TLDR
What I did right: I stayed consistent in my studying whether it be through video courses, flashcards, practice questions or hands-on labs. No matter the setting, I made sure to get my repetitions in. Also, I did not overload myself with resources and I stuck to a chosen few resources that were highly recommended by the YouTube community.
Some of these resources include:
What I did wrong: Not booking an exam date sooner. Not prioritizing hands-on knowledge initially.
How I would do it over: I would do the AWS Cloud Quest in tandem with the AWS course material from day one. With each new topic, I would have applied the knowledge gained using the labs they provided.
Reason for pursuing this cert
I initially pursued this certification because I saw my previous employer list it as a requirement for being a SOC analyst. This made me curious and I began to look at the requirements that other companies had for the same role. As I looked on other job boards such as LinkedIn, I saw that AWS cloud knowledge was highly sought after in the industry. I also was interested in the cloud but never delved fully into it. Lastly, I reached out to an NPO that I am affiliated with and asked for an exam voucher. This organization, called Startfield, is geared towards helping minorities transition into the technology field. For these reasons and more, I decided to focus all my time on gaining this certification.
Length Of Time To Prepare
It took me one week of studying where I intently studied all day and had no other commitments to attend to. This was partly due to me finally booking an exam date a week out. I would strongly suggest booking an exam date first before studying but this method for this exam worked for me. Before this, however, I was looking at Andrew Brown's ExamPro video passively while doing another activity. For example, I would be cooking and listening to the video simultaneously. I would also occasionally look at flashcards instead of just randomly scrolling through Twitter. With this in mind, I believe it took me 3 weeks to a month to prepare for this exam.
Preparation
I scoured the web trying to find what the consensus was on studying materials. For this exam, in particular, it is possible to pass with just free resources or paid resources. I paid no money for study resources but I did use "paid" resources ;). To pass this exam, you only need one video course, Quizlet or any set of flashcards and practice questions. The AWS whitepaper for CCP is also highly recommended but I did not use it for this exam. An example of this trifecta can be :
Video: AWS Cloud Essentials Learning Plan
Quizlet: AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam Questions
Practice Questions: AWS Official Practice Questions
What I found, however, is that there are other Udemy courses as well as platforms that are better in some aspects for teaching the material. The only paid resource I used for this exam was the Neal Davis Practice Exam set which I have discussed down below:
This exam set is a collection of over 500 questions spread across 6 practice exams. I remember I failed my first exam with a score of 53%. After taking my time and going through questions I got wrong and also (VERY IMPORTANT) going through all the answer choices, my score started to increase. Neal recommends taking his exams until you consistently score over 80%. In my experience, I had to retake more than half of the exams until I consistently got this score. By this time, I felt ready. Fun fact, I used a free 7-day trial from Udemy to use this resource.
For other resources, I've heard great things about Stephane Maarek, Jon Bonso and Acloud guru.
I also recommend using the free AWS Cloud Quest: Cloud Practitioner platform to gain hands-on experience with the fundamentals of AWS such as using the management console and creating a static website. You also gain a free digital badge when you complete the tasks.
Screenshot showing my completion of Cloud Quest
As you can see by the date, I got this digital badge after completing the exam. Despite getting the AWS CCP already, I found this gamified version of the material based on labs to be valuable. It completes the AWS CCP journey and my basic foundation of the AWS console is now solid.
As stated by Amazon: "Earners of this badge have demonstrated basic solution-building knowledge using AWS services and have a fundamental understanding of AWS Cloud concepts. Badge earners have acquired hands-on experience with computing, networking, database and security services."
More on this can be found here.
Exam Day
I scheduled my exam for 12:15 in the comfort of my own home through Pearson Vue. When I started the exam, I wrestled with some nervousness for the first few questions but after those, I started to feel more confident. I took my time, read the question and thought of possible answers before looking at the answer choices. I also used another strategy which involved eliminating the wrong choices and then rereading the question to look for keywords I may have missed the first time reading it. I did flag more questions than I hoped for but I had enough time to go through them a second time. I do not recall how long it took to complete the exam but I can assure you it was not done in 30 minutes. Remember lads, patience is a virtue.
After I finished reviewing, I went through a quick survey and then came to a screen showing that I passed. Although I did not feel as hopeless as I did in my Security + exam, the thought did arise that I may have failed. I then closed my laptop and punched the air in celebration. Below is a screenshot showing my exam results.
Screenshot showing my exact score
Closing Thoughts
Although it was more challenging than I was led to believe, the knowledge gained from this cert was impactful. I feel confident in creating an instance, creating a budget and creating IAM policies. Paired with the Cloud Quest certification, I have a solid basic understanding of the theory of AWS cloud services as well as hands-on experience. In the future, I plan to create some AWS-based projects and obtain another AWS certification, most likely the Solutions Architect. With the resources listed, you can obtain this certification with no paid training. Invest your time in studying this material, and this certification will be as good as yours.
Go forth and claim your prize young grasshopper.
Resources
AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam Questions Flashcards | Quizlet. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://quizlet.com/392359849/aws-cloud-practitioner-exam-questions-flash-cards/
Your learning center to build in-demand cloud skills. Self-paced digital training on AWS - AWS Skill Builder. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://explore.skillbuilder.aws/learn/course/12483/aws-certified-cloud-practitioner-official-practice-question-set-clf-c01-english
Me, T. S. (2013). The training. Amazon. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://aws.amazon.com/training/learn-about/cloud-practitioner/
Neal Davis | AWS Certified Solutions Architect & Developer, & Digital Cloud Training | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner AWS Certified Solutions Architect, A. W. S. D. A. (2023, January 1). AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner 500 practice exam questions. Udemy. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.udemy.com/course/aws-certified-cloud-practitioner-practice-exams-c/
Me, T. S. (2013). The training. Amazon. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://aws.amazon.com/training/digital/aws-cloud-quest/
YouTube. (2021, November 17). AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification Course (CLF-C01) - pass the exam! YouTube. Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOTamWNgDKc
A cloud guru. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://learn.acloud.guru/course/aws--certified-cloud-practitioner/overview