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How to become an Associate Android Developer, and is it worth it?
July 01, 2025
Associate Android Developer is a certification from Google that may enhance your career as a developer. In this post, we’ll explore why and how to go about taking it.
Developing Android apps isn’t particularly hard. The hard part is developinggoodAndroid apps, and proving your ability to do that to clients. Getting a certification is just one way to demonstrate this capability, and what better organization to be certified with than Google itself?
Associate Android Developeris aGoogle Developers Certificationthat comes direct from the company responsible for the tools you’ll use. It’s globally recognized, and in theory, it can demonstrate your expertise in Android development.
Also read:Unity certification for developers: Is it worth it?
How to become an Associate Android Developer
To become an Associate Android Developer, you will need to take an exam onAndroid Studio, theAndroid SDK, and eitherJavaorKotlin(you’re able to choose which language you want to use). After paying and proving your identity, you will be able to complete the exam and must submit within 8 hours.
If your submission is successful, you will then be asked to complete an exit interview, which involves recording spoken answers. If you are successful in this portion, you will be awarded your certificate. Marking can take up to 45 days.
UnlikeUnity Certification, Associate Android Developer Certification is relatively inexpensive costing just $149 (prices may vary slightly depending on your location). However, you will need to pay again if you don’t pass the exam.
What do I need to know?
The exam is aimed at the “entry-level Android developer,” so certification should be achievable for most people willing to put in the effort, especially if they have experience with Android development.
It is your responsibility to study and educate yourself prior to taking the exam, though Google provides theexam contentto help guide this study. Students should understand:
You can also find a full study guidehere.
We recommend that you consider taking an Android development course before you sit for the exam to avoid having to pay twice!
Also read:I want to develop Android apps – Which languages should I learn?
Is it worth it?
So, is it worth becoming an Associate Android Developer? I feel confident this time saying yes – at least for the right student.
Also read:I made $50,000 from Android apps and you can too
Certification of this nature won’t be a huge game-changer. Getting it is relatively easy, and employers will also want to see other qualifications and examples of your past work. Having developed a hit app or worked for a big software firm would absolutely matter more than Associate Android Developer status.
In fact, the level of expertise in Android demonstrated by this certificate is probably nothing an organization wouldn’t be happy to train you in.
So if you’re already in a good position in your developer career, this may not be game-changing for you.
That said, in a sea of CVs (a CV sea), this additional certificationmightjust help you stand out. More to the point, if you’re a new developer and you want some kind of experience or qualification to gain the trust of potential clients or employers (especially if you’re self-employed), the Associate Android Developer certification is a great place to start.
If you have absolutely no experience or degree, this might be just enough to build confidence in a client.
The price of the certification alone should clinch the deal. When it’s this affordable, there’s almost no good reason not to add it to your resume. It also doesn’t take a huge investment of time. As an added bonus, potential employers can alsosearch through an index of certified developers;giving you another chance to get discovered.
Also read:How to work as a software developer online: everything you need to know
Keep in mind Associate Android Developer is just one of many Google Developers Certificates. We’ll be looking at those in future, but for now, let us know what you think of the Associate Android Developer certificate.
Will you be getting it? What good alternatives do you recommend?
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