topics covered in the certification.
Coexisting with the old "Study Guide", the Android Basics in Kotlin Curriculum covers most things you need to know in order to succeed (I recommend some unlisted areas too, more on that later!), and the Google Developers Badge System really helps you keep track of your progress, so be sure to take every quiz in order to collect them.
Here's a brief description of what you need to master in every knowledge area:
Unit 1: Kotlin Basics
- Introduction to Kotlin: Basic Kotlin syntax and Kotlin development in general.
- Create your first Android app: Basic Android Development and a brief introduction to Android Studio.
- Build a basic layout: Here you'll learn mostly about two important concepts: Views and ViewGroups.
- Add a button to an app: Despite the name, the main focus here is Object Oriented Programming basics. I'd recommend checking the SOLID principles if you haven't.
Unit 2: Layouts
- Get user input in an app 1: A deeper dive into OOP concepts, also a lot of focus on XML layouts.
- Get user input in an app 2: Gradle configuration, themes, icons and material components.
- Display a scrollable list: Lists, RecyclerViews and the Adapter Design Pattern.
Unit 3: Navigation
- Navigate between screens: Higher Order Functions, Activity Lifecycle and Kotlin Null-Safety
- Introduction to the Navigation Component: Fragment Lifecycle and Jetpack's Navigation component.
- Architecture components: ViewModels and the MVVM architectural pattern. Also, intro to LiveData.
- Advanced Navigation app examples: Shared ViewModels, LiveData Transformations, Kotlin scope functions and Data Binding.
Unit 4: Connect to the internet
- Coroutines: Threads, Multithreading and coroutine basics (suspend functions and deferreds.)
- Get data from the internet: HTTP requests, RESTful APIs, Retrofit, binding adapters, Moshi and image loading (using Coil)
Unit 5: Data persistence
- Introduction to SQL, Room and Flow: SQLite syntax, common queries, Room, ListAdapter (and DiffUtil), Kotlin Flow.
- Use Room for data persistence: Advanced Room, DAOs, Database creation using synchronized()
Unit 6: WorkManager
- Schedule tasks with WorkManager: WorkManager, WorkRequests and work chains.
Bonus: Extra content!
There are some topics that aren't mentioned in the Curriculum, but are part of the old Study Guide and are very important in order to take the exam, so don't skip the following:
- Android Testing Code Labs: Be sure to complete the 2 code labs in the lesson. Notice that Dependency Injection is an unavoidable topic when talking about Unit-Testing.
- Android Custom Views Code Labs: Understand the concepts of Drawing and Measuring regarding Android Views.
- Android Paging Code Lab: Currently, this one focuses on v3 of Jetpack's Paging Library, but be sure to check out the Paging 2 Solution as well, just in case…
If you find the time, checking the rest of the Study Guide wouldn't hurt. The more you practice and study, the better. You should be highly familiarized with Android Development.
The Exam
All right! now you're ready to test your skills.
Navigate to the Certification Landing Page and select "Sign up for the Kotlin exam". You can still take the Java version but I strongly recommend you go for Kotlin.
After you purchase the exam, you'll receive a set of instructions, telling you to have your environment ready:
- Latest version of Android Studio, Stable Channel.
- Latest version of Android SDK.
- Microphone and webcam (for the "Exit Interview").
- The Google Developers Certification Plugin for Android Studio.
From this point on, be sure to have a stable connection to the internet.
Once you restart AS, you can select the "Take the Certification Exam" from the Welcome window.
Once you accept the Terms and Conditions, you can click on "Start Exam", but be sure you are ready, because the timer will start the countdown after you click that button, you have 8 hours to complete all tasks.
Pro tip: make sure you have some food around, in case you get hungry.
You'll now have a new "Assistant" tab for the exam, in which you can check the instructions at any point, don't rush at this stage, really pay attention to the project's description. At the end of the assistant pages, there should be a section with all the specific tasks you need to accomplish (don't bother doing anything extra, it won't count for your final grading).
Feel free to search anything online, but keep in mind that you won't be able to open any other projects with the Android Studio instance used for the certification.
After you complete all tasks, you can hit the Submit button to finish the exam. If the timer runs out, it will automatically auto-submit. Make sure the project compiles so you don't get automatically disqualified.
Exit Interview
Once the main exam is finished, you'll receive a link to take an interview.
This interview consists of a set of questions about the certification content, but also the project you just worked on, so I recommend taking it immediately after the test.
Make sure your mic and camera work properly and start recording your answers.
Sweet Waiting
Google guarantees a 45 day response on your application, but it should take less than that, mine took less than 2 weeks.
Check your inbox for a TrueAbility email.
That's it! That's everything you need to know in order to successfully complete the certification, let me know if you have any questions/comments in the Responses section ☺️.
Good luck and happy coding!
