Some Uncommon Advice For Taking Tech Certification Exams
I recently renewed my AWS Solutions Architect Pro certification, and of course that meant studying. Lots of studying. It doesn’t matter if you spend 100s of hours every month working in AWS, this cert’s purview is expansive.
If you search, you will find lots of advice and tips on how to prepare for and how to sit AWS and other certification exams. I won’t repeat any of the common tips about sleep, what to study, or in-exam techniques.
However, there are three (3) pieces of preparation advice that I don’t see very often if at all, and they are:
Open an AWS account and actually get hands-on experience with some, if not all, of the services that the exam expects you to know about. This type of experience will quickly help you learn material that no course will be able to cover without spending multiples of time. The good instructors tell you as much.
By the way, since the SA Pro cert covers AWS Organizations extensively, you should open at least 2 or 3 accounts. You can always close them later so you’re not unexpectedly charged for services you may have forgotten you initiated.
These next 2 tips apply to likely all certification or other types of exams, not just AWS:
Use an SRS tool. SRS is an acronym for spaced repetition software. Spaced repetition is a learning technique mainly using flashcards that at its core surfaces the more difficult material more frequently, and the easy material less often. Using software (such as Anki) automates the process. Another benefit of SRS is that it saves you time from reviewing material that you already know well.
Use a study tracker spreadsheet or list. Due to the amount of material that you have to cover, keeping track is really a time-saver. Make a list of all of the content and subjects that you would like or need to study and check them off as you’ve covered them adequately.
I created a Google Sheets spreadsheet for myself that lists all of the material I used to study for the AWS Solutions Architect Pro exam. Here is a version that you can copy for yourself and adjust to fit your needs. It includes a dashboard on the first tab to help you keep track of your progress.
Best of luck, but you shouldn’t need it if you use these tips!
