Are Google Ads Certifications Free?
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Written by Christopher Krassnig, Founder & CEO of ZenoX Media. Answers every question here from the accounts ZenoX runs, not from theory.
The short answer
Yes, Google Ads certifications are free, because Google says Skillshop is available at no cost, checked 5 November 2026. You pay nothing to study, sit the 75-minute exam or try again. You need 80% to pass, and a fail means a one-day wait. At ZenoX we treat the badge as a start, because it proves knowledge, not account skill.
Source: Google Skillshop FAQ
What Google Charges
Nothing. Google's Skillshop FAQ says: "Skillshop is available at no cost." Fail an exam and you can retake it one day later. Google also says: "There's no limit to the number of attempts you can make." We checked all of this on 5 November 2026.
Do not pay anyone for exam answers. Google's study material is right there.
What It Costs You in Time
The exam gives you 75 minutes. You cannot pause the timer. Leave and "the timer will immediately expire." You need a score of 80% or more.
Study time is a separate number. Skillshop shows these course times: Search 3h 40m, Display 2h 56m, Video 4h 01m and AI-Powered Shopping ads 1h 15m. Those are average times for the whole course, with optional study included. They are not exam lengths. All Search study sections are marked optional, so only the exam is required there.
Which Ones You Can Take
Google's main ones cover Search, Display, Video, Shopping and Apps. Skillshop also lists others, such as Measurement. Start at skillshop.withgoogle.com/googleads, because the course pages move.
Selling products? Start with Shopping ads. It has the shortest course time of the four above, and Skillshop marks it Beginner.
What the Badge Does Not Give You
It is yours, not your company's. Google says: "It's not enough for a co-worker to be certified or for your agency to be badged." It lasts one year, and then you pass again to keep it.
It also does not prove you can run a store's account. That is our view, not Google's. The exam tests what Google teaches. A feed that sells and a budget that pays back come from live spend. We run the Google Ads eCom Lab for that part, and it costs $9 a month.
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