How to get AWS Solutions Architect certification
I would like to share my recommendations for passing the AWS Solutions Architect Professional (SAP-C02) exam based on my latest experience of doing it.
During the preparation process, I used multiple resources because I was unsure about their quality and content. This gave me an overview that might be useful for someone just starting their journey.
I divided it into three levels based on your proficiency with AWS. If you consider yourself an advanced user of AWS, you can skip some steps and make faster progress towards certification. I will also include what I consider for each level to avoid confusion and help you identify which category you fall into.
Tl;DR version
Disclaimer
I want to make it clear that the certification should PROVE your capabilities and expertise. The certification itself will not get you a new job or a raise without the knowledge it provides. So, when approaching the certification, focus on gaining real knowledge that you can apply in your day-to-day work.
Preparing for the certification will potentially uncover topics/areas you are not familiar with, so use it to your advantage and go deeper than what is covered in any courses. My favorite ways to do this are reading official documentation and guides from experts, watching re:invent videos about specific topics/services, and building your own Proof of Concept (PoC) and pet projects.
Prerequisites for beginners
You will find many people on the internet saying that having the "AWS Solutions Architect - Associate" certification should be enough to start with the Professional level. However, from my experience and observations, I strongly suggest also having the "AWS Developer - Associate" certification as it covers many additional topics that are included in the SA Pro certification.
On the other hand, the "AWS SysOps Administrator - Associate" certification might be a bit overkill for the Solutions Architecture path as it covers a slightly different part of AWS. Don't get me wrong - to master AWS, you need to know all of it, but for the SA Pro certification itself, you will not benefit much from the SysOps Associate certification.
So, having the Solutions Architect Associate & Developer Associate certifications should be a good starting point for the AWS Solutions Architect Professional certification.
Beginner Level
When I mention beginners, I am referring to individuals who are beginners with AWS, not complete beginners in IT. The Solutions Architect Professional certification is aimed at expert practitioners, and as I mentioned earlier, just having the certification won't add much value if you lack other technical capabilities and experience in IT.
So, a typical AWS beginner, as I see it, is someone who is already an experienced developer, IT administrator, software or solutions architect in other areas, and is now starting their journey in the AWS world. This person has very limited knowledge of AWS, someone who hasn't used it on a daily basis and is not an expert in any other cloud.
As I stated earlier, as a prerequisite for everyone, you should already have some knowledge of AWS by obtaining the Solutions Architect & Developer Associate certifications.
For beginners, I recommend starting with the Cantrill SA Pro course (https://learn.cantrill.io/p/aws-certified-solutions-architect-professional). This is an amazing online course to start with!
I have tried it myself, and it offers a lot. It goes very deep into all required topics, provides "real-life-like" demos which I really liked! It covers more material than what you need for the exam itself, but it's relevant for real-life scenarios.
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The drawback of this course is its length, it is quite extensive! Going above and beyond in so many areas requires a significant time commitment, so be prepared to spend a few months with this course. However, if you are a beginner, it's definitely worth it!
If you complete all the materials in the course, go through all the provided demos, and feel confident in your knowledge, you can skip the Intermediate step and proceed directly to the Advanced level.
Intermediate Level
At this level, I assume that you not only hold the "AWS Solutions Architect - Associate" and "AWS Developer - Associate" certifications or have equivalent knowledge, but you also have some experience with AWS services through real or "real-like" projects. Most likely, you have been involved in implementing simpler architectures on AWS, such as a 3-tier web application, and have approximately one year of overall experience with AWS.
In this case, there is another excellent resource you can use for your preparation, which is the Stephane Maarek SA Pro course (https://www.udemy.com/course/aws-solutions-architect-professional/). It is another remarkable online course.
I have personally gone through this course as well, and it effectively covers all the topics you need for the exam, and even provides some additional materials. However, it progresses relatively quickly compared to the Cantrill course, which can be beneficial for someone with more experience.
One drawback of this course is the absence of demos. It mainly consists of content presentations, so if you have little or no practical experience with AWS, I do not recommend attempting the exam without gaining hands-on experience by working on real or "real-like" problems using AWS.
Advanced - Final Step for Everyone
So, let's assume that you are a highly experienced AWS Architect who is familiar with all the required services and areas covered in the exam, and you simply need to prove your knowledge by obtaining the certification. Alternatively, you may have completed all the courses I mentioned earlier and feel very confident in your knowledge. What should you do next in this case?
I still don't recommend going straight to the exam itself. Instead, take an additional step, which involves reading the required AWS Whitepapers and practicing with sample tests.
For the sample tests, I personally used Tutorial Dojo (https://portal.tutorialsdojo.com/courses/aws-certified-solutions-architect-professional-practice-exams/) created by Jon Bonso, and I found it to be extremely helpful.
In these practice tests, you will encounter many similar questions to those in the actual exam. One particularly valuable feature is the review mode, where you not only get the correct answer, but also receive an explanation of why and how that answer is derived, along with references to AWS official documentation and Whitepapers.
I didn't find any significant drawbacks to these practice tests. However, I would like to emphasize that it's important not to try to memorize the questions, as they are not exact replicas of the real exam but rather similar in nature.
Regarding the AWS Whitepapers, you can find an up-to-date list on the official website (https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-solutions-architect-professional/). These whitepapers are not excessively long, so take your time to read through them in order to build your confidence before the exam.
Bonus Tip
I highly recommend taking the exam at a training center! I have had the experience of taking other AWS exams online, and to be honest, it was a bit of a nightmare. Online exams require numerous checks before starting the exam and have certain restrictions, such as limitations on having pens and paper or taking breaks.
Additionally, as a tip for non-native English speakers, I suggest adding 30 minutes to your exam time. Here is the instruction how to get it. The SA Pro exam is known to be extremely tough and demanding, so having some extra time for review after completing the exam can be beneficial. Without this additional time, I would have had only 5 minutes for reviewing flagged questions, which is not enough.
I hope this information proves helpful to you. Feel free to let me know in the comments if you found it useful or if you have any further questions!
AWS - CZSK SMB
1 年Congrats Anton! That’s a challenging one! Looking forward to more engagements with our customers where you can apply your ever expanding knowledge base!
2.5M+ students trained on Udemy | 10x AWS Certified | Conduktor Co-Founder | Angel Investor | Kafka Expert
1 年Congratulations on passing your exam, Anton! It’s a really tough one, you’ve done great! Keep up the awesome work! :)
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1 年Thanks for using our content and for sharing your experience with us, Anton! All the best in your next journey!
AWS/Cloud Course Creator @ learn.cantrill.io // follow for updates! connect to chat // youtube.com/c/LearnCantrill
1 年Awesome work Anton Lukin - big congrats!
Senior Solution Architect at Infor
1 年Great tips and resources. Thanks for sharing ??