What the heck can that be for?

I can only think of a more student-focused Google Docs...

Schools putting up exams online ?

google.com/goa stills redirect to the Google home page :-s
Good pick Christian & Haochi!

If you check the CSS file you got information thanks to the name of the classes :
mistakes
essay_topic
word_count
datePicker
/* weekday is Gmail blue when selected */
candidate_action
personal_information
pi_directions
review_desc
choose_exam

The link you posted is now a 404 Tom

login's open too www.google.com/accounts/NewAcc ...
but returns a 404 after you click on the button

scratch that, they just closed the sign-on page for me, but the GOA is now added to my accounts page

Nice catch.
May be for Google Advertising Professional Exam?

french coverage:
vincentabry.com/2006/12/07/185 ...

the "restricted access" page is 404, but the server is still online as these images are still viewable.

support.google.com/goaexam/ima ...

support.google.com/goaexam/ima ...

wo interesting..

reminds of a site called friendx

Possibly for job applications?

Check the list of services in your Google Account ;-)
in French the name ~= "Google online evaluation"

i think it is for prometric exams

Smart move Tom to spy on the CSS :)

it is an internal google adwords certifification.
I do remember when I passed my Google Adwords Online exam for Google adwords professionals certification, we had two choices one was for external people and another one mentioned on thomson learning where it was an exam for internal Google certification.

As I mentioned inside here, Google employees can pass their own exam GOA (different from the indian island ;:))
ibt1.prometric.com/index.asp?i ...

BTW, I've also noticed that they've also put the "wf" service (AKA Google Workplace) live, although it's just called "New Service" at the moment.

More here:
ruscoe.net/blog/2006/12/google ...

BTW, some other things to note regarding GOA:

If you're not logged in to your Google Accounts, support.google.com/goaexam redirects to:

www.google.com/accounts/Login? ...

When you are logged in, it shows a 404. And to view the images in NateDawg's comment  blogoscoped.com/forum/78682.ht ... you have to be logged in.

The server running the "goaexam" directory is shown in the HTTP headers as:

   Server: goaexam/-1

Google Workplace, as well? Jee'z – this is getting exciting :-D

Google has already built their own internal HR and applicant tracking systems, including interview and evaluation forms. It is only logical that these will eventually be offered to outside users. It looks like this is a simple interface to one component designed to be part of an "HR for Enterprise/Apps" user base.

This is getting exciting, whats next?

It's worth mentioning that in the anime series The Candidate for Goddess, the academy is called GOA and the placement exams to be admitted called 'GOA Exams'. Coincidence?

I think its some sort of certification??