Passing the Exam
I’ve been working on breaking into the cloud industry, and AWS certifications seemed like the best way to get there. I wanted to complete these exams with a really low budget just to show how many useful resources are out there that are completely free and will enable you to learn cloud technology with minimal spending. After earning my AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification, I decided to move on to the AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam. If you’re new to cloud computing or want to start with the basics, I recommend completing the AWS CCP exam first. You can check out my post, Easily Pass AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam (CLF-C02), for tips on acing it.
While I didn’t consider it a huge milestone, this was the first challenging exam I’d taken in a while. After just over a month of focused revision, I was pleased to pass with a score of 834 (83%). Here’s how I prepared for the exam and the resources that helped me along the way.
1. Starting with FreeCodeCamp’s Video by Andrew Brown
The Important Video
I began my preparation with Andrew Brown’s comprehensive video (A whole 50 hours) on FreeCodeCamp’s YouTube channel. This was my introduction to the exam content and served as the perfect starting point. The video provided a high-level overview of AWS services, making it easier to understand the main concepts. The breakdown of topics was really digestible, and I appreciated that Andrew didn’t overload me with information right away. Instead, he took his time to explain everything clearly, which helped me build a solid foundation.
The link for Andrew’s FreeCodeCamp video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Cn4xYfxJY&t=3155s
The Labs
He provides labs throughout for each section and I would recommend following along for the most part so you get some hands-on experience. Although I didn’t do all of the labs myself, just the ones I thought I would benefit from the most, I tried to guess what he would do next and sort of make my own spin on things.
Key Takeaways
One of the key takeaways from this video was gaining a clearer understanding of how AWS services are designed to work together effectively and how this is done within the AWS environment. This foundational knowledge helped me feel more confident when completing the exam questions, especially given most questions are scenario-based.
2. Using Tutorials Dojo Practice Exams and Revision Notes
Tutorials Dojo Practice Exams
After completing the full FreeCodeCamp video, I found I was comfortable with the basics, and wanted to dive deeper into the exam specifics. That’s when I decided to buy the TutorialsDojo practice exams and revision notes/cards for $15. This investment was totally worth it. The test papers provided mock exams that were similar to the real thing, which helped me get into the mindset of answering exam-style questions.
TD Revision Material
There were various types of revision material for AWS concepts that a solutions architect should know. This includes diagrams with key concepts comparing similar resources and also just key information about resources. This made it easier to quickly review key points during my study sessions.
They also include interactive material where you can play various flashcard-type games that help you remember and store things to memory a little easier. On top of this, they even provide free cheatsheets on their website (YES, you can pay for the exact cheatsheet for your exam, I almost did. But all the info is already there so it’s not compulsory).
Link to cheatsheets: https://tutorialsdojo.com/aws-cheat-sheets/
Key Takeaways
One of the best parts of using TutorialsDojo was how well it covered the exam domains. Whether it was EC2, VPC, or IAM, I felt confident tackling each section after going through the test papers. They also offered explanations for the answers, which helped me understand why certain answers were correct and others were not.
Genuine Review
Hats off to Tutorials Dojo, they do a really good job of providing solid questions, and you get 8 papers of 65 questions. There are multiple sections with different areas. You can test yourself on failed questions. The interface itself isn’t too difficult to use. You get detailed answers that are well-explained for each option.
It makes it easy to understand what topics you are weak on and to top it off they provide you with some revision materials which are also quite useful.
Link To The Practice Exams: https://portal.tutorialsdojo.com/courses/aws-certified-solutions-architect-associate-practice-exams/
3. Learning More with A Cloud Guru (Adrian Cantrill – Learn Cantrill)
The YouTube Channel
Once I had a solid understanding of the exam topics, I wanted to expand my knowledge further. That’s when I found Adrian Cantrill on YouTube at Learn Cantrill. His channel is full of in-depth AWS tutorials, and I found it to be an excellent resource for diving deeper into specific services. The videos really helped me understand how different AWS services work together to create scalable, secure, and cost-effective solutions.
