As companies increasingly shift workloads to the public cloud, cloud computing has moved from a nice-to-have to a core competency in the enterprise. This shift requires a new set of skills to design, deploy, and manage applications in cloud computing.
As the market leader and most mature provider in the cloud computing space, analysts such as Gartner consider AWS a thought leader and point of reference for all of its competitors. Actually, AWS continues to lead in public cloud adoption, and it currently offers 12 certifications that cover both foundational and specialty cloud computing topics.
Why choose the right AWS certification? Here’s why it matters.
Getting AWS certified shows that you have some of the most in-demand (and profitable) skills as validated by one of the most recognizable entities in cloud computing. In the enterprise, certification demonstrates a shared understanding of a platform, a shared terminology, and a certain level of cloud expertise that can speed up time to value for cloud projects.
But as a tech leader, how do you know which certifications to guide your team towards, and how do you assess their skill level/efficiency? Fill out the form and request a free demo! Our tech skill assessments let you save time by identifying the exact skills your team needs.
Even as enterprises adopt multi-cloud strategies, this doesn’t diminish the importance of an AWS certification – quite the opposite. With more than one million customers, AWS is still the provider of choice for public cloud adoption, where 75% of enterprises and 71% of SMBs are running applications (according to the 2023 Flexera State of the Cloud Report).
AWS certifications themselves stand out for their rigor and thoroughness in evaluating a candidate’s skills, with an emphasis on hands-on experience and best practices. For executives overseeing an IT team, pursuing AWS certification can be one of the most effective ways to bolster the foundational knowledge and skills needed to work with AWS services and solutions down the road and benchmark the more advanced members of your team.
In the enterprise, the core training materials used to prepare for AWS certifications are a valuable component in a company’s own internal training path. As IT environments become more customized and requirements for new skills grow, an increasing number of companies are building their own certification programs. Many of them are using vendor certification training paths in conjunction with internal training materials to stand up certification tracks specific to their business needs.
Cloud Academy lets you do just that! Ask for a free demo and find out how Cloud Academy can be integrated into your company and help you achieve your business goals.
With a full-time job and other commitments, investing 80 hours of study usually takes two months. If you are entirely new to AWS, we recommend approximately 120 hours or three months to prepare. Start with the fundamentals, and then move to the Solutions Architect – Associate Learning Path.
AWS currently offers 12 certifications: a foundational certification, three associate-level certifications, two professional-level certifications, and six specialty certifications. You can find a full overview of all Learning Paths to prepare for the certifications on the Cloud Academy’s AWS Certifications page.
While there are no set-in-stone steps to studying for the AWS certification, these steps are the most straightforward.
Bringing your team up to speed on AWS can take time you may not have. But with our Cloud Certification Fast-track program, you can crush your certification goals with direct support from our team of cloud experts. Custom training, visibility into progress, and end-to-end program management are just some of the features. Contact our team today to find out how the program works.
Let’s take a closer look at each exam.
The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is an entry-level certification designed to validate a candidate’s overall understanding of the AWS cloud.
Prepare for the Foundational Certification, with Cloud Academy’s Cloud Practitioner Certification Preparation for AWS Learning Path.
This certification is the most popular AWS certification overall for tech team leaders, as it provides a solid foundation in AWS cloud computing. When evaluating new hires, it demonstrates that the holder possesses the skills needed to design, deploy, and manage applications on AWS.
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam is designed for those with some experience in designing distributed applications. Candidates will need to be able to demonstrate their ability to design, manage, and implement applications using tools and services on the AWS platform. This exam was updated in August 2022 to include more AWS services and best practices. More information on this can be found here.
Prepare for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate with Cloud Academy’s Solutions Architect – Associate Certification Preparation for AWS Learning Path.
The AWS Certified Developer – the Associate exam is all about developing and maintaining AWS-based applications. You will need to know how to write actual code that uses AWS software to access AWS applications from within your custom business applications.
Prepare for this certification with Cloud Academy’s Developer – Associate Certification Preparation for AWS Learning Path.
The AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – the Associate exam is the only certification that is fully geared toward system administrators. Passing this exam requires both technical expertise and conceptual knowledge of the operational aspects of the AWS platform. Previous experience as a Linux or Windows administrator will be a plus.
Prepare for this certification with Cloud Academy’s SysOps Administrator – Associate Certification Preparation for AWS Learning Path.
A professional AWS architect is someone who can evaluate an organization’s requirements and make architectural recommendations for implementing and deploying applications on AWS. The Certified Solutions Architect Professional certification requires a high degree of technical skill and experience designing AWS-based applications. This exam was updated in November 2022 to include more AWS services and best practices. More information on this can be found here.
Prepare for this certification with Cloud Academy’s Solutions Architect – Professional Certification Preparation for AWS Learning Path.
The DevOps Engineer certification is all about provisioning, operating, and managing applications on the AWS platform. This exam focuses heavily on continuous delivery (CD) and the automation of processes, two fundamental concepts of the DevOps movement.
Prepare for this certification with Cloud Academy’s DevOps Engineer – Professional Certification Preparation for AWS Learning Path.
The AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty certification is for those with a background in data analytics and experience using AWS services for designing and architecting big data solutions. It is designed to validate a candidate’s experience in extracting value from data using AWS services.
Prepare for this exam with Cloud Academy’s AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty (DAS-C01) Certification Preparation for AWS Learning Path.
The AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty certification was last updated in July 2022 and is designed to validate a candidate’s skills and experience in connection with performing complex networking tasks on AWS and hybrid IT networking architecture at scale. Candidates should have a background in architecting and implementing network solutions and advanced knowledge of networking on AWS.
