Getting AWS certified has always been one of my career goals. After working hands-on with AWS for a while, I decided to take the next step: the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional exam. It’s one of the toughest AWS certifications out there, but also one of the most credible ways to demonstrate your professional skills.
In this post, I’ll share how I prepared, what resources I used, the challenges I faced, and some honest tips that helped me pass the exam.
Why I Decided to Take the AWS DevOps Engineer Exam?
After using AWS for a couple of years for my work, I realized how much DevOps practices shaped cloud workflows such as automation, continuous delivery, and monitoring which were integral parts of my work.
The AWS DevOps Engineer certification seemed like the perfect opportunity to deepen my understanding of CI/CD, infrastructure automation, and deployment strategies while validating my skills officially.
Understanding the Exam
This exam is a 180 minute exam and if you are not a native English speaker then you will be able to get 30 minutes extra which you need to request before booking the exam. There are 75 scenario-based multiple-choice questions which are tough and lengthy but achievable with the right strategy.
The AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional exam focuses on six main domains:
- SDLC Automation (22%)
- Configuration Management and Infrastructure as Code (17%)
- Security and Compliance (17%)
- Resilient Cloud Solutions (15%)
- Monitoring and Logging (15%)
- Incident and Event Response (14%)
My Study Plan & Resources
I spent around 3 months preparing. My strategy was all about consistency and structured syllabus (online course. Hands-on and practice exam), where I committed 1 to 2 hours a day.
- Udemy Course: Stephane Maarek’s AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional Course
- Cloud Academy: AWS DevOps Engineer - Professional (DOP-C02) Certification Preparation
- Practice Exams: Tutorials Dojo/Jon Bonso which is extremely helpful for understanding question patterns.
- Hands-On Labs: I practiced building real CI/CD pipelines with CodePipeline, CodeBuild, and ECS.
- Notes: I made short notes for each domain and used them for quick revision during the last week.
My Preparation Strategy
Here’s what worked best for me:
- Start with the Basics: Brush up on services like IAM, EC2, S3, and CloudFormation before diving deep.
- Learn by Doing: Practice everything in the AWS console. Deploy applications, automate pipelines, and break things on purpose then fix them.
- Understand Scenarios(Not Definitions): The exam tests real-world problem-solving, not memorization.
- Take Mock Exams: I took at least 5 full-length practice tests and reviewed every wrong answer carefully.
- Revised constantly: During the last two weeks, I focused entirely on weak areas like CloudFormation, drift detection and CodeDeploy configurations.
Exam Day Experience
I took the physical exam at an authorized test center. I arrived about 20 to 30 minutes early to complete the check-in process, which included ID verification and a quick security check. The questions were long and scenario-based, requiring careful reading and logical thinking.
I aimed to complete my first pass of all questions in about 140 minutes, then used the remaining time to review any flagged questions. The environment at the test center was quiet, professional and accommodating, which helped me concentrate fully.
A few tips for exam day:
Read each question carefully, some are tricky and may consist of multiple relevant answers.
Eliminate obviously incorrect answers first.
Stay confident even if some questions feel tough, keep moving forward.
The Moment I Passed
When I saw the “Congratulations” message on the screen, I couldn’t stop smiling. All those hours of late-night study sessions and practice labs had finally paid off.
This certification gave me a huge confidence boost not only in my AWS knowledge but also in my ability to design scalable, automated, and secure solutions.
Conclusion
Passing the AWS DevOps Engineer - Professional exam was a milestone in my cloud journey. It deepened my understanding of automation, CI/CD, and system resilience skills that make a real difference in production environments.
If you’re preparing for this certification, remember: it’s not about rushing it’s about learning deeply, practicing constantly, and believing you can do it.
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