Ben is currently managing a campaign that has a total investment of $7,000, generates 1,400 conversions, and has a CPA (cost-per-acquisition) of $5. Ben needs to sell excess inventory. To meet this goal, he’s willing to increase his CPA and campaign investment. Which of the following plans, built in the Performance Planner, will assist Ben in achieving his marketing goal of selling excess inventory?

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Lata Bala

Digital graphic showing a Performance Planner dashboard scenario where an electric car business selects a $9,600 budget to achieve 1,600 conversions with a $6 CPA — ideal for selling excess inventory.

Recently, I took the Google Ads Search Certification exam and successfully passed it with an impressive score of over 90%. Achieving such a high score is definitely not bad at all, so I am very glad and proud to have passed the exam on my first attempt. Now, I would like to take some time to elaborate on one specific Google Ads Search question from the exam. I will explain in detail why the correct answer is indeed correct, and I will also discuss why the other options are incorrect or less appropriate. With that said, let’s get started and dive right into the explanation.

Questions:

Ben is currently managing a campaign that has a total investment of $7,000, generates 1,400 conversions, and has a CPA (cost-per-acquisition) of $5. Ben needs to sell excess inventory. To meet this goal, he’s willing to increase his CPA and campaign investment.

Which of the following plans, built in the Performance Planner, will assist Ben in achieving his marketing goal of selling excess inventory?

  • An investment of $9,600 to generate 1,600 conversions with a CPA of $6.
  • An investment of $8,400 to generate 1,400 conversions and a CPA of $6.
  • An investment of $9,800 to generate 1,400 conversions and a CPA of $7.
  • An investment of $9,100 to generate 1,300 conversions and a CPA of $7.

Here is the correct answer:
✅ An investment of $9,600 to generate 1,600 conversions with a CPA of $6.

If you are interested, you can take the exam on Google Ads Search Certification.

🔍 Let’s start with why this is correct — and why the others are not:

✅ Why This Plan Helps Ben Meet His Goal:

Ben’s objective is to sell excess inventory, which means:

  • He wants to increase the number of conversions (sales)
  • He is willing to spend more money
  • He’s also open to a higher CPA than his current $5

So, the ideal plan must:

  • Increase both investment and conversion volume
  • Accept a slightly higher CPA

This plan offers:

  • 📈 More conversions: 1,600 (compared to his current 1,400)
  • 💰 Higher investment: $9,600 (vs. current $7,000)
  • 🎯 Reasonable CPA: $6 (higher than $5, as Ben is willing to accept)

➡ Result: More conversions = more inventory sold = goal achieved ✅

❌ Why the Other Options Are Incorrect:

OptionWhy It Doesn’t Align with Ben’s Goal
$8,400 / 1,400 conversions / CPA $6❌ Same number of conversions as current, just more expensive. No progress in selling extra inventory.
$9,800 / 1,400 conversions / CPA $7❌ Higher cost and higher CPA — but still only 1,400 conversions. Doesn’t help clear inventory.
$9,100 / 1,300 conversions / CPA $7❌ Spends more but gets fewer conversions. Opposite of the goal.

Summary Table:

PlanInvestmentConversionsCPAMeets Goal?
✅ $9,6001,600$6✔ Yes – More conversions & acceptable CPA
❌ $8,4001,400$6✘ No – No growth in conversions
❌ $9,8001,400$7✘ No – More costly, no inventory movement
❌ $9,1001,300$7✘ No – Fewer conversions, higher cost

Additional Resources:

Conclusion:

Ben wants to move more products and is ready to spend more and accept a higher CPA to do it. The only plan that:

  • Increases conversions
  • Spends more wisely
  • Meets his flexibility

➡ is the plan with $9,600 investment, 1,600 conversions, and $6 CPA.

Now, if you feel prepared and confident, you can proceed to take the Google Skillshop test specifically designed for the Google Ads Search Exam. This exam will assess your knowledge and skills related to Google Ads Search campaigns. If you would like to practice more or see additional questions related to the Google Ads Search Certification Exam, please continue following along for more detailed questions and study materials.