How I Passed the Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer Certification

Earning a technical certification can sometimes feel overwhelming. When I started preparing for the Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer (ACE) exam, I doubted myself more than once and often wished for candid advice. Now that I’ve passed, I want to share everything that helped, from practical study steps, real resources, to personal reflections.

Part 1: Why ACE, What to Expect, and First Steps

Why I Chose the ACE Certification

After working with some cloud tools at my job, I wanted to get better at them, and Google Cloud felt like the right choice for where my projects were headed. The ACE exam stood out because it’s designed for beginners and anyone who wants to build a solid foundation in cloud technology. For me, it looked like a reasonable challenge with a good mix of practical questions and basic cloud theory.

What the Exam Covers

Before I started studying, I spent time looking at the official Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer exam guide. The exam checks your understanding of:

• Setting up cloud projects and billing

• Handling basic cloud infrastructure tasks like creating virtual machines, networks, and storage buckets

• Managing access and security

• Using monitoring, logging, and troubleshooting tools

• Deploying and managing both individual resources and groups of resources

It doesn’t get too deep into coding, but it’s hands-on, and you’ll need to know your way around the Google Cloud Console and the command line.

My Honest First Impressions

I’ll admit the long list of topics made me nervous. There’s always the worry you’ve missed something. What helped was seeing that plenty of folks had passed by using free and easy-to-find resources. This made it feel more achievable for me.

Setting Up My Study Plan

I didn’t want to invest in expensive courses, so my main approach became:

• Following targeted YouTube videos

• Practicing with free mock tests

• Setting small daily goals so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed

Most nights, I’d spend 45 minutes going over a topic or watching a video, followed by 30 minutes doing hands-on practice in the Google Cloud Console.

Part 2: Study Strategies, Best Resources, Exam Day, and Real-World Results

YouTube: My #1 Resource

There is a surprising number of generous creators making step-by-step guides for this exam. My favorites included:

• Detailed walkthroughs of each certification domain

• Honest tips for handling tricky questions on networking and IAM (Identity and Access Management)

• Real exam simulations and “live” demos of using the cloud console

I’d bookmark videos and watch them at normal speed, pausing to try things myself in a free Google Cloud account. Seeing the actual screens and common mistakes made me much more confident.

Mock Tests and Question Banks

Practice questions were essential. I found free mock tests on sites like TutorialsDojo, ExamTopics, and sometimes within YouTube playlists. After each attempt, I’d review every answer, even the ones I got right, to understand the logic. This showed me exactly where I needed to focus: especially on IAM roles, resource permissions, and network setups.

Hands-On Practice

No amount of reading or watching videos can replace actually clicking through the console. I’d recreate virtual machines, set up cloud storage buckets, and experiment with permissions. If something went wrong, I’d try to fix it rather than simply re-doing it. That troubleshooting practice was gold on exam day.

How I Managed the Final Week

In the last seven days, I doubled up on practice exams and spent time reviewing the Google documentation for any concepts I missed. I made flashcards for things like “project structure” and “billing alerts,” which proved helpful.

Exam Day: Staying Calm and Steady

On the morning of the exam, I reminded myself to read each question carefully and not rush. I flagged any tough ones to come back to if I had time. Thanks to all those practice tests, nothing felt totally unfamiliar, even the questions that required more thinking.

The Aftermath: What Having ACE Means

Passing the ACE exam was a genuine confidence boost. There was real relief, pride, and a sense that my skills could be trusted with more responsibility at work. It opened up opportunities to work on more advanced cloud projects and gave me the push to keep learning.

Real Advice for Future Test Takers

• Don’t skip hands-on practice. Even if the videos show you everything, working in the console teaches troubleshooting.

• Take full-length practice tests; they provide a realistic feel for timing and pace.

• Use official and community resources; don’t get stuck on expensive study plans.

• Focus more on understanding than memorization. It’s easier to apply concepts when you know how they work.