How I Conquered the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional Exam in 60 Days

Introduction

In this article, I will share my journey on how to successfully pass the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional exam in just 60 days. My hope is that by sharing my experience, resources, study plan, and some crucial tips, I can help you navigate your way to acing this challenging certification exam.

First off, this exam is no small feat. It's designed for individuals who are engaged in a DevOps or DevSecOps engineering role, focusing on operating, managing, and provisioning distributed application systems on the AWS platform. This certification validates your technical expertise in continuous delivery systems, methodologies on AWS, security controls automation, and much more.

Understanding the Exam

Before diving deep into my study plan and the resources I used, let's get a brief overview of what this exam entails. The AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional exam is recognized as one of the more challenging tests compared to other AWS professional level exams. It takes 180 minutes, costs $300 USD, and contains 75 questions, either multiple choice or multiple response.

NOTE: The exam information may change, so be sure to validate this by going to the landing page here: Amazon's Website - AWS Certified DevOps Professional Overview

Why This Certification?

Pursuing this certification was a deliberate move on my part. With several other AWS certifications under my belt, I felt this was the logical next step to help me advance within my career. The knowledge gained from this certification is invaluable for anyone looking to implement highly scalable, high-availability applications on AWS.

Prerequisites and Preparations

Let me be really honest; this exam is EXTREMELY difficult. I strongly recommend having one of the associate-level certifications (either AWS Solutions Architect Associate or AWS Developer Associate) before attempting this one. Additionally, hands-on experience with AWS is crucial for your success, so make sure you are labbing as much as possible!

Resources Used

• Udemy Course by Stephane Marrek: This was my primary resource. Stephane's detailed explanations and hands-on approach were instrumental in helping me grasp complex concepts quickly. This course is a 10 out of 10, and I highly recommend his other courses for any AWS certification.

• TutorialsDojo Cheat Sheets: A fantastic, free resource that provides summaries of various AWS services. These cheat sheets are great for quick revisions.

• TutorialsDojo Practice Exams: In addition to the cheat sheets, I also leveraged the TutorialsDojo practice exams, which mimic the difficulty level of the actual exam, providing both a challenge and a solid learning opportunity.

My Study Schedule

My study plan was rigorous, but effective for me:

• First 30 Days: I dedicated two hours on weekdays and doubled that on weekends to Stefan Marek’s Udemy course. This allowed me to absorb the content without rushing, with ample time for hands-on practice, especially if you're working a little over 40 hours a week.
• Next 30 Days: I shifted my focus to reviewing Tutorials Dojo's cheat sheets and taking multiple practice exams a week. This helped identify gaps in my knowledge and solidify what I had learned. In addition, I made sure that I was scoring an 80% or higher for at least 2-3 tries before I booked my exam. The practice exams are just as hard, if not harder, than the actual exam!

Remember, consistency is key. So make sure you adjust the schedule based on your pace of learning while ensuring you are regularly dedicating time to your study plan. This'll ensure you don't burn out trying to study for this exam, because it is possible.

Emphasized Services

From my experience, certain AWS services played a significant role in the exam. So make sure you pay extra attention to:

• CloudFormation
• CodeBuild, CodePipeline, CodeDeploy, and CodeCommit
• Lambda, API Gateway
• Kinesis Data Streams and Firehose
• Inspector
• Organizations
• Control Tower
• GuardDuty (surprisingly)
• Systems Manager (Session Manager and Patch Manager, in particular)

Also, make sure you understand your deployment strategies as well. Knowing the difference between Blue/Green and Rolling deployment is a great starting point.

These are just a few, but understanding these services deeply will be highly beneficial for you before taking the practice exams.

Testing Experience and Tips

When test day arrived, I chose to take the exam at a testing center, which I find more conducive for focusing. One piece of advice - hydrate and eat well before the exam. Trust me, it makes a difference and will save you from getting a headache. (speaking from experience)

During the exam, you’ll find that time management and the process of elimination are your best strategies. The questions are detailed, which can be time-consuming. Practice pacing yourself with practice exams to optimize your performance.

Conclusion

Finally, stepping out of the exam, I thought I failed for sure. I was practically over it due to my lack of preparation prior to sitting for it (the headache). However, it was a fulfilling journey and I learned quite a bit from it. I was happy to learn that I passed shortly after as well.

For those of you embarking on this journey, I hope my experience sheds some light and guides you towards achieving your certification. Remember, the path may seem daunting, but with the right resources, a solid study plan, and perseverance, you can conquer the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer Professional exam just as I did.

Thank you for reading, and I wish you the best of luck. Until next time, happy studying, and I'll see you in the cloud!

**Disclaimer:* This blog post reflects my personal experiences and opinions.*

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