Google Cloud · ACE
Google Cloud Certified - Associate Cloud Engineer (ACE) Practice Test
Validates the ability to deploy and secure applications, services, and infrastructure, monitor operations of multiple projects, and maintain enterprise solutions to ensure they meet target performance metrics.
Exam Details
Questions
902
Duration
120 minutes
Passing Score
75%
Difficulty
AssociateLast Updated
Jan 2026
Topics Covered
Setting up a cloud solution environmentPlanning and configuring a cloud solutionDeploying and implementing a cloud solutionEnsuring successful operation of a cloud solutionConfiguring access and security
Google Cloud Certified - Associate Cloud Engineer (ACE) Practice Exam Preparation
Use this ACE practice exam to prepare for Google Cloud Certified - Associate Cloud Engineer (ACE) with realistic questions, detailed explanations, and focused study modes. The practice bank includes 902 questions for Google Cloud ACE, so you can review the exam steadily instead of relying on one long cram session.
As you practice, pay extra attention to recurring topics such as Setting up a cloud solution environment, Planning and configuring a cloud solution, Deploying and implementing a cloud solution, Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution, and Configuring access and security. Start with short sessions to identify weak areas, then move into timed quizzes once your accuracy is consistent.
The explanations are especially useful when you want to connect exam wording to the responsibilities and scenarios described in the official certification guidance. Use the free preview first, then unlock the full question bank when you are ready to build a complete study routine.
Exam Domain Breakdown
Setting up a cloud solution environment20%
Deploying and implementing a cloud solution25%
Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution20%
Configuring access and security20%
Exam Overview
The Google Cloud Certified – Associate Cloud Engineer (ACE) certification validates a practitioner's ability to deploy, manage, and secure applications, services, and infrastructure on Google Cloud Platform. Certified individuals demonstrate proficiency in working with both the Google Cloud Console and the gcloud command-line interface to perform common platform-based tasks, scale deployed solutions, and maintain enterprise workloads that leverage Google-managed and self-managed services. The exam covers the full spectrum of core GCP engineering competencies, including Compute Engine, Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, BigQuery, VPC networking, Cloud Load Balancing, Cloud IAM, and the Cloud Operations suite for monitoring and logging.
The ACE certification is recognized as the foundational credential in the Google Cloud certification portfolio. It is positioned above beginner-level cloud literacy courses but below the professional-tier certifications, making it the standard benchmark for engineers who can independently build and operate production workloads on GCP. The certification is valid for three years, with a streamlined one-hour renewal exam available within 180 days of expiration.
Who Should Take This Exam
The ACE certification is designed for cloud engineers, system administrators, DevOps engineers, and infrastructure engineers who work hands-on with Google Cloud environments. It is especially well-suited for professionals who implement and maintain cloud solutions day-to-day rather than solely focusing on high-level architectural design. Google recommends at least six months of hands-on GCP experience before attempting the exam.
Beyond those already working in cloud roles, the certification is also a strong choice for on-premises infrastructure engineers or sysadmins transitioning to cloud operations, and for AWS or Azure-experienced engineers seeking a credible GCP credential. Students and early-career technologists entering cloud engineering will also find the ACE a practical first certification, as there are no formal prerequisites for registration.
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites required to register for the Associate Cloud Engineer exam — anyone may attempt it regardless of prior certification history. However, Google strongly recommends that candidates have a minimum of six months of hands-on experience deploying, managing, and operating workloads on Google Cloud before sitting the exam.
Candidates should be comfortable using both the Cloud Console and the gcloud CLI to provision and manage resources. Practical familiarity with core GCP services is essential, including Compute Engine, GKE, Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, VPC networking, Cloud IAM, and Cloud Monitoring. A foundational understanding of Linux/Unix system administration, basic networking concepts (subnets, routing, firewall rules), and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes) will significantly aid exam performance. Google's free Cloud Engineer Learning Path on Google Cloud Skills Boost is the recommended starting point for structured preparation.
