AWS Training and Certification Blog

New and improved AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials course to build your AWS Cloud knowledge

Editor’s Note 5/3/2021: originally published 12/11/2020. Article has been updated to reflect availability of AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials course on Coursera and edX.

Whether you’re watching a show on a video streaming service, depositing a check using your mobile device, participating in a virtual meeting, or even ordering a latte from a coffee shop, many of the things you do every day rely on services that run in the cloud. As a result, organizations have a high and growing demand for staff with cloud skills—and it’s not just among IT staff or engineers. Organizations are seeing the benefits of investing in cloud fluency training across the business, including increased employee confidence to innovate faster and experiment more, and increased collaboration between business and technical staff to translate customer needs into technical solutions.

If you’re new to the cloud, working in a non-technical role, or looking to learn the fundamentals of the AWS Cloud, our AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials digital course is the place to start. We’ve launched an updated version of this free course to help anyone—from an executive, to a financial analyst, to a developer—upskill and start their learning journey to cloud fluency on AWS. This updated course is more structured, interactive, and includes knowledge checks and learner activity within each module. It replaces the now retired English version of AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials (Second Edition) and is available on demand across the globe.

Learn AWS Cloud fundamentals on demand, anytime, for free

The AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials course is our most popular digital course, helping you learn the AWS Cloud fundamentals wherever you are, whenever you want. This free, six-hour course covers essential information about the AWS Cloud so you can be comfortable discussing AWS and why it’s beneficial to your business. You’ll build AWS Cloud knowledge by learning about AWS Cloud concepts, core AWS services, security, architecture, pricing, support, and more.

“Our customers look to us to help them build the cloud skills required to succeed with AWS services and solutions,” said Scott Barneson, director of Learning Products, AWS Training and Certification. “With the AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials course, customers gain foundational knowledge of the AWS Cloud at their own pace. As their knowledge grows, they can pursue AWS Certification and start to see how the AWS Cloud can help them innovate at a more rapid pace.”

The AWS Cloud Practitioners Essentials course also helps you to prepare for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam. Answer a series of checkpoint questions to test the knowledge you’ve gained in the course, and then review strategies that help you increase your chances of earning your certification.

Additional learning resources to grow your cloud knowledge

Once you complete the course, you’ll have a good foundation to build on. If you want to continue to build your knowledge and boost your skills, here are a few resources to help you on your learning path:

  • The free AWS Ramp-Up Guide: Cloud Practitioner is the go-to reference for business and technical professionals to continue building a foundational knowledge of the AWS Cloud. The guide provides resources, including digital and virtual classroom training, videos, hands-on labs, whitepapers, and more, in a logical learning progression.
  • Continue your preparation toward AWS Certification by learning more about AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and exploring our available preparation resources.
  • The AWS Power Hour: Cloud Practitioner series on the AWS Twitch channel is a fun and informal way to learn the fundamentals of the AWS Cloud. This six-episode series guides you through demonstrations and real-world examples, and provides tips, resources, and exercises to help you prepare for AWS Certification. Watch the on demand episodes so you can review at your convenience.

For learners who have previously taken AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials (Second Edition), or were in the process of completing it, the new AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials course is another option to refresh or continue your cloud learning journey.

Learn more about the AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials digital course and start learning AWS Cloud fundamentals today. This course is also now available via our Digital Training Providers, Coursera and edX.