I’ve earned many of the certifications that Google presents, together with the L1 and L2 instructor 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 expertise by taking the ChromeOS administrator examination. I suppose we’ll learn the way a lot I really learn about Chromebooks!
Word: Google made the next updates to the ChromeOS administrator examination in late 2023:
- Eliminated the lab portion of the examination
- Lowered the time from 3 hours to 2 hours
- Prolonged the free provide till January 2025
- Lowered the examination value from $200 to $125
Examination Guidelines & Necessities
The ChromeOS administrator examination geared toward IT professionals with no less than 1 12 months of Chromebook administration expertise. You have to be aware of the Google admin console, gadget, and person settings earlier than making an attempt this examination.
My expertise with Chromebook administration is completely in Okay-12 faculty environments. There have been just a few questions / sections of the examination that have been extra business-focused and never as acquainted to me.
This examination is acceptable for each enterprise and training IT admins, simply be ready for some ideas that may not be frequent in your IT atmosphere.
Listed here are the important thing particulars that you must know in regards to the ChromeOS directors examination
- Value: $125 (FREE by means of January 2025!)
- Format: a number of alternative (lab portion was eliminated in late 2023)
- Examination Time: 2 hours (lowered from 3 hours in late 2023)
- Passing Rating: 80% (you both move or fail; you gained’t know your particular rating)
- Language Assist: English and Japanese
- Restrictions: this can be a closed e book examination. Exterior materials (digital or printed) isn’t allowed. Remotely proctored by way of net cam eye monitoring.
- Size of Certification: 3 years (should re-test to take care of your credential)
You may retake the examination as much as thrice in a single 12 months by re-registering and paying the examination charge. There’s a ready interval between every try which is outlined right here. (Hopefully I gained’t must 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 remains to be in beta.
Registration and take a look at administration is dealt with by Kryterion, Google’s testing companion. As a result of this examination is in beta, it’s essential to create a NEW Kryterion account to entry and register. If in case you have taken different skilled certifications from Google / Kryterion, you possibly can NOT use your previous account.
Upon getting created a brand new account, you will notice the ChromeOS administrator examination and can have the chance to register for free of charge by means of January 2025. The examination charge is generally $125.
You need to schedule a time to sit down for this examination. Similar day examinations are NOT out there, so be sure to register prematurely.
Need to move your ChromeOS admin examination the primary time? The Chromebook Academy is a LIVE digital coaching for IT directors that can evaluate every part that’s examined on this examination.
The Chromebook Academy takes place in February, June, and September every year. Be a part of the wait checklist under 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 checklist of prohibited exercise and habits outlined on the examination coverage web page.
I’ve taken practically all the exams that Google presents. 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 now not provided.
The examination is remotely proctored by means of your net cam utilizing eye-tracking software program. When you look off-camera, you’ll obtain a warning to not entry exterior notes or secondary units. 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 must panic about wanting off-camera for a second and voiding your examination outcomes.
After submitting your examination, your responses can be reviewed by Google / Kryterion for compliance with the acknowledged examination guidelines. Your examination outcomes can 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 sources that will help you put together for the examination. There’s a (very) minimal define of matters try to be aware of, however you’re by yourself to follow.
If in case you have been managing Chromebooks for a number of years, you’ll in all probability do exactly superb. However if you’re new to the Admin Console, it could be greatest to get some coaching and expertise earlier than you try the examination.
Listed here are some further sources that can make it easier to put together for the examination:
- Free ChromeOS Admin Examination research information – As a result of there weren’t any nice sources 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 parts of managing Google Workspace for Schooling utilizing the admin console. That is NOT Chromebook course, however gives you useful background on navigating the console.
- Chromebook Academy – this LIVE digital course is particularly alligned with the ChromeOS admin examination. We’ll cowl every part you have to know to handle a fleet of Chromebooks AND move the examination.
I provide each of those programs a number of occasions all year long. Head over to gEducator.com to be taught extra and enroll!
Part 1: A number of alternative (not straightforward)
The ChromeOS examination is split into two sections: a number of alternative and lab.
The primary part consists of fifty a number of alternative questions that have to be accomplished in 90 minutes or much less.
A lot of the questions require the number of a single appropriate reply, however just a few require the number of a number of appropriate decisions.
I discovered this part to be essentially the most difficult. It’s important that you’re aware of the vocabulary of the Google admin console to move this part.
There have been some questions that I discovered a bit obscure or complicated, however that’s fairly commonplace for this sort of take a look at.
In case your expertise with Chromebook administration is primarily in training, 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 college.
You have to be ready for 5-10 questions that can be difficult in case your Chromebook administration expertise is proscribed to classroom deployments.
You do have the chance to mark questions for later evaluate if you want. You’ll have an opportunity to evaluate these questions earlier than you submit the MC portion of the take a look at.
Upon getting submitted the a number of alternative part, you’ll transfer on to the lab portion of the examination.
Part 2: Lab (a bit simpler)
Word: As of January 2024, Google eliminated the lab portion of the examination. It’s potential that they’ll add this portion again in in some unspecified time in the future, so I’m leaving this part of my evaluate 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 unravel varied administrative eventualities.
I discovered this part to be simpler than the a number of alternative part, and far more gratifying. If you’re aware of the admin console, you’ll breeze by means of this part.
Once 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 can 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 shifting customers/units round throughout the OUs.
I acquired 14 situation questions. Some eventualities include a number of duties/components, so that they take various quantities of time. You have got 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 alternative 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 advised that my outcomes could be emailed in 10-14 days.
I used to be pleasantly stunned after I acquired my examination outcomes the subsequent day.
Whereas the e-mail indicated that I PASSED, my take a look at outcomes have 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 per week to obtain last 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 may hyperlink your credentials to your LinkedIn profile and add the badge to your signature.
Remaining ideas
I had a really optimistic expertise with the ChromeOS administrator examination. I didn’t expertise any technical points or obtain any questions that I felt have been unfair or inaccurate.
Google does NOT present a lot in the way in which of coaching for this examination. There’s a (very) minimal checklist of examination matters, however no actual preparation materials. This is the reason I created the Chromebook Academy, as a way to take the examination with confidence!
Working this sort of evaluation is VERY difficult. I don’t envy the crew that’s in command of writing the questions and managing the method.
I’ve accomplished practically all of Google’s certification packages and this one was one of many smoothest by far.
With the examination charge being waived till January 2025, there actually isn’t any cause NOT to offer the examination a strive!
