Chapter 14
Final Preparation
Are you excited to take the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C02) exam after reading this book? I sure hope so. You should be. This chapter gives you specific details on certification prep, including the certification exam itself.
This chapter shares some great ideas on ensuring that you ace your upcoming exam. If you have read this book with the goal of mastering AWS without really considering certification, maybe this chapter will convince you to give the exam a try.
The first 13 chapters of this book cover the technologies, protocols, design concepts, and considerations required to be prepared to pass the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C02) exam. This chapter provides a set of tools and a study plan to help you complete your preparation for the exam to supplement everything you have learned to this point in the book.
This short chapter has three main sections. The first section provides information on the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C02) exam. The second section shares some important tips to keep in mind to ensure that you are ready for the exam. The third section discusses exam preparation tools that may be useful at this point in the study process. The final section of this chapter provides a suggested study plan you can implement now that you have completed all the earlier chapters in this book.
Exam Information
Here are details you should be aware of regarding the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C02) exam:
Question types: Multiple-choice and multiple-response
Number of questions: 65
Time limit: 130 minutes
Available languages (at a testing center): English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean
Available languages used by proctors of online exam: English (Pearson VUE/PSI) and Japanese (VUE)
Online exam appointments: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Test providers: Pearson VUE or PSI
Exam fee: $150
Exam ID code: SAA-C02
Delivery method: Testing center or online proctored exam from your home or office location
This exam seeks to ensure that a candidate can do the following:
Define a solution using architectural design principles based on customer requirements
Provide implementation guidance based on best practices to an organization throughout the lifecycle of a project
Amazon Web Service certification exam authors recommend the following skills and experience for candidates wanting to pass this exam:
At least 1 year of hands-on experience designing highly available, cost-effective, fault-tolerant, and scalable distributed systems on AWS
Hands-on experience using compute, networking, storage, and database AWS services
Hands-on experience with AWS deployment and management services
Ability to identify and define technical requirements for an AWS-based application
Ability to identify which AWS services meet a given technical requirement
Knowledge of recommended best practices for building secure and reliable applications on the AWS platform
An understanding of the basic architectural principles involved in building in AWS Cloud
An understanding of the AWS global infrastructure
An understanding of network technologies related to AWS
An understanding of security features and tools that AWS provides and how they relate to traditional services
The exam is broken up into four different domains. Here are those domains and the percentage of the exam for each of the domains:
Design Resilient Architectures: 30%
Design High-Performing Architectures: 28%
Design Secure Applications and Architectures: 24%
Design Cost-Optimized Architectures: 18%
Here is the breakdown of the exam objectives for these various domains:
Domain 1: Design Resilient Architectures
1.1 Design a multi-tier architecture solution
1.2 Design highly available and/or fault-tolerant architectures
1.3 Design decoupling mechanisms using AWS services
1.4 Choose appropriate resilient storage
Domain 2: Design High-Performing Architectures
2.1 Identify elastic and scalable compute solutions for a workload
2.2 Select high-performing and scalable storage solutions for a workload
2.3 Select high-performing networking solutions for a workload
2.4 Choose high-performing database solutions for a workload
Domain 3: Design Secure Applications and Architectures
3.1 Design secure access to AWS resources
3.2 Design secure application tiers
3.3 Select appropriate data security options
Domain 4: Design Cost-Optimized Architectures
4.1 Identify cost-effective storage solutions
4.2 Identify cost-effective compute and database services
4.3 Design cost-optimized network architectures
Note the following important information about the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C02) exam:
You can decide which exam format to take: You can either go to a testing center or take a proctored exam from a personal location like your office or home.
After you have scheduled your exam, you will receive a confirmation email from the test provider that provides details related to your exam appointment.
If you are taking the test in person at a testing center, remember to bring two forms of ID on the day of the test. At least one must be a signed ID with a photo, such as a driver’s license, passport, or health card. The second ID can be a credit card.
If you are taking an online proctored exam, make sure to run the system test provided by the selected exam provider to ensure that your computer is acceptable for the exam. Both VUE and PSI have system tests.
If you are taking an online proctored exam, your exam can be started up to 30 minutes before the scheduled exam time, but if you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, you won’t be able to start your exam.
Breaks are allowed when you’re taking a test at a testing center, but they are not allowed during an online proctored exam. With an online proctored exam, you are not allowed to move out of the view of your webcam during your appointment.
Make sure that your exam space at home or at your office remains private. If somebody comes into your office or private space during the exam, you will not be allowed to continue the exam.
Tips for Getting Ready for the Exam
Here are some important tips to keep in mind to ensure that you are ready for the AWS Architect Associated exam, some of which apply only to taking the exam at a testing center and others that apply in all cases:
Build and use a study tracker: Consider using the exam objectives shown in this chapter to build a study tracker for yourself. Such a tracker can help ensure that you have not missed anything and that you are confident for your exam. As a matter of fact, this book offers a sample study planner as a website supplement.
