Which AWS Certification Should You Start With?

If you really want to advance in the career of cloud computing, an AWS certification is a great thing to show your expertise and skills. But the problem with all of this variety of certifications is that it can be a little challenging where to start. Regardless of whether you’re a novice or have some experience in the tech area, picking the right starting point for AWS certifications is important for development.

1. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner: AWS certification

For absolute beginners, a great place to begin is with the AWS certification Cloud Practitioner. You can opt for this when you are new to cloud and would want to have an understanding of some simple concepts of AWS services and cloud basics. It is a fundamental level certification that gives an overview of what AWS services are, AWS security, pricing models, and the general AWS cloud infrastructure.

Who Should Take This: If you have no experience in AWS or cloud technology, this is the certification that you need. It lays the foundation strongly without even requiring technical skills.

Exam Focus: Basic cloud computing, AWS services, security concepts, and billing.

2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

The next course, after you get the basics down, is AWS certification Solutions Architect – Associate. It is one of the more popular ones and one of the best for people to develop architecture and design skills on AWS. It is a little more technical than the Cloud Practitioner and has to do with how to architect scalable, secure, as well as cost-effective solutions on AWS.

Who Should Take This? If you are comfortable with technical terms and want to be a cloud architect or designer, then this certification is for you. It’s an advance above the foundational level and demands some hands-on experience in AWS.

Exam Focus: Best practices, security, architecture principles, designing systems on AWS

3. AWS Certified Developer – Associate: AWS certification

For those who are interested in coding and in development, the AWS certification Developer – Associate is just the right certification to get started with. It is meant for software developers to gain knowledge about the developing and also maintaining applications on AWS.

Who Should Choose This? A good certificate, for sure, has much to offer for those who already have their foundation on coding and now want to work on building applications as well as to deploy them within the AWS Platform.

Exam Focus: AWS services for developers, that is, DynamoDB, Lambda, and API Gateway; and, more specifically, the AWS SDKs.

4. AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate

This exam is best taken for those interested in managing and operating systems on AWS. Ideal for sysadmins who wish to move their infrastructures into the cloud, get the AWS certification SysOps Administrator – Associate.

Who Should Choose This? IT administrators with experience in managing on-premises systems who would like to transition into managing cloud infrastructures.

Exam Focus: Monitoring, deployment, security, and management of AWS environments.

Frequently Asked Question 

How many attempts are there for AWS certification?
You can attempt the AWS certification exam as many times as you need, but each attempt requires paying the exam fee.

What is the easiest AWS certification to pass?
The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is considered the easiest certification for beginners.

What is the failure rate of AWS exam?
The failure rate for AWS exams varies, but many find the professional-level certifications quite challenging with higher failure rates.

Which language is most used in AWS?
Python is one of the most commonly used languages in AWS, especially for scripting and automation tasks.

What happens if I miss my AWS exam?
If you miss your AWS exam without canceling or rescheduling in advance, you forfeit the exam fee and will need to register again.