For all the right reasons, Amazon Web Services has risen to the top of the cloud computing market. Many cloud professionals’ career pathways have been changed by AWS certification throughout the years. Most importantly, candidates can get a variety of other employment benefits from professional AWS credentials. AWS certifications assess individuals’ cloud competence and demonstrate their suitability for various AWS-based employment categories.
The fundamental goal of AWS’s numerous certifications is to validate professionals’ competencies in order to demonstrate their in-demand skills. Along with that, the credentials can assist firms in informing effective and inventive teams for various cloud initiatives centered on AWS. As a result, you can select the AWS certification that best suits your career goals and pursue it with confidence.
AWS presently offers 12 certificates: one foundational, three associate-level, two professional-level, and six specialty certifications.
Foundational Certificate :
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
AWS’s newest credential is the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. This entry-level certification is intended to verify a candidate’s comprehensive knowledge of the Amazon Web Services cloud. The areas covered are as follows –
- Understanding of basic AWS architectural principles
- The value proposition of the AWS cloud
- Key AWS services and their common use cases
- Basic security and compliance, the shared responsibility model for security
- Core deployment and operating principles
Associate-Level Certifications :
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C02)
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam is for people who have some expertise with distributed application design. Thus, candidates must be able to demonstrate their competence to build, manage, and implement applications on the AWS platform using tools and services. In February 2018, the exam was revised to include new AWS services and best practices. The areas covered are as follows –
- Network technologies and how they work in AWS
- How to connect client interfaces to the AWS platform and how AWS-based apps work
On the AWS platform, how to create secure and dependable applications - Hybrid systems, which include both on-premises and AWS components, are being deployed.
- Design of highly available and scalable systems (needs knowledge of AWS infrastructure and concepts), implementation and deployment in AWS, AWS-related data security procedures, disaster recovery approaches, and troubleshooting are among the test domains.
AWS Certified Developer – Associate
The Associate exam of the AWS Certified Developer programme focuses on designing and managing AWS-based applications. So, to use AWS apps from within your bespoke business applications, you’ll need to know how to develop actual code that accesses AWS services. The areas covered are as follows –
- Understanding the AWS architecture and core services is essential.
- Designing, creating, deploying, and maintaining apps is a must.
- Working knowledge of applications that make use of major AWS services such as databases, notifications, workflow services, and storage and change management services.
AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate
The Associate test for the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator is the only credential that is entirely oriented toward system administrators. Hence, passing this exam demands both technical expertise and a conceptual understanding of the AWS platform’s operational elements. It will be advantageous if you have prior expertise as a Linux or Windows administrator. The areas covered are as follows –
- Using the AWS platform to deploy applications
- Data transmission and reception between data centers and AWS
- Choosing the right AWS services to satisfy an organization’s requirements
- In an AWS environment, provisioning, managing and protecting systems
Professional-Level Certifications :
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
A skilled AWS architect can assess a company’s needs and give architectural recommendations for implementing and delivering applications on AWS. Therefore, a high level of technical competence and experience creating AWS-based applications is required for the Certified Solutions Architect Professional certification. The areas covered are as follows –
- Architecting and developing applications on AWS: Best Practices
- Choosing the appropriate AWS service for an application’s needs
- Migration of sophisticated application systems to Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Understanding of cost-cutting strategies
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
Provisioning, operating, and managing applications on the AWS platform are all covered by the DevOps Engineer certification. Thus, test places a strong emphasis on continuous delivery (CD) and process automation, two key principles in the DevOps movement. The areas covered are as follows –
- The basics of modern CD methodologies
- How to implement CD systems
- Set up, monitoring, and logging systems on AWS
- How to implement highly available and scalable systems on AWS
- How to design and manage tools that enable automation of production operations
- Specialty Certification
Specialty Certifications :
AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty
The AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty certification is for those who have a background in data analytics and have expertise in building and architecting big data solutions using AWS services. Thus, its purpose is to verify a candidate’s ability to extract value from data utilizing AWS services. The areas covered are as follows –
- Developing best practices for using fundamental AWS big data services
- Creating and maintaining large data sets
- AWS tools for data analysis automation
- Best practices for securing large data solutions
- Kinesis, Athena, Quicksight, and Rekognition are among the AWS services discussed.
AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty
The AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty certification validates a candidate’s knowledge and skills in performing difficult networking activities on AWS and hybrid IT networking architecture at scale. Candidates should have experience architecting and implementing network solutions, as well as extensive networking skills on AWS. The areas covered are as follows –
- Using AWS to design, develop, and deploy cloud solutions
- Using architectural best practices to implement essential services
- AWS task automation for network installs
- Design and implementation of security and compliance
- Troubleshooting and network optimization
AWS Certified Security – Specialty
The AWS Certified Security – Specialty certification includes the topics that security professionals and teams need to master security foundations, best practices, and deep knowledge of important AWS platform services. Hence, it’s intended to test your understanding of AWS security issues such as data encryption and protection, infrastructure security, incident response, identity, and access management, monitoring, and logging. The areas covered are as follows –
- Select the proper level of security for your deployments and the sensitivity of your data using a range of AWS services.
- Choose the best data security solutions, including encryption systems.
- To detect and assess security vulnerabilities and flaws in your infrastructure, use logging and monitoring tools.
AWS Certified Alexa Skill Builder – Specialty
The AWS Certified Alexa Skill Builder – Specialty credential verifies your technical proficiency in developing, testing, and deploying Amazon Alexa skills. Anyone who works like an Alexa skill builder should take this exam. Therefore, candidates must have at least six months of hands-on experience using the Alexa Skills Kit to build Alexa skills and be able to programme in a programming language. The areas covered are as follows –
- Understanding the significance of one’s own voice
- Designing for the user experience
- Following AWS and Alexa, security recommended practices
- For the talent, creating, testing, and validating
- The Alexa Developer Console is a tool that allows you to work with Alexa.
AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty
The AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty credential verifies your ability to design, develop, and manage machine learning solutions for a variety of business problems. Anyone who works in development or data science should take this exam. Hence, candidates should have one to two years of expertise on the AWS Cloud using machine learning and/or deep learning. The areas covered are as follows –
- Choosing and defending the best machine learning solution for a specific business situation
- Identifying the AWS solutions you’ll need to build and deploy your machine learning solution
- ML solutions that are cost-effective, scalable, dependable, and secure are designed and implemented.
AWS Certified Database – Specialty
The AWS Certified Database – Specialty certification verifies that you have a thorough understanding of all of AWS’s database services, as well as how to maximize database integration and architecture to add value to your company. Anyone who works with databases and implements database solutions should take this exam. Thus, candidates should have at least two years of experience working with relational and NoSQL databases on both AWS Cloud and on-premises. The areas covered are as follows –
- Database Design
- Deployment and Migration
- Management and Operations
- Monitoring and Troubleshooting
- Security
Thus, now you can now see and decide which certificate fits you the best!