AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification Exam: What Worked for Me

I've always been a decent test-taker; I don't get very anxious for tests, I don't second guess myself during tests, and I usually finish within plenty of time with a relatively high passing grade. But I haven't taken a test for a couple years now, and I was worried prior to taking my AWS Cloud Practitioner exam that I would be out of practice.

And I was - in terms of studying and confidence - but I still managed to prepare thoroughly and even pass on the first try! So what worked for me?

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If you've considered taking the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification exam, I would like to offer some advice on how I found effective study methods and resources (you may be surprised about my final and most effective method), and if you've also already taken the exam and passed (congratulations!) then please offer your own advice in the comments as well!

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How long did I study?

So the first question you may be asking as you are first thinking about taking this is exam is "How long should I take to prepare before signing up and taking the exam?" I think this answer will and should differ person to person. This totally depends on your personal timeline for when you want to be certified, how many additional hours in the day you have or are willing to use toward studying, and many other factors! I originally intended to do the AWS Challenge at work where you were to complete the exam within a month of taking the course and studying. This did not happen as I did not have enough time to dedicate to studying within that timeframe, but I did set myself a deadline to register for an exam by the end of September, so I buckled down and settled into a more serious pattern of studying at that point. In the end, I studied and prepared for the exam for a little under 2 months and was able to pass in that timeframe. This was also with 0 prior knowledge or experience with AWS, so if you've had some hands on experience already you may need less time, or if you feel like 2 months doesn't give you enough time to fully prepare then it could be longer. Be mindful of your schedule and energy, and you will do just fine taking it whenever you feel is best!

What resources did I use?

What were my study methods?

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Conclusion

The night before my exam and even during the exam I did not feel very confident in my answers and understanding. I had been getting consistent 50-65% on all of the practice tests, and I felt like I was still confused about various topics; however, I did feel like studying the night before and using the AWS documentation actually helped me recall a lot of information I don't think I would have otherwise. Through my "last minute" studying I was able to write out my understanding of different concepts or how services differed. I created a pneumonic for the Well-Architected Framework (CROPS - if that helps you), and all of these written notes were glued to my brain when it came time for the test.

So practice tests helped me to understand what the questions might look like and what concepts would be present, but researching on my own and taking notes that helped ME with the items I was confused about helped with recollection so much more!

How did you study for AWS? What worked for you?