He has many videos explaining how to design a multi-tier architecture using EC2 instances, load balancers, and RDS databases. The channel has multiple tutorials where he goes into detail and builds more complicated infrastructure and you can simply watch or follow along. This kind of deep dive really solidified my understanding of how these services are used in real-world scenarios, which was key when answering scenario-based questions on the exam.
Link to an Example Mini-project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7jm6qAB77A&list=PLTk5ZYSbd9MinUq6ykNgJY-POldemkvBg
On the channel, there is also a large networking playlist which is really good and detailed. You might want to check this out if you feel you don’t have the basics down on networking.
Link to His Networking Fundamentals Course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hPMdpk9qA4&list=PLTk5ZYSbd9Mi_ya5tVFD8NFfU1YZOyml1
Learn Cantrill Course
Adrian also has his own course, which from what I’ve heard and also seen on his YouTube channel is likely to be a very good resource if you don’t want to simply pass the exam, but actually be able to do the job as well. I think the price is fair at $40 for the quality of content you are getting. However, I wanted to see if I could do this using mostly free or low-cost materials just to prove it is possible.
Link to Adrian Cantrill’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LearnCantrill
Link to Adrian’s website where you can purchase his course: https://learn.cantrill.io/p/aws-certified-solutions-architect-associate-saa-c03
4. Exam Strategy with Learn Cantrill & Peace of Code
Learn Cantrill
At this point, I felt confident with the material, but I knew the real challenge was taking the exam. It’s one thing to study, and it’s another thing to apply that knowledge under time pressure. I saw that the Learn Cantrill channel had a playlist on how to tackle exam questions. This was for the Solutions Architect Professional. But I thought it was a good opportunity to see Adrian’s approach. I quickly got through these as there were only a few videos.
Link to the exam question playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahmEXxOtJs8&list=PLTk5ZYSbd9MiQezP_uOZMXJoXTo_U-5N4
Peace of Code Exam Question Practice
That’s when I found Peace of Code on YouTube, which offered great advice on how to approach the exam itself and tons of exam question practice. Aakash detailed thought his thought process when answering which helped greatly.
The channel’s content focused on exam strategies, such as time management, understanding the question format, and techniques for eliminating incorrect answers. I learned how to quickly read through questions and identify keywords that would point me in the right direction. One of the best tips is to eliminate the obviously incorrect answers quickly. Also trust your gut when you feel an answer is right, especially when you’re under time constraints.
Link to the Peace of Code’s Exam Question Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIQtA_V9n4U&list=PLviC8AFqAj5Don8_nHu1ELghHLbL8hByM
5. The Day of The Exam
When the exam day finally came, I knew that I had put in the work, but I still couldn’t help feeling a bit nervous. The questions were definitely challenging, and I found myself really thinking through some of the answers. I even thought I might have failed at one point, but I decided to stay positive and keep moving forward.
To my surprise, when I got the results, I had passed with a score of 834. I was both relieved and pleased with the outcome. I was satisfied with how I had prepared and the effort I had put in. The experience was a reminder that staying consistent and using the right resources can really pay off.
Final Thoughts
The AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam is tough. It took me just over 1 month to feel confident in taking the exam with only my cloud practitioner certification as prior experience. While it’s a difficult exam, it’s absolutely manageable with the right preparation. Here’s a quick summary of the steps I followed:
- Start with a solid introduction: I used Andrew Brown’s video on FreeCodeCamp to get a basic understanding of AWS.
- Invest in paid resources: The TutorialsDojo test papers and revision cards helped me practice and review critical concepts.
- Expand your knowledge: I learned more through Learn Cantrill on YouTube, diving deeper into AWS services.
- Focus on exam strategies: Peace of Code helped me refine my exam-taking techniques, ensuring I could handle time pressure and tricky questions.
- Stay calm during the exam: Trust your preparation, and don’t overthink the questions.
By following these steps, I was able to pass the exam, and I’m sure anyone who puts in the effort can do the same. Good luck if you’re planning to sit the exam — you’ve got this!
(FYI – I am making no money from any of these resources being recommended, they genuinely worked for me).