SecProve
ProfessionalVendor-specificGoogle· issued from US

Google PCSA

Google Professional Cloud Architect

Google Professional Cloud Architect

Official page at Google↔ Compare with another cert
Exam fee
$125
Ongoing
—
Study time
—
Delivery
Hybrid
Validity
2 yrs (renewal cycle)

› Quality score

31.5 / 40

Four-axis SecProve rubric, each 0–10. SecProve editorial assessment — each axis carries a written justification so you can push back on any single call without dismissing the whole score.

Blueprint rigor
How well-defined and rigorous the exam blueprint is.
Comprehensive cloud-architect blueprint covering GCP design, security, networking, and operations.
8.5/10
Practical evidence
Hands-on labs / written reports vs pure MCQ.
Case studies + scenario MCQ. No hands-on lab. Above pure-knowledge but below practical-exam tier.
5.5/10
Currency & upkeep
How aggressively content is kept current with the field.
Google updates the blueprint annually as GCP services evolve.
9.0/10
Market recognition
How often this signal actually moves a hiring decision.
Premier GCP architect credential; required or preferred on most senior GCP architect job listings.
8.5/10

› Exam format

50 multiple-choice + multi-select questions, 2 hours, English (and select other languages). Kryterion Webassessor proctored online or test center.

Passing score
~70% (Google does not publish exact cut)
Retake policy
Fee: $200 per attempt
Wait: 14d between attempts

14-day wait after first fail; 60-day wait after second; 365-day wait after third.

› Recertification

Recertify every 2 years by passing the latest version of the same exam (no shortcut path).

› NICE Framework work roles

The NIST NICE work-role IDs this cert maps to. NICCS lookup.

DD-WRL-002DD-WRL-001
Recognition
Global
Exam languages
en

› Core domains covered

The 1 domain this cert is centrally about. Passing the exam demonstrates working knowledge of each.

A5Cloud Security

AWS/Azure/GCP security controls, IAM policies, CSPM, container security, shared responsibility model.

› Prerequisites

Experience

Recommended: 2-3 years of hands-on experience with the vendor's platform.

› Study materials

Curated starting points. Not exhaustive — vet each against your learning style and the current exam version.

Training providers
Practice tests
  • Whizlabs PCSA Practice Tests
  • Tutorials Dojo GCP
Free / community

› Version & lifecycle

Current version
Current
Released
2024-09

› Salary signal

GCP cloud architect, US, 5+ years.

$145K–$215K
median $175K

Robert Half Salary Guide + Glassdoor 'GCP Architect' aggregations · 2024 · US base only · p25–p75 range

› How it compares

vs
AZ-305

GCP architect (PCSA) vs Azure architect (AZ-305). Vendor-specific picks.

↔ Compare side-by-side
vs
AWS SAP

GCP architect (PCSA) vs AWS architect (SAP). Pick by your stack.

↔ Compare side-by-side

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