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How to Become an AWS Certified Architect
Myles Brown | Thursday, March 14, 2019
Why should you become an AWS Certified Architect in 2020?
Amazon offers almost everything to customers nowadays. On just the click of a mouse by giving a verbal command to Alexa, you can have anything delivered to your home on the same day or the next day. Amazon also provides cloud products and services through its AWS platform, right from content delivery to DB migrations, Amazon Web Services has become the one-stop solution for almost all organizations to run the business efficiently.
- With an annual business of $10 billion and still growing, AWS has become one of the leading cloud computing technologies because of its scalability, high security, and cost-effective cloud services.
- A Gartner survey found that Amazon cloud is ten times bigger than its next 14 competitors combined.
- With over 1300 new product releases in 2018, the AWS cloud platform is continuously evolving.
- AWS experts are in high demand with Amazon controlling 33% of the cloud computing market.
- According to a Business Insider Salary survey, having an AWS certification can get an individual an average of 26% increase in their salary.
- Robert Half Technology’s 2019 IT salary report ranked Cloud Architect job role as the second most in-demand tech job for 2019.
These stats are convincing enough to understand the importance of an AWS certification and why people are chasing the AWS Architect certification for a lucrative career in cloud computing technology. Regardless of whether you want to expand your cloud computing knowledge with a marketable credential or want to land a top gig as a cloud professional, having an AWS Architect certification is a must. Of all the AWS certifications available in the market, AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification is the most popular and money making certification in the IT world. Having understood the significance of an AWS Solutions Architect certification, it is highly recommended you undergo a comprehensive AWS Architect Training curriculum before taking the AWS Certified Architect-Associate exam so that you can pass the certification in the first attempt. This blog post will serve as a complete guide to help candidates prepare for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect exam.
All that you need to know about AWS Certified Solutions Architect Certification
AWS Certified Solutions Architect certification is ranked as the #1 cloud certification for two consecutive years. It is the first level of AWS certification for beginners and professionals that tests a candidates knowledge in designing distributed applications. This certification includes an in-depth understanding of the deployment of AWS systems, AWS best practices, and several other topics. The exam validates an individual’s knowledge and understanding of the following concepts -
- Design, manage and implement highly available and scalable distributed applications on AWS. (This tests your knowledge of AWS infrastructure and concepts).
- Your ability to guide organizations on AWS implementation as per the best practices throughout the entire project lifecycle by choosing the best AWS services based on data, compute, database, and security requirements.
- AWS related data security practices.
- Estimating AWS costs and identifying the best cost control mechanism.
- Disaster recovery methods and troubleshooting.
Who are the ideal candidates to take the AWS Certified Architect Exam?
- Absolute beginners in AWS. This exam does not mandate any prior AWS experience. We recommend taking the AWS Technical Essentials and Architecting on AWS course if you’ve had no prior experience beforehand.
- Enterprise architects, developers, and system engineers interested in hosting and deploying highly scalable and fault-tolerant applications on AWS cloud
What does the AWS Certified Architect Exam add to your career?
Becoming a certified AWS Solutions Architect will validate your knowledge and skills in working with the most popular cloud computing platform. It shows your proficiency in working with AWS cloud. So what will this certification add to your career?
- Increased number of opportunities to earn a rewarding and lucrative cloud computing job.
- Most in-demand skills always earn more money so that one can expect a minimum of 26% increase in their existing salary.
- AWS Architect credential is globally recognized and makes your resume marketable.
AWS Certified Architect Exam tests a candidate on theoretical as well practical knowledge both of which can be gained with ExitCertified’s comprehensive AWS courses wherein candidates learn how to manage and deploy AWS cloud implementation through best practices.
AWS Certified Architect Associate Exam Information
AWS certification exams are challenging, and one will need to have in-depth understanding and information about the AWS Certified Architect Associate Exam to succeed in the first attempt. To pass the exam and earn AWS architect credentials, candidates will be required to prove their ability to work with various AWS services, such as architecting and deploying robust, scalable, and secure applications. To help you successfully prepare for the AWS Architect certification, below is all the required information –
| The format of the Exam | Multiple Choice and Multiple Answer Exam |
| Duration of the Exam | 130 Minutes |
| Languages in which the Exam is Available | English, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese |
| Cost for taking the Certification Exam | $150 |
| Cost for taking the Recertification Exam | $75 |
| Cost for taking the Practice Exam | $20 |
| Expected Number of Questions | 55 - 60 |
| Retake Period | Fourteen days after the first attempt. This is cooldown period. |
| Recertification Period | Recertification is required after every 3 years. |
| Recommended Course for the Passing Exam | |
| Recommended Training for beginners |
Not sure where to start? Check out the AWS Assessment tool to know which course is the right starting point for you.
