How I Prepare to Pass AWS Solution Architect Associate (SAA-C02)

This is to share with you how I prepare to pass AWS Solution Architect associate exam, hope it helps if you are planning to take the exam!

AWS Solution Architect — Associate Certificate for Pei-Ju Wang

AWS Solution Architect Associate Exam is targeting for people who have been using AWS for 1+ year to design high availability, cost-effective, fault-tolerant, and scalable distributed system. Exam covered 4 domains below with total 1000 score. The scaled score needed to pass the exam is 720.

Domain 1: Design Resilient Architectures — 30%
Domain 2: Design High-Performing Architectures — 28%
Domain 3: Design Secure Applications and Architectures — 24%
Domain 4: Design Cost-Optimized Architectures — 18%

For me, This is really important to check the exam content outlines. You would be able to get more hint on what’s covered in exam. for example

• How to setup Multi-AZ and Disaster Recovery Strategy for Resilient Architectures
• How to setup permission control, what’s the different between Security groups and ACLs for security…etc.

You can get more detailed content on official Exam Guide.

AWS recommended examinee who had

• 1+ year of hands-on experience with AWS, including using compute, networking, storage, and database AWS services, as well as AWS deployment and management servicesExperience deploying, managing, and operating workloads on AWS, and implementing security controls and compliance requirements
• Experience deploying, managing, and operating workloads on AWS, and implementing security controls and compliance requirements
• Familiarity with using the AWS Management Console with the AWS Command Line Interface (CLI)
• Learn about the AWS Well-Architected Framework, AWS Networking, Security Services, and AWS Global Infrastructure
• Ability to identify which AWS services meet specified technical requirements and define technical requirements for AWS-type applications

For me, I had 2+ years working experience on AWS. However, it more focus on EKS and machine learning related architecture design and development only. That’s the reason I would like to take this exam review and have the solid AWS knowledge with systematical learning. While going through the training and exam, I also aware some improvements we can apply in the future.

Preparation

AWS SAA-C02 exam covered 65 questions with single and multiple-choice questions in 130 mins. There are two major trainings and other articles that helpful for me when preparing for the exam

1. Udemy Course Ultimate AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate 2022. It included 26.5 hours course that I go through all the articles once even for some parts I feel I already familiar. (sometimes have 80+% off discount! )
2. Udemy Course AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Practice Exams. I use 1 week before exam to practice with this course to familiarize the questions style and the logic of answering. For the part I failed or unsure, I took notes and checked back the AWS official documentation website and training course.
3. I went through blog Jayendra’s Cloud Certification Blog that listed exam topics as a check list, to validate if any topics I’m not yet familiar with.
4. [Chinese] I would highly recommended to go through the article if you can read Chinese, the author summarized the learning notes with well-organized. I checked those notes 2 days before exam.
5. AWS While-paper
6. AWS Service Cheat Sheet by irohitpawar

Tips for Exam

• Register your exam https://www.certmetrics.com/amazon/. During pandemic, you can schedule remote exam as well. You would be able to reschedule exam twice if you are not yet ready. As long as you reschedule up to 24 hours before your scheduled appointment, it would NOT charge any additional fees.
• [For remote exam] Please remind to arrange your exam schedule with time buffer. for me, I selected remote exam, I started exam 5 mins prior to the exam schedule and submitted my identity. However, it delay started over 30 mins for identity and environment checking
• There are total 65 questions in 130mins. So, please remind don’t take over 2mins for single question. You can take note for the unsure question.
• You can request 30-minute extension if you are non-native English speakers when taking an exam in English. Check this website to see how to request. I didn’t request this and I think 130mins is enough for completing exam.

I think everyone would have different intentions to take certificate. for me, In the past, I was using certificate to prove my technical skill or get better opportunity as major objective; but now, I focus and enjoy on the learnings path of taking certificate.

“You Are In Your Time Zone” Choose the suitable approaches and intentions would be great to build up your confidence level of taking exam as well. Hope it helps if you are preparing to take/renew your certificate :)