Today’s post is going to be a short one, I just renewed my AWS Solutions Architect - Associate certification and gained the AWS AI Practitioner certification and thought I would share some tips that helped me through both.

  • Read the questions thoroughly: there’s usually 1-2 keywords that will make one answer stand out.
  • Read the answers thoroughly: I’ve found that the pattern is usually 1 off the wall answer, 2 that are similar, and one that seems plausible, but still kind of out there. Look for the ones that seem similar, this will help you zero in on what the real answer is. Go back and re-read them, then re-read the question and consider what is being asked. Is it about cost, efficiency, or something else?
  • Use the flag for review button frequently: I find if a question isn’t absolutely obvious or I’m spending longer than 30 second re-reading the question, its time to flag it and skip. The goal is to get through the ones you know and let the ones you don’t simmer in the back of your mind.
  • Take practice exams on Udemy: I find the most effective way to study is to find a course of practice exams and take them. Additionally, the practice exams update as the exams update, so its a one time investment that will help you for years to come.
  • Focus on the new tech: In the exams (and the practice exams), there’s usually a a few technologies or patterns that AWS is really pushing. If you take notice of these patterns, you can take a more educated guess to the answer.
  • Pick a good time for your exam: Make sure to pick a time for your exam when you’re not going to be stressed or distracted. Trying to take a test at the end of a hard work day isn’t the best option.
  • When in doubt, guess: When none of the answers make sense, don’t waste your time on the question. Flag it, or if you’re in the review stage, just make a guess. You have a 25% chance to get it right.

One last tip, the exams are talking the talk, you have to walk the walk as well. If you exercise the knowledge you have and apply your skills to make your code cloud native, future tests won’t be as hard (they’ll still be hard, but some skills you’ll have practiced enough that you couldn’t get any question wrong about them).

Good luck to all who are taking the exams, and I hope these tips will help!