In December 2024, I took the Google Cloud Skilled Machine Studying examination and efficiently earned the certification. After finishing the certification, I wished to share my preparation course of and examine notes.
On this submit, I’ll cowl the next matters so as. Benefit from the learn!
- Introduction: How My Journey Started
- What’s the Google Cloud Skilled Machine Studying Certification?
- My Examination Expertise
- Research Assets
- Ultimate Ideas & Small Ideas
Why Did I Determine to Pursue This Certification?
As a guide, I imagine that certifications are extra than simply badges you add to your CV. They function worthwhile instruments to reveal experience and keep up-to-date within the trade. Deloitte Companion Barış Yenidünya as soon as shared a fantastic analogy on this subject:
“Having a certification doesn’t essentially imply you’re an knowledgeable within the area — identical to having a driver’s license doesn’t imply you’re a fantastic driver.”
That being mentioned, acquiring this certification remains to be vital as a result of it validates your information of Google Cloud’s machine studying companies.
I’ve been working in information science for practically six years, and it took me about 2–3 weeks to arrange for this certification. Nonetheless, the preparation time can fluctuate relying in your familiarity with Google Cloud and machine studying ideas.
This certification checks competencies in designing, coaching, and managing machine studying fashions on Google Cloud. It covers the next key matters, and for a extra detailed record, you may check with the subject define revealed by Google Cloud:
- Knowledge preprocessing and have engineering
- Mannequin improvement and optimization
- ML pipeline automation
- Mannequin deployment and monitoring
- Accountable AI and safety
Who Is It For?
- ML engineers and information scientists
- Cloud engineers engaged on ML tasks in Google Cloud
- Consultants seeking to run ML fashions at scale
Examination Format
- Period: 120 minutes
- Variety of Questions: 50–60 (Though Google Cloud states this vary, primarily based on my expertise, the examination consisted of fifty multiple-choice questions.)
- Query Kind: A number of-choice
- Examination Location: On-line or at a take a look at middle (could be chosen throughout buy)
- Validity Interval: 2 years
Google Cloud periodically updates its examination questions and examine supplies. The model I took had simply been up to date and included questions on Generative AI-focused companies.
Examination Day Expertise
On-line Participation: The examination is bought by means of Webassessor. A steady web connection, a webcam, and a quiet atmosphere are required in the course of the examination. Moreover, no written supplies, pens, or paper are allowed in your desk. The proctor verifies all these circumstances earlier than the examination begins.
Word-Taking Restriction: In my earlier Google Cloud Digital Chief examination, there was a note-taking space on the examination display screen. Nonetheless, this examination didn’t present such an choice. Since utilizing pen and paper was additionally prohibited, all calculations and thought processes needed to be executed mentally.
My Method to Answering Questions
Deal with the State of affairs, Not the Story: The questions are typically lengthy and introduced in a scenario-based format. My strategy was to deal with the vital factors somewhat than the narrative particulars.
For instance, if a query mentions a big enterprise, ideas like scalability and massive information ought to instantly come to thoughts. As a substitute of getting caught up in pointless particulars, extracting the important thing technical elements proved to be extremely efficient.
Match Providers with Key Options: When answering questions, matching Google Cloud companies with their key attributes was extremely useful, particularly for dealing with difficult questions.
Since many companies in Google Cloud share similarities, I centered on their delicate variations and the precise state of affairs given within the query. For instance:
- BigQuery vs. Cloud SQL → Is the deal with massive information analytics or transactional information?
- Dataflow vs. Dataproc → Is it about streaming information processing or batch information processing?
- Vertex AI vs. AI Platform → Is mannequin coaching or scalability the precedence?
This strategy was significantly helpful after I was caught between two doable solutions.
My Notes and GenAI Assist
My most beneficial examine useful resource was the notes I created whereas discussing matters with ChatGPT. I requested ChatGPT about every subject outlined by Google Cloud, explored the main points, after which had it generate cheat sheet-style summaries after studying every idea.
Making a abstract sheet for each subject helped me distill key info into bite-sized insights, making examination preparation way more environment friendly.
I’m brazenly sharing all my notes on GitHub. These notes emphasize the key options of Google Cloud companies and function fast reminders. The notes are a mixture of Turkish and English.
Official Google Cloud Assets
Google Cloud presents free programs particularly designed for this certification. Whereas I didn’t undergo the lab workout routines myself, I like to recommend beginning with these programs in the event you’re new to the subject. For that reason, I’m additionally sharing Google Cloud’s official programs as a main useful resource.
Moreover, Google Cloud offers insights into key exam topics, question distribution, and different related particulars, which could be useful for structuring your examine plan.
Examtopics:
- Examtopics is a useful resource that comprises scenario-based questions just like these within the precise examination. Nonetheless, remember the fact that some questions could have incorrect solutions. To get essentially the most out of it, I like to recommend discussing and verifying the solutions somewhat than counting on them blindly. This strategy helps reinforce the proper ideas whereas avoiding potential misinformation.
Beneath is a abstract of the important thing factors I lined on this submit, together with some extra fast ideas:
Examination Expertise Could Fluctuate
Your expertise is likely to be totally different from others taking the examination on the similar time. Once I took the examination, three of us tried it throughout the similar interval, and all of us had totally different perceptions of issue, query size, and content material.
The one widespread issue amongst us was our examine strategies and notes. Whereas examination experiences are worthwhile, it’s vital to keep in mind that somebody who discovered the examination extraordinarily tough — and even failed — had a privateexpertise that will not apply to you.
Hold Up with Updates
As I discussed earlier, examination questions and content material evolve alongside modifications in Google Cloud companies.
Earlier than taking the examination, be sure that to overview the most recent course matters, query distribution, and examination content material supplied by Google Cloud. Finding out essentially the most up-to-date supplies will allow you to deal with related areas and keep away from outdated info.
Perceive the Variations Between Providers
Many Google Cloud companies have comparable functionalities, however small distinctions — resembling information measurement, real-time vs. batch processing — make a giant distinction in deciding on the proper one. Realizing these variations properly could make the examination a lot simpler.
Making a abstract sheet that highlights the key variations between comparable companies could be extraordinarily helpful throughout your preparation.
Ultimate Phrases
The Google Cloud Skilled ML Engineer Certification is a worthwhile credential for these working with machine studying on Google Cloud. For me, its largest profit was gaining a deep understanding of Google Cloud’s ML companies and studying the right way to apply them in an expert setting.
Throughout my preparation, my notes and scenario-based apply questions had been the best examine instruments. When you’re getting ready for this examination, I extremely advocate specializing in understanding eventualities and studying the important thing variations between companies.
Lastly, I’d wish to thank my wonderful examine companions, Sude Külek and Alperen Gazi Cesur — getting ready collectively made the journey much more gratifying!
Thanks additionally to Seçkin Görkem Okkar for all his assist! ❤