Log in to the AWS management portal and write down a quick one-sentence, or point-form description of each AWS service: Writing down this information will put it into long-term memory and will be very helpful when you’re trying to decipher test questions.
Think about your time budget for questions on the exam: When you do the math, you will see that, on average, you have 2 minutes per question. Although this does not sound like a lot of time, keep in mind that many of the questions will be very straightforward, and you will take 15 to 30 seconds on those. This leaves you extra time for other questions on the exam.
Watch the clock: Check in on the time remaining periodically as you are taking the exam. You might even find that you can slow down pretty dramatically if you have built up a nice block of extra time.
Get some earplugs: The testing center might provide earplugs but get some just in case and bring them along. There might be other test takers in the center with you, and you do not want to be distracted by their screams. I personally have no issue blocking out the sounds around me, so I never worry about this, but I know it is an issue for some.
Plan your travel time: Give yourself extra time to find the center and get checked in. Be sure to arrive early. As you test more at a particular center, you can certainly start cutting it closer time-wise.
Get rest: Most students report that getting plenty of rest the night before the exam boosts their success. All-night cram sessions are not typically successful.
Bring in valuables but get ready to lock them up: The testing center will take your phone, your smartwatch, your wallet, and other such items and will provide a secure place for them.
Take notes: You will be given note-taking implements and should not be afraid to use them. I always jot down any questions I struggle with on the exam. I then memorize them at the end of the test by reading my notes over and over again. I always make sure I have a pen and paper in the car, and I write down the issues in my car just after the exam. When I get home—with a pass or fail—I research those items!
Use the FAQs in your study: The Amazon test authors have told me they love to pull questions from the FAQs they publish at the AWS site. These are a really valuable read anyway, so go through them for the various services that are key for this exam.
Brush up with practice exam questions: This book provides many practice exam questions. Be sure to go through them thoroughly. Don’t just blindly memorize answers; use the questions to see where you are weak in your knowledge and then study up on those areas.
Scheduling Your Exam
You can schedule your AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C02) exam through the web portal https://www.aws.training/certification; see Figure 14-1). If you haven’t yet created an AWS Training and Certification account, you need to create one now, and then you can schedule your exam.
FIGURE 14-1 Schedule Your AWS Exam
After you’ve taken your exam, you can return to this portal to download your AWS digital badge, schedule another test, or set up sharing of your transcript to your current or future employer, as shown in Figure 14-2.
FIGURE 14-2 Viewing Your AWS Training Profile
Tools for Final Preparation
This section provides some information about the available tools and how to access them.
Pearson Test Prep Practice Test Software and Questions on the Website
Register this book to get access to the Pearson Test Prep practice test software, which displays and grades a set of exam-realistic multiple-choice questions. Using Pearson Test Prep practice test software, you can either study by going through the questions in Study mode or take a simulated (timed) AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C02) exam.
The Pearson Test Prep practice test software comes with two full practice exams. These practice tests are available to you either online or as an offline Windows application. To access the practice exams that were developed with this book, see the instructions in the card inserted in the sleeve at the back of the book. This card includes a unique access code that enables you to activate your exams in the Pearson Test Prep software.
Accessing the Pearson Test Prep Software Online
The online version of this software can be used on any device with a browser and connectivity to the Internet, including desktop machines, tablets, and smartphones. To start using your practice exams online, simply follow these steps:
Step 1. Go to http://www.PearsonTestPrep.com.
Step 2. Select Pearson IT Certification as your product group.
Step 3. Enter your email and password for your account. If you don’t have an account on PearsonITCertification.com or CiscoPress.com, you need to establish one by going to PearsonITCertification.com/join.
Step 4. In the My Products tab, click the Activate New Product button.
Step 5. Enter the access code printed on the insert card in the back of your book to activate your product. The product is then listed in your My Products page.
Step 6. Click the Exams button to launch the exam settings screen and start the exam.
Accessing the Pearson Test Prep Software Offline
If you wish to study offline, you can download and install the Windows version of the Pearson Test Prep software. You can find a download link for this software on the book’s companion website, or you can just enter this link in your browser:
http://www.pearsonitcertification.com/content/downloads/pcpt/engine.zip
To access the book’s companion website and the software, simply follow these steps:
Step 1. Register your book by going to PearsonITCertification.com/register and entering the ISBN 9780137325214.
Step 2. Respond to the challenge questions.
Step 3. Go to your account page and select the Registered Products tab.
Step 4. Click on the Access Bonus Content link under the product listing.
Step 5. Click the Install Pearson Test Prep Desktop Version link in the Practice Exams section of the page to download the software.
Step 6. After the software finishes downloading, unzip all the files on your computer.
Step 7. Double-click the application file to start the installation and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the registration.
Step 8. After the installation is complete, launch the application and click the Activate Exam button on the My Products tab.
Step 9. Click the Activate a Product button in the Activate Product Wizard.
Step 10. Enter the unique access code found on the card in the back of your book and click the Activate button.