Exam Format
The Associate Cloud Engineer exam consists of 50 to 60 scored questions in multiple-choice and multiple-select formats. The time limit is 120 minutes (2 hours), and the exam is delivered either online with a remote proctor or at an authorized onsite test center. The registration fee is $125 USD (plus applicable taxes). The exam is available in English, Japanese, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Google uses a scaled scoring system with a passing score of approximately 75%. Because different exam versions may contain slightly varied question sets, scaled scoring ensures consistency across administrations. There is no published breakdown of scored versus unscored questions. Retake policy requires a 14-day waiting period after the first failed attempt, 60 days after the second, and one year after the third. The certification remains valid for three years, after which holders may take a shorter 20-question, one-hour renewal exam for $75.
Skills Measured
- 1.Section 1 – Setting up a cloud solution environment (~17–23%): Creating and managing Cloud projects and billing accounts; assigning IAM roles (primitive, predefined, and custom); configuring service accounts and keys; setting up billing budgets and alerts; enabling and configuring Google Cloud APIs; and using the Cloud Console, Cloud Shell, and gcloud CLI.
- 2.Section 2 – Planning and configuring a cloud solution (~17.5%): Selecting and sizing compute resources (Compute Engine VMs, GKE clusters, Cloud Run, App Engine); choosing appropriate storage and database services (Cloud Storage, Cloud SQL, Cloud Spanner, Firestore, BigQuery, Bigtable); designing VPC networks including subnets, firewall rules, Cloud NAT, and load balancers; and estimating costs using the Google Cloud Pricing Calculator.
- 3.Section 3 – Deploying and implementing a cloud solution (~25%): Deploying and managing Compute Engine VM instances and instance groups; creating and managing GKE clusters, deploying containerized workloads, and exposing services; deploying applications to App Engine and Cloud Run; implementing Cloud Functions; provisioning and configuring Cloud Storage buckets and lifecycle policies; deploying and managing Cloud SQL and other database instances; and using Deployment Manager or Terraform for infrastructure as code.
- 4.Section 4 – Ensuring successful operation of a cloud solution (~20%): Managing and monitoring Compute Engine VM instances (start, stop, snapshots, live migration); managing GKE workloads and node pools; monitoring resources using Cloud Monitoring dashboards and alerting policies; analyzing logs in Cloud Logging; configuring log sinks and exports; diagnosing application and infrastructure performance issues; and managing deployments with rolling updates and traffic splitting.
- 5.Section 5 – Configuring access and security (~20%): Managing Cloud IAM policies, role bindings, and conditions; configuring service accounts with appropriate permissions and workload identity; managing service account keys and their lifecycle; auditing access using Cloud Audit Logs; configuring VPC firewall rules and hierarchical firewall policies; managing encryption keys with Cloud KMS; and implementing organization policies and resource hierarchy best practices.
Study Tips
- Complete the official 'Cloud Engineer Learning Path' on Google Cloud Skills Boost (cloudskillsboost.google/paths/11), which includes Qwiklabs hands-on labs directly mapped to exam domains — practical console experience is essential because the exam contains scenario-based questions, not just definitions.
- Download and study the official ACE Exam Guide PDF from cloud.google.com/learn/certification/cloud-engineer and use it as a checklist; for every sub-bullet, ensure you can perform the task in both the Cloud Console and via gcloud CLI commands.
- Prioritize hands-on practice with GKE, Cloud IAM, VPC networking, and Cloud Monitoring — these four areas collectively account for the largest share of exam questions and are consistently cited as the most commonly tested topics.
- Take Google's official ACE Sample Questions (linked from the certification page as a Google Form) early in your preparation to calibrate your baseline, then retake them after studying to measure progress before scheduling the real exam.
- Use the Google Cloud Free Tier ($300 in credits for new accounts plus always-free products including Compute Engine, Cloud Storage, and BigQuery) to build hands-on projects: practice deploying a GKE cluster, configuring IAM bindings with least-privilege roles, setting up VPCs with firewall rules, and creating Cloud Monitoring alerting policies.
- Focus on understanding the gcloud CLI syntax for key operations — the exam regularly tests whether candidates know the correct command structure for tasks like creating instances (gcloud compute instances create), setting IAM policies (gcloud projects add-iam-policy-binding), and managing GKE clusters (gcloud container clusters create/get-credentials).
