Preparing for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CCP) exam in 2 weeks

I recently cleared the AWS CCP certification. I chose to get this certification to demonstrate my ability in using cloud computing technologies. I feel certifications such as these are a great way to stand out and validate my hold on highly in demand skills.

Preparing for this exam was a fun ride and a great way to get my hands dirty on the AWS cloud. I got to explore the many different services that Amazon Web Services has to offer.

I have some prior experience working on AWS EC2 instances, but even if you are a total newbie it’s no big deal. Using the training material on AWS Training and other resources available online you will be able to crack this exam.

Why CCP?

Cloud computing is one of the hottest skills to have in the job market today. More and more companies are migrating to the cloud and there is a huge need for candidates with relevant expertise. This certification, although a foundational one can be a huge asset in your resume. It may also pave the way for future certifications from AWS such as the associate, professional and specialty ones.

Exam duration and structure

This is a 100 minute long exam with 65 questions, either multiple choice or multiple response. Some of the questions might try to throw you off by mentioning fake services as an option.

Watch this fun video for a quick look at all of 168 AWS services.

The exam is broadly divided into these four categories :

Refer to the exam guide for a more comprehensive look at each domain.

Preparation

After some google searches and browsing, I signed up for a free trial on A Cloud Guru. This website covers training and courses for all the AWS certifications and many more videos related to cloud technologies.

I completed the CCP course led by Ryan Kroonenburg, following along with him during the Lab sessions. This was very beneficial to get my concepts cleared and get hands on experience with some of the core AWS services, namely EC2, IAM, S3, RDS etc.

Week 1 :

1. Register on AWS Training and watch their videos on cloud fundamentals. Watch this particular free series for your preparation
2. Additionally, do an online CCP preparation course to cover all bases necessary for the exam. I would personally recommend this one on A Cloud Guru. You will be able to complete it within a week, which is the duration of the free trial. It will help you get familiarized with the AWS environment and guide you on how to use the services

Week 2 :

1. Play around on the console and try to use as many services as possible, both the ones covered in the course as well as those not covered. Just make sure you check the cost of every service or only use the free tier so that you do not get billed. I would recommend setting a billing alarm available on the AWS console which would notify you if your usage exceeds a given threshold
2. Read the Whitepapers! I know it can be daunting and reading papers of about 60–70 pages can get boring but do not skip this. It helped me a lot during the exam
3. Download the exam guide, sample questions and especially the following three whitepapers, AWS Services Overview, AWS Pricing and AWS Well Architected Framework
4. Take a mock test at least 2–3 days before the actual exam to gauge where you stand and work on your weak sections. If you feel you need to take more mocks, Udemy has a lot of options such as this, which includes 6 practice tests

Conclusion

On a final note, CCP being a foundational level certification is not a very difficult exam to pass. Using the recommendations above as a guideline and a dedicated two weeks of preparation, you will definitely be able to pass! If you decide to take this exam, I wish you good luck!