Increase your AWS Certification exam readiness

As AWS Technical Trainers, we frequently teach AWS certification courses to both public audiences and in private-onsite training for AWS customers. Many people participating in these courses are preparing for AWS Certification exams, whether our foundational AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner or one that focuses on a technical domain, such as AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty. One of the most common questions we get from course takers is, how should I prepare for this exam?

In this blog post, we are going to cover our top four tips for exam preparation that apply to any AWS Certification you may be pursuing. Specifically, we are sharing suggestions for increasing your exam readiness. AWS Certification exams are timed, proctored exams, so preparing for the exam experience is also important. For many people, it has been years since they last sat for an exam, and knowing what to expect increases their confidence on exam day.

If this is your first AWS Certification exam, it’s helpful to know that AWS Certification offers role-based certifications for those in cloud practitioner, architect, developer, and operations roles, as well as specialty certifications in specific technical areas. Each exam covers a broad range of AWS services and allows you to demonstrate your expertise and relevant skills by domain.

Whether you’re pursuing an AWS Certification for the first time, or seeking to maintain your AWS Certified status with recertification, here are the top four things you can do to get ready for your next exam:

1) Review the exam guide. AWS Certification provides exam guides for each certification. These exam guides cover the content domains of the exam, suggested experience for candidates, question types on the exam, and scoring information. Reviewing the recommended knowledge and the exam domains are generally the first step in determining whether you are pursuing the AWS Certification that best aligns with your experience. You can find all of our exam guides on the AWS Certification Exam Preparation page on our website.

2) Attend an AWS training. AWS offers a multitude of online and in-person training. These courses go in-depth on AWS concepts and align nicely with the AWS Certifications. Course levels range from introductory one-day overviews, to advanced and specialty courses spanning multiple days. In addition to AWS trainings, exam readiness training teaches you how to interpret exam questions, apply concepts being tested by the exam, and allocate your study time. This training is offered for specific AWS Certifications, but does not go into depth on relevant products and services for the exam. Rather, exam readiness training supplements your domain knowledge and hands-on experience.

3) Sign up for a Get Certified Virtual Exam Readiness training. AWS is currently offering free, live exam readiness webinars. These webinars cover exam readiness content for specific AWS Certification exams, including walk-throughs of sample questions to understand the rationale behind correct and incorrect answer choices. An AWS-accredited instructor hosts a Q&A so you can ask questions you may have about the exam. Sign up for a webinar today, and check back for additional options as more sessions are added each week.

4) Take a practice exam. AWS Certification offers practice exams for most certifications. These practice exams test your knowledge in a timed, online environment that is similar to the experience you will have for your certification exam. Knowing how to navigate, how to flag questions for follow-up, where the timer is on the screen, and what to expect in terms of question format is a great way to prepare for your exam. The practice exams also give you a score report to help guide additional preparation. Register through your AWS Certification Account.

With these exam readiness resources to help, you can get ready to validate your cloud skills with an industry-recognized credential. For more resources specific to preparing for an AWS Certification exam, you can also explore all of our exam preparation resources.