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 excellent 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 truly 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 supply 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 yr of Chromebook administration expertise. You have to be accustomed to the Google admin console, gadget, and consumer settings earlier than making an attempt this examination.
My expertise with Chromebook administration is solely in Ok-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 suitable for each enterprise and schooling 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 need to know in regards to the ChromeOS directors examination
- Value: $125 (FREE by January 2025!)
- Format: a number of selection (lab portion was eliminated in late 2023)
- Examination Time: 2 hours (diminished 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: this can be a closed ebook examination. Exterior materials (digital or printed) is just not allowed. Remotely proctored by way of internet cam eye monitoring.
- Size of Certification: 3 years (should re-test to take care of your credential)
You’ll be able to retake the examination as much as thrice in a single yr 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 must take this check greater than as soon as!)
Registration course of
Registering for the Chromebook examination examination was a bit difficult, however that is most definitely attributable to the truth that the examination continues to be in beta.
Registration and check administration is dealt with by Kryterion, Google’s testing accomplice. As a result of this examination is in beta, it’s essential to create a NEW Kryterion account to entry and register. In case you have taken different skilled certifications from Google / Kryterion, you’ll be able to NOT use your previous account.
After you have created a brand new account, you will notice the ChromeOS administrator examination and can have the chance to register without charge by January 2025. The examination payment is generally $125.
You will need to schedule a time to take a seat for this examination. Identical day examinations are NOT accessible, so ensure you register prematurely.
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 things that’s examined on this examination.
The Chromebook Academy takes place in February, June, and September annually. Be a part of the wait record 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 record of prohibited exercise and habits outlined on the examination coverage web page.
I’ve taken almost the entire 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 supplied.
The examination is remotely proctored by your internet cam utilizing eye-tracking software program. In the event you look off-camera, you’ll obtain a warning to not entry exterior notes or secondary gadgets. Repeated warnings may end up in 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 trying off-camera for a second and voiding your examination outcomes.
After submitting your examination, your responses shall be reviewed by Google / Kryterion for compliance with the said examination guidelines. Your examination outcomes shall 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 accustomed to, however you’re by yourself to follow.
In case you have been managing Chromebooks for a number of years, you’ll most likely do exactly advantageous. However if you’re new to the Admin Console, it might be finest to get some coaching and expertise earlier than you try the examination.
Listed here are some further assets that may show you how to put together for the examination:
- Free ChromeOS Admin Examination examine 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 evaluations the important thing parts of managing Google Workspace for Schooling 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 things you should know to handle a fleet of Chromebooks AND go the examination.
I supply 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.
Many of the questions require the choice of a single appropriate reply, however just a few require the choice of a number of appropriate decisions.
I discovered this part to be essentially the most difficult. It’s important that you’re accustomed to 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 check.
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 college.
You ought to be ready for 5-10 questions that shall be difficult in case your Chromebook administration expertise is restricted 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 check.
After you have submitted the a number of selection 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 doable that they are going to 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 check is a lab sensible which requires use of the Google Admin Console to resolve varied administrative situations.
I discovered this part to be simpler than the a number of selection part, and rather more pleasurable. If you’re accustomed to the admin console, you’ll breeze by this part.
While 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 transferring customers/gadgets round inside the OUs.
I obtained 14 state of affairs questions. Some situations include a number of duties/components, in order 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 situations to be very sensible and the expectations to be moderately aligned with the duties a Chromebook admin ought to be capable of 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 situations introduced 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 informed that my outcomes could be emailed in 10-14 days.
I used to be pleasantly shocked after I obtained my examination outcomes the following day.
Whereas the e-mail indicated that I PASSED, my check outcomes have been being reviewed by Google to make sure “examination compliance.” I’m undecided 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 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.web which can be utilized to confirm the authenticity of the credential. You’ll be able to hyperlink your credentials to your LinkedIn profile and add the badge to your signature.
Closing 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 record of examination subjects, however no actual preparation materials. That is why I created the Chromebook Academy, so to take the examination with confidence!
Operating the sort of evaluation is VERY difficult. I don’t envy the staff that’s accountable for writing the questions and managing the method.
I’ve accomplished almost all of Google’s certification packages and this one was one of many smoothest by far.
With the examination payment being waived till January 2025, there actually isn’t any purpose NOT to provide the examination a strive!
