I’ve earned many of the certifications that Google affords, together with the L1 and L2 trainer certification.
Years in the past I turned a “Google Licensed Administrator,” however that program was discontinued a very long time in the past.
I used to be excited to listen to Google announce a brand new certification for IT admins who handle Chromebooks.
Sounds good for somebody like me!
So, I made a decision to check my abilities by taking the ChromeOS administrator examination. I suppose we’ll learn how a lot I truly find out about Chromebooks!
Observe: Google made the next updates to the ChromeOS administrator examination in late 2023:
- Eliminated the lab portion of the examination
- Diminished the time from 3 hours to 2 hours
- Prolonged the free provide till January 2025
- Diminished the examination price from $200 to $125
Examination Guidelines & Necessities
The ChromeOS administrator examination geared toward IT professionals with a minimum of 1 12 months of Chromebook administration expertise. You have to be aware of the Google admin console, gadget, and person settings earlier than trying this examination.
My expertise with Chromebook administration is completely in Okay-12 college environments. There have been a number of questions / sections of the examination that had been extra business-focused and never as acquainted to me.
This examination is suitable for each enterprise and schooling IT admins, simply be ready for some ideas that may not be widespread in your IT setting.
Listed below are the important thing particulars that you need to know concerning the ChromeOS directors examination
- Price: $125 (FREE by January 2025!)
- Format: a number of selection (lab portion was eliminated in late 2023)
- Examination Time: 2 hours (lowered from 3 hours in late 2023)
- Passing Rating: 80% (you both go or fail; you received’t know your particular rating)
- Language Help: English and Japanese
- Restrictions: it is a closed ebook examination. Exterior materials (digital or printed) shouldn’t be allowed. Remotely proctored through internet cam eye monitoring.
- Size of Certification: 3 years (should re-test to keep up your credential)
You possibly can retake the examination as much as 3 times in a single 12 months by re-registering and paying the examination payment. There’s a ready interval between every try which is outlined right here. (Hopefully I received’t have to take this take a look at greater than as soon as!)
Registration course of
Registering for the Chromebook examination examination was a bit tough, however that is almost definitely resulting from the truth that the examination continues to be in beta.
Registration and take a look at administration is dealt with by Kryterion, Google’s testing associate. As a result of this examination is in beta, it’s essential to create a NEW Kryterion account to entry and register. When you’ve got taken different skilled certifications from Google / Kryterion, you’ll be able to NOT use your previous account.
After getting created a brand new account, you will note the ChromeOS administrator examination and can have the chance to register without charge by January 2025. The examination payment is generally $125.
You need to schedule a time to sit down for this examination. Similar day examinations are NOT accessible, so be sure to register upfront.
Wish to go your ChromeOS admin examination the primary time? The Chromebook Academy is a LIVE digital coaching for IT directors that may assessment all the pieces that’s examined on this examination.
The Chromebook Academy takes place in February, June, and September every year. Be part of the wait listing beneath to be notified when registration opens.
Examination restrictions
The ChromeOS administrator examination is a closed-book examination. Referencing exterior notes or use of a secondary gadget or browser tabs is NOT allowed.
There’s a lengthy listing of prohibited exercise and habits outlined on the examination coverage web page.
I’ve taken practically the entire exams that Google affords. This one had the tightest safety, with out query. A lot tighter than the L1 and L2 Google Educator exams and the previous Google Licensed Administrator examination that’s not provided.
The examination is remotely proctored by your internet cam utilizing eye-tracking software program. For those who look off-camera, you’ll obtain a warning to not entry exterior notes or secondary gadgets. Repeated warnings can lead to being kicked out of the examination.
This occurred to me a number of occasions. The excellent news is that you just don’t simply get kicked off; so there’s no have to panic about wanting off-camera for a second and voiding your examination outcomes.
After submitting your examination, your responses will probably be reviewed by Google / Kryterion for compliance with the acknowledged examination guidelines. Your examination outcomes will probably be voided whether it is decided that you just didn’t adjust to the examination insurance policies.
Examination prep
Sadly, Google doesn’t present any assets that can assist you put together for the examination. There’s a (very) minimal define of subjects try to be aware of, however you might be by yourself to follow.
When you’ve got been managing Chromebooks for a number of years, you’ll most likely do exactly advantageous. However in case you are new to the Admin Console, it will be greatest to get some coaching and expertise earlier than you try the examination.
Listed below are some extra assets that may show you how to put together for the examination:
- Free ChromeOS Admin Examination research information – As a result of there weren’t any nice assets to assist put together for the examination, I made a decision to create my very own!
