AWS (Amazon Web Services) provides the AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification as proof of one’s proficiency in creating and implementing scalable, practical, and secure services. The AWS certification demonstrates proficiency in architecting solutions using AWS services and understanding the best practices to optimize performance, reliability, and security.
The AWS Solution Architect Associate certification requires a comprehensive understanding of various cloud services and their capabilities. You’ll gain in-depth knowledge of AWS offerings, including computing, storage, networking, databases, security, and more, through the preparation process.
Embarking on the journey to become a Solution Architect Associate proved to be challenging yet fulfilling. Upon obtaining the AWS/DevOps Certification, it becomes evident that studying for the AWS certification plays a vital role in advancing one’s career in cloud architecture. The aim of the article is to provide valuable insights, observations, and guidance to help individuals excel in the exam with expertise.
What are the Key Topics of the AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification Exam?
The exam typically consists of around 50 to 65 multiple-choice questions.
There are two categories of questions:
- Multiple choice questions, which have a number of options containing one accurate response and three false ones.
- Multiple response questions that have two or more accurate answers out of five or more possible answers.
The exam covers those domains:
| Domains | Title | Topics | Weight |
| Domain 1 | Design Secure Architectures | Design secure access to AWS resources Design secure workloads and applications. Determine appropriate data security controls. | 30% |
| Domain 2 | Design Resilient Architectures | Design scalable and loosely coupled architectures. Design highly available and/or fault-tolerant architectures. | 26% |
| Domain 3 | Design High-Performing Architectures | Determine high-performing and/or scalable storage solutions. Design high-performing and elastic compute solutions Determine high-performing database solutions.​​Determine high-performing and/or scalable network architectures. | 24% |
| Domain 4 | Design Cost-Optimized Architectures | Design cost-optimized storage solutions. Design cost-optimized compute solutions. Design cost-optimized database solutions. Design cost-optimized network architectures. | 20% |
AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification Exam Tips
The AWS Cloud Practitioner exam costs $100, the AWS Associate-level exam is $150, and the AWS Professional-level and Specialty exam is $300.
The exam aims to evaluate your understanding and proficiency in effectively utilizing AWS services and applying architectural concepts. To pass the exam, you need to get 720 points, and the scoring range for the exam spans from 100 to 1000.
Once you complete the exam, you will receive an immediate pass or fail indication, indicating whether you have met the passing criteria. In addition, within approximately five business days, you can access the detailed exam results. These results will be available in the Exam History section of your account, providing you with a comprehensive breakdown of your performance and areas of strength or areas that may require further improvement.
On the day of your exam, it’s essential to be well-prepared and in the right mindset. Get a good night’s sleep before the exam to ensure you’re well-rested and focused. Arrive at the exam center (if you take it online, your exam room) early to allow time for check-in procedures and to familiarize yourself with the testing environment. Read and understand the instructions carefully before starting the exam, as this will help you navigate through the questions more efficiently.
During the exam, manage your time effectively. If you encounter a challenging question, flag it and move on to the next one. You can turn back later when you finish all the questions.
Utilize the process of elimination strategy to eliminate obviously incorrect options and increase your chances of selecting the correct answer. Stay calm and focused throughout the exam, taking deep breaths when needed to maintain composure.
Before submitting the exam, if time permits, review your answers for any errors or missed details. However, avoid excessive second-guessing, as your initial instincts are often correct. Ensure that you don’t leave any questions unanswered, as there is no penalty for guessing. Make educated guesses if necessary.
How to Study AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification?
Having knowledge of the exam’s topics and the subject domains covered by the exam was the first step in the AWS Solution Architect Associate certification journey. Therefore, you have to read the official AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate Exam Guide, which is available through AWS and lists the exam’s subject matter and suggested readings.
Work on the Solution Architect Associate exam questions after thoroughly studying the exam concept to familiarize yourself with the question formats you may encounter. Also, find trustworthy books, websites, and other sources that offer questions and answers for the exam.
You can find AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification example questions here.
What are the Recommended Training Resources for AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification?
AWS offers official training courses specifically designed for the Solution Architect Associate Certification. These programs cover every aspect of the topics and are delivered by AWS-accredited individuals. There are many training alternatives in those courses.
The AWS Documentation is an extensive document that details the capabilities and services, and best practices for using Amazon Web Services. It provides in-depth explanations, tutorials, and examples of how to use AWS services effectively. Refer to the relevant documentation for each AWS service covered in the exam to deepen your understanding.
AWS provides a variety of whitepapers on a range of subjects pertaining to cloud computing and best practices for Amazon Web Services. Some recommended whitepapers include the Well-Architected Framework whitepaper, the AWS Security Best Practices whitepaper, and the AWS Storage Services whitepaper. These whitepapers provide valuable insights and guidance for designing architectures on AWS for a cloud engineer.
Lastly, there are many online learning platforms for the AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification. These resources often provide video-based lectures, practice exams, and hands-on labs to enhance your learning experience. Examples include A Cloud Guru, Linux Academy, and Udemy.
What Strategies Can You Employ for Effective Study and Preparation?
The question-and-answer method is the best strategy to get the certification on the first try. This is a working methodology for the preparation of exams.
This strategy is built on solving practice tests. Practice tests offer several benefits that can enhance your preparation:
Familiarize Yourself with the Exam Format
The best way to do this is by taking practice tests. They not only simulate the actual exam environment but also allow you to understand the exam’s structure, question types, and timing. As a result, you can approach the exam more calmly, giving you the best chance to do well and get higher results.