- Review the 'Preparing for the Associate Cloud Engineer Examination' course available through Google Cloud Training as a final exam-readiness check; it highlights commonly missed topics and provides structured review of all five exam domains.
Career Benefits
The Associate Cloud Engineer certification opens direct pathways into cloud engineer, DevOps engineer, site reliability engineer (SRE), and infrastructure engineer roles at organizations across virtually every industry. According to ZipRecruiter data from late 2025, the average annual salary for associate-level Google Cloud engineers in the United States is approximately $82,636, while more experienced cloud engineers at Google itself average around $150,655 per year, with senior-level compensation reaching well above $200,000. Certified professionals consistently command higher starting salaries than non-certified peers, and the ACE credential is frequently listed as a preferred qualification in cloud engineering job postings.
As an entry point in the Google Cloud certification portfolio, the ACE serves as a strategic foundation for advancing to professional-level credentials such as the Professional Cloud Architect, Professional Cloud DevOps Engineer, or Professional Cloud Security Engineer — each of which commands significantly higher compensation. Compared to equivalent associate-level certifications from AWS (Solutions Architect Associate) and Microsoft Azure (AZ-104), the ACE is widely regarded as similarly rigorous and is well-recognized by employers who operate multi-cloud environments or are migrating workloads to GCP. With Google Cloud's continued growth in enterprise adoption, demand for ACE-certified professionals remains strong.
Sample Questions
5 sample questions with answers and explanations. Start a practice session to test yourself across all 902 questions.
Preview — answers shown1. Fabrikam is configuring network settings for their GCP project and needs to allocate IP addresses. They require exactly 256 addresses for their subnet. Which CIDR notation should they use for the subnet range starting at 192.168.0.0?
A192.168.0.0/23
B192.168.0.0/26
C192.168.0.0/25
D192.168.0.0/24
Explanation
/24 provides 256 IP addresses by keeping the first 24 bits fixed and allowing the last 8 bits to vary. /25 offers half that (128 addresses), insufficient for the requirement. /26 provides only 64 addresses, far below the needed 256. /23 doubles the range to 512 addresses, which exceeds the exact need and may waste resources. Understanding CIDR helps in efficient IP allocation.
2. Litware is deploying a static website via Cloud Storage and must make the bucket accessible publicly while maintaining security. Which access control setup is appropriate?
AUse fine-grained access with object versioning
BDisable public access prevention and use fine-grained access
CEnable uniform access and apply retention policies
DEnforce public access prevention and use uniform access
Explanation
Disabling public access prevention allows the bucket to be made public, and fine-grained access enables setting public permissions on individual objects for website rendering. Enforcing prevention blocks public access, uniform access prevents individual permissions which are needed for public objects, and features like retention or versioning don't address access control.
3. Solution: Cloud Shell sessions persist indefinitely with full data retention. Does this solution describe how Cloud Shell actually operates for cost efficiency?
AYes
BNo
Explanation
No, sessions end with VM shutdown, and data is deleted after 30 days of inactivity to optimize costs. Cloud Shell uses pooled resources and persistent storage selectively.
4. Litware wants to upload files to their GCP VM without using FTP software. Which feature should they use in the browser-based SSH console?
AConfigure SFTP access through external tools
BUse gcloud commands for file synchronization
CMount Cloud Storage as a filesystem
DUse the integrated upload button for direct file transfer
Explanation
The browser-based SSH console includes an upload button for secure, direct file transfers without requiring external FTP software. SFTP requires third-party tools, which GCP avoids. Cloud Storage mounting is more complex and not directly integrated. Gcloud commands work via CLI but not through the browser console.
5. Contoso needs to schedule regular backups of their VM disks in Google Cloud to comply with data retention policies. They want to automate deletion of old snapshots after 30 days. Which tool should they use?
ACron jobs on the VM
BCloud Scheduler for manual snapshots
CSnapshot schedules with lifecycle rules
DExternal backup software
Explanation
Snapshot schedules automate backup creation and include lifecycle rules to delete snapshots after a specified period, reducing manual effort and storage costs. Cron jobs on VMs require ongoing maintenance and don't integrate with Google Cloud's scheduling. Cloud Scheduler can trigger actions but isn't specific to disk snapshots. External software adds complexity and potential integration issues.
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