Google Analytics certification study guide & free learning materials [2018]

Are you new to Google Analytics? Do you need to pass GAIQ? Fortunately, with the help of free Google Analytics study material and certification study guides you can use to become the next analytics superstar!

Google Analytics study material published by Google

Every marketer should have a basic understanding of Google Analytics. If you are a complete beginner with a background in traditional marketing, the reports, tabs, and settings provided by Google Analytics can be overwhelming. It is easy to get lost in data and spend hours without finding anything actionable.

There is no reason for despair. You can learn to use GA one report at a time, just to find the data you need.

First, you need to have a basic understanding of the basic concepts, vocabulary and limits of Google Analytics. Only then you should move to the more advanced topics.

The best place to start is Google’s Analytics Academy. Google has published several excellent tutorials for new Analytics users. Spending a few hours with the study material is well spent. It will save you from many mistakes and misunderstandings!

If you are working in ecommerce, you should continue with this:

Ecommerce Analytics: From Data to Decisions

For mobile analytics:

Mobile App Analytics Fundamentals

Google Analytics videos on YouTube

YouTube is an excellent source of free learning material for both new and advanced GA users. New Analytics users should start with Google Analytics Solutions:

Google Analytics Solutions

Every week Google releases here new videos about Google Analytics.

Other YouTube channels for learning about Google Analytics:

Google Analytics certification

Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ) exam is a good way to demonstrate your knowledge when applying for a job. Having hands-on experience with Google Analytics is, of course, even more important than passing a multiple choice test.

For example, if you are just trying to get your first job in internet marketing, the certificate helps you to show you have some basic knowledge of Google Analytics.

If you are an experienced digital marketer, the GAIQ is something you are more or less expected to have. The exam and certificate are free, so you just need to invest an hour or two of your time to pass the test.

GAIQ in a nutshell

Free to take
Includes 70 multiple choice questions
You need to answer 56 questions (80 %) correctly to pass the test
Certification is valid for 18 months
If you don’t pass the test, you can retake it after 7 days

Google Analytics certification (GAIQ) study material

If you have been using Analytics for a while it should really be easy to pass. Just read the study material to fill in the gaps in your knowledge.

If you are starting out in Analytics you might not even understand the questions and terminology used in the test. Even if you have been using Google Analytics for a year or two, it is a good idea to have a look at the questions of the test before starting to study for it.

Passing the certification test is actually easier than you might think: GAIQ is an open book exam, so you can use all your notes when doing the exam. Unfortunately, too many marketers try to pass it just with a little help from Google and CTRL+F. You might get your certificate that way – but you would not learn anything.

After all, the certification is just a piece of paper or a pdf file. You need to learn something, too!

Google has published the best possible learning material for GAIQ. The material includes videos and texts. If you are new to Analytics, you should start with videos. In addition, I think it is a good idea to read some of the best Google Analytics blogs available. For example, practically every article written by Avinash Kaushik is worth reading. Be Real-World Smart: A Beginner’s Advanced Google Analytics Guide would be a great starting point!

Google Analytics certification study guides

Studying for Google Analytics certification is easy with a plan.

Some bloggers have published study guides for GAIQ. You should definitely have a look at these three study guides:

Google Analytics Demo Account

Google has recently released a demo Analytics account for Google Merchandise Store. It is a real ecommerce website selling Google-branded products.

This is an excellent resource for different uses:

Analytics training sessions
Learning the best practices
Learning material for new users and those studying for GAIQ.

All users get a standard Read & Analyze access to this account. For more information and link to the account click here. In the new Analytics interface, you can also find the link under Discover > Google Analytics Demo Account.

I have very often used this account in my Google Analytics training sessions. If the students come from different organisations it is helpful to have a shared Analytics account for learning purposes.

This account is your most important learning resource for Google Analyitcs if you are looking for an entry level job in digital marketing. Use this account to learn as much as possible about real life ecommerce web analytics.

Other (more advanced) study material

Google has published a lot of documentation and other material about Google Analytics.

Most of the documentation is pretty technical and written for developers. If you are interested in technical details you can have a look at these, too. They are not, however, very helpful for those just using Google Analytics.