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``` Assessing Your Preparedness for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Exam ``` <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/Dg1RZa5hAJCZNHY4daF44ToB4Q-AVhTHWTpNbxtn9_Sa_dSNUkjKCDfZwuzOLPFGcHoFWC45GF9BNRptYUDmDhXAxvBSGF1bnXeST2U2dS_xvZ6EELMcYOb-Ybs9LvhxovDTySe-mJ64vMjItgEBVE5lB5iRizVvY3TnpgMT_jrdrYCmkhv4qYiFQg" width="479" height="270"> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">If you're about to take your first AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam, be sure you have enough training! Our <a href="https://thinkcloudly.com/aws-solutions-architect-associate-saa-c02/" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate</a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> certification course will be the key to your success. Here are some key features of this course. <a href="https://thinkcloudly.com/aws-solutions-architect-associate-saa-c02/" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/nLSuZsvDqSnXRYp-OQdiHn859JbeN5ce5D-sRCMtKwzzo0NayHPgdgExX-DenGlMqxgoQLDJecoTF5IXFuv2Cs84KNikXvKx7HEVSksb3UWyvDYfNe5-C7KUT7oXYjvKLOrwdALPdJpsxc44JdETTpdP0J-_cIkTsXmtl6bV_4AzUMBBFqeCtfl1Hw" width="475" height="248"></a> <h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align: justify;margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:6pt;"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Why The Assessment Exists</h2> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional exam is designed to assess your preparedness for a role as an architect in the design and deployment of scalable, cost-effective, highly available, fault-tolerant and secure AWS solutions. The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate certification is also designed to assess your preparedness for a role as an architect in designing cloud applications on AWS.  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">These exams are not easy to pass so you need to make sure that you are prepared before taking them. The Amazon Web Services (AWS) course will help you assess your readiness before taking either exam. It walks through different scenarios that candidates can expect to encounter when taking either exam, explains how those questions are weighted within each question type and presents strategies to address those questions types successfully. <h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align: justify;margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:6pt;"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">How You Can Benefit From Taking The Assessment</h2> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The AWS Solution Architect Associate certification is a professional level exam that confirms your knowledge and skills in designing, deploying and maintaining cloud infrastructures. Upon successful completion of this exam, you will earn AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate certification and be able to stand out from peers by showcasing your expertise in cloud architectures on your resume.  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The assessment provides a clear picture of where you are now as well as areas where you may need to strengthen your understanding before taking the exam. You can take this assessment at any time, but should do so before enrolling in a training course or purchasing materials if you have yet to decide on which one to pursue. <h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align: justify;margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:6pt;"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">What is the assessment like?</h2> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">To prepare you for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional exam, <a href="https://thinkcloudly.com/what-is-aws-amazon-web-services-aws/" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Amazon Web Services</a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> (AWS) has created an assessment that covers a breadth of topics to help assess your knowledge. The test consists of about 120 questions, is 3 hours long, and includes time management techniques as well as a practice mock exam.  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">You must have at least 20 minutes left on your timer once you start answering questions on each section in order to save your answers before moving on to the next section; otherwise all answers are lost. This lets you take short breaks from intense mental strain without losing any progress. There is also a limit of 10 incorrect answers per question.  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">For instance, if you answer 12 out of 20 questions incorrectly, then it would not be advisable to continue answering questions because there is no point in risking more incorrect answers. If you want to retake the test after failing it the first time, then you will need to pay another fee and go through the registration process again. What can I expect? <h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align: justify;margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:6pt;"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">When can I take it?</h2> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional exam is designed to assess your knowledge of a broad range of AWS products and their use in solving IT problems. The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate exam is designed to assess your knowledge of common AWS architectural patterns, and use of AWS services to build an end-to-end solution.  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">You can take both exams after completing this course, but you will not be able to receive your certification until taking both exams. The cost to take either exam is $250 USD (including GST) which includes access to all self-paced materials including the course videos, slides, quizzes and hands-on labs.  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">At the conclusion of this course, if you do not feel prepared to take either exam at that time, we recommend that you enrol in the AWS Certified Solutions Architect course before attempting to take any of our certifications. You have three attempts within 12 months from registration date or 12 months from purchase date whichever expires first for each certifications before it is revoked. <h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align: justify;margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:6pt;"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Where can I take it?</h2> <a href="https://thinkcloudly.com/what-is-the-best-aws-certification-path/" style="text-decoration:none;"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">AWS Certification</a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;"> is a unique certification that validates technical knowledge and experience in designing distributed solutions on AWS. The exam is open to all candidates, at no cost. Achieving this certification can help you stand out from your peers and set you apart as an expert in cloud computing. To get started, follow these steps:  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">1) Assess your preparedness by taking the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate exam simulation;  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">2) Review our preparation materials on our website;  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">3) Enrol in one of our instructor-led training classes or self-paced learning labs. Once you have completed the required work with a passing score, we will issue your certification. <h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align: justify;margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:6pt;"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">How much does it cost?</h2> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">The AWS solution architect associate certification is aimed at professionals who have experience with designing and deploying cloud-based solutions. The exam costs $150 USD, and you'll need to pass a multiple choice exam with a score of 70% or higher in order to receive your certification.  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">If you're already an AWS certified professional, such as an Amazon Web Services Developer Associate or DevOps Engineer Professional, then you can take the more advanced AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional Certification exam instead. In addition to having access to training materials, there's no additional cost associated with this exam. What are the test format requirements? There are two formats that you can take:  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">1) Multiple choice questions  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">2) A written answer to one essay question Which study material would be best for if you aren't sure what type of learner you are, we recommend using both types. You might also want to try taking practice exams before deciding which study material is best for you. <h2 dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;text-align: justify;margin-top:18pt;margin-bottom:6pt;"><span style="font-size:16pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Final Thoughts</h2> <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">This course is designed to help you assess your preparedness for this exam. If you are a bit confused or feel lost, do not panic. This course will take you step-by-step through what to study and how to study it. You'll also receive an assessment at the end of the course so that you can gauge how well you've done.  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">As I said before, this certification does not teach everything about Amazon Web Services; however, with these tutorials you'll be more than ready to take on the challenge! The price tag is $199 (or $15/month) and as part of their Unlimited plan users have access to all videos from other courses as well.  <span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">I would recommend this course for anyone who's been using Amazon Web Services but has never had formal training on it, or someone who just wants to make sure they're fully prepared for the exams! ``` ```