Yesterday was a significant milestone in my Cloud journey as I successfully passed the SAA-C03 exam on my first attempt. As a Junior Full Stack Developer working in a small start-up, this achievement marks a major accomplishment in my transition into the tech world. In this blog post, I will share my background, study materials, exam process, and general considerations that helped me on this journey.

My Background

After working for many years in different jobs, last year I made a career transition after completing a four-month bootcamp. I have since been employed as a Junior Full Stack Developer at a small start-up for approximately one year. While working, I primarily utilize the MERN stack; however, our infrastructure is built on AWS, and I frequently engage with it using the JavaScript SDK.

Working in a small company offers the opportunity to take on various responsibilities. Recently, I had the chance to devise some small solutions utilizing services such as Lambda, DynamoDB, S3, SQS, and EventBridge. These experiences greatly enhanced my understanding of things like decoupling and integrations. Additionally, I obtained my AWS Cloud Practitioner certification just over a year ago, shortly before securing this position.

Study Materials

1. Adrian Cantrill’s Tech Fundamentals

   • I first started by completing this course (which is free). I strongly suggest you do the same, regardless of whether you have experience in IT or not. It filled some important gaps and opened a new world for me. It got me into looking into CompTIA certifications and I managed to study and obtain my first CompTIA cert while preparing for the SAA-C03.

2. Adrian Cantrill’s SAA-C03

   • After completing the Tech Fundamentals course, I dived into the SAA-C03 course. This comprehensive and in-depth course covered all the necessary topics. I took detailed notes and created flashcards as I progressed through the material. Initially, I used Notion and Quizlet, but I have since switched back to Anki.

3. Stéphane Maarek’s SAA-C03

   • To consolidate certain concepts, I decided to complete Stéphane Maarek’s course, which I purchased on Udemy. The course was concise and time-efficient, and I watched it at an accelerated speed to cover more content. It also introduced me to some additional AWS services that were not covered in the previous course.

4. Jon Bonso’s Exams on Tutorials Dojo

   • Although I wish I had started these exams earlier, I managed to complete the six exams in the Timed Mode set. Jon Bonso’s practice exams were instrumental in identifying and filling gaps in my knowledge. The exams also covered some services that I had never encountered before. I consider them essential for passing the SAA-C03 exam.

Study Method

As already mentioned, I went through the material taking notes and making flashcards at the same time. Given my full-time job, I dedicated early mornings, late evenings, and most weekends to studying. I took a few breaks in between, so as not to burn out. I started at some point in late February-early March, so the whole process took around three months.

Exam

I took the exam at a test centre. This is my default option, after hearing many horror stories about taking these remotely, with proctors suddenly cancelling the exam, or connection issues etc.

Taking it at a test centre allows me some peace of mind and additional focus. It's also a break from my daily routine and allows me to hop on a train to go somewhere, which is always appreciated.

The question set I got revolved mostly around core services like VPC, SQS, S3, DynamoDB, Aurora, RDS, EBS, Storage Gateway, DataSync, NAT Gateway, and Egress-Only Gateway. I didn't get any services I had not heard about before and none of the questions felt too obscure or esoteric.

When it comes to taking this kind of test, I follow a systematic approach that has always worked well for me:

1. Quickly sift through the questions and answer the easiest and most obvious ones. Flag all the others for review.

2. Review the flagged questions, paying attention to keywords that would help me narrow down the correct answer. If I'm confident the anwer is correct, I remove the flag. In cases where I'm unsure, I make an educated guess and leave it on.

3. In the final round, I revisit all the leftover flagged questions. If I still can't decide confidently, I make a final educated guess, considering the 50/50 chance of being correct.

4. If time and mental stamina permits, I make a quick final review of all questions before submitting the exam.

Although I received an additional 30 minutes due to English not being my first language (it's an accommodation you can ask for from Pearson VUE), I completed the exam with approximately 29 minutes remaining. After a nerve-wracking wait of 24 hours, I finally received the result and breathed a sigh of relief.

General Considerations

Here are some essential tips to consider during your SAA-C03 exam preparation:

1. Adrian Cantrill  & Tutorials Dojo Combo

• In my opinion, Adrian Cantrill’s courses combined with Jon Bonso’s practice exams from Tutorials Dojo provide the most comprehensive preparation. However, feel free to choose the courses that best suit your learning style. Each creator has invested numerous hours in crafting their content.

2. Hands-on Labs and Projects

• If your daily job doesn’t involve AWS, it is crucial to engage in hands-on labs and build projects. Remember, you are studying for real-life skills, and the certification is merely a validation of your knowledge. Avoid cramming and aim for a deeper understanding of the concepts.

3. Develop a Study Method

• Establish a study method that works best for you. While it may seem obvious, many people approach exams haphazardly. The more intentional and deliberate your practice becomes, the better you will perform. During my preparation, I discovered that handwritten notes were more effective for me than digital ones. Research also supports the benefits of writing over typing.

4. Start Practice Exams Early

• Don’t wait too long before attempting practice exams. Tutorials Dojo offers topic-specific practice exams, allowing you to reinforce your knowledge immediately after completing a particular section in your course (think of the Cantrill+Tutorials Dojo combo again). This approach helps solidify your understanding by the time you finish the course.

In conclusion, passing the SAA-C03 exam was a challenging but rewarding experience. I am grateful to everyone who provided motivation and shared knowledge on the various platforms I utilized during my preparation. If you have any questions or need further guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s all strive for success together.