How To Prepare for the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification In No Time
Resources and a detailed study plan for anyone to get into the cloud
In this article, I am going to share with you some resources and a detailed study plan to pass the AWS Cloud Practitioner certificate in no time, even if this is your first time getting into the cloud. The goal is to help you prepare for and take the exam from scratch in a few days and hours of dedicated studying.
The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification is offered by Amazon Web Services as the introductory tier, followed by their Associate and Professional certifications. It serves as an entry-level exam to introduce basic concepts, services and use cases of AWS.
Exam Details (From AWS)
Learning Objectives
- Explain the value of the AWS Cloud
- Understand and explain the AWS shared responsibility model
- Understand security best practices
- Understand AWS Cloud costs, economics, and billing practices
- Describe and position the core AWS services, including compute, network, databases, and storage
- Identify AWS services for common use cases
Recommended AWS Knowledge
- AWS Cloud Concepts
- Security and Compliance within the AWS Cloud
- Understanding of Core AWS Services
- Understanding the economics of the AWS Cloud
Out-of-Scope
- Designing cloud architecture
- Coding, Troubleshooting, Implementation and Migration
- Load and performance testing
- Business applications
Content Outline
Exam Flow
- 65 MCQ Questions
- 70% correct to pass (46 questions)
- 100 minutes
- 100 USD
- Can be taken physically or remotely (I personally recommend remotely with Pearson Vue)
Learning Plan + Resources
In this section, I will be listing some free and paid resources that you can utilize. Personally, free resources were mostly enough for me up till the Professional certification level where I wanted to be more prepared. However, paid resources are definitely better and could probably help you better if you are willing to shell out a few bucks.
Courses and Content
It is important to first learn about AWS Cloud, especially if you have no prior knowledge. There are many resources, both free and paid that can teach you the important concepts of general cloud computing and the AWS cloud. You can find these materials in many places like Linux Academy, A Cloud Guru, Udemy and more. Here are just some to help you out, you don’t have to use all of them, but I suggest taking a look and picking a few so that you cover all bases.
- AWS Whitepapers (Recommended more for Associate and above but still good to see if you have time, more below)
- Resources on the AWS Certification page (Highly recommend downloading the exam guide, sample questions, and practice questions so you know what to expect. There is also free training provided on Twitch by AWS Experts, good to follow. Some of the best resources you can find for free, are probably all you need)
- Qwiklabs (Not sure if free or unpaid, personally did not use it, but good for the hands-on experience if you need it)
- Stephane Maarek’s Ultimate AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner 2022 Udemy Course (Paid but personally one of my favourite, very comprehensive and saves you the trouble of notes-making or consolidating information from multiple sources)
Mock Exams and Practice Questions
Once you have a better understanding of AWS cloud and its services, you should take mock exams and try out practice questions so that you are more familiar with the potential challenges you may find. It also helps you identify gaps in your knowledge so that you can patch them up.
- AWS Practice Questions and Sample Questions (Free, good for dipping your toes but does not have many questions)
- Stephane Maarek 6 Practice Exams | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (Paid, but really all you need. Challenging questions that really prepare you for the exam)
- Jon Bonso AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Practice Exams (Paid, but more affordable and really challenges you. Personally I feel that his questions may be harder than the actual exam)
- Practice Questions from DigitalCloud or ExamTopics (Free, with some questionable answers and wording. Useful to consult the forum to see the responses of those who tried. As good as it gets for free resources)
AWS Whitepapers
Like I said above, I personally didn’t use them at all, even for the professional level. However, it definitely helps a lot and also gives you a very wide overview of how each service comes together. For the Cloud Practitioner exam, you should focus on these whitepapers below.
Note: Make sure these papers are updated (pdf versions only) and do not have “[ARCHIVED]” on the first page (pdfs). I try to keep these updated but just in case.
Other Info
- I recommend you to take the exam at home with Pearson Vue if you are able to, but you will require a very strict and quiet environment. If your home is not conducive, then it is better to go physically
- Be prepared and be early to the exam check-ins, physically or virtually, and start calming yourself to be ready if you have exam anxiety
- You won’t know your score after the exam, but you will know if you passed or failed. Results can take up to 5 days but usually comes within a few hours to a day. However, recently I learnt that sometimes the pass/fail isn’t shown immediately, so don’t panic if it doesn’t come up.
