How I Became a Google Certified Associate Android Developer

As an experienced full-stack developer, I‘ve seen the explosive growth of Android development firsthand. With over 2.5 billion active Android devices in the world, the demand for skilled Android developers has never been higher.

One of the best ways to set yourself apart in this competitive field is by earning the Associate Android Developer Certification from Google. This rigorous certification exam tests your knowledge of core Android development concepts and best practices. Passing it demonstrates to employers that you have the essential skills needed to be a proficient Android developer.

In this article, I‘ll share my journey to becoming a certified Android developer. I‘ll cover why I chose to pursue the certification, how I prepared for the challenging exam, and the doors it‘s opened up in my career since earning it. Whether you‘re just starting out in Android development or are a seasoned pro, I hope my insights will inspire you to level up your own skills and get certified.

Android Development is a Valuable Skill Set

As a full-stack developer, I‘m always evaluating which programming skills are most valuable and in-demand. That‘s what drew me to Android development a few years ago. Check out these eye-opening statistics on the current state of the Android ecosystem:

• There are over 2.5 billion monthly active Android devices worldwide (Source)
• Android powers over 85% of smartphones globally (Source)
• The Google Play Store has over 2.8 million apps available for download (Source)
• In 2019, Android app downloads topped 84.3 billion worldwide (Source)

This massive install base means there‘s an enormous and growing appetite for Android apps. And of course, this translates into strong demand for Android developers to build them.

According to research by Hired, Android developer salaries averaged $123,000 in 2019 (Source). Android development was also listed as one of the most in-demand tech skills, with average job interview requests doubling from the previous year.

Learning Android development has been hugely beneficial to my career as a software engineer. It‘s opened up opportunities to work on impactful mobile projects at top companies. And with the Google Associate Android Developer certification, I‘ve been able to demonstrate my expertise and stand out from other candidates in the job market.

Rigorous Certification Process

Earning the Associate Android Developer (AAD) certification is no walk in the park. It‘s a demanding exam that tests your practical application of Android development knowledge. Here‘s how the process works:

1. Purchase the exam for $149 from the official certification site
2. Download the provided starter app project
3. Complete the project in 48 hours by implementing the required features and fixes
4. Submit your completed project for grading
5. If your project meets the passing criteria, you‘ll be invited to a 15-minute exit interview
6. During the interview, discuss your project with an assessor and demonstrate your Android knowledge
7. If you pass the interview, congrats – you‘re officially an Associate Android Developer!

The AAD exam is a comprehensive assessment of your knowledge across all core areas of Android development. Google provides this outline of the exam content, along with the approximate weighting of each topic:

• 32% – User Interface
  • Layouts, Views, Custom Views, Animations, Styles
• 17% – Data Management
  • SharedPreferences, File I/O, SQLite, Firebase
• 10% – Intents and Activities
• 5% – Testing and Debugging
• 20% – Background Tasks
  • AsyncTask, Loaders, Services, WorkManager
• 10% – App Architecture
  • View Model, Live Data, Repositories
• 6% – Accessibility

As you can see, the exam emphasizes practical knowledge and real-world application of Android concepts. It‘s not enough to just memorize APIs and terminology. You need to know how to build production-quality Android apps from the ground up.

Training Resources

To prepare for this challenging exam, you‘ll need a solid foundation in Android development concepts. I recommend having at least 1-2 years of professional Android experience before attempting the certification.

However, if you‘re earlier in your journey, there are many excellent training resources available. When I was first learning Android development, I relied heavily on:

• Android Developers Guides and Codelabs – official tutorials and hands-on coding labs from Google
• Android Basics Nanodegree – free video courses on Udacity teaching foundational Android skills
• Developing Android Apps – free Udacity course on core Android concepts

However, for experienced Android developers looking to take their skills to the next level and get certified, I can‘t recommend the Associate Android Developer Fast Track program on Udacity enough. This Nanodegree program, designed in collaboration with Google, provides in-depth training on all the exam content areas. It consists of three courses:

1. Developing Android Apps
2. Advanced Android App Development
3. Gradle for Android and Java

Each course includes instructional videos, quizzes, and a hands-on project where you implement key Android features. I found the projects especially valuable for gaining practical experience with concepts like content providers, background services, widgets, and testing.

Another benefit of the Fast Track program is the active student community. Collaborating with other passionate Android developers was a huge motivation and source of support. The program also has a Slack workspace where you can ask questions and get guidance from Udacity mentors.

Of course, the Fast Track program isn‘t the only path to certification. Google recently launched its own instructor-led AAD training, which costs $750. You can also find many AAD preparation courses on sites like Coursera and Pluralsight.

Ultimately, the best training resource depends on your learning style, budget, and timeline. But I can say from experience that investing in focused exam preparation was crucial to my success. It exposed gaps in my knowledge and gave me the confidence to tackle the challenging certification project.

The Exam Experience

Let me walk you through my experience taking the AAD exam, from the initial preparation to the final interview.

After registering for the exam, I scheduled a clear 48 hour period to work on the project. Thankfully my employer was supportive and allowed me to take those days off to focus on the exam.

