A Step-by-Step Guide to Your Google Analytics Individual Certification

Google Analytics (GA) is truly an amazing tool to help you analyze information about your web space. It’s also free and has become an industry standard for those who want to optimize the performance of their website. If you work in digital marketing or want to fully utilize the power of the internet for your business, becoming a Google Analytics Certified Individual (GAIQ) is essential. Getting a GA Certification can increase your desirability in the job market, make you more valuable as an employee, and prove that you have mastered a new skill.

Becoming certified can be daunting if you have no idea where to begin, especially if you have little exposure to GA. There are plenty of resources out there to help you succeed, but how do you use those resources to pass the test? Our goal in this post is twofold: First, we want you to pass the test – it’s as simple as that. Second, we want to give you an authentic understanding of GA. There is no use in having a Google Analytics Certification if you can’t use the program. But don’t worry— if you follow our strategies and stay dedicated, you will achieve both. So let’s move on to the test!

Overview of the GAIQ Test

The GAIQ is a 90 minute timed test that includes 70 questions. A score of 80% is required to pass, which means you must get at least 56 correct.

The test is multiple choice with a combination of questions that have only one correct answer and questions that have multiple correct answers. To access the test go to the Google Testing Center. Once there you will have to pay a $50 dollar fee to take the test. You will have two attempts. If you fail the first test you must wait 14 days in order to take it again. The test is valid for 30 days before it expires.

Once you begin, you have a maximum of 5 days to complete that test attempt. Despite the 90 minute limit, you can pause or exit out of the test at any time within the 5 day period. The test is open book but will not allow you to open other tabs on your browser.

Test Resources

Let’s look at some resources to help you become certified:

The Google Analytics IQ Lessons – These are 15 tutorial videos created by Google, also referred to as Conversion University. Watch each video and read along with the speaker in the Notes section. This is excellent for learning and retention because it helps you utilize multiple learning pathways.

Jens Sorensen’s Notes – Jens Soerensen is a digital marketing specialist who extracted these notes from the Google Analytics IQ Lesson video notes and compiled them into a single reference guide. The reference guide is available on his blog and also features some extra recommended reading for further understanding Google Analytics.

The Google Analytics Test – This is a free online practice test that can help you gauge your knowledge of GA. It’s considered harder than the actual exam, which makes it a great study tool. The test is also customizable to the topics you want to cover. When completing each test, you will receive answers to questions and an explanation for why the question you answered is right or wrong.

The Google Analytics Help Center – The GA help center is a great resource for more advanced operations in GA. This is an important resource to use during the test and in your studies. Some questions can only be answered from the material provided here.

And finally…

Google Analytics – Yes you must use Google Analytics to study for the test. Get familiar with the interface, since the GAIQ will test your knowledge on how to perform a variety of functions and tasks. Ask a friend or associate if you can have access to one of their GA accounts so you can become familiar with the platform and data.

Strategies to Help You Succeed

Remember you have 90 minutes for 70 questions, which comes to roughly 1 minute and 16 seconds per question. When the clock is running you must keep moving. Answer the easy questions first and go back to the hard ones later. You can flag questions you are unsure about and then return to them. You may also pause the test at any time to take a break.

The test itself covers questions over the following topics:

• AdWords Integration and Campaign Tracking
• Interface Navigation
• Tracking Code
• AdWords
• Motion Charts
• Event Tracking
• Virtual Page views
• Accounts & Profiles
• Goals
• Internal Site Search
• E-Commerce Tracking
• Advanced Segments
• Interpreting Reports
• Funnels
• Domains and Subdomains
• Traffic Sources
• Regular Expressions
• Filters
• Cookies
• Custom Reports

Congrats, You Passed!

Once you pass, you will receive a certificate saying that you are Google Analytics Qualified. If you have received your certificate, congratulations you have worked hard and are now part of a prestigious group of analytics users. The Certification lasts 18 months at which point you will have to take the test again. Let us know how your test experience went and if you have any encouragement or advice for other test-takers.