Yes, yesterday was that day. The one where I finally made the decision that I was ready to take the leap. I was ready to go for it. I was ready to take my Google for Educators Level 2 Certification Exam.
I took an hour to run back through all the multiple choice questions in the practice exams. What I didn’t do was to go back and practice doing each of the tasks that I thought would be required. To anyone new taking the exam, make sure you can do everything with ease because even though you have 180 minutes, it’s not all that long when you’re taking a rigorous test.
Like everyone else, I signed an NDA and that means I cannot tell you anything about what’s actually on the test. So sorry, not sorry. That’s because this is stuff you really must know before being qualified Level 2. After Level 2, you’re expected to be able to leap over tall buildings in a single bound, etc. You know all that “Googley superhero” stuff. Hey Google, I think I just came up with your next big department for education … be a Googley superhero!
One thing I can say is that when they warn you about glitches, they aren’t kidding. I was at the end of the test racing the clock to finish and the worst happened. Here’s what I can say. If the worst happens to you, keep your cool and stay focused. Don’t panic!
I took a screenshot of the error message my glitch produced so that I would have proof for Google of what had actually happened as it prevented me from answering my last two questions before time ran out. And then, I kept on trying to finish the test. I fired off my last answer as the seconds ticked off. Whew! That was the fastest three hours ever spent.
I don’t think I’m violating any NDA agreements since Google has put out a video revealing this information, but you’re in an Incognito environment when you’re taking the exam. So, you can’t open your personal email or anything while the exam is going on because you’re in a special environment; you can’t report anything right away.
- On your computer, open Chrome.
- At the top right, click More New Incognito Window.
- A new window appears. In the top corner, check for the Incognito icon.
When the test ends, you have to stay in that environment for at least 15 minutes while the exam processes. And, that’s when I experienced another glitch. My processing page never went away after over an hour. At that point, I decided it was another glitch and I left the Incognito environment myself, but before I did I took advantage of the support links they provided on the exit page to report my glitches. I wasn’t too worried about leaving the testing environment myself because I know Google’s technology captures your information as you go just like their apps do. Thank you Google!
After leaving the testing environment I was able to log into my own personal email and that when I discovered a few things more.
First email I saw said Results from your recent Google Certification. Of course, I went there first.
YAY!!! I passed!!! I’m now officially certified Google for Education Level 2 Certificated.
Second email I saw was from the Goggle support staff with regards to my reported glitches and here’s what they had to say (I removed the tech’s name).
Hello Bobbie,
Thank you for contacting Google Cloud and EDU Certifications Support. I will be assisting you on the issue that you encountered while taking your Google Certified Educator Exam.
We’re sorry to hear that you experienced an issue while taking the exam. Because the exam is built on a live platform, there may be unexpected times that an app is unavailable. In these instances. Our engineering teams are looking into this error to ensure that it does not happen again.
It looks like you were still able to pass and get certified, congratulations! You will soon receive an email with your results and certification. We appreciate your extended patience.
If this does not resolve your issue please let us know. If we do not hear from you by the start of the next business day, we will close the case and consider the issue resolved. You can reopen the case anytime by replying to this message. If you run into other issues, please use this link to reach the proper team for your Google Cloud and EDU Certifications concerns. Our hours of operation are between 5 AM to 6 PM PT, Sunday through Saturday.
Have a wonderful day!
Sincerely,
Google Cloud and EDU Certifications Support
So, crisis averted somewhat. I’d done well enough on the rest of the test that not answering two of the questions didn’t hurt me. And that my friends, is why I say keep your wits about you because it’s not the end of the world if the system throws you a curveball. I received fast support and speedy test results. Now, it’s on to becoming a Certified Trainer.
[bctt tweet=”YAY!!! I passed!!! I’m now officially certified Google for Education Level 2 Certificated.” username=”BobbieGrennier”]