Prepare for this certification with Cloud Academy’s Advanced Networking – Specialty Certification Preparation for AWS Learning Path.
As a tech manager, you know best that security is one of the most significant issues holding back cloud adoption. Cloud Academy’s training library focuses deeply on IT Security, allowing your team to stay up to date with new security breaches and ways to resolve them.
If you’re interested in understanding how to keep your cloud environment secure with Cloud Academy, contact us and request a free demo!
Going back to the certification, the AWS Certified Security – Specialty certification covers topics that security pros and teams need to master security fundamentals, follow best practices, and build deep knowledge in key services unique to the AWS platform. It is designed to validate your AWS knowledge across security topics such as data protection and encryption, infrastructure security, incident response, identity, and access management, monitoring and logging.
Prepare for this certification with Cloud Academy’s Security – Specialty Certification Preparation for AWS Learning Path
The AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty certification validates your ability to create, implement, and maintain machine learning solutions for a range of business problems. This exam is for anyone who performs a development or data science role. Candidates should have one to two years of experience using ML and/or deep learning on the AWS Cloud.
Prepare for this certification with Cloud Academy’s Machine Learning – Specialty Certification Preparation for AWS Learning Path.
The AWS Certified Database – Specialty certification validates that you have an overall comprehension of all the AWS database services offered, as well as how to bring value to your business through optimized database integration and architecting. This exam is for anyone who works closely with databases and implements DB solutions. Candidates should at least two years of experience working with both AWS Cloud-based and on-premises relational and NoSQL databases.
Prepare for this certification with Cloud Academy’s AWS Certified Database – Specialty (DBS-C01) Certification Preparation Learning Path.
The newest AWS specialty certification is the AWS Certified SAP on AWS – Specialty, which was released in April 2022. This exam has been designed for individuals wanting to demonstrate critical knowledge related to SAP solutions and workloads running in the AWS Cloud.
Prepare for this certification with Cloud Academy’s Certified SAP on AWS – Specialty (PAS-C01) Certification Preparation Learning Path.
The number of new AWS features and services increases every year. To demonstrate continued expertise and knowledge of best practices for the most up to date AWS services, certification holders are required to recertify every three years.
If you hold the Cloud Practitioner certification, it will automatically be renewed if you pass an Associate level certification. Also, if you hold the Solutions Architect – Associate exam, this will be renewed if you pass the Solutions Architect – Professional exam. Similarly, if you hold the SysOps Administrator – Associate or Developer – Associate certification, then by passing the DevOps Engineer – Professional exam it will automatically renew these associate levels too. Passing any Associate or Professional certification will also renew your Cloud Practitioner exam if you currently hold it.
Remember that certifications are broadly representative of your knowledge at a specific point in time. The real AWS mavens don’t wait until their certification expires – they build good habits to stay current and are obsessed with learning. Here are some tips for keeping your skills current.
If you are a tech team leader, you want to make sure your tech talents stay up to date with the latest releases and certifications. But bringing your team up to speed on AWS can take time you may not have. With our Cloud Certification Fast-track program, you can crush your certification goals with direct support from our team of cloud experts. Custom training, visibility into progress, and end-to-end program management are just some of the features. Contact our team today and request a free demo to find out how the program works.
This largely depends on the candidate’s existing experience and knowledge of AWS, in addition to the certification level looking to be obtained, Practitioner, Associate, Professional or Specialty. AWS states in their exam guide for each certification a suggested prerequisite amount of experience before tackling the exam. For example, the AWS Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03), suggests that you should have 1 year of hands-on experience designing available, cost-effective, fault-tolerant, and scalable distributed systems on AWS.
However, with dedication to your study and gaining hands-on practical experience using your own ‘free-tier’ account to get familiarity with the console and the services, you can pass your certifications without meeting these criteria. It is important to maintain a study schedule, and I would suggest at least 1 hour of study per day for the Practitioner and Associate levels, but aim to immerse yourself more each day for the Professional and Specialty levels.
The prices of the exams are different based on the level of the certification:
There are 4 different levels of certification with AWS
All AWS certifications are important and are a great asset to have from a professional standpoint. Deciding which one to take, or which one is ‘best’ largely depends on your interests, your role, and where you would like to take your career.
For example, If you enjoy working in the networking and architectural space, then the following route would be a great fit:
However, if you were a keen developer or were looking to move into application development, then you might select a different route:
So it really depends on what you are trying to achieve as an individual, and where you want to take your career.
Any certification that demonstrates your knowledge and expertise within the IT industry is certainly worth obtaining. In a market that is full of competition, being able to stand out above a crowd can help you get noticed and put you on your journey to achieve your professional goals.
If there are a number of candidates applying for a position, and all have the same credentials and experience, but one of them has a number of recognized AWS credentials to reinforce their knowledge, then this goes a long way in making you the chosen candidate.
It is not just about validating your knowledge however, it says a lot about you as a person. It shows commitment, dedication, the willingness to learn, the drive to stay at the forefront of innovation, and sometimes this demonstrates more to people than what the actual certification stands for.
Yes, you can now take AWS certifications online and from the comfort of your own home. There are some points that you need to be aware of all of which can be found online.
However to summarize, here are the key elements to be aware of:
With our Cloud Certification Fast-track program, you can crush your certification goals with direct support from our team of cloud experts. Custom training, visibility into progress, and end-to-end program management are just some of the features. Fill out the form to get a free demo and find out how the program works.
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