Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect Renewal: What to Expect & Mastering the New 1-Hour Exam

My Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect (PCA) certification was up for renewal in October. I first earned this certification back in 2019, so this marked my fourth time sitting an exam to maintain the credential. While my previous recertifications required retaking the full exam, this time I took a different route.

Google now offers a specific, shorter renewal option for the Professional Cloud Architect, Professional Data Engineer, Associate Cloud Engineer, and Cloud Digital Leader exams. It is important to note that this new format is available only to existing certified professionals for renewal purposes; it is not available to first-time test takers.

I went with this new format, and I wanted to share a few observations for anyone else looking to renew soon.

The Professional Cloud Architect Renewal Exam: Key Details

  • Format: 25 Multiple-Choice Questions
  • Duration: 60 Minutes (vs. 120 minutes for the full exam)
  • Case Studies: Yes, two new ones are provided.
  • Eligibility: You can take the renewal exam starting 60 days before your certification’s expiration date.
  • Cost: Google provides a 50% discount voucher for renewing.

Your Prep Checklist: The Top 3 Resources

Before discussing my experience, here are the three most important prep materials to review.

1. The “Source of Truth”: The Official Exam Guide

For any exam, I recommend starting with the official exam guide. It serves as the primary reference for what the exam covers.

This guide confirms the exam is built around the Cymbal Retail and Altostrat Media case studies (though you will only have one case study on the exam) and gives a clear breakdown of the exam sections. Note that while the core domains remain similar to the standard exam, the specific technologies have been updated to reflect the modern Google Cloud portfolio:

  • Section 1: Designing and planning (~30%): The classic architect role (business/technical requirements). Key updates: Includes Vertex AI solutions and Gemini Cloud Assist.
  • Section 2: Managing and provisioning (~40%): The “how-to” of networks, storage, and compute. Key updates: A deeper focus on modern Container orchestration and Serverless computing patterns.
  • Section 3: Security and compliance (~20%): IAM, resource hierarchy, and encryption. Key updates: Now explicitly covers Securing software supply chain and Gemini in Security.
  • Section 4: Managing implementation (~10%): Deployment and dev teams. Key updates: Includes Gemini Code Assist for programmatic interaction.

As you can see, the new AI features are woven into every section of the exam.

2. The Official Practice Exam

Google provides a set of official sample questions at no cost. While these are for the standard exam, they are the best way to test your readiness for the renewal format.

The questions are formatted identically to the real exam. They are useful for understanding the question style and logic. After completing it, review every question (especially the ones you answered incorrectly) to understand the architectural reasoning behind the correct choice. I found the style highly representative of the core content in the renewal exam.

3. The Official Renewal Learning Path

If you require a structured review, Google offers a specific learning path for this renewal.

This is a collection of videos, hands-on labs, and skill badges. It aligns with the exam guide, covering GKE, Dataflow, and placing a heavy focus on Vertex AI, MLOps, and Gemini.

My Experience: Case Studies and the Gen AI Focus

Here is what I found when I sat the 1-hour, 25-question exam.

On the Case Studies

I read both case studies prior to the exam. They are useful for focusing your preparation and understanding the types of problems presented.

Are they essential? In my experience, those working day-in and day-out with Google Cloud can likely pass this exam without memorising the case studies. If you have a strong understanding of which Google Cloud products fit specific use cases, you should be well-positioned.

On the Topic Breakdown: 60/40 Split

While the exam guide emphasises AI, the actual exam felt more balanced.

Based on my session, I estimate the split was:

  • ~60% Traditional PCA Topics: Core compute, networking, storage, IAM, and solution architecture.
  • ~40% Newer Services / AI Focus: Questions related to Vertex AI, Gen AI principles, and other newer features.

The exam still validates foundational architectural knowledge alongside the new services.

Despite the new topics, the core of the PCA remains unchanged. The questions were concise. Based on my experience, I would focus my review on these two areas:

1. The 60% (Core Architecture)

  • Compute: When to use Cloud Run vs. GKE (Autopilot/Standard) vs. Compute Engine. Note: Be sure to review “Cloud Run functions” (formerly Cloud Functions).
  • Storage & Databases: The standard product selection questions. Know the high-level use cases for Spanner, Bigtable, BigQuery, and Cloud SQL.
  • Networking: VPC design, Load Balancing (differences between types), and Hybrid Connectivity (Interconnect vs. Peering).
  • IAM / Security: Core principles of resource hierarchy (Org, Folders, Projects), IAM roles, and VPC Service Controls.

2. The 40% (Modern & AI)

  • Vertex AI: You do not need to be an ML engineer, but you should know what the Vertex AI platform does. Specifically, understand the roles of Agent Builder and Model Garden.
  • Gen AI: Know the high-level use cases for Gemini (and Gemini in Google Cloud, like Cloud Assist).
  • Modern DevOps/SRE: Be aware of Cloud Deploy for CI/CD and the basics of the Cloud Operations suite (Logging, Monitoring, Tracing).

Future-Proofing: The Well-Architected Framework

There is one important update that renewal candidates should be aware of. It has been announced that the Google Cloud Well-Architected Framework has been formally incorporated into the latest version of the standard Professional Cloud Architect exam.

While this framework was not explicitly included in the renewal exam guide at the time of my sitting, and I did not encounter specific questions on it, its inclusion in the standard exam suggests it is becoming a core requirement.

I strongly recommend familiarizing yourself with its six pillars, as they may appear in future versions of the renewal exam:

  • Operational Excellence
  • Security
  • Reliability
  • Performance Optimization
  • Cost Optimization
  • Sustainability

Even if not tested directly, using this framework to justify your “best fit” answers is a solid strategy.

Thinking Like an Architect: “Best Fit” Selection

The core of the exam remains product selection. The questions rarely ask for definitions; they present a scenario and ask for the best choice. To answer these, you must consider architectural trade-offs:

  • Reliability & Scalability: Is it mission-critical? Does it need to scale to zero?
  • Cost Optimisation: What is the most cost-effective solution that still meets the technical requirements? (e.g., Spot VMs for batch jobs).
  • Workload Disposition: Know when to build, buy, modify, or deprecate a solution.
  • Operational Overhead: Managed vs. Self-Managed.

Managed Services vs. Self-Managed You must understand the trade-offs between a fully managed service (like Cloud Run or BigQuery) and building your own (like running a database on Compute Engine). The “correct” answer is usually the one that balances control, speed of deployment, and maintenance effort for the specific scenario.

Conclusion

The Professional Cloud Architect renewal exam is a more efficient alternative to the full exam for existing professionals.

  • Who is this for? Professionals who actively work with GCP. It respects your time and validates that your skills are current.
  • Who might struggle? Those who passed the PCA two years ago but haven’t actively used GCP since. If that is your situation, the focus on new services means you likely cannot rely on past knowledge alone.

Summary Checklist

If your renewal is upcoming:

  1. Trust Your Experience: Daily GCP usage covers the majority of the content.
  2. Read the Exam Guide: Use the official PDF as a checklist.
  3. Take the Practice Exam: Familiarise yourself with the question style.
  4. Review New Services: Focus on the Vertex AI suite (specifically Agent Builder) and Cloud Run functions.
  5. Review Case Studies: Read them to understand the context, but memorisation is not required.
  6. Book the Exam: It saves significant time compared to the standard path.

Good luck.

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, I hope you find it useful in preparing for the Professional Cloud Architect Renewal exam. Please feel free to share, subscribe to be alerted to future posts, follow me on LinkedIn, and react/comment below!

If you’re new to Google Cloud certifications, or you’re deciding what certification to do next, check out my other blog posts covering: