How I Passed the AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam in 30 Days

Introduction

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is an entry-level certification offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that validates a basic understanding of cloud computing concepts and AWS services.
It covers concepts like what the cloud is, why companies use it, and how AWS helps businesses grow.
With this certification, you’ll get a solid overview of the wide range of services AWS offers — and you’ll start to see why it’s the go-to cloud provider for businesses around the world.

With close to 3 years of experience as a Quality Assurance Engineer, I’ve recently shifted focus toward cybersecurity.
Cloud plays a major role in cybersecurity today, so learning AWS fundamentals felt like a natural next step.
When you're moving into cybersecurity, it's easy to focus only on threats and tools — but cloud knowledge is becoming just as important.
I looked into which cloud provider is used the most — and AWS was clearly leading the pack. So it made sense to start there.
I decided to go with a beginner-friendly certification that would help me understand the basics of AWS and get comfortable with how cloud services work.
The AWS Cloud Practitioner certification gave me clarity on things like the shared responsibility model, identity and access management (IAM), and how security is handled differently in the cloud.

I used 2 Udemy courses (PAID) for the entire preparation for this certification.
Links to them
- https://www.udemy.com/share/103a093@GwuNG75zHVnnn--qMNkL1Op_nHfLqp2y0DCt4et88aEXMTktMMHzkpaYSZfiCfsl/ : COURSE VIDEOS
- https://www.udemy.com/share/103e7s3@odYOBnx0ZFVrr8sNVY4aCNDr22BcwUlDrx23ZcNM7Y07jKJGWpigHi1hcv3dBp8H/ : 6 PRACTICE EXAMS
Both the above courses are created by Stephane Maarek.
The content is clearly explained, and the practice exams closely mirror the actual exam format, making them extremely effective for preparation.

The course videos add up to about 14.5 hours.
By studying just an hour a day, I was able to finish the whole thing in around 15 days.
There are 6 full-length practice exams included, each covering a wide range of topics.
I spent about 2–3 hours on each one — not just answering the questions, but also reviewing every option, including the incorrect ones, to really understand the reasoning behind them.
This was key to passing the exam.

Use Flash cards for key terms and concepts.
Understand all the options, including the incorrect ones , in the practice exam.
AWS Well-Architected Framework and Shared Responsibility Model are very important topics.
Understand Server vs Serverless: Learn the difference between server-based services (like EC2) and serverless options (like Lambda). Knowing which service does what will help you answer a lot of exam questions with confidence.

I took the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam online through Pearson VUE, which meant I could give it from home — but with some strict rules in place.
Before the exam, I had to:
- Verify my ID
- Take pictures of my room and desk setup from multiple angles
- Ensure that no one else was around and that my workspace was completely clean
The proctor monitored everything through my webcam and microphone. Once everything was set up, the exam began.
There are a total of 65 questions out of which 50 are scored questions and 15 are unscored questions.
Format of questions are multiple choice and multiple answer.
If you encounter questions you never studied for and that seem really hard, keep your cool and remember they may be unscored questions.
Total time for the exam is 90 minutes, I was able to finish it within 60 minutes.
The certification is valid for 3 years.

If you're just starting out in tech or pivoting into cybersecurity like me, the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification is a great step.
It helps you build a solid foundation in cloud basics — something that’s essential to understanding how security works in today’s cloud-driven world.
Overall, it’s a great certification that adds real value to your resume and lays the groundwork for future opportunities.

Now that I’ve completed both the CompTIA Security+ and AWS Cloud Practitioner certifications, I’m continuing my deep dive into cybersecurity.
My next blog will cover the Pre-Security Learning Path on TryHackMe — a beginner-friendly, hands-on journey into the world of cybersecurity.
This is the second blog of the series where I document my path from beginner to cybersecurity professional — one certification, one tool, and one lab at a time.