How difficult is the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam?

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How difficult is the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam

Starting your journey in cloud computing can feel like a big step, especially when facing your first certification exam. The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam is a common starting point for many, but it is more important to understand how tough it is. Whether you are an IT pro looking to expand your skills or a newcomer eager to dive into the world of cloud computing, understanding the exam’s difficulty can make a big difference in how you prepare. In this blog, we will share experiences and insights to help you get a clear picture of what to expect and how to tackle the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam with confidence.

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam is a certification exam provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS). It is designed for individuals seeking knowledge and understanding of the AWS Cloud at an entry-level. The exam assesses an individual’s basic understanding of the AWS Cloud, covering services, pricing, architecture, and more. Despite being an entry-level certification, many individuals are curious about the exam’s difficulty and what steps they should take to prepare effectively. We will now explore the various aspects of the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam, and its difficulty level, and provide tips on how to prepare and pass the exam with flying colors.

Glossary for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Terminology

Here are some common terms and definitions for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam:

  1. Amazon Web Services (AWS): Amazon provides a cloud computing platform called AWS. It includes various services like computing, storage, databases, analytics, machine learning, and more.
  2. Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2): A web service provided by AWS that allows users to rent virtual machines (VMs) on which to run their own applications.
  3. Simple Storage Service (S3): A flexible data storage service that enables users to easily store and retrieve data from anywhere on the internet.
  4. Virtual Private Cloud (VPC): A service that allows users to create a logically isolated virtual network within the AWS cloud.
  5. Auto Scaling: A service that automatically scales up or down computing resources in response to changes in demand for an application.
  6. Load Balancer: A system that spreads incoming network traffic among various EC2 instances, boosting application availability and resilience to faults.
  7. Identity and Access Management (IAM): A service that allows users to control access to AWS resources by creating and managing users, groups, and roles.
  8. Route 53: A scalable Domain Name System (DNS) service that converts domain names into IP addresses and directs internet traffic to the relevant resources.
  9. Elastic Block Store (EBS): A service that provides persistent block-level storage for use with EC2 instances.
  10. Relational Database Service (RDS): A managed database service that provides easy deployment, management, and scaling of relational databases.
  11. CloudFormation: A service that enables users to generate and oversee AWS resources using templates.
  12. CloudTrail: A service that provides a record of AWS API calls and events for security analysis, compliance auditing, and more.
  13. CloudWatch: A monitoring and management service that offers information and insights on resource usage, application performance, and operational well-being.
  14. Glacier: A low-cost storage service for data

Study Guide for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam

AWS provides official courses and study materials to assist candidates in preparing for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam. These resources address all exam objectives, equipping candidates with the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully pass the exam.

  1. AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials: This is a free, self-paced, digital course that introduces candidates to the fundamentals of the AWS Cloud. It covers key concepts such as cloud computing, AWS services, security, and architecture, and prepares candidates for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.
  2. AWS Technical EssentialsThis course provides an overview of the AWS Cloud and its key services, including computing, storage, and networking. It is designed for individuals who are new to AWS and want to learn more about its services and solutions.
  3. AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials Classroom Training: This is an instructor-led course that covers the same material as the AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials digital course. It is designed for individuals who prefer a classroom-based learning experience.
  4. Exam Readiness: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner: This course is designed to help candidates prepare for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam. It includes an overview of the exam, tips for taking the exam, and practice questions and quizzes to test candidates’ knowledge.
  5. AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials (Second Edition): This is an updated version of the free, self-paced, digital course that introduces candidates to the fundamentals of the AWS Cloud. It covers key concepts such as cloud computing, AWS services, security, and architecture, and prepares candidates for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.
  6. AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials (Virtual Classroom): This is an instructor-led, virtual classroom training that covers the same material as the AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials digital course. It is designed for individuals who prefer a live, virtual learning experience.
  7. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam Readiness Workshop: This is an instructor-led, virtual classroom training that helps candidates prepare for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam. It includes an overview of the exam, tips for taking the exam, and practice questions and quizzes to test candidates’ knowledge.
  8. AWS Technical Essentials (Virtual Classroom): This is an instructor-led, virtual classroom training that provides an overview of the AWS Cloud and its key services, including computing, storage, and networking. It is designed for individuals who are new to AWS and want to learn more about its services and solutions.
  9. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Self-Paced Labs: These self-paced labs provide candidates with hands-on experience working with AWS services and solutions. They cover key topics such as computing, storage, and networking, and help candidates prepare for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.
  10. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Study Guide: This book is a comprehensive guide to the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam. It covers all of the exam objectives and provides candidates with practice questions and quizzes to test their knowledge.
  11. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam Blueprint: This document outlines the exam objectives and provides candidates with a detailed breakdown of the topics covered on the exam.
  12. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Practice Exams: These practice exams aim to replicate the real exam conditions, featuring practice questions with detailed answers and explanations.

