A structured learning curriculum covering all official exam objectives for the Google Professional Cloud Database Engineer certification.
This guide works best as a loop: read a chapter, test yourself with practice questions, look up unfamiliar terms in the glossary, then move to the next chapter.
18 chapters covering every exam objective. Each chapter includes key concepts, exam tips, common traps, comparison tables, and a 5-question quiz at the end.
Start Chapter 1Free timed and untimed practice with instant feedback and full explanations. Pick 10–120 questions per session. Filter by domain to drill your weak areas.
Go to practice testEvery PCDEterm defined and searchable. Use it when a chapter mentions a concept you haven't seen before or want a quick refresher on.
Browse glossaryExam blueprint, domain weights, passing score, duration, cost, and registration links. Start here if you're new to this certification.
View exam guideOverview of Database Engineering on Google Cloud
Objective 1.1 · Understand the role of a database engineer and the Google Cloud database landscape.
Cloud SQL Fundamentals: Provisioning and Configuring Managed Relational Databases
Objective 1.2 · Provision and configure Cloud SQL instances (MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server).
Cloud Spanner Architecture: Global Scale and Strong Consistency
Objective 1.3 · Explain Cloud Spanner's architecture, including global distribution, strong consistency, and horizontal scaling.
Bigtable Basics: NoSQL Wide-Column Storage for Low-Latency Workloads
Objective 1.4 · Describe Bigtable use cases, schema design, and performance considerations.
Firestore and BigQuery: Document Store and Analytical Database Overview
Objective 1.5 · Compare Firestore (NoSQL document) and BigQuery (serverless data warehouse) use cases and capabilities.
Planning a Database Migration: Assessment, Connectivity, and Tools
Objective 2.1 · Plan a database migration to Google Cloud, including assessment, connectivity, and tool selection.
Migrating to Cloud SQL: Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Migrations
Objective 2.2 · Perform homogeneous (e.g., on-prem MySQL to Cloud SQL) and heterogeneous migrations to Cloud SQL.
Migrating to Cloud Spanner and Bigtable: Specialized Migration Strategies
Objective 2.3 · Migrate databases to Cloud Spanner and Bigtable, including schema conversion and data loading.
Managing Ongoing Data Migration and Cutover
Objective 2.4 · Manage continuous data migration, validation, and cutover strategies.
High Availability and Disaster Recovery for Cloud Databases
Objective 3.1 · Configure high availability and disaster recovery for Cloud SQL, Spanner, and other services.
Database Performance Tuning: Monitoring, Query Optimization, and Resource Management
Objective 3.2 · Optimize database performance using monitoring tools, query plans, and resource management.
Fundamentals of Database Schema Design: Normalization, Keys, and Indexing
Objective 4.1 · Design relational database schemas with normalization, primary/foreign keys, and indexing strategies.
Schema Design for Cloud SQL: Relational Best Practices
Objective 4.2 · Apply schema design best practices for Cloud SQL, including data types, constraints, and partitioning.
Schema Design for Cloud Spanner: Interleaving, Keys, and Transactions
Objective 4.3 · Design Cloud Spanner schemas with interleaved tables, primary key design, and transaction considerations.
Schema Design for Bigtable and Firestore: NoSQL Data Modeling
Objective 4.4 · Model data for Bigtable (row key design, column families) and Firestore (collections, subcollections, indexes).
Schema Design for BigQuery: Partitioning, Clustering, and Optimized Storage
Objective 4.5 · Design BigQuery schemas using partitioning, clustering, and denormalization for analytical workloads.
Security, IAM, and Compliance: Managing Access and Encryption for Databases
Objective 1.6 · Configure identity and access management, network security, encryption at rest and in transit, and audit logging for databases.
Cost Management and Automation for Database Operations
Objective 1.7 · Monitor and manage database costs, automate backups, scaling, and maintenance operations.
Free PCDE practice questions with full explanations. Test what you learn chapter by chapter.
PCDE Practice Questions