As I Start My AWS Cloud Journey: Passing CLF-C02 and AIF-C01
This is my first post here on the Dev.to site, and I’m happy to share that I passed two AWS certifications in just one month!
CLF-C02 (Cloud Practitioner)
Back in 2020, I was eager to take the Cloud Practitioner exam, but life got busy (or at least that’s what I told myself). It took me five years to finally take it. Even though I already had some experience with AWS services, passing CLF-C02 became my way of officially starting over. I’ve been out of development for three years, so this certification was a great way to help me ease back in.
How I Prepared This Time
I scheduled the exam last May for July 1 (no backing out, no rescheduling!) That was the advice from a friend who had already taken AWS exams, and she was absolutely right. I wanted to kick off the second half of the year with something motivating, and this felt like the perfect way.
I used Stephan Marek’s Udemy course, which I had already purchased back in 2019. Thankfully, it was updated, so I completed it seriously this time around.
I also used the AWS Skill Builder learning plan for CLF-C02. After that, I tried AWS Cloud Quest: Cloud Practitioner, it was fun and interactive, and I even got a Credly badge for completing it! I later subscribed to unlock more modules like the AWS Escape Room, which was also super helpful.
But the most helpful part of my preparation was the practice exams. I realized this about two weeks before my actual test. I purchased Stephan Marek’s practice tests, and wow! They were tough! On my first try, I struggled, but after reading the explanations and trying again, I improved a lot.
I also used the AWS Skill Builder practice exams: Pretest, Domain wise, and Official Practice exam. Then I bought Tutorial Dojo’s practice exams, but I couldn’t finish all of them and they were quite challenging (and I don't like the user interface).
Exam Day (CLF-C02)
Everything I studied came up in the exam. Writing this now, I’ve already forgotten some of the questions. Some were confusing, but overall, the exam felt manageable and I finished in 30 minutes. When I got my score, I hoped for a high one… but I got 795. I was aiming for 900+, but bro, a pass is a pass! I probably made more mistakes in the 50 scored questions than in the 15 unscored ones (Nah, I am justifying my score haha).
AIF-C01 (AI Practitioner)
A few days after the Cloud Practitioner exam, I decided to take the AWS Certified AI Practitioner next. My original plan was to go for the Developer Associate, but I’ve always been curious about AWS AI tools and I’m planning to build AI-based projects too, so I scheduled the AIF-C01 for July 22.
My prep was similar, but shorter. I started Stephan’s course again but didn’t finish it. I focused more on the Skill Builder learning plan and used practice exams from Udemy (though I couldn’t finish those either because the case studies were too long). I eventually switched to Tutorial Dojo and Skill Builder practice sets.
Unlike CLF-C02, I didn’t do any hands-on labs for this one.
Exam Day (AIF-C01)
I scored high on the practice tests, even on my first tries, especially with Tutorial Dojo. But the real exam? It was tough! Still manageable if you take time to analyze the questions and eliminate choices. I flagged a lot of items but was able to unflag several after reviewing carefully.
Unlike CLF-C02, I didn’t get an immediate “Pass” or “Fail” result, which made me overthink for the next 10 hours until I got the email. And yes! I passed!
My score? Hahaha! It was 763! Again, not high, but I learned a lot, and that’s what matters.
So What’s Next?
Now that I’ve passed CLF-C02 and AIF-C01, I’m planning to build projects and post it here. And then go for SAA (Solutions Architect Associate) or DVA (Developer Associate) next. Hopefully, I can complete one of those before the end of the year!
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