How to Pass the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate 2020 Exam

TL;DR

To pass the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam, build broad knowledge across its five architecture domains and complete the hands-on labs in your own AWS account. The exam costs $150 USD, includes 65 questions in 130 minutes, and requires roughly 72% to pass. Study needs range from about 20 to 160 hours depending on experience, so read on for a focused preparation plan.

Transcript

Hey, this is Andrew Brown from exam Pro. And I'm bringing you another free Eva's certification course. And this one happens to be the most popular in demand. And it is the solutions architect associate certification. So if you're looking to pass that exam, this is the course for you. And we are going to learn a broad amount of database services, we... Read More

Key Insights

• The AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam costs $150 USD, is taken at an AWS-partnered test center, gives 130 minutes to answer 65 questions, has a passing score around 72%, and the certification is valid for three years.
• The solution architect role is about big-picture thinking and finding creative solutions by leveraging cloud services instead of reinventing the wheel, deciding what to implement rather than how, then passing the architecture to cloud engineers.
• The exam covers five domains that map directly to the five pillars of the Well-Architected Framework: resilient architectures, performance architectures, secure applications, cost-optimized architectures, and operational excellence.
• Study time depends on experience: a working cloud engineer needs about 20 hours (one week), a bootcamp grad needs one to two months (80 to 160 hours), and an experienced developer new to AWS needs about one month (80 hours).
• The Solutions Architect Associate requires the least amount of technical knowledge of the certifications, making it ideal for academic or theory-based learners rather than those relying on hands-on experience.
• The associate certification alone will not increase salary much; to see bigger salary increases you need to earn the professional and specialty certifications, though the associate opens up more job opportunities.
• Resilient architecture knowledge includes reliable storage like Elastic Block Store and S3, decoupling with SQS and SNS, multi-tier design with database, web, and load-balancing layers, and high availability using Route 53, load balancing, and auto scaling groups.
• Performance architecture covers choosing between DynamoDB, RDS, and Redshift, applying caching through DynamoDB's caching layer, ElastiCache, or CloudFront for static content, and designing for elasticity and scalability with auto scaling groups.

Questions & Answers

Q: How do I pass the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam?

Develop broad knowledge of AWS database services and learn to design applications that are highly available, scalable, and durable for specific business use cases. Andrew Brown also recommends completing the course’s hands-on labs in your own AWS account to improve your chance of passing.

Q: How much does the AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam cost, and what is its format?

The exam costs $150 USD and is taken at an AWS-partnered test center booked through the AWS portal. You have 130 minutes to answer 65 questions, the passing score is around 72%, and the certification remains valid for three years.

Q: How long should I study for the Solutions Architect Associate exam?

A cloud engineer who already works with AWS daily may need about 20 hours and could prepare in one week. A bootcamp graduate may need one to two months, or roughly 80 to 160 hours, while an experienced developer new to AWS may need about one month, or 80 hours.

Q: Should I take the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner before this exam?

If you are new to AWS and cloud computing, Andrew Brown strongly recommends taking the Certified Cloud Practitioner first. It is easier, supplies foundational knowledge, and is the direct upgrade path because its material applies to the Solutions Architect Associate.

Q: What five domains does the Solutions Architect Associate exam cover?

The five domains are resilient architectures, performance architectures, secure applications and architectures, cost-optimized architectures, and operationally excellent architectures. They map directly to the five pillars of the AWS Well-Architected Framework.

Q: What does an AWS solutions architect do?

A solutions architect uses broad cloud-service knowledge to choose creative solutions instead of reinventing the wheel. The role emphasizes what to implement, big-picture architecture, pricing, and security; the resulting designs and diagrams are then passed to cloud engineers for implementation.

Q: Is the AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification valuable for jobs and salary?

The course describes it as the most popular and in-demand AWS certification, particularly among startups that value people with broad knowledge. It can open more job opportunities and help a résumé stand out, but the associate certification alone is not expected to increase salary much; larger increases require professional and specialty certifications.

Q: What AWS services and design skills should I study for the exam?

For resilient architectures, study reliable storage such as Elastic Block Store and S3, decoupling with SQS and SNS, multi-tier designs, Route 53, load balancing, and auto scaling groups. For performance architectures, understand when to choose DynamoDB, RDS, or Redshift and how caching can use DynamoDB’s caching layer, ElastiCache, or CloudFront for static content.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Andrew Brown from ExamPro presents a free AWS Solutions Architect Associate course, shot in late 2019 and usable for 2020. The role focuses on big-picture thinking, broad knowledge across domains, and finding creative solutions with cloud services rather than reinventing the wheel, then handing architectures to cloud engineers.

• The certification is the most popular and in-demand at the associate level, especially valued by startups needing people to fill any role. It requires the least technical knowledge, suiting theory-based learners. The associate alone won't raise salary much, but professional and specialty certifications combined with it lead to higher-paying opportunities.

• The exam costs $150 USD, allows 130 minutes for 65 questions, needs about 72% to pass, and lasts three years. It covers five domains mapping to the Well-Architected Framework's five pillars: resilient, performance, secure, cost-optimized, and operationally excellent architectures, spanning services like S3, SQS, SNS, Route 53, DynamoDB, and VPC.