thinQmaster Virtual testing partner Adaptive practice exams that find your weak spots and drill them. Every answer explained. From $69
Enroll

thinQmaster

Find your exam

Five questions free, before you decide.

Step 1 · choose a vendor

In one of our camps? Your practice exams come with the tuition — they are on your study page already.

Google · Data & Analytics · Entry

Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate exam guide

Exam N/A (Coursera professional certificate)

The Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate is a self-paced Coursera program covering the analytics process: asking questions, preparing and cleaning data, analysis with spreadsheets, SQL and Python, visualization with Tableau and a capstone case study. It targets entry-level data analyst roles.

QuestionsSee official page
Time limitSee official page
Passing scorePass all graded assignments in each course
Exam feeSee official page
Valid forSee official page
DeliveryOnline, self-paced on Coursera

Format: Self-paced online courses with graded quizzes, hands-on labs and projects; no proctored final exam; capstone case study. Fee note: US $49/month on Coursera after a 7-day trial; Google estimates most learners finish for under $300; included in Coursera Plus.

Who it's for

Beginners and career changers aiming for junior data analyst, reporting or business analyst roles.

What the exam covers

Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere—
Ask Questions to Make Data-Driven Decisions—
Prepare Data for Exploration—
Process Data from Dirty to Clean—
Analyze Data to Answer Questions—
Share Data Through the Art of Visualization—
Introduction to Data Analysis Using Python—
Google Data Analytics Capstone: Complete a Case Study—
Accelerate Your Job Search with AI—

A dash means the vendor does not publish a weight for that domain.

Eligibility & prerequisites

Required: None

Recommended: None. Google suggests about 10 hours a week for around 6 months.

Keeping it active

Does not expire.

Skills & careers

Skills it validates

  • Data cleaning and validation
  • Spreadsheet analysis
  • SQL querying
  • Python for data analysis
  • Tableau dashboards and data storytelling
  • Stakeholder communication

Job roles

Junior Data AnalystBusiness AnalystReporting AnalystMarketing AnalystOperations Analyst

Where it fits in your path

Take before

No prerequisite certification needed.

You are here

Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate

Planning a degree too? See how this cert earns college credit in the College Credit Navigator.

Build my study plan

  1. Month 1: Courses 1-2 (analytics foundations and asking questions)
  2. Month 2: Courses 3-4 (data preparation and cleaning in spreadsheets and SQL)
  3. Month 3: Course 5 analysis with SQL
  4. Month 4: Course 6 Tableau visualization; publish a Tableau Public dashboard
  5. Month 5: Course 7 Python data analysis
  6. Month 6: Capstone case study and job search course; publish a portfolio

Make it yours: pick your exam date and weekly hours. We'll split your time by domain weight and give you a printable plan.

Exam-day tips

  • There is no proctored exam; your capstone portfolio is the real proof - make it public
  • Do extra SQL practice beyond the course; SQL tests are common in analyst interviews
  • Python replaced R in the current curriculum - older reviews mentioning R are out of date
  • Pair with PL-300 or Tableau certification for tool-specific credibility

Key terms for this exam

All 89 terms Study with thinQcards™

Commonly confused on this exam

Frequently asked questions

How much does the Google Data Analytics Certificate cost?

$49/month on Coursera in the US; most learners finish for under $300.

Does the Google Data Analytics Certificate teach R or Python?

The current program teaches Python.

How long does it take?

About 6 months at 10 hours per week.

Can it get me a data analyst job?

It provides fundamentals and a portfolio project; landing a role usually also requires strong SQL and a polished portfolio.

Does it give college credit?

It carries an ACE recommendation of up to 12 college credits; schools decide acceptance.

Official page: www.coursera.org. Reviewed November 2026. Vendors change fees and objectives, so confirm with the vendor before you book. Spot something out of date? Tell us.