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Survival Guide: Why You Should Pursue And How To Excel In The Aws Cloud Practitioner Exam
Background
Whether you’re a student just beginning your career or an experienced professional seeking to expand your skill set, it’s never too late to learn something new. In this post, we’ll explore the AWS Cloud Practitioner Foundational Guide, providing you with a roadmap to get started and offering tips to help you succeed in the exam — no prior coding or technical experience required.
The best part? All of these resources are completely free to use — no cost involved! Free learning is always a win. While there are paid options available, it’s a great idea to start with the free resources to get a feel for the platform. Once you’re ready, you can invest in an AWS Skills Builder subscription to continue progressing on your learning journey.
Why Should You Pursue the AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification?
You might be thinking, “I’m a Business Analyst or a Manager — why should I spend my time learning this? I’ll never use it, and it feels like a waste of time.” Let’s take a different approach and shift your perspective.
From a Manager’s viewpoint, it’s common to not dive too deep into technical details. They focus are often on managing teams, attending countless meetings, handling administrative tasks, and, of course, putting out fires. They are frequently pulled in multiple directions by other teams and stakeholders, each pushing their own issues onto the team. With this in mind, let’s explore why gaining a technical understanding, even at a foundational level, can benefit you and your role.
Perspective Shift
In many meetings or discussions, engineers often throw around technical terms like S3, VPC, Load Balancers, and more. For a manager without technical expertise, this can quickly become overwhelming, leaving them out of the conversation. While a manager doesn’t need to be an expert in every technical aspect, having a basic understanding of key concepts can make a significant difference. For example, knowing that S3 is a cloud storage solution for data — where you can store files like documents, images, and backups — and understanding that it’s an affordable and easy-to-use service, can empower a manager to engage more effectively in discussions and make informed decisions.
Where do I start?
Achieving success involves a few key steps, but before we dive into the advanced stages, it’s important to take things step by step. The first step? Get started by registering for a free AWS Skills Builder account. If you already have an AWS Skills Builder ID, congratulations! You’ve unlocked the first milestone and are ready to begin your journey!
Register a free AWS Builder ID here
Register a free AWS Educate profile here
What resources can I use?
The path you take will largely depend on your familiarity with the cloud. If you’re new to the concept — unsure of what the cloud is, its purpose, or why it even exists — there are a few foundational steps you should take before moving forward. To ensure you don’t feel overwhelmed by a flood of information, I recommend starting with the AWS Educate and then moving to the Beginner Resources listed below. These will help you get a solid understanding of the cloud before diving deeper into more complex topics.
If you’re already comfortable with the fundamentals of cloud technology and are familiar with the core concepts, you may not need to go through the Beginner Resources. In that case, feel free to jump straight into the Intermediate Resources, where you’ll find more advanced content to further build your knowledge.
When you feel confident in the knowledge you’ve built and are ready to take the next step toward certification, it’s time to dive into the Advanced Resources. However, before jumping into that, I highly recommend checking out the Bonus Resources. These include hands-on experiences like AWS Cloud Quest and the AWS Escape Room, which offer game-based learning. After all, who wouldn’t want to level up their skills while having some fun?AWS Educate
To bring everything together in one convenient spot, you can use the Learning Paths. These paths bundle most of the key resources, though they don’t include AWS Educate or the Bonus content. Think of the learning path as a single link that directs you to a curated collection of resources.
AWS Educate
- Introduction to Cloud 101
- Introduction to the AWS Management Console
- Getting Started with Storage
- Getting Started with Compute
- Getting Started with Networking
- Getting Started with Databases
- Getting Started with Cloud Operations
- Getting Started with Security
- Getting Started with Serverless
Once you complete each course in the AWS Educate program, you’ll earn a Credly badge as a recognition of your achievement.
Beginner Resources
Intermediate Resources
Advance Resources
Bonus Resources
- AWS Cloud Quest: Cloud Practitioner
- AWS Escape Room: Exam Prep for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)
Learning Plans
- Standard Exam Prep Plan: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)
- AWS SimuLearn: Cloud Practitioner
Next Steps
After completing your AWS Cloud Practitioner exam, the next step in your tech journey can go in many directions. To figure out which path is best for you, check out Learning By Role or Solution by AWS.
The key is to never stop learning — stay curious and keep expanding your technical knowledge and skills.
Once you complete each course in the AWS Skills Builder program, and you wrote and passed your AWS Certification, you'll earn a Credly badge as a recognition of your achievement.
