Conquering the Fears: Associate Android Developer Google Certification
Recently I earned Associate Android Developer Certification provided by Google Developers (YAY ME!)
Disclaimer: This post does not contain or reveal any exam specific details and/or details of any exam tasks/attempts.
The certification site states:
The exam is designed to test the skills of an entry-level Android developer. Therefore, to take this exam, you should have this level of proficiency, either through education, self-study, your current job, or a job you have had in the past.
Yet, the exam is aimed for developers somewhere between beginner & intermediate level expertise in Android app development.
There are mainly 2 stages for the exam:
- Performance Based Coding Exam — 24 hours
- Exit Interview — 10 minutes
Let’s take a deep dive..
Performance Based Coding Exam
To take the exam, you need to pay 149 USD, varies based on your country of origin (6500 INR for India), on the certification homepage link provided below. As soon as you pay the amount, you can take the exam. There are 3 exam attempts:
- If you fail to clear first stage of the exam at the first attempt, you can instantly retake the exam.
- If you fail to clear in the second attempt as well, then you need to wait for 2 months from the date you took 2nd attempt.
- If you fail in the 3rd attempt as well, then you need to wait for 6 months & re-pay for the exam.
Be aware that, once you click on “Take Exam” button on your exam screen, the timer will start & you’ll have exactly 24 hours to complete the exam & submit your code.
Once you start the exam, you’ll be provided bunch of tasks in a project with some code, which vary in difficulty level & also categories that you can find here under “Exam Content” tab. You have to complete all of the tasks assigned in the given time period.
Once your submission is completed and approved with a positive attempt, you’ll receive a mail regarding scheduling your exit interview!
Exit Interview
The exit interview will be an online video calling interview, for which you’ll be given 10 minutes for 5 questions regarding Android core concepts. You’ll be asked to record your video & submit it (guidelines will be provided for the same). Again, you have to complete answering all 5 questions within 10 minutes.
IMPORTANT: Failing to submit your code within 24 hours, failing to attempt or missing to complete any task, or failing to complete interview questions within 10 minutes will also be considered a failed attempt.
Okay, but what about the preperation?
As this exam focuses on fundamental concepts of Android, you’ll need to learn all of them. The exam is designed in a way that it’ll cover 360° of Android core concepts. There are bunch of resources & course content available for the same. All you need is right amount of practice & right approach to the exam.
How to approach the exam?
There are more than one ways to approach the exam, in terms of preparation & coding. I would share my personal experience here. Kindly note that this methodology may vary for you basd upon your skills & expertise.
I started with Android Developers Documentation, to brush up my fundamentals. I also completed Developing Android Apps course from Udacity. I read various blogposts & watched videos to understand how the fundamentals work in Android framework.
The most important part was time constraint of the exam, so before I took the exam, I worked on 3 random projects from scratch on my own & practised, to complete within 24 hours each.
When I appeared for the exam, based on my expertise, I completed more difficult & more important tasks first. That helped me saving a lot of time. I also took short breaks in between & checked if the required functionality was properly achieved. A regular developer with decent expertise can complete all the tasks within 12 to 15 hours, but don’t underestimate the exam! For exit interview, proper understanding of core concepts would help you a lot.
Overall, to pass this exam, you’ll need decent amount of practice & strong fundamentals.
The perks of being an AAD!?
Once you submit your exit interview, the reviewers will review it and if you pass, you’ll receive something like this:
The Certification is valid for 3 years from the date you receive your certification digital badge.
- “Google Certified” for Android!
- Lots of exposure & opportunities
- Attach certificate & digital badge to Resume & LinkedIn
- Become a program alumni
- Access to content & announcements
Resources!
A few extra resources that would help you for the exam:
- Associate Android Developer Exam Homepage (includes Exam Content)
- Android Developers Documentation
- Developing Android Apps — Udacity (free course)
- Associate Android Developer Certification Resources— GitHub
Also StackOverflow, blogposts written on Android topics, etc would help.
Most importantly, prioritise your tasks within first 5–10 minutes of the exam & complete them. The sooner, the better — you’ll need good amount of time to find a feasible solution & search on the internet, maybe.
Finally, I’m very much grateful to my mentor Paresh Mayani who motivated & pushed me to achieve this! Also, Chintan Soni helped me with core concepts. I’m thankful to Simform for the opportunity & support. :)
