Vol #23 | AWS SAA Recertification for Data Engineers/Architects
My observations during my prep journey
Last weekend I gave the AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam. My first certificate expired in Dec 2022, and I have kept delaying this exam for quite some time now.
I still remember the first time I gave this exam. It was on 26th Dec 2019. The reason to remember this date so vividly is mainly due to two reasons
This was my first ever cloud certification. In fact, it was my first ever certification at professional level.
The very next day, I had my Goa trip planned—a break after a long time and a break that was followed by Covid lockdowns.
It was a simple plan that time - study really hard and party even harder (for me, party = quiet time on the beach)
However, this time when I took my SAA exam, it was a different approach. I was now an experienced Cloud Data Architect with a lot of hands-on experience and knowledge of giving certification exams across platforms like AWS, Azure, Snowflake, and Databricks.
For this time, my focus was completely on gaining additional knowledge rather than trying to just pass the exam. I wanted to explore new services and new features, especially on the “non-data” side of things, as I generally don’t get to work on these.
Here is the preparation that I did
I went through most of the theory lectures by Stephane Mareek on Udemy. I had also taken his AWS DAS course earlier and have always loved the way he teaches. Simple slides, to the point. I skipped most of the hands-on as I had worked on most of these. However, some of the services like Route53 and ALB - I did go through the hands-on lab videos. As a data person, I don’t get much involved in these services, so it is always good to know various configurations.
I did not take much of the practice test this time. During my first stint, I took a lot of practice tests from Whizlabs. This time, I just attempted the one that came along with Stephan’es course - which I failed :)
The test helped me to understand some of the areas that I need to focus on. As expected, most of these were non-data services. I focused on these topics, tried to go through the AWS console for some of these, and did a bit more reading.
As I am also part of AWS Community Builder, I also get access to Cloud Academy (thanks to the AWS CB team for this amazing benefit). I did go through some of the quizzes here - just to add some fun elements to my prep journey. If you want to be part of the AWS CB group, check the above link or connect with me.
I prepared for a couple of months but was not very consistent with my studying pattern, so can’t really comment on how much time it took me. Last year, I was preparing for the AWS SA Pro* exam, so some of my prep was already done.
*If you give AWS SA Pro, your AWS SAA gets renewed automatically. This was my initial plan. But AWS SA Pro is a tough exam; I was not prepared for it and decided to give once again the AWS SAA exam.
I think the biggest challenge for a 40 yr old me was to sit and concentrate non-stop for 2 hours for the exam. I find it really difficult to concentrate for such a longer period of time. I have next in line my AWS DAS exam, which is over 3 hours!
Important Tips
For recertification, don’t forget to apply the 50% discount that you get from the benefits from the first exam.
For data engineers/architects like me, concentrate more on non-data services like Route53, Load balancers, Beanstalk, ECS, Cloudfront, and networking. The data services questions you will find it easy as you would have good experience working on these on a day-to-day basis
Focus more on the new services/features that were not part of your first exam. E.g., Serverless options, Lake formation, MSK, Global Accelerator, etc
Take your own notes when you study and revise these on the exam day. This is the most important part of preparation. There are a lot of things to remember, and it’s not easy without revising what you studied - just like the good old school days!
And the last one, the exam is completely based on scenarios, so ensure that you have a setup that helps you to fully concentrate. Quiet environment, no loud noises outside your room, the right setting of fan/AC, a good seating arrangement, and the list goes on based on your personal choices :)
I hope this helps to better prepare for the exam. As I always say, it’s not about passing or failing the exam; it’s about the prep journey that really matters in the long run. Take your own time to prepare and give your best shot.
All the best!