What are the skills validated?

The exam validates the following skills of a candidate –

  • Firstly, explain what the AWS Cloud is and outline the fundamental global infrastructure.
  • Secondly, outline basic architectural principles of the AWS Cloud.
  • Furthermore, articulate the value proposition of the AWS Cloud.
  • In addition, outline key services on the AWS platform and their typical use cases, such as computing and analytics.
  • Also, discuss basic security and compliance aspects of the AWS platform and the shared security model.
  • Subsequently, clarify billing, account management, and pricing models.
  • Additionally, identify sources of documentation or technical assistance, such as whitepapers or support tickets.
  • Lastly, detail the basic characteristics of deploying and operating in the AWS Cloud.
Recommended Knowledge:

If you are planning to take for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam preparation, Amazon recommends having some experience as mentioned below –

  • It is recommended to have a minimum of 6 months of experience with the AWS Cloud in any capacity. This could apply to various individuals, including traditional and non-traditional students, educators, and those exploring the AWS Cloud. It is beneficial for project managers, IT managers, sales managers, decision-makers, marketers, as well as individuals in finance, procurement, and legal roles.
  • Additionally, a basic understanding of IT services and their applications in the AWS Cloud platform is advised.

Exam Details

Now that we are done with the basic exam knowledge, let us jump to the exam details. Not to forget that knowing the exam details and some other basic information about the exam is as important as preparing and practicing for the exam. Let us now look at some of the details related to the exam, they are summarized later in the form of a table for ease of access –

  • The  AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam format comprises of around 65 questions.
  • Furthermore, all the questions in the examination will be either multiple-choice questions or multiple responses.
  • You will also have only 90 minutes to finish the exam.
  • The registration fee is set at USD 100. In addition, the test is offered in four other languages. English, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese are included among these languages.
1. Exam Name  AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner 2. Exam Code CLF-C02
3. Exam Duration 90 Minutes4. Exam Format Multiple Choice and Multi-Response Questions
5. Exam Type Foundational6. Number of Questions 65 questions
7. Passing Score 700 (on a scale of 100-1000)8. Exam Fee $100 USD
9. Exam Language English, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese10. Validity 3 years

Let us now look at the course structure for the exam to then utilize our study resources judiciously!

Domain 1: Cloud Concepts 24%

1.1: Define the benefits of the AWS Cloud.

Knowledge of:

  • Value proposition of the AWS Cloud

Skills in:

Task Statement 1.2: Identify design principles of the AWS Cloud.

Knowledge of:

  • AWS Well-Architected Framework

Skills in:

  • Understanding the pillars of the Well-Architected Framework (for example, operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency, cost optimization, sustainability) (AWS Documentation: The pillars of the framework)
  • Identifying differences between the pillars of the Well-Architected Framework

Task Statement 1.3: Understand the benefits of and strategies for migration to the AWS Cloud.

Knowledge of:

  • Cloud adoption strategies
  • Resources to support the cloud migration journey

Skills in:

Task Statement 1.4: Understand concepts of cloud economics.

Knowledge of:

  • Aspects of cloud economics
  • Cost savings of moving to the cloud

Skills in:

  • Understanding the role of fixed costs compared with variable costs (AWS Documentation: Key principles)
  • Understanding costs that are associated with on-premises environments (AWS Documentation: AWS Outposts)
  • Understanding the differences between licensing strategies (for example, Bring Your Own License [BYOL] model compared with included licenses) (AWS Documentation: Simplified Bring-Your-Own-License experience using AWS License Manager)
  • Understanding the concept of rightsizing Tips for Right Sizing)
  • Identifying benefits of automation (for example, provisioning and configuration management with AWS CloudFormation) (AWS Documentation: What is AWS CloudFormation?)
  • Identifying managed AWS services (for example, Amazon RDS, Amazon Elastic Container Service [Amazon ECS], Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service [Amazon EKS], Amazon DynamoDB) (AWS Documentation: Choosing an AWS container service)
Domain 2: Security and Compliance 30%

2.1 Define the AWS shared responsibility model

Knowledge of:

  • AWS shared responsibility model

Skills in:

  • Recognize the elements of the Shared Responsibility Model (AWS Documentation: Shared Responsibility Model)
  • Describe the customer’s responsibility on AWS
  • Describe AWS responsibilities (AWS Documentation: Shared Responsibility Model)
  • Describing responsibilities that the customer and AWS share
  • Describing how AWS responsibilities and customer responsibilities can shift, depending on the service used (for example, Amazon RDS, AWS Lambda, Amazon EC2)