Google provides a list of allowed websites, resources, and tools you can use during the exam. These include:

• Official Android documentation
• Stack Overflow
• Google Search
• Your own notes

However, you‘re not allowed to ask for help from other developers or post questions online. It‘s an independent evaluation of your own Android knowledge and programming ability.

When the exam period started, I downloaded the provided Android project. It was a movie tracking app with a few key features already implemented. The task was to add several new enhancements to the app within the 48 hour time limit, including:

• Saving and loading a list of favorite movies using Room
• Fetching movie details from an external API using Retrofit
• Implementing a widget to display favorite movies on the home screen
• Adding support for landscape layouts and tablet screens
• Writing Espresso UI tests for key app scenarios

Here‘s a partial screenshot of the project specification:

My first step was to read through all the requirements and estimate how long each feature would take to implement. This helped with prioritization and time management. I tackled the easier tasks first to build momentum and confidence.

One challenge I faced was deciding which third-party libraries to use. The app included some common libraries by default, like Dagger and Retrofit. However, I had to weigh the pros and cons of pulling in additional dependencies for features like image loading. In the end, I opted to keep the project lean and rely primarily on standard Android framework classes.

Throughout the exam, I frequently ran the provided unit tests and manually verified each new feature. This helped catch bugs early before they could derail my progress. I also made frequent commits in Git to checkpoint my work and revert if needed.

With an hour to spare, I had implemented all the required features and even some "nice-to-have" stretch goals. After a final QA pass, I exported my project and submitted it for grading. The hardest part was over!

A week later, I received the good news that my project met the certification criteria. The final step was a 15-minute exit interview with a Google assessor. I was pretty nervous, but the interviewer quickly put me at ease. They asked me to walk through my design decisions and how I‘d implemented certain features. We had a friendly back-and-forth discussion about Android best practices.

A few days later, I got the official confirmation that I‘d passed the interview. I could now officially call myself a Google Certified Associate Android Developer! It was an incredible feeling of accomplishment.

Certification Impact

Earning the Associate Android Developer certification has been a game-changer for my career. Since adding the AAD badge to my resumé and LinkedIn profile, I‘ve seen a noticeable uptick in recruiter interest and job offers.

When I interviewed for my current senior Android developer job, the hiring manager was impressed that I‘d earned the certification. It demonstrated initiative, expertise, and commitment to the Android platform. In a sea of candidates, it helped me stand out and showcase my abilities.

Beyond career opportunities, preparing for the AAD exam made me a better Android developer. It forced me to dive deep into every nook and cranny of the platform. I gained insights and experience with Android components I don‘t use every day, like app widgets and transitions.

Studying for the exam also exposed me to Android development best practices I hadn‘t been following. Things like:

• Effective use of background threads and asynchronous processing
• Securing network connections and user data
• Following Material Design guidelines for UI/UX
• Structuring app architecture for scalability and testability

Incorporating these practices into my development workflow has made my apps more performant, maintainable, and professional. That‘s a benefit that extends well beyond the certification itself.

Continuing Education

Technology moves fast, especially in the Android ecosystem. The platform is constantly evolving with new features, APIs, and best practices. As an Android developer, it‘s crucial to stay on top of these changes and keep your skills sharp. Certifications like the AAD are a great way to validate your knowledge, but they‘re only a starting point.

I‘m always looking for opportunities to learn and grow as an Android developer. Some of the ways I stay current include:

• Reading official Android Developers blogs and release notes
• Attending Android conferences like Android Dev Summit and Droidcon
• Participating in the Android developer community on Reddit and Stack Overflow
• Taking online courses on Udacity and Coursera to learn new Android APIs and best practices
• Building personal projects to experiment with cutting-edge Android features
• Listening to Android developer podcasts like Fragmented and Android Developers Backstage

Another certification I‘m excited to pursue is the Google Certified Professional Android Developer. This advanced certification covers topics like:

• Modular app architecture
• Dependency injection
• Advanced testing and profiling
• App signing and distribution

Earning this certification is a great way for experienced Android developers to take their expertise to the next level. It‘s a challenging exam, but I‘m confident the skills I gained from the AAD will serve me well.

In the ever-changing tech world, a commitment to continuous learning is what separates the best developers from the rest. The AAD certification was an important milestone in my Android journey, but it‘s far from the end. I‘m excited to see where Android development takes me next, and to continue growing as an engineer.

Wrap-Up

Becoming a Google Certified Associate Android Developer was a transformative experience. It validated my skills, opened up new career opportunities, and made me a more knowledgeable Android engineer.

If you‘re serious about advancing your Android development career, I highly recommend pursuing the AAD certification. Follow these tips for success:

1. Build several well-rounded Android projects to gain practical experience
2. Invest in a comprehensive exam prep course like the Udacity Fast Track
3. Create a study schedule and stick to it
4. Focus your studies on the core Android components emphasized in the exam blueprint
5. Practice explaining your technical decisions out loud to prepare for the exit interview
6. Believe in yourself and stay motivated – earning this challenging certification is doable!

I hope my story has inspired you to level up your Android skills and get certified. It‘s a challenging journey, but the rewards are well worth the effort.

For more insights on my experience with the Google AAD certification, check out my YouTube video interview. You can also find me on Twitter @AndroidDev where I share daily Android tips and insights.

Now go out there and become an Associate Android Developer!