Neither the Google nor IBM certificate has formal prerequisites, but you will progress much faster with basic algebra and logic skills. For IBM, comfort with Python is helpful but the course teaches it from scratch. For Google, comfort with spreadsheets (Excel or Google Sheets) and basic SQL queries is beneficial. Most learners complete either certificate in 4–6 months at 5–10 hours per week. BlitzGrok practice focuses on the concepts that appear most frequently in the final graded assessments and employer technical screening interviews.