Google Cybersecurity Certificate
Exam fee
$250
≈ 198 GBP · 338 CAD · 230 EUR · rolling-avg FX; verify with your bank before any payment
The Google Cybersecurity Certificate is a cybersecurity certification from Google with an exam fee of $250. Built from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Google's official exam requirements.
About the Google Cybersecurity Certificate
The Google Cybersecurity Certificate is a Coursera-hosted eight-course program aimed at complete beginners. It runs about six months at 10 hours per week and covers security operations, linux command line, SQL, Python, tools like Wireshark, and basic incident response. Unlike a proctored cert, there is no single exam; you complete hands-on labs and project submissions. Google pitches it at career changers and it pairs well with Security+ as the second step, not the first. Hiring managers see it as proof of commitment rather than as a replacement for a proctored cert; use it as a stepping stone, not an end state.
Who should earn it
Complete beginners with no IT background, career changers from non-technical fields, and anyone who wants a structured program before tackling Security+.
Exam details
- Provider
- Questions
- Coursework + labs (no single exam)
- Duration
- ~6 months at 10 hrs/week
- Passing score
- 80% per module
- Exam fee
- $250 (verify with Google)
- Renewal
- Does not expire
- Experience level
- Entry
- DoD 8570/8140
- Not on the list
Prerequisites
None. Designed for people with no prior IT or security background.
Key domains
- Foundations of Cybersecurity
- Security Risks and Threats
- Networks and Network Security
- Linux and SQL
- Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities
- Detection and Response
- Python for Security
- Job Search Skills
Salary impact
Direct salary impact is limited because employers generally pair or replace it with Security+. It can unlock $55,000-$75,000 entry SOC Analyst roles, particularly through Google's employer consortium partnerships.
Most relevant roles
This role lives inside a packaged path
Want the curriculum, comp delta, and recommended courses for this role?
DecipherU bundles cybersecurity roles into a small set of packaged paths. Each path has the curriculum sequence, the compensation delta it unlocks, and the recommended courses, all pre-set. Two ways in:
Certification details are sourced from official certifying body websites. Verify current pricing, exam format, and requirements directly with the certifying organization before making decisions. DecipherU is not affiliated with any certifying body.
Exam code null. Google publishes 8 domains: Foundations of Cybersecurity, Security Risks and Threats, Networks and Network Security, Linux and SQL, Assets, Threats, and Vulnerabilities, Detection and Response, Python for Security, Job Search Skills. Practice questions on DecipherU are grouped by those domains.
Up to Coursework + labs (no single exam) questions in ~6 months at 10 hrs/week, with a passing score of 80% per module, according to Google. Formats and counts change between exam versions, so confirm on the Google site before you book.
Google lists the exam fee at $250 USD. Vouchers, bundles and regional pricing differ; the fee on the Google site at checkout is the one that applies.
Google does not publish a fixed expiry for this credential in the material we cite. Check the Google site for the current renewal rule.
None. Designed for people with no prior IT or security background.
Sources
- Google official website · Certification pricing, exam format, and renewal requirements
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024
Related Cybersecurity Resources
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DecipherU's career insights are developed by Julian Calvo, Ed.D., with AI-assisted research and drafting, then reviewed and edited by DecipherU Editorial. Career and compensation data come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, and industry compensation databases. Assessment frameworks are grounded in peer-reviewed psychometric research, learning sciences (University of Miami), organizational learning (Barry University), and applied AI (Northeastern University). AI is used as a research and drafting tool; all methodology, framework design, scoring, and editorial standards are owned by the DecipherU team.