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Cristhian Ferreira
Cristhian Ferreira

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AWS Certification Journey: Preparing for the AWS CCP Exam

MacBook Pro near white open book

Hello mates,

I want to share my journey of becoming an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner with all of you. A certification can open up opportunities, and I hope my experience can inspire and guide others on their path to Cloud success.

Taking a Course

I took a couple of days researching for good courses on the topic. I'm a great fan of FreeCodeCamp, it was my starting point in learning Web Development. In their YouTube channel I found a good course in AWS CCP, presented by Andrew Brown. Andrew covered all the exam topics comprehensively and introduced me to his teaching platform, Exam Pro. Intrigued by the content and resources, I opted for his AWS CCP course. It not only covered all the essential concepts but also provided practice exams, flashcards, and cheat sheets, elevating my learning experience.

Exampro link

Doing Labs

In order to get used with new technologies or tools you have to get hands-on with them. When you register in AWS, it provides you with a 12 months free trial in selected products, there are different product tiers that are eligible to be free to use during the 12 months under certain conditions. (Configure alarms to be notified if you exceed a condition of free use).

Additionally, I discovered AWS Cloud Quest, an engaging Online RPG where I could act as a cloud specialist and solve problems using AWS products. This game enabled me to test various services like AWS S3, AWS EC2, AWS VPC, and AWS RDS. From deploying a static website on AWS S3 to setting up a load balancer for a fleet of EC2 instances, I embarked on a range of projects that provided invaluable practical knowledge in AWS.

Join Cloud Quest

Retaining Information

After concluding with the labs and finishing the course by Andrew. I created an appointment for the exam where I had 3 weeks to prepare for the exam. Beside knowing how to use the services, there are multiple concepts of the cloud ecosystem that you have to get used to. After taking a test in ExamPro, I highlighted the questions that I failed and I made emphasis in rereading that topic.

To improve, I used a tool called Anki. It's a flashcard program that uses spaced repetition for memorization. Space repetition is a learning technique that helps you retain information in long-term memory by spacing out the reviews of the cards. So,basically, information is better retained when it is reviewed multiple times at spaced intervals rather than through massed repetition or cramming. You create multiple cards and the algorithm makes emphasis on the cards in order of their urgency

Anki website

Final Notes

Becoming an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner was an enriching experience that opened doors to endless possibilities. By selecting the right course, diving into hands-on labs, and leveraging tools like Anki, I not only gained the certification but also developed valuable skills for a successful career in the cloud computing world.

I encourage everyone to embark on this journey, as AWS certifications hold immense value in today's technology-driven landscape.

Best of luck on your AWS certification journey!

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