Android developer certification exam

Associate Android Developer Certification Exam

May 23, 2017 · 5 min read

In this article I want to educate fellow Android Developers regarding the Android certification program by Google. I am one of the early bird who passed the exam, YAY!
So I want to answer the frequent questions I get when I met lots of Android Developers, also share my experience of the exam and some related stuff.

Associate Android Developer was announced during Google I/O 2016 by Google Developer Training Team .

My Badge

What’s Associate Android Developer Certification?

Associate Android Developer C e rtification is a performance exam where you write real apps to show your skill and validate yourself. It is a practical test where you need to build an real Android app.

This certification requires you to have knowledge about Android. So Google Developer Certification website and see if you have required skills to take the exam.

The exam is not really about getting passed or failed. It’s about validating your skills as an Android developer.

The exam is based in 2 parts:

1. Building the app

Once you complete the payment. You’ll be given

UPDATE 2: Now it’s only 8 hours

UPDATE 1: Now 24 hours

4̶8̶ ̶h̶o̶u̶r̶s̶ to build the app, design the UI, test it and fix the bugs. Don’t worry all the UI requirements, feature list and even list of bugs will be provided to you. All of this with a template code upon which you’ll need to write code to build the complete app.

I felt the exam wasn’t extremely difficult considering my 3.5 years of experience in Android. It was fun to code and I like the way exam is where we build the app instead of multiple choice questions (MCQs). As mentioned it covers almost all the topics mentioned in the syllabus

2. Exit Interview

Once you complete and submit the app within 48 hours. You’ll receive mail to choose your convenient time for the exit interview.

The exit interview will be taken though video call by one of the member from the certification team who has knowledge about Android.
You have to show your identity proof issued by any government authorized body at the starting of the interview.

Note: In case your identity verification fails for a particular identity proof, then try some other identity proof or contact the certification team

After that, interviewer will ask you to explain your work and the tasks you performed in the practical exam. Interviewer will also ask you some questions related to basic and technical fundamentals of the Android to validate your skill level. Exit interview will take about 15 to 30 minutes.

Once you complete the interview, you will receive the final result within couple of weeks.

Why you should take the exam?

It helps you achieve goals career wise and job wise.

I think if your novice developer or thinking to become an Android developer then go ahead and validate yourself.

Of course your massive years of experience and your app portfolio is much more useful. But the certification adds it own value to your resume. Especially for people who are starting or in beginner level of Android.

Ready to apply for the exam?

• Read the syllabus on Google Developer Certification website and see if you have those skills and knowledge
• Sign up for the exam on the same website
• The fee for the exam is USD 149 or INR 6500 (In India) at the time of writing this post

Benefits of the exam

• It will authenticate your skills as an Android Developer
• You’ll get an official badge from Google which I think is pretty dopeto put on your Resume or LinkedIn
• You’ll get to be part of Google Developer Certification Summit which happened in India this year (April — 2017). I think it will be a yearly event.

PS: I have added a video of the Summit below

PS: I’m not sure if the Google Developer Certification Summit will be happening for other other countries

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I use 3rd party libraries?
   No. You won’t need to use them.
2. I already have X+ years of experience, should I still take?
   Yes. I think there is no harm in giving the exam even if you have huge amount of experience. It will validate your skills by Google itself.
3. Are professional or higher level certification programs coming?
   At this point there is no official statement but yeah there are rumors and the Certification Team has given hints about it. But still we can’t say for sure.
4. Will I get job opportunities?
   It totally depends upon you and the employer, that said the certification does give you additional benefit. Moreover the Certification Team is working really hard in promoting the value of certification to employer as well as employee.
5. Will I get a paper certificate to show?
   No. Right now you only get badge (digital) which you can put in your Resume or LinkedIn to show off.
6. Is there a validity on the certification after passing?
   Yes, there is a validity of 3 years. That’s because Android APIs keep changing/updated and things change very quickly with every Android release. To keep AAD holders up-to-date the Certification Team decided to put 3 years validity after which you’ll need to re-validate your skills with the latest Android APIs and stuff.
   That said you can choose if you want to re-validate or not. If you don’t re-validate then you’ll be known to have older skill set rather than the latest one.

What’s next?

There are rumors about a higher level exam for Android coming up soon. I think once Associate Android Developer starts gaining traction. The Certification Team will launch the next level(s) of the Android Certification Program.

May the code be with you! Have fun with exam!

