Getting an AWS certification is a smart move for IT professionals who want to advance their careers and stand out in the job market. It showcases not only technical proficiency but also dedication and a commitment to professional growth. To make sure that you are fully prepared for the AWS Certification exam, it’s important to have access to the latest and most comprehensive study materials. Certspots offers a wide range of AWS certification exam study materials that are specifically designed to help you pass the AWS Certification exam with ease. By using Certspots AWS certification study materials, you can improve your career prospects and gain a competitive edge in the job market.

AWS Certification Overview

An AWS certification is a credential that demonstrates a person’s expertise and proficiency in Amazon Web Services. To obtain the certification, one must fulfill all the requirements and pass the exams offered by AWS. It is not only a testament to one’s technical skills and knowledge, but also a showcase of their dedication and commitment to the AWS platform. The certification process requires significant time and effort, which shows a person’s willingness to invest in their professional development.

Having an AWS certification gives a competitive edge in the job market as it distinguishes the person from other candidates and shows that they possess the necessary skills to excel in AWS-related positions. Employers always look for individuals with specialized skills, and an AWS certification is an excellent way to demonstrate those skills.

Which AWS certification is suitable for you?

AWS offers several different certifications, each with its own difficulty level and area of focus. The certification that is right for you will depend on your job role and level of experience. The certifications are grouped into four main paths based on job role: Foundational, Architect, Operations, and Developer. Each path includes certifications that vary in difficulty and are designed to test your knowledge and skills in specific areas of AWS. It is suggested to begin with the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification if you are new to cloud computing, and then choose a certification that matches your experience level and career goals.

AWS Certifications Pathway 2023

AWS provides a range of certification options for IT professionals who want to advance their careers, including six core certifications and five specialty certifications. These certifications are grouped into four main paths based on job role: Foundational, Architect, Operations, and Developer. The certifications cover a variety of topics, from basic understanding of AWS cloud to advanced networking tasks and machine learning solutions. If you are new to cloud computing, it is recommended to start with the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification.

Certification Path	Certification Level	Exam Code
Foundational	AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner	CLF-C01
Architect	AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate	SAA-C03
Architect	AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional	SAP-C02
Developer & Operations	AWS Certified Developer – Associate	DAV-C02
Developer & Operations	AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate	SOA-C02
Developer & Operations	AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional	DOP-C02
Specialty	AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty	MLS-C01
Specialty	AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty	ANS-C01
Specialty	AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty	DAS-C01
Specialty	AWS Certified Security – Specialty	SCS-C01
Specialty	AWS Certified Database – Specialty	DBS-C01
Specialty	AWS Certified SAP on AWS – Specialty	PAS-C01

AWS Cloud Certifications Based on Job Role

Foundational

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification is intended for individuals who want to establish and validate their general understanding of the AWS cloud. This certification path is suitable for those in managerial, sales, technical, finance, and purchasing roles who work with AWS cloud. There is only one exam in this path, which is the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner [CLF-C01] Exam
Domains	Weightage
Cloud Concepts	(26%)
Security and Compliance	(25%)
Technology	(33%)
Billing and Pricing	(16%)

Architect

The AWS Architect certification path is intended for individuals who want to learn how to develop applications and systems on the AWS platform, specifically solution design engineers and solutions architects. The path includes two sub-paths and is designed to test your ability to design and deploy highly scalable and available systems on AWS.

1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

To obtain this certification, candidates must demonstrate their ability to design, manage, and effectively utilize AWS tools. It is essential to have the skills to design and deploy scalable and available systems in AWS. While it is not mandatory, it is recommended that those interested in this certification have at least one year of experience developing and deploying highly fault-tolerant and scalable AWS systems.

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Architect [SAA-C03] Exam
Domains	Weightage
Design Secure Architectures	(30%)
Design Resilient Architectures	(26%)
Design High-Performing Architectures	(24%)
Design Cost-Optimised Architectures	(20%)

2. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional

To take the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional certification, it is recommended (but not required) to have at least two years of experience designing and deploying AWS systems and to have passed the Associate-level AWS Certified Solutions Architect exam. This certification assesses your knowledge of complex AWS applications, including how to apply best practices in application design and how to migrate applications to AWS in an optimized manner.

AWS Certified Solution Architect – Professional [SAP-C02] Exam
Domains	Weightage
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity	(26%)
Design for New Solutions	(29%)
Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions	(25%)
Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization	(20%)

Developer & Operations

This certification path is intended for software developers who want to learn about creating cloud applications on AWS and how they function. It is composed of two sub-paths that cover the necessary skills for designing and deploying AWS systems, including application development, deployment, and maintenance.

AWS Certified Developer – Associate:

The AWS Certified Developer – Associate certification provides in-depth knowledge of AWS application design, development, and maintenance at the code level. It is suggested, but not mandatory, that candidates have at least one year of experience maintaining AWS applications before attempting this certification.