Step 11. Click Next and then click the Finish button to download the exam data to your application.
Step 12. You can now start using the practice exams by selecting the product and clicking the Open Exam button to open the exam settings screen.
The offline and online versions will sync together, so saved exams and grade results recorded in one version will also be available to you on the other.
Customizing Your Exams
When you are in the exam settings screen of Pearson Test Prep, you can choose to take exams in one of three modes:
Study mode
Practice Exam mode
Flash Card mode
Study mode enables you to fully customize an exam and review answers as you are taking the exam. This is typically the mode you use first to assess your knowledge and identify information gaps. Practice Exam mode locks certain customization options in order to present a realistic exam experience. Use this mode when you are preparing to test your exam readiness. Flash Card mode strips out the answers and presents you with only the question stem. This mode is great for late-stage preparation, when you really want to challenge yourself to provide answers without the benefit of seeing multiple-choice options. This mode does not provide the detailed score reports that the other two modes provide, so it is not the best mode for helping you identify knowledge gaps.
In addition to these three modes, you will be able to select the source of your questions. You can choose to take exams that cover all of the chapters, or you can narrow your selection to just a single chapter or the chapters that make up specific parts in the book. All chapters are selected by default. If you want to narrow your focus to individual chapters, simply deselect all the chapters and then select only those on which you wish to focus in the Objectives area.
You can also select the exam banks on which to focus. Each exam bank comes complete with a full exam of questions that cover topics in every chapter. You can have the test engine serve up exams from all four banks or just from one individual bank by selecting the desired banks in the exam bank area.
There are several other customizations you can make to your exam from the exam settings screen, such as the time allowed for taking the exam, the number of questions served up, whether to randomize questions and answers, whether to show the number of correct answers for multiple-answer questions, and whether to serve up only specific types of questions. You can also create custom test banks by selecting only questions that you have marked or questions on which you have added notes.
Note
The first time you run some test questions, you might find that you do badly. Don’t worry about it. Your brain may simply be resisting taking a test. Run the test engine again, and your brain will eventually give in and start focusing on the questions. Also, remember that as good as Pearson Test Prep and the practice exam questions are, they are not the real exam. That’s okay because what you’re actually learning by taking sample test questions is how to answer questions like the ones you’ll see on the exam.
Updating Your Exams
If you are using the online version of the Pearson Test Prep software, you should always have access to the latest version of the software as well as the exam data. If you are using the Windows desktop version, every time you launch the software, it will check to see if there are any updates to your exam data and automatically download any changes made since the last time you used the software. This requires that you be connected to the Internet at the time you launch the software.
Sometimes, due to a number of factors, the exam data might not fully download when you activate your exam. If you find that figures or exhibits are missing, you might need to manually update your exams.
To update a particular exam you have already activated and downloaded, simply select the Tools tab and click the Update Products button. Again, this is only an issue with the desktop Windows application.
If you wish to check for updates to the Windows desktop version of the Pearson Test Prep exam engine software, simply select the Tools tab and click the Update Application button. Doing so allows you to ensure that you are running the latest version of the software engine.
Premium Edition
In addition to the free practice exam provided on the website, you can purchase additional exams with expanded functionality directly from Pearson IT Certification. The Premium Edition of this title contains an additional two full practice exams and an eBook (in both PDF and ePub formats). In addition, the Premium Edition includes remediation information for each question and links to the specific part of the eBook that relates to that question.
Because you have purchased the print version of this title, you can purchase the Premium Edition at a deep discount. A coupon code in the book sleeve contains a one-time-use code and instructions for where you can purchase the Premium Edition.
To view the Premium Edition product page, go to www.informit.com/title/9780137325023.
Chapter-Ending Review Tools
Chapters 2 through 13 include several features in the “Exam Preparation Tasks” and “Q&A” sections at the end of the chapter. You might have already worked through these in each chapter. Using these tools again can also be useful as you make your final preparations for the exam.
Suggested Plan for Final Review/Study
This section provides a suggested study plan from the point at which you finish reading through Chapter 13 until you take the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C02) exam. You can ignore this plan, use it as is, or take suggestions from it.
The plan involves three steps:
Step 1. Review key topics and “Do I Know This Already?” (DIKTA?) questions: You can use the table that lists the key topics in each chapter or just flip the pages looking for key topics. Also, reviewing the DIKTA? questions from the beginning of the chapter can be helpful for review.
Step 2. Review “Q&A” sections: Go through the Q&A questions at the end of each chapter to identify areas where you need more study.
Step 3. Use the Pearson Test Prep to practice: You can use the Pearson Test Prep practice test engine to study, using a bank of unique exam-realistic questions available only with this book.
Summary
The tools and suggestions provided are meant to help you develop the skills required to pass the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C02) exam. This book has been developed from the beginning to not only tell you the facts but also to help you learn how to apply the facts. No matter what your experience level leading up to taking the exam, I hope that the broad range of preparation tools and the structure of the book help you pass the exam, and I hope you do well.