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Associate Android Developer Certification Kotlin Exam

Introduction

F rom last 2 year, I was planning to appear in Associate Android Developer Certification exam. Initially, I had prepared it in JAVA but, that time somehow, I didn’t appear for this Exam. Also, I thought it would be hard.

Recently, I got a chance, and I signed up for the Kotlin exam. So, I want to share my personal experience of the exam. I am sharing only my personal experience so, it’s not 100% true for everyone and you will get more detail from their Official site.

As you are here to read this article, you already know What’s Associate Android Developer Certification? So, I am not going to tell you about this.

Requirement

First of all, when you apply for exam or want to appear for exam then you should have full knowledge of lifecycle of Android applications development.
You must have knowledge about android IDE and Android core concepts. So basically, you should aware about, app’s UI design, develop the app’s functionality, debugging, and testing.

This exam is available in Java and Kotlin but, I recommend going with Kotlin.

I have 5+ years of experience so, it was fun for me but, the exam was lengthy for 8 hours if we don’t have a good strength of internet and system. Please make sure you have a proper internet connection and system.

Exam Content 📚

1. App functionality
2. User interface
3. Data management
4. Debugging
5. Testing

You can get more detail from here. The exam was only from the above topic. So, prepare all the above topics before you dive into the exam.

In my case, I have the below topics for the exam.

• Activity Lifecycle
• Basic View and Widgets like Radio, Time Pickers
• Intent
• Menu Item
• Snackbar
• Constraint Layout
• Recycler View
• Paging Library
• Styles and Themes
• ViewModel
• LiveData
• Kotlin Coroutines
• WorkManger
• Room Database
• Repository
• Shared Preferences
• App Settings for light and dark theme
• Notification
• Debugging
• Testing (JUnit, Local Unit Test, Espresso, Mockito)

Once you are done with the registration process, you have to download the plugin from Android Studio and an exam will be provided to you.

The exam is divided in 2 parts.

1. App Building :

Initially the code which you got is not able to compile and run. You have to write some missed code. There is no Git in project so you have to be very careful with coding because there is a big amount of code to write and it would be difficult to rollback changes to the initial point. But you can check local history.

You will get half completed app with a pretty straightforward explanation. We can call it an exam paper. You will get each screen explanation with an image and also proper instruction about how the app or that screen should look after development. We have given some implemented code that has some purpose. In some screens, the design part is implemented and in some screens, half app functionality development is given.

You will have a maximum of eight hours to complete the exam. If you have not completed the exam after eight hours it will be auto-submitted for you.

When you submit your exam just make sure it should be in a working state. It should compile and shouldn’t crash.

Timer will shown in Android studio itself because of that plugin. You will be notified when you have left only half-hour, 15 min.

2. Exit Interview :

Once your exam has been submitted, you may take a short break and then you will need to complete a 10–15 minute video “exit interview”. You will be asked to choose your convenient time for the exit interview. This exit interview will require you to have a working webcam and microphone and will be recorded for grading purposes

In an exit interview, we have 5 video questions, which is related to our project on which we worked for 8 hours and some core android concept. This is for confirmation that you are the one who gave this exam.

Note: If you do not complete your exam within 8 hours and your exit interview within the allotted time, your submission will be auto-failed and you will be required to pay again to take the exam.

My overall experience

It was good. The exam was a little bit lengthy and hard. I learned to complete it in time😉 (Although we do but at this time we have no option).
If you don’t have enough experience in Kotlin or Java then it will be a little difficult to complete it given time period.

The exam was like a puzzle, we need to connect all parts. They have given some code snippets and you need to identify what you have to use and how to use those code snippets.

It was stressful during those 8 hours to be working the entire time. We can’t pause the timer. Also, At that time if you are stuck somewhere, then it will become a challenge for us. If you face this type of issue during exam then check your previous or next coding part so, you will get an exact idea about that. Tasks as themselves are not difficult, but it is difficult to solve them in 8 hours.

I also have made some mistakes during the exam. My system got hang during the exam and it became slower so, it was hard for me to complete but I did it.

After almost 18 days, I got mail from Google Certification Team, “ Congratulations! You passed all of the requirement for the Associate Android Developer Certification exam!..”🎉

Conclusion

I’d say that my experience was quite a good one, taking the Google Android Certification exam, if you’re thinking of taking it I’d say go for it! Especially if you had experience in Android Development.