AWS Certified Developer Associate [DAV-C02] Exam
Domains	Weightage
Development with AWS Services	(32%)
Security	(26%)
Deployment	(24%)
Troubleshooting and Optimization	(18%)

AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate

This certification path covers operations and deployment of various AWS services and architecture, along with data migration and application deployment. While the Developer path also includes the DevOps Engineer Professional certification, this path only provides a single certification.

AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate [SOA-C02] Exam
Domains	Weightage
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation	(20%)
Reliability and Business Continuity	(16%)
Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation	(18%)
Security and Compliance	(16%)
Networking and Content Delivery	(18%)
Cost and Performance Optimization	(12%)

AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional

To take this certification, it is suggested that candidates have experience of at least two years in managing and provisioning AWS. It covers various concepts related to continuous deployment and automation of AWS processes and how to integrate them into the AWS architecture.

AWS Certified DevOps Engineer [DOP-C02] Exam
Domains	Weightage
SDLC Automation	(22%)
Configuration Management and IaC	(17%)
Resilient Cloud Solutions	(15%)
Monitoring and Logging	(15%)
Incident and Event Response	(14%)
Security and Compliance	(17%)

Specialty

The Specialty AWS certifications are highly specialized and focus on specific AWS services, requiring a deep level of technical expertise. Prior to taking these exams, individuals should have expert-level knowledge in their chosen specialty.

AWS Certified Machine Learning – Speciality

This certification is for individuals who work in development or data science roles and focuses on their ability to design, implement, deploy, and maintain machine learning solutions for specific problems. It validates the candidate’s proficiency in machine learning, which is a field about machines that can learn and adapt.

AWS Certified Machine Learning Speciality [MLS-C01] Exam
Domains	Weightage
Data Engineering	(20%)
Exploratory Data Analysis	(24%)
Modeling	(36%)
Machine Learning Implementation and Operations	(20%)

AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty

This certification is intended to confirm the candidate’s ability to perform complex networking tasks on AWS and hybrid IT networking architecture at scale. It requires a background in designing and implementing network solutions and advanced knowledge of networking on AWS.

AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Speciality [ANS-C01] Exam
Domains	Weightage
Network Design	(30%)
Network Implementation	(26%)
Network Management and Operation	(20%)
Network Security, Compliance, and Governance	(24%)

AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty

This certification path is mainly focused on the different data services offered by AWS, including but not limited to S3, RedShift, Kinesis, and Elastic MapReduce.

AWS Certified Data Analytics [DAS-C01] Exam
Domains	Weightage
Collection	(18%)
Storage and Data Management	(22%)
Processing	(24%)
Analysis and Visualization	(18%)
Security	(18%)

AWS Certified Security – Specialty

The AWS certification focuses on security fundamentals, best practices, and specialized knowledge in unique AWS platform services that are essential for security professionals and teams to master.

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner [SCS-C01] Exam
Domains	Weightage
Incident Response	(12%)
Logging and Monitoring	(20%)
Infrastructure Security	(26%)
Identity and Access Management	(20%)
Data Protection	(22%)

AWS Certified Database – Specialty

This certification confirms that you possess a comprehensive understanding of all the AWS database services available, as well as the ability to create value for your business through optimized database integration and architecture.

AWS Certified Database – Speciality [DBS-C01] Exam
Domains	Weightage
Workload-Specific Database Design	(26%)
Deployment and Migration	(20%)
Management and Operations	(18%)
Monitoring and Troubleshooting	(18%)
Database Security	(18%)

AWS Certified SAP on AWS – Specialty

This certification confirms that individuals possess the knowledge and skills to optimize SAP workloads on AWS by demonstrating proficiency in workload design, migration, implementation, and operation. It allows organizations to identify and develop talent with the necessary expertise in SAP on AWS.

AWS Certified SAP on AWS [PAS-C01] Exam
Domains	Weightage
Design of SAP workloads on AWS	(30%)
Implementation of SAP workloads on AWS	(24%)
Migration of SAP workloads to AWS	(26%)
Operation and maintenance of SAP workloads on AWS	(20%)

Tips for Getting the Right AWS Certification

When considering which AWS certification to pursue, it’s important to think about your job role and level of experience. Starting with the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification is a good idea if you’re new to cloud computing. Taking a training course to prepare for the certification exam can also be helpful. Building hands-on experience with AWS by working on real-world projects or participating in AWS-related activities is a great way to supplement your knowledge. Additionally, using AWS whitepapers, documentation, and online resources can be helpful. Practicing with sample exams can also help you become familiar with the exam format and types of questions. Staying up-to-date with the latest AWS updates, services, and technologies by reading AWS blogs and attending AWS events is crucial. Obtaining an AWS certification is an investment in your professional growth that can lead to improved job opportunities and higher salaries.