GCP Engineer vs Developer Exam Comparison | Generated by AI
Question: Compare the Associate Cloud Engineer and Professional Cloud Developer exams in Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Answer:
Here is a detailed comparison between the two Google Cloud certifications: Associate Cloud Engineer and Professional Cloud Developer.
Overview
-
Associate Cloud Engineer
This is an associate-level certification focused on foundational cloud operations. It validates the ability to deploy applications, monitor operations of projects, manage enterprise solutions on Google Cloud, and ensure they meet performance targets. It is infrastructure- and operations-oriented. -
Professional Cloud Developer
This is a professional-level certification aimed at developers. It validates skills in building scalable, highly available, and secure applications using Google Cloud services, with a strong emphasis on cloud-native development practices, application design, and implementation.
Key Differences
| Aspect | Associate Cloud Engineer | Professional Cloud Developer |
|---|---|---|
| Level | Associate (entry to mid-level) | Professional (advanced / specialist) |
| Target Role | Cloud Engineer, Cloud Administrator, DevOps beginner | Application Developer, Backend Developer, Full-stack developer on GCP |
| Main Focus | Deploying, configuring, monitoring, and managing GCP infrastructure and services | Designing, building, deploying, and optimizing cloud-native applications |
| Difficulty | Moderate (foundational) | Higher (requires deeper development knowledge) |
| Recommended Experience | 6+ months hands-on GCP experience | 3+ years industry experience (including 1+ year designing/managing GCP solutions) |
| Exam Duration | 2 hours | 2 hours |
| Number of Questions | ~50–60 (varies) | ~50–60 (varies) |
| Question Types | Multiple choice / multiple select | Multiple choice / multiple select (scenario-based) |
| Passing Score | ~70% (not officially published) | ~70% (not officially published) |
| Cost | $125 USD | $200 USD |
| Validity | 2 years (renewable) | 2 years (renewable) |
Main Topics Covered
Associate Cloud Engineer
- Setting up a cloud solution environment
- Planning and configuring a cloud solution
- Deploying and implementing a cloud solution (Compute Engine, Kubernetes Engine, App Engine, Cloud Functions, Cloud Run)
- Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution (monitoring, logging, debugging)
- Configuring access and security
Heavy emphasis on: IAM, VPC, networking basics, storage options, basic container deployment, billing, and operations.
Professional Cloud Developer
- Designing highly scalable, available, and reliable cloud-native applications
- Building and testing applications
- Deploying applications (App Engine, Cloud Run, GKE, Cloud Functions)
- Integrating Google Cloud services (Pub/Sub, Firestore, BigQuery, APIs, authentication)
- Managing application performance monitoring
Heavy emphasis on: Application architecture, microservices, serverless, CI/CD, debugging distributed systems, security in code, data storage for apps, and modern development patterns.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Choose Associate Cloud Engineer if:
- You are new to Google Cloud
- You want broad foundational knowledge of GCP
- Your role involves infrastructure setup, deployment, and basic operations
- You plan to pursue other professional certifications later (it is a great starting point)
- Choose Professional Cloud Developer if:
- You already have development experience
- You want to specialize in building and deploying applications on GCP
- You work with serverless, containers, or cloud-native architectures
- You are comfortable with coding, APIs, databases, and application lifecycle
Many people start with Associate Cloud Engineer → then move to Professional Cloud Developer (or Professional Cloud Architect / DevOps Engineer) as their next step.
Both certifications are highly respected in the industry and demonstrate solid GCP knowledge in their respective domains.
References:
- Associate Cloud Engineer Certification
- Professional Cloud Developer Certification
- Associate Cloud Engineer Exam Guide (PDF)
- Professional Cloud Developer Exam Guide (PDF)