Frequently Asked Questions about AWS Certified Architect Exam
- How are the AWS certification credentials validated?
AWS certification comes with a validation number present on the bottom right of the certificate that helps your certificate verification.
- Where does the actual AWS architect certification exam take place?
Any AWS certification exam is proctored at designated PSI test-taking facilities. You need to carry along your identity card at the test center and arrive 15 minutes ahead of time. You are not allowed to carry a mobile phone or any other electronic devices. The only material that you will have with you during the exam is a pen and a dry-erase whiteboard.
- Is the AWS certification exam an open book exam?
All AWS certification exams are closed Internet and closed book exams.
- What is the best way to prepare for the AWS Architect Certification Exam?
Individuals who are preparing to take the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam can take ExitCertified’s 4-hour AWS Architect Certification Readiness Workshop that focuses on A to Z preparation for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect-Associate exam. The cost of taking this preparation course is $300 USD.
- What AWS and IT knowledge will the exam test for?
Every AWS certification comes with an exam blueprint that gives a clear overview of the exam content, the percentage of questions for each domain, and helpful resources to prepare for the exam. You can see that the exam blueprint for AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate Certification gives a detailed mention of the topics on storage, security, databases, networking, and more that you will be tested on in the exam. The AWS Certified Exam content includes –
| Topic | Percentage Weight in Exam |
| Defining Operationally Excellent AWS Architectures | 6% |
| Designing Cost Optimized AWS Architecture | 10% |
| Designing Performant AWS Architectures | 26% |
| Specifying Secure AWS Architectures | 24% |
| Designing Resilient AWS Architectures | 34% |
For more FAQ’s on AWS Certification – Click Here
Frequently Asked Questions about AWS Certified Architect Exam
The best way to begin preparing for the AWS Architect Associate exam is to follow the Exam Blueprint step by step to ensure you are well-versed with all the technologies and concepts that are likely to be asked in the exam. We suggest you use a variety of study resources from official AWS documentation to comprehensive online AWS courses from ExitCertified. A quick list of valuable AWS resources that you can follow for AWS Certified Architect Associate exam preparation –
- Enroll in Instructor-led AWS Courses – It might seem a little pricey but is always the best way to prepare for any AWS certification. ExitCertified offers a comprehensive Instructor-led Architecting on AWS course that will increase your knowledge about cloud computing on AWS. Our AWS training course will save you a lot of time with certification preparation as it will guide you with hands-on practice on the areas and topics that you will actually be tested on. The course follows a “learn by doing” approach where individuals get hands-on practice experimenting with various AWS services. The course has been designed by highly professional subject matter experts and mentored by experienced AWS professionals guaranteed to lead you on the path of success.
- Read Whitepapers - AWS recommends you read the Whitepapers bundled under “AWS Well-Architected Framework” as most of the questions in the AWS Certified Architect Exam are based off it. For beginners who are just starting up with building and deploying AWS applications, these whitepapers are a great learning resource to prepare for the associate exam. The valuable information present in these whitepapers can help you answer most of the questions in the exam.
- Do NOT miss out the Practice Exam – Just by paying a couple of bucks ($20), you can take the practice exam. Taking the AWS Solution Architect Certification practice exam will give you a clear outline of the questions you will be asked. After the exam, you will get to know your strengths and weaknesses on a particular topic so that you can work upon your weak areas before attempting for the actual certification exam. Practice, Practice, and Practice to ease out any worries or stress you have about the certification exam.
- AWS YouTube Channel -A Great Starting Point – When traveling to work on the train or having a few minutes of spare time, just watch a video on AWS official YouTube Channel. The channel has tons of videos that will endow you with a pool of information on different AWS services keeping you up-to-date with the latest releases.
- AWS user groups are also a great source of knowledge to understand the practical applications of AWS across various industries. One can also ask questions in the meetings and have them answered from experienced AWS professionals.
Sources used in this article:
- A Gartner survey found that Amazon cloud is ten times bigger than its next 14 competitors combined.
- With over 1300 new product releases in 2018, the AWS cloud platform is continuously evolving.
- AWS experts are in high demand with Amazon controlling 33% of the cloud computing market.
- Robert Half Technology’s 2019 IT salary report ranked Cloud Architect job role as the second most in-demand tech job for 2019.
