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Certification training tips based on my own experience

aws training tips 2019
Me taking a Swedish break in Gothenburg the weekend before passing
the AWS Solutions Architect – Associate exam (Credit: Giada Migliavacca)

This page is part of the “Cheatsheet of Epicness: JD’s incomplete collection”, continue the read at your own risk.

Welcome to my certification training tips cheatsheet. After passing the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam in early September 2019, I decided to start compiling steps for others to try. What better place than my cheatsheet page to do just that.

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (2019)

The first section is I passed that exam within 10 days including training, breaks and actual on-site exam. These certification training tips and steps worked out fine for me but might be different for someone else. Even though I suggest you inspire from what I did you may figure a path that will work better for you. Per example, I went from a colleague suggestion of a path but eventually made up my own mixing his recommendations, AWS training paths and circumstances.

Note that most of the material I used requires an APN account to access. The learning material is free as I write this and I believe so is creating an APN account. However, I did have to pay a little less than £180 I was lucky to be able to expense through work. It covered the cost of practice tests for the Cloud Practitioner exam alongside the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate practice tests and exam.

Steps I followed (hours of content)

The following steps can all be followed using online content linked in each item except for the actual exam.

  1. Taking on the AWS Business Professional online course and passed the accreditation coming with it (3.5h)
  2. Then AWS Technical Professional course despite a slight overlap with the previous one. It also has an accreditation for you to take on (4h)
  3. AWS TCO & Economics course & accreditation. I took this one but it massively overlaps the Cloud Economics course. Also, it seems outdated. You may skip that one. (3h)
  4. AWS Cloud economics was more pleasant and complete than the TCO stuff. (3.5h)
  5. The Cloud Practitioner essentials course had some overlap with the first two steps but was a welcome refresher. It did go deeper on some aspects introduced before. Also, it serves the first glimpse of architecture related stuff. (6h)
  6. Going through the Well-Architected best practices course (2h)
  7. Taking on a few Udemy practice tests for the Cloud Practitioner exam, making sure I understood enough to carry on.
  8. Going through the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate exam readiness content. It’s basically an interactive video that recaps things the exam will be about alongside some tips to pass it. (2h)
  9. Taking on Whizlabs Solutions Architect practice exams for about a day and a half.
  10. Register and ace that Solutions Architect exam.

More AWS training tips

If you’re not sure about something you heard, don’t hesitate to replay that part of the video. I did it quite a few times through these X days. It definitely helped me getting info through my thick skull.

Reading questions a couple of times before looking at the various answers was a big help. It may help you eliminate choices that don’t make sense. Also, it can make the right answer obvious when it is the only one that got through your mind. It is always worth running through the question and answers after answering to make sure your choices make sense.

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