- Google Admin Bootcamp – this LIVE digital course opinions the important thing components of managing Google Workspace for Training utilizing the admin console. That is NOT Chromebook course, however offers you useful background on navigating the console.
- Chromebook Academy – this LIVE digital course is particularly alligned with the ChromeOS admin examination. We’ll cowl all the pieces you have to know to handle a fleet of Chromebooks AND go the examination.
I provide each of those programs a number of occasions all year long. Head over to gEducator.com to study extra and join!
Part 1: A number of selection (not straightforward)
The ChromeOS examination is split into two sections: a number of selection and lab.
The primary part consists of fifty a number of selection questions that have to be accomplished in 90 minutes or much less.
A lot of the questions require the choice of a single right reply, however a number of require the choice of a number of right selections.
I discovered this part to be probably the most difficult. It’s important that you’re aware of the vocabulary of the Google admin console to go this part.
There have been some questions that I discovered a bit obscure or complicated, however that’s fairly commonplace for the sort of take a look at.
In case your expertise with Chromebook administration is primarily in schooling, there are some things that may throw you off.
For instance, the subject of deploying and configuring a VPN was included on the examination. This isn’t one thing that I’ve ever wanted to do because the Chromebook admin for a faculty.
Try to be ready for 5-10 questions that will probably be difficult in case your Chromebook administration expertise is proscribed to classroom deployments.
You do have the chance to mark questions for later assessment if you want. You’ll have an opportunity to assessment these questions earlier than you submit the MC portion of the take a look at.
After getting submitted the a number of selection part, you’ll transfer on to the lab portion of the examination.
Part 2: Lab (a bit simpler)
Observe: As of January 2024, Google eliminated the lab portion of the examination. It’s attainable that they may add this portion again in sooner or later, so I’m leaving this part of my assessment for future reference.
The second part of the take a look at is a lab sensible which requires use of the Google Admin Console to resolve varied administrative eventualities.
I discovered this part to be simpler than the a number of selection part, and rather more fulfilling. In case you are aware of the admin console, you’ll breeze by this part.
Whenever you start the lab portion of the examination you’ll obtain login credentials to a demo admin console that you’ll use to finish the duties which might be assigned to you. Most of those duties are fairly straight ahead and contain creating organizational models, making use of insurance policies to the OUs, and transferring customers/gadgets round inside the OUs.
I acquired 14 state of affairs questions. Some eventualities include a number of duties/elements, so that they take various quantities of time. You could have 90 minutes to finish the lab portion of the examination.
The duties on this portion of the examination are issues that I do regularly. I discovered the eventualities to be very sensible and the expectations to be moderately aligned with the duties a Chromebook admin ought to be capable to full.
The important thing to success on the lab portion of the examination is familiarity with the format of the admin console. Can you discover the setting that offers with pinning OS updates to a particular model? The place do you go to configure a kiosk app for deployment? The eventualities offered require accessing many various sections of the console.
Examination Outcomes
It took me about 2 hours to finish each sections of the Chromebook certification examination.
After submitting my examination, I used to be instructed that my outcomes could be emailed in 10-14 days.
I used to be pleasantly shocked after I acquired my examination outcomes the following day.
Whereas the e-mail indicated that I PASSED, my take a look at outcomes had been being reviewed by Google to make sure “examination compliance.” I’m unsure in the event that they thought I cheated, or if that is what occurs to everybody.
It did take greater than every week to obtain closing affirmation of my examination outcomes. This time, I used to be formally acknowledged as a ChromeOS licensed specialist and invited to view my certificates and badge.
Your certification is held by credential.internet which can be utilized to confirm the authenticity of the credential. You possibly can hyperlink your credentials to your LinkedIn profile and add the badge to your signature.
Last ideas
I had a really constructive expertise with the ChromeOS administrator examination. I didn’t expertise any technical points or obtain any questions that I felt had been unfair or inaccurate.
Google does NOT present a lot in the best way of coaching for this examination. There’s a (very) minimal listing of examination subjects, however no actual preparation materials. For this reason I created the Chromebook Academy, with the intention to take the examination with confidence!
Working the sort of evaluation is VERY difficult. I don’t envy the workforce that’s in command of writing the questions and managing the method.
I’ve accomplished practically all of Google’s certification applications and this one was one of many smoothest by far.
With the examination payment being waived till January 2025, there actually isn’t any cause NOT to offer the examination a attempt!
