Passing AWS Solution Architect Professional
Doing AWS Solution Architect Professional is like following road signs. It is intangible, it does not make you money, it does not teach you to make website. You just need to know enough to pass the exam and I advise you to take a breath first search approach to explore. The 5 domains are just nonsense. After reading them, you may ask yourself why you waste your precious life to do this. This is the worst marketing I have ever seen.
Passing AWS solution architect Professional is not that easy. The skills you need to master are:
Have ideas of more than 30+ AWS services Know details on critical AWS services like EC2, S3, Route 53 and Security and VPC Read fast, reasoning fast, which can practice through mock exam At this time, you are an AWS Solution Architect Associate, but you have no idea why you pass the exam, and of course, you don’t know much about AWS cloud. How to advance to professional?
1. Read the requirement
The first thing you do is to read the requirement, you just read it and then print it out, pin it to the wall somewhere, just to remind you why you study.
Every day, you read a paper or a video or an AWS reinvent show, you can tie up your idea to a point in the exam guide.
Domain 1: Design for Organizational Complexity 12.5%
Domain 2: Design for New Solutions 31%
Domain 3: Migration Planning 15%
Domain 4: Cost Control 12.5%
Domain 5: Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions 29%
2. Have an idea on 30+ AWS service
Now you have to find someone who can help you to know as many AWS service as you can in a visual way, I think ACloudGuru https://acloud.guru/ really helps you to get a grip on these services. I have seen reviews you that even you study through the course, you DON’T know how to start a project, you DON’T know how to create a website. I don’t deny it. I think ACloudGuru does its job, to introduce you as many AWS services you need to know in the exam. The subscription service is of good value, you can access to many courses.
For example, I am a developer, I don’t have much idea on networking. AWS Solution architect professional course also does not says much on networking, firewall, and AWS Direct Connect, but you can watch the AWS Advanced network certification course to get the idea.
ACloudGuru also helps you to build up your VPC skill, which is very important.
3. Know details on critical AWS service
As an AWS solution architect associate, you know how to use it, when to use it. Now, as a solution architect professional, you have to make decision on how to use these critical AWS services efficiently. This is the part that you need to read WHITE PAPER. Read white papers when you have fragment time, read more of it, you get more ideas to sleep on. You then sit down and allocate 2-3 hours every week to consolidate your ideas.
To study the exam, the best way is to do mock exams. A good mock exam can be found at Udemy. https://www.udemy.com/course/aws-solutions-architect-professional-practice-exams-amazon/learn/quiz/4473244/results?expanded=217468506#overview
The objective of doing these papers is to give you ideas on the 5 domains. By now you should know what the 5 domains are.
4. Practice, read fast, reasoning fast
The final objective is to practice, this is not an easy exam. You need to answer questions very fast. I am an Asian I don’t complain that. This is my edge. I know how to pass the exam by sitting down, doing mock exams, and doing mock exams faster. I don’t know why the exam is designed in this way and I don’t care.
This AWS free course helps your preparation. https://www.aws.training/Details/eLearning?id=34737
Now you have mock exams from ACloud Guru and Udemy too, and you know the 5 domains. You now book the exam and hope you pass
5. Final words
You should at the end of the studying journey, have done the following
Read 20+ white paper, just grab the idea Do mock exams a couple of times, and ensure that you have 80% or above. I have done 13 times, average 2 times per mock exam Create a mind map, like this https://mm.tt/1336038621?t=VeN0xGMrVx Book the exam, and allocate some time before the exam to do a final preparation. My mock exam result
| Round | Score |
|---|---|
| 1 | 47% |
| 2 | 78% |
| 3 | 95% |
| 4 | 58% |
| 5 | 66% |
| 6 | 60% |
| 7 | 58% |
| 8 | 90% |
| 9 | 90% |
| 10 | 90% |
| 11 | 90% |
| 12 | 75% |
| 13 | 83% |
My final result is 826/1000, 750 is required to pass.