Introduction

As an aspiring AWS Solutions Architect, I recently took a significant step forward by completing the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam. This certification has not only deepened my understanding of AWS but also provided me with a strong foundation in cloud computing concepts. In this blog post, I'll share my experience, what I learned, and some tips for those who are considering taking this exam.

How I heard about cloud computing

In June 2023, I learned about AWS and cloud computing via a buddy who reconnected me with the African Leadership Xcelerator at https://www.alxafrica.com/. I've been informed that Mastercard, in collaboration with ALX, is providing six months of online training, which may prove beneficial for me despite my lack of technical experience. Software engineering, data analytics, Salesforce, and cloud computing were some of the courses offered. I had never heard of cloud computing until then. Even though I was aware of Amazon back then, I was unaware of all the services offered by Amazon Web Services.

Why I opted for cloud computing

I envision a transformed Africa through technology and innovation and have set myself to develop 1 million African youths by 2050 to become successful entrepreneurs. When I chanced on cloud computing as an emerging technology that is setting new trends in the tech ecosystem, I knew that was my go to course. I knew perfectly well that this was the world to which I wanted to belong. This space can enable me to fulfill my lifelong learning desire and condition me to give back to society exactly as I intend to. I can achieve the work life balance and resources that will enable me to focus on the aforementioned desire and vision.

Preparing for the Exam

Thorough preparation was the first step on my path to certification.

ALX put me through an introductory course that allowed me to become acquainted with the tech industry throughout the first three months. In addition, I learned about eight meta skills—soft skills—that would set me apart from the other job seekers. I was made to be a part of a community that includes thousands of newly enrolled students just like me. Numerous people had already begun, and a large number of people had finished cloud computing and other courses. Being a part of such a big, confident group filled with so much positive energy gave me comfort and confidence, and it really helped me get through the difficult times.

A few months after the ALX Foundational Course, I started with the official AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner training materials from the AWS Academy on Canva. The resources were well-structured and covered all the essential topics, including:

AWS Cloud concepts Overview
Cloud Economics and Billing
AWS Global Infrastructure
AWS Cloud Security
Networking and Content Delivery
Compute
Storage
Databases
Cloud Architecture
Automatic Scaling and Monitoring

To reinforce my learning, I also enrolled in AWS Educate - Cloud Services for Education and watched a lot of YouTube videos as well as question dumps from sthithapragna - YouTube (I highly recommend his videos, they were so helpful.)

This course provided practical insights and helped me understand the real-world applications of AWS services.

Study Strategy

My study strategy involved a mix of reading, hands-on practice, and taking practice exams. Here are the key steps I followed:

Reading and understanding concepts: I read every recommended book from AWS Academy and AWS Educate, including the ones my coaches at ALX recommended.
While few friends wanted to memorize the terms, I focused on understanding the core concepts and the various AWS services. I wanted to ensure I knew them for myself, not just for the exams.
Hands-on practice: I watched a lot of tutorials and practiced them using my free AWS account to gain practical expertise with the services. This hands-on approach made it easier for me to comprehend how various services work together and how to use them to create scalable solutions. Additionally, I did not skip over any of the lab exercises in the AWS Educate or Academy modules. I made sure I had taken the time to follow those instructions and practiced along.
Practice Exams: I took several practice exams to gauge my understanding and identify areas that needed improvement, from websites, YouTube, and the Kahoot simulations organized by my ALX coaches twice every week. Websites like AWSboy, Whizlabs, and Tutorials Dojo offer excellent practice tests that simulate the actual exam environment.

My highly recommended YouTube channel is sthithapragna - YouTube. Practice more questions from his channel and solve the quiz sets. It was so helpful.

Exam Day Experience

I experienced a mixture of excitement and anxiety on the day of the test. I went to a local Pearson Vue center to take my exam in person. Even though I had planned my exam for the afternoon, I arrived at the exam center extremely early in the morning. In order to prepare myself mentally for the experience, I wanted to acquaint myself with the surroundings.

There are 65 multiple-choice questions on the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam, and you have 90 minutes to finish it. The scenario-based questions assessed my knowledge of AWS services and recommended practices.

One tip I found helpful was to thoroughly go over each question and cross off any that were blatantly wrong. I was able to reduce my options and come to well-informed conclusions thanks to this method. Both Sthitha - YouTube and my coaches kept repeating that.

Observing the terminology utilized in the question itself proved to be another helpful hint, in my opinion. Those were the hints leading to the right response.

What I learned

The certification process was a great learning experience. Here are some key takeaways:

I now have a firm grasp of the principles of cloud computing and the advantages of utilizing AWS, including security, scalability, and cost savings.
I became familiar with the core AWS services, including EC2, S3, RDS, and Lambda. Understanding these services and their use cases is essential for anyone looking to work with AWS.
Security is a top priority in the cloud, and the certification process emphasized the importance of implementing security best practices and compliance measures.
I understood the various pricing tiers and plans that AWS provides, which can aid businesses in making the most out of their cloud computing expenditures.

Tips for aspiring cloud practitioners

For those considering the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam, here are a few tips:

I highly recommend ALX to any starter. Do not walk along; help is indeed available. Belonging to a community of likeminded individuals who are going where you are going is highly crucial to this learning experience. Some have made it on their own, but it will be more comforting to achieve this milestone together in a group.
Start with the basics. Make sure you have a good understanding of cloud computing fundamentals before diving into AWS-specific topics. Don’t memorize terms; focus on understanding them instead.
Use multiple resources. Utilize a variety of study materials, including official AWS resources, online courses, and practice exams.
Focus on getting hands-on experience. Practical experience is invaluable. Set up an AWS free tier account and experiment with different services. Watch YouTube videos, practice lab activities, and do a lot of simulations. This experience can never be taken away from you.
Practice, practice, practice: Take as many practice exams as possible to get comfortable with the exam format and identify areas for improvement. You can stick to only https://www.youtube.com/@sthithapragnakk or explore others after you are done with his, like https://www.awsboy.com/aws-practice-exams/practitioner/technology-questions/ https://www.whizlabs.com/cloud-certification-training-courses/ https://tutorialsdojo.com/ and a whole lot more.

Conclusion

Completing the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam has been a rewarding experience. It has equipped me with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the AWS ecosystem and laid a strong foundation for my future endeavors in cloud computing. I encourage anyone interested in cloud technology to pursue this certification and embark on their own learning journey.

One important lesson I've personally learned is that, when presented with difficult work I don't know how to do, I should prepare well enough to meet the deadline and have faith in my ability to complete it instead of being afraid. Success always ensues when opportunity meets preparation. Since I had just recently learned about AWS and had no prior experience with technology, I can tell you, dear beginner, that it is possible—I passed the foundations exam. If you only study hard enough for the test, you'll do well.

Thank you for reading! If you have any questions or need further guidance, feel free to reach out.

My Journey to becoming an AWS certified cloud practitioner