In my professional journey, I've always been curious and developing myself to constantly try to expand my skill set. Recently, I passed the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam on my first try. This accomplishment has inspired me to share my journey with you, in the hopes that it will serve as both inspiration and guidance for your own AWS journey. To deepen my knowledge and familiarity with the world of AWS, I decided to join the AWS CloudUp for her program, a fantastic community-based learning pathway for women worldwide with helps from AWS mentors. 👯‍♀️

My preparation

• Exam Guide: I downloaded the exam guide provided by AWS, which offered valuable insights into the exam content and areas to focus my studies.
• AWS Skill Builder: I completed the free AWS Skill Builder course and used it to practice with Official Practice Question Sets and Exam Prep Courses. I also used Notion for note-taking, especially for the mistakes I made on the questions.
• AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials: I highly recommend this course, which covers AWS Cloud concepts, services, security, architecture, pricing, and support through videos, demonstrations, and knowledge checks.
• Labs: With the CloudUp for her program, I participated in workshop labs to get hands-on practices and attended Q&A sessions. I also signed up for a free-tier account to practice on AWS.
• Documentation: As a developer, I've always found documentation to be incredibly helpful. I used Compare AWS Support Plans and AWS FAQs to solidify my knowledge from the Skill Builder.
• Question Sets: Apart from the official sets, I tried LinkedIn Learning and Tutorial Dojo (both free) and found LinkedIn to be more challenging than the actual exam.

My Exam Experience

Scheduling the online exam was a breeze, with plenty of date and time slots available, including weekends. I scheduled my exam only a day before I felt I was ready to take the exam.

One thing I learned the hard way was the importance of checking in at least 30 minutes before the exam. After taking the pictures of my room and identity, I queued at least 10 minutes with other candidates for the proctor to check my exam room and identity. I only have my laptop on my desk, and no watch on my hands. Throughout the exam, I could flag questions for review or jot down comments, but toilet breaks or stand up weren't allowed, so I stayed seated the whole time. After the review stage, you’re given a survey for your exam experience.

Finally, with a mixture of nerves and excitement, I clicked "submit" and was overjoyed to see a "PASS" result. The next day, I received my exam score and a badge in my Credly account.

While AWS keeps exam content confidential, they do provide insights into areas where you can improve. So, if you're considering pursuing your Cloud Practitioner Certification, my advice is simple: go for it! Remember, even the smallest achievements can lead to something truly remarkable💪