2.2 Understand AWS Cloud security, governance, and compliance concepts.

Knowledge of:

  • AWS compliance and governance concepts
  • Benefits of cloud security (for example, encryption)
  • Where to capture and locate logs that are associated with cloud security

Skills in:

  • Identifying where to find AWS compliance information (for example, AWS Artifact) (AWS Documentation: Viewing compliance information)
  • Understanding compliance needs among geographic locations or industries (for example, AWS Compliance)
  • Describing how customers secure resources on AWS (for example, Amazon Inspector, AWS Security Hub, Amazon GuardDuty, AWS Shield) (AWS Documentation: Security, identity, and compliance)
  • Identifying different encryption options (for example, encryption in transit, encryption at rest) (AWS Documentation: Encrypting Data-at-Rest and Data-in-Transit)
  • Recognizing services that aid in governance and compliance (for example, monitoring with Amazon CloudWatch; auditing with AWS CloudTrail, AWS Audit Manager, and AWS Config; reporting with access reports) (AWS Documentation: Logging and events)
  • Recognizing compliance requirements that vary among (AWS Documentation: AWS services Compliance)

2.3 Identify AWS access management capabilities

Knowledge of:

  • Identity and access management (for example, AWS Identity and Access Management [IAM])
  • Importance of protecting the AWS root user account
  • Principle of least privilege
  • AWS IAM Identity Center (AWS Single Sign-On)

Skills in:

2.4 Identify components and resources for security

Knowledge of:

  • Security capabilities that AWS provides
  • Security-related documentation that AWS provides

Skills in:

  • Describing AWS security features and services (for example, security groups, network ACLs, AWS WAF) (AWS Documentation: Security group policies)
  • Understanding that third-party security products are available from AWS Marketplace (AWS Documentation: Security Products in AWS Marketplace)
  • Identifying where AWS security information is available (for example, AWS Knowledge Center, AWS Security Center, AWS Security Blog)
  • Understanding the use of AWS services for identifying security issues (for example, AWS Trusted Advisor) (AWS Documentation: AWS Trusted Advisor)
Domain 3: Cloud Technology and Services 34%

3.1 Define methods of deploying and operating in the AWS Cloud

Knowledge of:

  • Different ways of provisioning and operating in the AWS Cloud
  • Different ways to access AWS services
  • Types of cloud deployment models
  • Connectivity options

Skills in:

3.2 Define the AWS global infrastructure

Knowledge of:

  • AWS Regions, Availability Zones, and edge locations
  • High availability
  • Use of multiple Regions
  • Benefits of edge locations
  • AWS Wavelength Zones and AWS Local Zones

Skills in:

  • Describe the relationships among Regions, Availability Zones, and Edge Locations (AWS Documentation: Regions and ZonesRegions and Availability Zones)
  • Describe how to achieve high availability through the use of multiple Availability Zones
  • Describing when to use multiple Regions (for example, disaster recovery, business continuity, low latency for end users, data sovereignty) (AWS Documentation:Multi-Region Application Architecture)
  • Describing at a high level the benefits of edge locations (for example, Amazon CloudFront, AWS Global Accelerator) (AWS Documentation:AWS for the Edge)

3.3 Identify AWS compute services

Knowledge of:

  • AWS compute services

Skills in:

3.4 Identify AWS database services.

Knowledge of:

  • AWS database services
  • Database migration

Skills in:

Task Statement 3.5: Identify AWS network services.

Knowledge of:

  • AWS network services

Skills in:

Task Statement 3.6: Identify AWS storage services.

Knowledge of:

  • AWS storage services

Skills in:

Task Statement 3.7: Identify AWS artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) services and analytics services.

Knowledge of:

  • AWS AI/ML services
  • AWS analytics services

Skills in:

Task Statement 3.8: Identify services from other in-scope AWS service categories.

Knowledge of:

  • Application integration services of Amazon EventBridge, Amazon Simple Notification Service (Amazon SNS), and Amazon Simple Queue Service (Amazon SQS)
  • Business application services of Amazon Connect and Amazon Simple Email Service (Amazon SES)
  • Customer engagement services of AWS Activate for Startups, AWS IQ, AWS Managed Services (AMS), and AWS Support
  • Developer tool services and capabilities of AWS AppConfig, AWS Cloud9, AWS CloudShell, AWS CodeArtifact, AWS CodeBuild, AWS CodeCommit, AWS CodeDeploy, AWS CodePipeline, AWS CodeStar, and AWS X-Ray
  • End-user computing services of Amazon AppStream 2.0, Amazon WorkSpaces, and Amazon WorkSpaces Web
  • Frontend web and mobile services of AWS Amplify and AWS AppSync
  • IoT services of AWS IoT Core and AWS IoT Greengrass

