About the exam, for when you are ready to book
Quick answer
The Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect (PCA) exam has 50-60 multiple-choice and multiple-select questions in 2 hours, costs USD 200 plus tax, and has no required prerequisites (checked November 2026). See all the exam facts.
About the exam
Professional Cloud Architect
The Google Professional Cloud Architect certification is for people who design and manage solutions on Google Cloud (GCP). Google recommends 3 or more years of industry experience, including at least 1 year designing and managing Google Cloud solutions. If that describes your work, this practice test shows how well your knowledge matches the topics Google covers. The exam guide organizes the content into six sections: designing and planning a cloud solution architecture; managing and provisioning a cloud solution infrastructure; designing for security and compliance; analyzing and optimizing technical and business processes; managing implementation; and ensuring solution and operations excellence. Each exam includes 2 case studies that make up 20 to 30 percent of it, and this practice test does not copy them. Our questions are short, self-contained and original, with exactly one correct answer.
Our questions are original, written from the Google Professional Cloud Architect exam guide and Google Cloud documentation, and each answer is explained. Studying nearby topics? Try the Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer, Google Cloud Professional Data Engineer and Google Cloud Digital Leader free practice tests.
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Exam facts
Professional Cloud Architect: format, time and fee Last checked November 2026
- Exam name
- Professional Cloud ArchitectGoogle Cloud certification page
- Questions
- 50 to 60 questions, multiple choice and multiple selectGoogle Cloud certification page
- Time
- 2 hoursGoogle Cloud certification page
- Fee
- USD 200, plus tax where applicableGoogle Cloud certification page
- Question types
- Multiple choice and multiple select. Each exam includes 2 case studies that make up 20 to 30 percent of the exam.Google Cloud certification page
- Languages
- English, JapaneseGoogle Cloud certification page
- Delivery
- Online proctored or at a testing centerGoogle Cloud certification page
- Prerequisites
- None required; 3 or more years of industry experience, including 1 or more years designing and managing Google Cloud solutions, is recommendedGoogle Cloud certification page
- Validity
- 2 years; renew through Google Skills or the renewal examGoogle Cloud certification page
- Sections
- Designing and planning a cloud solution architecture; Managing and provisioning a cloud solution infrastructure; Designing for security and compliance; Analyzing and optimizing technical and business processes; Managing implementation; Ensuring solution and operations excellenceGoogle Cloud certification page
- Passing score
- Not published.Not published by Google Cloud
- Exam code
- Not published.Not published by Google Cloud
- Our practice test
- Single-answer scenario questions only, with no case studies and our own question count, pass mark and timer. These are not Google's settings.This site
Every question here has exactly one correct answer. If the real exam also uses multiple-select or other types, the facts above say so. Confirm current details with Google Cloud before you register.
What to focus on for the Professional Cloud Architect
- Choosing a service that works but ignores a stated limit on cost, latency, recovery time or operational effort.
- Mixing up look-alike services or network options that sound similar but solve different problems.
- Missing security details, such as which access roles a team should get and how access should be limited.
- Reading the requirements too quickly, when case-study style questions reward catching every constraint.
- Read the Google Cloud documentation for the services behind each section, and take notes on the trade-offs.
- Take this free practice test one section at a time, read every explanation, then retake your weakest section.
Sample Professional Cloud Architect practice questions
Three questions pulled straight from the bank, with the answer shown. For the timed, no-peeking version, use the quiz above.
Why: The recovery time objective is the maximum acceptable length of time an application can be offline, which is exactly a 20-minute return-to-service target. Mean time between failures describes how often failures occur, not how much downtime is tolerated.
Source: Disaster recovery planning guide, Basics of DR planning
Why: Transfer Appliance is a high-capacity storage device you ship to a Google upload facility, where the data is uploaded to Cloud Storage. The online options all depend on the slow uplink the lab is trying to avoid.
Source: Transfer Appliance overview
Why: Google documents HA VPN over Cloud Interconnect as a documented way to add encryption to a Dedicated or Partner Interconnect connection. Cloud NAT, Private Google Access and route advertisements do not encrypt the link.
Source: Cloud VPN overview
FAQ
Professional Cloud Architect questions, answered
How much does the exam cost and how do I register?
Google Cloud lists the fee as USD 200, plus tax where applicable. Registration and the current price are on the Google Cloud certification page (checked November 2026), so confirm there before you book. Google Cloud certification page.
Is this the real exam?
No. This is a free mock test made of original questions we wrote from Google Cloud's public documentation. It is not the real exam, it is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google Cloud, and it cannot promise a pass.
Does the real exam use case studies?
Yes. Google says each exam includes 2 case studies that make up 20 to 30 percent of it. This practice test does not copy them; every question is a short, self-contained original scenario.
Does the real exam have multiple-select questions?
Yes, Google describes the exam as multiple choice and multiple select. Every question here has exactly one correct answer, so use this test to learn the topics, not to rehearse the format.
Is the timed test the same as the real Professional Cloud Architect exam?
No. Ours has 50 questions in 120 minutes, all single-answer, with a 70% practice pass mark we chose ourselves. Google Cloud's own format is in the exam facts.