Introduction to Solutions Architect Associate certification:

AWS Solutions Architect certification (SA-C02) is an associate-level of certification, which prepares you for in-depth knowledge of AWS offerings and its integrations of several services working together to make things work on the internet. This cert requires prior knowledge of the cloud platform before opting for a certification. I would suggest having fundamental information about the AWS platform before doing this certification, such as having cloud practitioner certification and some hands-on experience. I took this certification last year and completed the exam within 3 months. This is a difficult level cert, but with proper knowledge and hands-on experience you can complete the certifications.

In this blog, I will be sharing my learning plan, resources I used to learn course material and some exam tips.

About exam:

• Costs 150$ USD

• 130 minutes long

• Format- multiple choice

This exam covers 4 domains:

You can learn more about this certification here.

My learning plan:

I started learning Solutions architect exam, in Feb 2022 and completed the certification in April 2022. So it took me around 3 months to complete the course material and prepare for the exam. My first learning resource was the Udemy course by Stephen Maarek. The course was about 20-22 hours long with build in practice tests and hand-on experience. I found this course really helpful, well organized and easy to learn. I studied about 6-7 hours a week and took notes of almost every service covered and completed the course material in two months.

After finishing the learning material, I opted the paid practice test by TutorialsDojo, for and completed all practice tests from it. Also, used awsboy, for free practice tests. Scored 75-85% in the tests.

Also, went through different blogs, YouTube videos, and AWS guides and connect with individuals who gave this certification, for gaining more about the certification.

Resources I used to learn course material:

1. Udemy course by Stéphane Maarek: Very nicely-oriented and useful path for clearing the AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam. I finished this course in two months, with some hands-on activities and inbuild course practice tests.

   https://www.udemy.com/course/aws-certified-solutions-architect-associate-saa-c03/

2. Tutorial Dojo practice test: I went for Tutorials Dojo practice exam and it helped me in practicing for the exam questions. I do believe that the practice test was updated and to the point. It cost me around 19$ to buy this course.

   https://portal.tutorialsdojo.com/\

3. AWS boy:
   AWS boy is a free site for doing practice tests, for different AWS certifications. You can also take tests domains based.

   https://www.awsboy.com/\

4. AWS official website:
   Went through the official amazon website for the exam guide, exam sample questions and FAQs.

   https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-solutions-architect-associate/\

Conclusion:

To conclude, AWS Solutions Architect Associate is great certification for beginners who are looking for gaining knowledge and skills in the cloud. This cert does require prior experience, for an individual to clear the exam. Learning daily with a proper mindset and focus will surely help you to clear the certification.

Additionally, don’t rush if you think you are not ready, give yourself more time and try to do more hands-on activities on the AWS console.

Thank you, drop a comment if you liked this blog. You can reach out to me on Twitter and LinkedIn.