Hi, I'm 22 and currently a full-time Software Engineer at a big bank. I have always been interested in the cloud and software architecture, and over the past 4 months, I started getting certified with AWS.
Before I began studying, I had used some basic AWS services like S3, Lambda, and DynamoDB for personal projects, but I had never really studied the entire ecosystem AWS provides.
Since I didn't know much about the broader AWS Cloud and had to study after work, I started with the Cloud Practitioner certification. This was quite easy, as it mostly requires you to learn what services do at a high level, along with some deeper knowledge of core services like S3, RDS, Lambda, and DynamoDB.
I was able to prepare for the exam in 3 weeks by following a Udemy course from Neal Davis (Digital Cloud Training) and taking all the mock exams I could find on Udemy (which I get as a benefit through my company). I passed with an 837/1000.
After taking a short break to work on other side projects, I decided to go for the Solutions Architect Associate certification because I wanted to dive deeper into the AWS ecosystem.
Again, I started studying on Udemy, but this time I used Stephane Maarek’s course (which I highly recommend if you are preparing for this cert). As I watched the lectures, I took detailed notes in Obsidian, writing down anything I didn't know, including topics outside the direct scope of the course, like foundational networking, DNS, and cryptography. Doing this really helped me understand AWS's design decisions and gave me the full picture behind simple services.
For practice exams, I used 3 different sources:
- Udemy: Pretty good overall, but some questions were out of date and incorrect relative to the current real exam.
- LinkedIn Learning: Tests here were outdated, and many questions were poorly phrased. By far the worst option I tried.
- Tutorials Dojo practice tests by Jon Bonso: These tests were the holy grail. The questions were very well-written, the answer explanations were super detailed, and the content is kept up to date. I also loved that I could easily take practice tests on my phone during my commute to the office on the metro.
The actual test was harder than I expected because the questions were a bit more specific than the ones on Jon Bonso's practice exams, but I still managed to pass with an 874/1000.
As final thoughts, preparing for the Solutions Architect certification taught me significantly more than Cloud Practitioner, as it exposes you to real world architectures and technology concepts that go beyond just the AWS services themselves.
If you have the time, I recommend going straight to Solutions Architect. However, if you are working full-time or don't have much free time, starting with Cloud Practitioner is a great way to see how you handle the time management and mental load. Plus, using the 50% discount voucher you get from passing Cloud Practitioner means doing both certs costs about the same as taking just the Solutions Architect exam.
Lastly, I wouldn't suggest rushing through certs just to put them on your resume, the actual knowledge you gain along the way is far more valuable than the badge itself.
If you are preparing for an AWS certification or thinking about taking one, I hope this was helpful! Let me know if you have any questions.
Source: r/AWSCertifications · by /u/Scopetto