What is AWS Certification: Top Benefits, Various Certifications List, and More

What is AWS Certification definition

Amazon Web Services (AWS), the popular cloud platform, houses a collection of cloud computing services, that have opened up hot career prospects in the world of cloud computing.There are five different certifications and each of them open the floodgates to enhanced career opportunities. In this article, we will talk about the different certifications in the following sequence:

• AWS Certifications Learning Path
• Benefits of AWS Certifications
• AWS Job Prospects
• Types of AWS Certification

The following AWS learning path helps understand the AWS course meaning and associated concepts.

AWS Certifications Learning Path

There are various role-based learning paths for what is AWS certification. It helps in building cloud skills and advance toward AWS Certification with the right path. Some of the role-based learning paths are:

• Cloud Practitioner Learning Path – This learning path is built for individuals who wants to build and validate overall understanding of the AWS Cloud. This is useful for individuals in technical, managerial, sales, purchasing, or financial roles who work with the AWS Cloud.

• Architect Learning Path – This learning path is designed for solutions architects, solution design engineers, and anyone who wants to learn how to design applications and systems on AWS. It will help you build technical skills as you progress along the path toward AWS Certification.

• Developer Learning Path – It is designed for software developers who want to learn how to develop cloud applications on AWS. Also, It helps in building technical skills.

• Operations Learning Path – This learning path is designed for SysOps administrators, systems administrators, and those in a DevOps role. You can learn how to create automatable and repeatable deployments of applications, networks, and systems on the AWS platform.

These were the different role-based learning paths for AWS Certification. Now, let’s move on and understand the benefits of these certifications.

Benefits of AWS Certifications

Some of the AWS Certfiication benefits include

• You can learn at your own pace. Select any on-demand training that’s relevant to your role, solution area, and level of expertise.
• You will be trained with an AWS Expert. It helps in building technical skills from an accredited instructor through in-person or virtual courses.
• Pick Your Learning Path and build your cloud skills and advance toward AWS Certification.
• Validate your AWS Cloud skills and enhance your credibility with an industry-recognized credential.

These were some of the advantages of AWS Certification. Now, let’s have a look at the different job prospects.

AWS Certification Job Prospects

According to Forbes, AWS Certification is the number 1 program. In the global survey 2019, Solutions Architect, with a median salary of $139,529, is the highest paying certification. Additionally, all of AWS’ certifications will help you earn salaries in excess of $100,000. Specific Solution Architect skills that recruiters look for include designing on AWS, selecting the appropriate AWS services for your business, ingress and egress of data to and from the AWS, estimating AWS costs and identifying cost-control measures for your organization.

Globally, there are more than 380,000 cloud computing jobs in the IT industry itself. With cloud computing pervading into almost every business vertical, the need for qualified and certified cloud professionals is ever-growing. AWS is currently leading the pack with most companies having invested in or planning to invest in AWS tools and services. This is a clear sign that good times are in store for you if you commit yourself to AWS.

Types of AWS Certifications

AWS Certifications provides some of the most in-demand skills as validated by one of the most recognizable entities in cloud computing. In the enterprise, certification demonstrates a shared understanding of a platform, a shared terminology, and a certain level of cloud expertise. AWS continues to lead in public cloud adoption, and it currently offers various certifications that cover both foundational and specialty cloud computing topics.

AWS allows you to containerize its suite of certifications into three blocks – Solutions Architect, Developer and SysOps. While Solutions Architect is an independent stream in itself, a Developer and/or SysOps Associate certification can lead you to a DevOps Engineer certification. 

AWS certification-career-progression

Depending on your interest, career goal and experience, you can decide which AWS certification is the best. It is important to note that the Associate-level certifications do not require to have any prior AWS experience. However, experts believe around 1 year of experience with any of the AWS tools will be a great help in cracking the exams faster. The three Professional exams mandate 2 or more years of hands-on experience on AWS, but Amazon takes your word for it and does not require you to furnish any proof of experience. Now, let’s understand each of them in detail with this AWS certification list:

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – the Associate exam is designed for those with some experience in designing distributed applications. Candidates will need to be able to demonstrate their ability to design, manage, and implement applications using tools and services on the AWS platform. This exam was updated in February 2018 to include more AWS services and best practices.

Exam Details:

Format: Multiple-choice, multiple-answer
Time: 130 minutes (based on the new exam)
Cost: 150 USD

Areas Covered:

• Network technologies and how they work in AWS
• How AWS-based applications work and how client interfaces connect to the AWS platform
• How to build secure and reliable applications on the AWS platform
• Deploying hybrid systems – those with an on-premises data center and AWS components
• The exam domains include the design of highly available and scalable systems, (requires familiarity with AWS infrastructure and concepts), implementation and deployment in AWS, AWS-related data security practices, disaster recovery techniques, and troubleshooting

Do you wish to get certified as an AWS Solutions Architect already? Our live, instructor-led course will help you prepare for the exam by mastering concepts around EC2, EIP, ELB, EBS, S3, and lots more. Check out full details here. 

AWS Certified Developer – Associate

The AWS Certified Developer – Associate exam is all about developing and maintaining AWS-based applications. You will need to know how to write actual code that uses AWS software to access AWS applications from within your custom business applications.

Exam Details:

Format: Multiple-choice, multiple-answer
Time: 80 minutes
Cost: 150 USD

Areas Covered:

• Understanding the AWS certification meaning, basic AWS architecture and the core AWS services
• Hands-on experience designing, developing, deploying, and maintaining applications
• Working knowledge of applications that utilize key AWS services such as AWS databases, notifications, workflow services, and services for storage and change management services

AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate

The AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate exam is the only certification that is fully geared toward system administrators. Passing this exam requires both technical expertise and conceptual knowledge of the operational aspects of the AWS platform. Previous experience as a Linux or Windows administrator will be a plus.

AWS certification details of the exam:

Format: Multiple-choice, multiple-answer
Time: 80 minutes
Cost: 150 USD

Areas Covered:

• Deploying applications to the AWS platform
• Sending and receiving data between data centers and AWS
• Selecting the appropriate AWS services to meet an organization’s needs
• Provisioning, managing, and securing systems in an AWS environment

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Check out our top AWS certification list in various cities

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional

A professional AWS architect is someone who can evaluate the requirements of organization and make architectural recommendations for implementing and deploying applications on AWS. The Certified Solutions Architect Professional certification requires a high degree of technical skill and experience designing AWS-based applications.

Prerequisites:

• Status as AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate.
• Two years of hands-on experience designing and deploying cloud architecture on AWS and best practice knowledge of multi-application architectural design.

Exam Details:

Format: Multiple-choice, multiple-answer
Time: 170 minutes
Cost: 300 USD

Areas Covered:

• Best practices for architecting the designing applications on AWS
• Selecting the right AWS service for the requirements of an application
• Migration of complex application systems to AWS
• Knowledge of cost optimization strategies

AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional

The DevOps Engineer certification is all about provisioning, operating, and managing applications on the AWS platform. This exam focuses heavily on continuous delivery (CD) and the automation of processes, two fundamental concepts of the DevOps movement.

Prerequisites:

• Status as AWS Certified Developer – Associate or AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate.
• Experience in provisioning and managing AWS-based applications, as well as a firm understanding of modern application development such as the agile development methodology.

Exam Details:

Format: Multiple-choice, multiple answer
Time: 170 minutes
Cost: 300 USD

Areas Covered:

• 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

With this, we have come to the end of our discussion on the AWS Certification meaning. I hope you understood the different types of AWS Certifications available that will help you boost your career.