Hey everyone! I've been working with AWS infrastructure for about 4 to 5 years now. I completed the Cloud Practitioner and Solutions Architect Associate certifications a couple of years ago, but those have expired. Lately, I've been taking on more of a leadership role than a technical one, so I'm a bit worried about how tough the Professional Solutions Architect exam will be. My team is primarily using Terraform now, which is quite different from the tools I worked with previously, like CodePipeline and CloudFormation. I'm considering starting with a refresher exam focused on AWS Cloud Operations, studying for about two months, before attempting the Professional exam. By the way, my company is connected to AWS, but I don't think there are any courses available for these certifications yet.
5 Answers
I passed the Pro exam a while back and found that it’s mainly about reading comprehension and being able to sift through the info quickly. There are often multiple correct answers on the Pro exam, so understanding the specific requirements of a question is essential. So, practicing your reading speed and comprehension is just as important as the technical knowledge itself!
Exactly! The pressure can be intense, but training yourself to trust your gut on the answers helps!
Definitely do the Solutions Architect Associate exam first before tackling the Professional level. There’s a lot of overlap in the content, and doing the Associate can help reinforce your knowledge. Just a heads up, the Professional exam questions can be quite long and tricky. They're designed to test your understanding at a deeper level, and you might find it hard to eliminate wrong answers since they can all look plausible! I recommend getting some practice exams from Tutorials Dojo; they helped me prepare well and get used to the question format.
Totally agree! I think the practice exams are key. When I took the Pro exam, I felt way more prepared after using those guides.
Also, keep in mind that the time management aspect is crucial. The Pro exam can be time-pressured, so practicing under timed conditions really helps!
From my experience, working through the Associate level first is definitely the way to go. You get a solid foundation that will make tackling the Professional exam a bit less daunting. I did it the same way, and honestly, understanding the core concepts made all the difference for me! Plus, there are some great resources out there to help you study. Just brush up on any services you're less familiar with since your team's using different tools now.
I used some online courses and they really clarified some confusing areas, especially the integrations!
Yeah, and even just being active with the console day to day helps keep your skills sharp for the exam!
I think starting from the Associate level is the best strategy. It not only helps with the fundamentals but also gives you experience with the exam format. I found it significantly less daunting that way!
Make sure to check out AWS Skill Builder if you haven't already—it's worth it for those practice exams. They're really helpful for self-assessing if you're ready for the real test. Plus, doing the Associate exam again will also give you a discount for the Professional exam, which is a nice perk! Good luck!
So true! The reading speed is something I underestimated going into it. It's a real game changer.