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Google

Associate Android Developer

Android proficiency

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. Assess your proficiency by reviewing «Exam Content.» If you’d like to take the exam, but feel you need to prepare a bit more, level up your Android knowledge with some great Android training resources.

Language

The exam consists of a coding project and an exit interview. Both of these exam components are available only in English at this time.

Android Studio

You must use the latest version of Android Studio to complete the Associate Android Developer Certification Exam.

Age requirement

If you are under 13, you are not eligible to take the exam or to become certified. If you are between 13-17 years of age, you may test and receive certification with parental consent. If you are participating in a location that requires by law a lower minimum age for entry into such programs, then the minimum age limit for that person will be the stated minimum required age. Individuals 18 years or older are eligible for certification without any age-related restrictions.

ID verification

You must be able to present government-issued photo identification from a non-embargoed country. (See «U.S.-embargoed countries,» below.) For Canada, United States, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, and Switzerland, you may use a driver’s license. For all other countries you must provide a current passport.

You will scan and upload a photo of your ID using your webcam, or you will upload a copy of your ID that you’ve previously scanned in JPG, PNG, or BMP format.

U.S.-embargoed countries

You must be able to present approved identification showing residence in a non-embargoed country. Google complies with the United States government’s list of embargoed countries. The current embargoed country list includes Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, and Crimea.

Before you take the exam, make sure you can solve the types of coding challenges that the exam contains. To prepare, use the Associate Android Developer study guide.

App functionality

Construct apps that use Android’s messaging, multitasking, connectivity and media services to design full-featured apps primarily for mobile devices.

User interface

Quickly create apps with clean, effective user interfaces that take advantage of Android’s rich UI frameworks.

Data management

Leverage Android’s effective frameworks and techniques to perform or schedule data retrieval/storage efficiently in a mobile environment.

Debugging

Understand the debugging tools in Android Studio and create more reliable and robust apps.

Testing

Be able to test the execution of a running program with the intent of finding errors and abnormal or unexpected behavior.

All about the exam

The exam is performance-based and designed to evaluate what you can do, show, and describe. You will be given a coding project based on a starter app. In this project, you will be asked to add functionality and fix bugs. The type of functionality you are asked to add and the bugs you are asked to find and fix fall under the competencies listed in “Exam Content.”

Please note: You must have a strong and reliable internet connection to complete the exam. The exam is timed, and you cannot pause or restart it. The 8-hour timer will begin immediately after you click Start Exam.

What will the exam cost?

The Associate Android Developer Certification is $149 USD, which includes one exam attempt. Local pricing may vary based on your country of origin.

How does the process work?

The Associate Android Developer Certification process works like this:

1. Complete the registration process:
   1. Read and accept the Terms and Conditions.
   2. Verify your identity using a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license or passport.
   3. Pay for the exam.
2. Take your exam and submit it for grading.
3. Record your answers for the exit interview.
4. Upon completing the exit interview, your submission will be graded. (Please allow up to 45 days for grading.)
5. If your submission meets the criteria for a passing attempt, you will be awarded your Associate Android Developer Certification.

Note: Exams will be graded in the order that they are submitted. Due to the nature of the exit interview portion, the awarding of certifications will depend on when you are able to complete your interview. We will review completed exam submissions and reply to candidates within 45 days.

What happens if I don’t complete the exam in 8 hours?

You have 8 hours to complete the exam, and if you finish early, you can manually submit the exam. When the 8 hours has elapsed, the exam will auto-submit. Having the exam auto-submit will not in itself cause you to fail the exam.

ID verification troubleshooting

• Make sure you have an acceptable form of ID, as described on the Requirements tab. Student or work IDs are not accepted.
• Make sure the image you upload of your ID is clear and not blurry. Do not obstruct your ID with your fingers if you are using a webcam.

Do I have to take the exam immediately after I register?

You are not required to take the exam at the time of registration and payment, so you can take the exam at your convenience.

Is the exam in Java or Kotlin?

The exam is available in both Java and Kotlin. You may choose which programming language when you are ready to take the exam.

Is the exam available in languages other than English?

Both the exam project and the exit interview are available only in English at this time.

How long is a certification valid?

Your certification expires 36 months from the date when you receive your digital badge. To renew your certification at that time, you need to complete the registration and certification process again.

Can I retake the exam if I am not successful?

Yes! Please note that you must register and pay for each exam attempt. Our exam retake policy is as follows:

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