Assess Your Knowledge
Practice tests serve as a valuable tool for self-assessment. Engaging in practice questions allows you to assess your comprehension of the exam subjects and pinpoint specific areas that may require additional study. Through the process of answering these practice questions, you gain valuable insights into your performance and can identify any weak areas. You can more efficiently manage your study time by using this performance analysis.
Identify Knowledge Gaps
Practice tests can reveal specific knowledge gaps or misconceptions that you may have. By reviewing the explanations provided for incorrect answers, you can understand the reasoning behind the correct solutions and gain a deeper understanding of the concepts.
Improve Time Management:
Practice tests help you develop the time management skills necessary to complete the exam within the allotted time. By timing yourself during practice tests, you can practice answering questions efficiently and learn to give each question the proper amount of time.
Learn to Interpret Questions
The AWS Solution Architect Associate exam often includes questions that require careful reading and interpretation. Practice tests train you to decipher complex questions, identify the key information, and choose the most appropriate answer.
When using practice tests, selecting high-quality, reliable sources is important. Look for practice tests from reputable providers, such as AWS official practice exams or trusted third-party platforms that offer accurate and up-to-date questions aligned with the exam objectives.
Who’s the Ideal Candidate for AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification?
The AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification is perfect for professionals who wish to demonstrate their experience in cloud computing. IT Professionals, Cloud Architects, IT Managers, and Executives, Cloud Enthusiasts are among the ideal candidates for this certification.
The AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification is also suitable for anyone looking to validate their expertise in architecting solutions on the AWS platform, regardless of their specific job title or background.
What Are the Main Benefits of AWS Solution Architect Associate Level Certification for Analysts?
As an analyst, having a solid understanding of cloud architecture is crucial for effectively leveraging cloud services in your data analysis workflows. The AWS solution architect certification equips you with knowledge of AWS services, architectural best practices, and design principles, enabling you to make informed decisions about architecting and deploying analytics solutions on the AWS platform.
AWS offers a comprehensive suite of big data and analytics services, such as Amazon QuickSight, EMR, and Glue. By gaining the AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification, analysts can effectively understand how to integrate these services into their data analysis workflows. This enables them to leverage the power of AWS’s analytics ecosystem and take advantage of scalable and performant data processing and visualization capabilities.
What Are the Prerequisites for AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification?
Understanding fundamental AWS services, such as computing, storage, database, networking, and security, is beneficial. Familiarize yourself with the core concepts of cloud computing, including the AWS Global Infrastructure and AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM).
Having a basic understanding of networking concepts, including IP addressing, routing, subnets, and DNS, is also critical. Learn about AWS networking services.
About cloud infrastructure AWS The Well-Architected Framework is good to know.
How Can You Explore The AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification Path?
The official certification site offers many resources to study for the Solutions Architect Associate exam. Start by visiting the official AWS Certification website to gather information about the Solution Architect Associate Certification path.
Download and check the official exam guide. It outlines the topics covered in the exam, the weightage of each topic, and the skills needed to succeed in the exam. The Exam Guide serves as a valuable resource for understanding the exam content and creating a study plan.
Practical experience with cloud computing is essential for understanding how they work in AWS real-world scenarios. Practice deploying and managing applications on AWS, experiment with different architectural patterns and familiarize yourself with the AWS Management Console.
What Jobs Are Available for AWS Solution Architect Associate Certified Individuals?
AWS Solution Architect Associate certified professionals can pursue various job roles across industries that require expertise in architecting and deploying solutions on the AWS platform. Cloud Solutions Architect, Cloud Infrastructure Architect, Cloud Consultant, Pre-sales Solutions Architect, and DevOps Engineer are some of the job roles available for AWS Solution Architect Associate certified professionals.
What is The Average Salary for AWS Solution Architects?
On average, an AWS Solution Architect – Associate certified professional in the United States can expect a salary range of approximately $110,000 to $160,000 per year. But the AWS DevOps engineer’s salary can vary based on 4 factors: experience, location, industry, and company size.
An AWS Senior Solutions Architect can make a yearly income of $200,000 – $250,000 in the US.
What is the AWS Certification Landscape?
The AWS certification landscape consists of a wide range of certifications offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) across different areas of expertise. Here are the AWS certification categories:
Foundational Level:
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner: This entry-level certification validates an understanding of AWS Cloud concepts, basic architectural best practices, and key services.
Associate Level:
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate: The main focus of this certification is creating and implementing safe, cost-efficient, and scalable systems on the cloud.
AWS Certified Developer – Associate: With the understanding of the essential Amazon Web Services and fundamental development principles, this certification focuses on creating and sustaining Cloud-based services.
AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate: The technical proficiency in setting up, administering, and running applications on Amazon Web Services is validated by this certification.
Professional Level:
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional: With the help of this advanced-level certification, you can demonstrate your proficiency in creating and deploying fault-tolerant, highly available, and dependable AWS applications.
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional: This certification focuses on provisioning and knowledge of how to create and deploy cutting-edge solutions on the cloud.
Specialty Certifications:
AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty: This certification validates expertise in designing and implementing AWS-based networking solutions.
AWS Certified Security – Specialty: This certification focuses on demonstrating advanced knowledge of implementing security best practices on the AWS platform.
AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty: With this certification, you can demonstrate that you are an expert in creating ML models.
AWS Certified Database – Specialty: This certification focuses on designing, recommending, and maintaining AWS database solutions for specific use cases.
Conclusion
The AWS Solution Architect Associate Certification demonstrates your expertise in designing secure, scalable, and cost-effective solutions on the AWS platform. You’ve acquired valuable knowledge about AWS services and architectural better best practices. If you are not familiar with AWS and Cloud, it is better to enroll in an AWS/DevOps course.
