AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam is the most basic AWS certification exam for individuals to demonstrate an overall understanding of AWS Cloud.
This is the first AWS related certification exam I took, and I studied for a total of 3 months, with “serious studying” occurring in the last 2 weeks of it.
AWS recommends that candidates come in with at least 6 months of experience with AWS Cloud, and to have a basic understanding of IT services before taking this exam.
Ready to get started? Check out our Intro to AWS for Newbies eBook! I also teach “Introduction to AWS for Non-Engineers“ courses on LinkedIn Learning! You can find rest of my “Intro to AWS” resources at IntroToAWS.com! Keep on reading for more resource recommendations and practice exams!
Looking for a one-page digest that breaks down the exam? Check out the “go-to” guide I’ve written recently: Your guide to the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam
Cloud Practitioner Exam: Content Breakdown
Domain 1: Cloud Concepts (28%)
- Define the AWS Cloud and its value proposition
- Identify aspects of AWS Cloud economics
- List the different cloud architecture design principles
Domain 2: Security (24%)
- Define the AWS Shared Responsibility model
- Define AWS Cloud security and compliance concepts
- Identify AWS access management capabilities
- Identify resources for security support
Domain 3: Technology (36%)
- Define methods of deploying and operating in the AWS Cloud
- Define the AWS global infrastructure
- Identify the core AWS services
- Identify resources for technology support
Domain 4: Billing and Pricing (12%)
- Compare and contrast the various pricing models for AWS
- Recognize the various account structures in relation to AWS billing and pricing
- Identify resources available for billing support
Exam Resources
Below, I have listed some resources I’ve utilized in my studying for the certification exam. I got most of my information from A Cloud Guru and the AWS official website.
The most useful exam prep were the sample exam on A Cloud Guru and the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner 2020 Practice Questions from Amazon Kindle.
Introduction to AWS/Cloud Computing
- Intro to AWS for Newbies eBook (AWS Newbies)
- Intro to AWS for Newbies Newsletter Course (AWS Newbies)
- Introduction to AWS for Non-Engineers: 1 Cloud Concepts (LinkedIn Learning)
- Introduction to AWS for Non-Engineers: 2 Security (LinkedIn Learning)
- Introduction to AWS for Non-Engineers: 3 Core Services (LinkedIn Learning)
- Introduction to AWS for Non-Engineers: 4 Billing and Pricing (LinkedIn Learning)
Practice Exams
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner 2019 Practice Questions (Amazon Kindle – free w/ trial subscription!)
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Practice Exams – 2020 (Udemy)
- A Cloud Guru also has practice exam modules
Online Courses
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Course (A Cloud Guru)
- AWS Certification Prep (AWS)
- AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials Course (AWS)
AWS
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (AWS)
- Sign up for Exam (AWS)
Exam Overview
- Cost: $100 (USD)
- Length: 90 minutes
- Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese
Candidate Overview
- Define what the AWS Cloud is and the basic global infrastructure
- Describe basic AWS Cloud architectural principles
- Describe the AWS Cloud value proposition
- Describe key services on the AWS platform and their common use cases
- Describe basic security and compliance aspects of the AWS platform and the shared security model
- Define the billing, account management, and pricing models
- Identify sources of documentation or technical assistance
- Describe basic/core characteristics of deploying and operating in the AWS Cloud
(Source: Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam)