How I Achieved an AWS Solutions Architect - Associate Certification

So, I’ve been diving into some cool tech lately—Data Science, IoT, Cybersecurity, and of course, Cloud Computing. Cloud tech really grabbed my attention because it’s everywhere these days. Companies are moving to the cloud left and right, and I wanted to get in on the action. AWS seemed like the perfect place to start.

Starting My Cloud Adventure

AWS has this awesome free tier for students, which gave me a whole year to play around with their services. I was hooked, so I decided to take it up a notch with AWS Cloud Quest, which is part of their AWS SkillsBuilder program. After wrapping up about 30 hands-on assignments, I snagged the AWS Cloud Practitioner badge. That gave me a nice boost and got me fired up to go for the AWS Solutions Architect - Associate certification.

How I Prepared

To get ready for the certification, I grabbed a Udemy course by Stephane Marek for Rs.399. It was a 24-hour course that took me about a month to finish, with 2-3 hours of study each day. I didn’t just watch the videos, though—I practiced with AWS services and did a few projects to really get the hang of things.

I also picked up a practice test set from Tutorials Dojo for Rs.800 (thanks to a sale). The course was super detailed and practical, and the practice tests were spot on for what I needed. At first, I struggled with the practice tests, failing quite a few. But I kept track of what I was missing and went back to the course material to brush up on those areas. Gradually, my scores got better, and I felt ready to book the real deal.

Booking the Exam

I initially set my exam date for August 17, 2024, but after some intense last-minute studying, I felt ready to take it sooner. So, I bumped it up to August 3rd. I chose to go to an offline Pearson VUE test center in Hyderabad since there were no centers in Nanded.

The exam usually costs $150 USD plus taxes, but I was lucky to find a discount voucher from a Reddit post, so I only paid $119 USD.

Journey to Hyderabad

With the exam set, I planned my trip from Nanded to Hyderabad. On August 2nd, I took a train from Nanded to Lingampalli. I arrived at Begumpet station on the morning of August 3rd, then hopped on a local train to Borabanda. From there, I went to my relative’s house to get some rest. The test center was just 3.5 kilometers away from their place, so I used the time to review my notes.

Exam Day Vibes

The test center in Hyderabad was super clean and quiet. After checking in with my ID, I locked up my stuff (watch, wallet, phone) in a locker and headed to the exam room. There were computers all around, and only one other person was taking an exam at the same time.

The test was 130 minutes long, but since I’m a non-native English speaker, I got an extra 30 minutes, making it a total of 160 minutes. The first few questions were on S3, and I was so nervous that I could barely make sense of them at first. I had to take a few deep breaths and calm down. I started over, and even though I wasn’t 100% sure about some of the answers, I made educated guesses and didn’t leave any questions blank.

It was a grueling 160 minutes. I took a quick water break, but the clock kept ticking the whole time. By the end, my eyes were burning from staring at the screen, and I was pretty unsure about how I did.

The Big News

The next morning, I checked my email at 6 AM, and there it was—an email from AWS saying, “Congratulations, you just earned a badge from AWS (Solutions Architect - Associate)!” The relief and excitement were through the roof.

Wrapping Up

This journey wasn’t a walk in the park, but it was totally worth it. The AWS Solutions Architect - Associate certification isn’t just a certificate—it’s a symbol of all the hard work and dedication I put into this. If you’re thinking about going for it, my advice is simple: stay curious, keep pushing yourself, and don’t give up, no matter how tough it gets.

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