Benefits of getting AWS Certified ✨
Please note that the exam content has changed on 29th August 2022 (SAA-C03), so the content and resources I share in this post may be out-of-date! ☕
I prepared for the AWS Solutions Architect - Associate certification, which is about:
- Designing a solution by using appropriate AWS services and by following architectural principles based on requirements
- Providing implementation guidance based on best practices to the organisation throughout the workload lifecycle
I got exposure to the wider AWS services than the ones I use regularly in my day to day job 😎 also, I gained a deeper understanding around AWS services and how they interact and fit together. I really enjoyed understanding various use cases and coming up with solutions, and getting a taste of what a role of a Solutions Architect may be like 🌟!
How I prepared 📚 (~ 6 months)
- Self-paced digital training on AWS - AWS Skill Builder 🚶🏻♀️
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Adrian Cantril 🌟
- Tutourial Dojo Practice Exams 🐧
Please check with your company if there are vouchers available for you to use if you are wanting to sit an AWS exam 🔋
Our team had weekly Tech Huddles where we discussed various AWS services, which was really really helpful!
I created a weekly schedule to study one practice exam per week. There are 6 practice exams and one final exam available on Tutourial Dojo.
Also, I made use of review mode 📝, timed mode ⏰ and flash cards ⚡!
Example weekly plan for first practice exam:
| Day | Activity |
|---|---|
| Monday | Practice Exam 1 - Timed mode ⏰ |
| Tuesday ~ Friday | Review correct and incorrect answers from Practice Exam 1 - Timed mode and watch Adrian Cantril’s videos for areas I want to learn more about! 📺 |
| Saturday | Practice Exam 1 - Review mode (You can see if the answer is correct or not when you select the answers and submit) 📝 |
| Sunday | Review correct and incorrect answers from Practice Exam 1 - Review mode (Should be a lot less incorrect answers 😊) |
2 ~ 3 days before the actual exam, try the final exam on Tutourial Dojo (which is a collection of questions from the 6 practice exams)! This helps to boost our confidence prior to the exam 😎
In areas that I wanted to know more about, I watched Adrian’s videos. I highly recommend Adrian Cantril’s videos, they are easy to understand with a nice layout and has Exam Power Ups (key notes) 🦸♀️ that you must remember!
Exam experience! 🦄
I did my exam on-site so that I can concentrate more and be in the exam mode 😄! I also didn’t want to risk losing internet connection or encountering strange errors while doing the exam remotely 😢
It was held at Pearson Vue Testing Centre!
I arrived 30 minutes earlier, and I was allowed to start the exam early 🚀
Remember to take two forms of identification (I took my Drivers License and Passport) and make sure that the names match with the name you used to sign up for the AWS exam! Take warm clothing, as it can get quite cold in the exam center ⛄ and you can’t drink during the duration of the exam 🍉 I was given a laminated paper which I could write on during the exam.
Please note that the new page with questions loads quite slowly (when you click next)! 🐢 I usually finish my practice exams with around 30 minutes to spare, but at the actual exam I made use of the full time (Time went really fast! Focus-time ). Please remember to leverage the mark for review feature (for questions you are not 100% sure about).
Next steps! 🚀
AWS Solutions Architect - Professional certification next! 🌟
Good luck to everyone who is preparing for AWS Certifications 😁!