› Certifications · compare
Compare certifications
Pick up to 3 certifications and compare them side-by-side on cost, exam format, recertification, salary signal, quality, and domain coverage.
Google · professional
Google PCSAGoogle Professional Cloud Architect
Google Professional Cloud Architect
Official pageMicrosoft · expert
AZ-305Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert
Microsoft Azure Solutions Architect Expert
Official pageComparing
GoogleGoogle PCSA
MicrosoftAZ-305
› Cost
Exam fee
Google PCSA$125
AZ-305$165
Exam fee
$125
$165
Annual maintenance fee
Google PCSA—
AZ-305—
Annual maintenance fee
—
—
3-year cost of ownership
Google PCSA$125
AZ-305$165
3-year cost of ownership
$125
$165
› Exam mechanics
Pass mark
Google PCSA~70% (Google does not publish exact cut)
AZ-305700/1000 (scaled)
Pass mark
~70% (Google does not publish exact cut)
700/1000 (scaled)
Retake policy
Google PCSA$200 fee · 14d wait
AZ-305$165 fee · 1d wait
Retake policy
$200 fee · 14d wait
$165 fee · 1d wait
Study time
Google PCSA—
AZ-30580–160 hrs
Study time
—
80–160 hrs
Validity
Google PCSA2 yrs
AZ-3051 yr
Validity
2 yrs
1 yr
CPE / yr
Google PCSA—
AZ-305—
CPE / yr
—
—
Delivery
Google PCSAmixed
AZ-305mixed
Delivery
mixed
mixed
› Salary signal (US base)
Range
Google PCSA$145K – $215K
AZ-305$130K – $195K
Range
$145K – $215K
$130K – $195K
Median
Google PCSA$175,000
AZ-305$155,000
Median
$175,000
$155,000
Premium %
Google PCSA—
AZ-305—
Premium %
—
—
Role context
Google PCSAGCP cloud architect, US, 5+ years.
AZ-305Azure solutions architect, US, 5+ years. Often paired with AZ-104 prerequisite.
Role context
GCP cloud architect, US, 5+ years.
Azure solutions architect, US, 5+ years. Often paired with AZ-104 prerequisite.
› Quality (4-axis rubric · 0–10)
Schema quality
Google PCSA8.5
AZ-3058.0
Schema quality
8.5
8.0
Practice evidence
Google PCSA5.5
AZ-3055.5
Practice evidence
5.5
5.5
Maintenance
Google PCSA9.0
AZ-3059.0
Maintenance
9.0
9.0
Market recognition
Google PCSA8.5
AZ-3058.5
Market recognition
8.5
8.5
Average
Google PCSA7.9
AZ-3057.8
Average
7.9
7.8
› Recognition & lifecycle
Recognition
Google PCSAGlobal
AZ-305Global
Recognition
Global
Global
ISO 17024 accredited
Google PCSA—
AZ-305—
ISO 17024 accredited
—
—
DoD 8140 baseline
Google PCSA—
AZ-305—
DoD 8140 baseline
—
—
Holders worldwide
Google PCSA—
AZ-305—
Holders worldwide
—
—
Current version
Google PCSACurrent (2024-09)
AZ-305AZ-305 (current) (2024-09)
Current version
Current (2024-09)
AZ-305 (current) (2024-09)
› Domain coverage
A25Security Architecture & Engineering
Google PCSA·
AZ-305● core
A25Security Architecture & Engineering
·
● core
A5Cloud Security
Google PCSA● core
AZ-305● core
A5Cloud Security
● core
● core
Browse the full catalog or open any one of these on its detail page for full study materials, peer comparisons, and lifecycle notes.