Google has introduced a new certification program for Android web developers in an effort to help them demonstrate their skills in building applications. Called the Mobile Web Specialist Certification, the initiative comprises a time-limited exam in which participants will write code, test it, and debug it. The performance-based assessment costs $99 or Rs. 6,500 for mobile web developers in India who would like to test their skills.
To help developers prepare for the test and earn a Mobile Web Specialist Certification, Google has provided a study guide that contains a list of competency areas and individual competencies that will be examined by the actual test. The competencies included in the study guide are focused on basic website layout and styling, front-end networking, progressive web apps, accessibility, performance optimization and caching, testing and debugging, mobile web forms, and ES2015 concepts and syntax. Examinees will have up to four hours to complete the coding tests, with three attempts being available to everyone. After the exam, there is an exit interview in which the examinees are required to provide details about how they solved the problems presented in the tests, Google revealed.
Mobile web developers must first complete some preliminary requirements before taking the exam, including signing up for the assessment, paying the exam fee, and scheduling the exam upon receiving a related voucher. Keep in mind that although examinees have up to three attempts to take the test, they will not be allowed to retake the exam until after six months if they still fail on the third attempt. The exam allows mobile web developers to look up resources on the Internet, though their work will still be monitored to prevent intellectual property rights violations. Once developers pass the exam and earn a Mobile Web Specialist Certification, Google will provide a digital badge to them that can be attached to their resume and social media profiles. Earning a Mobile Web Specialist Certification entitles mobile web developers to gain access to benefits that will help them boost their professional reputation in the mobile web development community, Google believes. This April, Google also debuted a mobile web developer certification program focused on testing skills related to building and optimizing high-quality mobile websites.