Cloud computing has emerged as one of today’s most popular technology services. If you still need to learn what cloud computing is, you must know it first. Cloud computing is the delivery of IT resources over the Internet. Instead of spending vast amounts on data storage devices and servers, you can get them through cloud computing. In exchange for the required prices, individuals and organizations can take advantage of cloud computing.
One of the popular cloud computing platforms is Amazon Web Services. It provides various services for cloud computing that organizations widely use. Apart from that, it also provides certifications to those professionals who prove their proficiency in cloud skills. Check out the AWS cloud architect certification, one of the popular certifications professionals prefer.
The rest of the article explains the AWS-certified solutions architect exam and how candidates must prepare.
An Overview of AWS Certified Solutions Architect Certification
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Certification tests an individual’s capability to build optimized software solutions in terms of cost and performance. As the professional progresses in the skillset, he also learns the AWS architecture and its frameworks for advanced cloud services. And skills in designing, managing, testing, and deploying applications based on AWS.
The first step to getting certified is to learn the required skills. For that, you can get the detailed syllabus from the AWS website. Then, you need to pass the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam (SAA-C03). The examination asks two types of questions. The first is multiple choice questions. Another type is multiple-response questions. The exam guide gives you more details on the exam guide and passing score.
Resources for exam preparation
- Through official training partners
One of the best ways to prepare for AWS certification is through training courses. These courses are provided separately through ed-tech companies, AWS’s official training partners. One of the best courses is the “AWS Certification training course for solutions architects” provided by Simplilearn.
The key skills it covers are AWS solution planning, architecture best practices, designing resilient AWS implementations, AWS cost estimations, AWS implementation optimization, AWS data IO, and more. This course is designed for 50 training hours in a self-paced and online cloud bootcamp format.
Here is the topic-wise list of the course content:
- Course Introduction
- AWS core concepts
- Compute and related features
- Storage services
- VPC Networking and content delivery
- Databases
- Security and IAM
- Serverless and application services
- Monitoring and automation
- Container service
Along with the course content, it provides you with three industry projects and simulation exams, each consisting of 60 questions. Along with that, there are 16 live demos of AWS services. Find the batch times that are suitable for you and register soon.
- Through AWS resources
One another way to prepare for the AWS certification exam is to take up resources provided by the AWS platform.
Firstly, it contains an exam guide that breaks down the question format and its type. It also gives you sample questions and practice sets for preparation. There is a free live training of 4 hours and 30 minutes of duration. The course provides additional exam-style questions, flashcards, hands-on labs, and the official practice exam.
It is divided into four modules. The brief outline of the module is listed below:
Module 1: Get to know the exam
Know the required details for the exam, such as the number of questions, exam duration, etc.
Module 2: Get to know the exam-style questions
Get a chance to solve the official practice set and sample questions provided by AWS for SAA-CO3.
Module 3: Learn about the exam topics
It gives you the AWS whitepapers and FAQs.
Module 4
Exam preparation that is further divided into four domains. Each domain consists of categories of topics that AWS tests the capabilities of.
Domain 1: Design secure architectures
Domain 2: Design resilient architectures
Domain 3: Design high-performing architectures
Domain 4: Design cost-optimized Architectures
Module 5: Register for the exam
Module 6: Course close
That was a brief overview of the training that AWS provides.
The advanced course is an exam prep enhanced course: AWS certified solutions architect- associate(SAA-CO3). It dives deeper into the topics and gives you hands-on practice for all the topics. It covers all the same topics as mentioned in the above course.
Below is the list of training it provides:
- Free digital training on AWS technical essentials
Modules covered in this training are listed below:
- Module 1: introduction to amazon web services
- Module 2: AWS compute
- Module 3: AWS networking
- Module 4: AWS storage
- Module 5: Databases on AWS
- Module 6: Monitoring, Load balancing, and scaling
Another lesson that a new addition here is “Innovation with AWS.”
- Free on-demand training of AWS Power Hour: Architecting on-demand
Think of it as a webinar covering live FAQs and Qn As sessions with brief explanations on the topics for the certification.
- Paid classroom training: Architecting on AWS
This intermediate-level training is conducted virtually as well as in person. The course length is three days. You will learn to design applications over the cloud. And also work with the basic architecture. Refer to its website for more details.
Study tips to prepare for the exam
Some tips, when followed correctly, can give you beneficial results in the long run. Here are some tips that will help you prepare for the certification exam:
- Break down your syllabus into parts that are suitable for you. This will help you with step-by-step preparation of all the topics. Solve the practice sets and sample questions, too.
- While solving the questions, eliminate those that are wrong or for which you might not know the answer. It helps you distinguish between your areas of strengths and weaknesses.
- Work on industry-related projects and simulation exams to build your practical skills. The integrated labs allow you to perform all your tasks in the internal environment.
- Take up the help of industry experts while building applications and services. Sometimes, experienced professionals offer valuable insights into the projects.
Wrap up
Finally, that was the list of exam tips that will help you master any topic and become certified in the AWS certification. Based on the resources, choose what’s best for you. Preparing for every topic, practical skills, and industry-related projects is the key to the best preparation.