How I Passed My AWS Solutions Architect Exam on the First Try!
Written on: 09/01/2019
Edited on: 07/03/2022
Intro
I recently passed my AWS Solutions Architect - Associate exam on my first try! I decided what better way to celebrate than to write a blog post about how I studied in hopes I could help someone else.
What Makes My Story Unique?
A quick backstory of why I took this exam. I finished my Apprenti training about two months ago and began my on-the-job training. My company is an AWS partner and in order for them to be a Premier AWS partner, they would need more employees who had their AWS Solutions Architect - Associate (SA) certification. The recommended path for obtaining AWS certifications, is to first get the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certificate. They suggest having a few months of AWS cloud knowledge before testing. Once obtained, you can move on to the Solutions Architect - Associate certification. But again, they recommend you have at least a year of hands-on experience in AWS. So needless to say, passing this exam is not easy, especially since I was completely new to AWS.
When I entered my on-the-job training, our CTO advised us that 10 people took the SA exam and only 2 passed. To give the others credit, they missed it by one or two questions, but again I stress -- IT IS NOT EASY TO PASS THIS EXAM. Now I was one of 4 people who began their on-the-job training with this company. And we all volunteered to study and take the exam in about 2 weeks. Our CTO recommended for we take the exam twice. The first time to see the types of questions AWS asked. The second time, to be more prepared and pass.
I understood my study habits since I passed the Series 6 and Series 63 exams on my first try back in my banking days. And I knew, I would need more than 2 weeks to pass. And I did not want to sit for the test a second time. So, I figured I could study for 3 weeks, give it my all and hope for the best. And that is exactly what I did. I studied ~40 hrs/week at work + ~10 hrs/weeks at home (while taking care of a 2-year-old alone) for 3 weeks. I took my exam 2 weeks ago and passed with an 804/1000 - not too shabby.
Now let me clarify, I was NOT familiar with AWS when I started studying. During our Apprenti training, we dabbled in AWS. We deployed a static site via elastic beanstalk, but we had no idea what was happening under the hood.
Remember when I said 4 of us volunteered to take the exam? Well, only one other person passed. The other two did not. But, one did get a 700 but needed a 720 to pass (so missed it by 1 or 2 questions). I am unsure about the other's score.
With all that said, you can pass the exam if you have no AWS experience. But please understand, you are going to need to study, and study hard. Let me share the resources that helped me be successful.
My Favorite Resources
The following resources helped me pass my exam. But by no means is this the end-all, be-all. There are plenty of other great resources out there.
Conclusion
I had no experience in AWS when I took the Solutions Architect - Associate certification. But I was able to pass it my first time. I wrote this blog post in the hopes I could help anyone who wants to get their AWS certification. Make sure you review the resources I provided, read those AWS FAQs, and take as many practice exams as you need. If you do all this, you will be well equipped to pass the exam on your first try!