Skills in:

  • Choosing the appropriate service to deliver messages and to send alerts and notifications (AWS Documentation: Mobile text messaging (SMS))
  • Choosing the appropriate service to meet business application needs (AWS Documentation: Business applications)
  • Choosing the appropriate service for AWS customer support (AWS Documentation: Getting started with AWS Support)
  • Choosing the appropriate option for business support assistance
  • Identifying the tools to develop, deploy, and troubleshoot applications (AWS Documentation: Developer tools)
  • Identifying the services that can present the output of virtual machines (VMs) on end-user machines (AWS Documentation: Compute services)
  • Identifying the services that can create and deploy frontend and mobile services (AWS Documentation: Front-end web and mobile services)
  • Identifying the services that manage IoT devices (AWS Documentation: Managing devices with AWS IoT)
Domain 4: Billing and Pricing 12%

Task Statement 4.1: Compare AWS pricing models.

Knowledge of:

  • Compute purchasing options (for example, On-Demand Instances, Reserved Instances, Spot Instances, Savings Plans, Dedicated Hosts, Dedicated Instances, Capacity Reservations)
  • Data transfer charges
  • Storage options and tiers

Skills in:

  • Identifying and comparing when to use various compute purchasing options (AWS Documentation: Instance purchasing options)
  • Describing Reserved Instance flexibility (AWS Documentation: How Reserved Instances are applied)
  • Describing Reserved Instance behavior in AWS Organizations (AWS Documentation: Reserved Instances)
  • Understanding incoming data transfer costs and outgoing data transfer costs (for example, from one Region to another Region, within the same Region) (AWS Documentation: Understanding data transfer charges)
  • Understanding different pricing options for various storage options and tiers

Task Statement 4.2: Understand resources for billing, budget, and cost management.

Knowledge of:

  • Billing support and information
  • Pricing information for AWS services
  • AWS Organizations
  • AWS cost allocation tags

Skills in:

Task Statement 4.3: Identify AWS technical resources and AWS Support options.

Knowledge of:

  • Resources and documentation available on official AWS websites
  • AWS Support plans
  • Role of the AWS Partner Network, including independent software vendors
    and system integrators
  • AWS Support Center

Skills in:

  • Locating AWS whitepapers, blogs, and documentation on official AWS websites
  • Identifying and locating AWS technical resources (for example AWS Prescriptive Guidance, AWS Knowledge Center, AWS re:Post) (AWS Documentation: AWS Prescriptive Guidance Patterns)
  • Identifying AWS Support options for AWS customers (for example, customer service and communities, AWS Developer Support, AWS Business Support, AWS Enterprise On-Ramp Support, AWS Enterprise Support)
  • Identifying the role of Trusted Advisor, AWS Health Dashboard, and the AWS Health API to help manage and monitor environments for cost optimization (AWS Documentation: AWS Trusted Advisor)
  • Identifying the role of the AWS Trust and Safety team to report abuse of AWS resources
  • Understanding the role of AWS Partners (for example AWS Marketplace, independent software vendors, system integrators) (AWS Documentation: What is AWS Marketplace?)
  • Identifying the benefits of being an AWS Partner (for example, partner training and certification, partner events, partner volume discounts) (AWS Documentation: Benefits for AWS Specialization Partners)
  • Identifying the key services that AWS Marketplace offers (for example, cost management, governance and entitlement)
  • Identifying technical assistance options available at AWS (for example, AWS Professional Services, AWS Solutions Architects)

How hard is the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam?

Well, there are certifications that can be difficult to crack and the AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam is one of those. But it is righteously said that nothing in the world comes for free. Apparently, you have to put in enough hard work combined with the right set of resources for the exam. Due to the rising competition and rising demand passing the exam has become very critical. Therefore, the exam has been built to filter the best talent is making the exams more comprehensive and extensive.

Therefore, you must put your best foot forward and learn by practicing more and referring to authentic resources to help plan better. Let us now look at the resources that can be used to prepare well and help you pass the exam. To know more about the details of the exam you can also visit the AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam Online Tutorials

Now that you have complete details about the exam, let us look into the pool of resources you have for preparation. The right set of resources will always help to clear your conceptual parts and will help you pass the examinations smoothly. Some of the resources that you can refer for better preparation and to qualify the exam without any hurdles.

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner study guide

1. AWS Cloud Practitioner Learning Path

The AWS Cloud Practitioner study path is targeted at applicants who want to deepen and confirm their knowledge of the AWS Cloud. Individuals that deal with the AWS Cloud in technical, managerial, sales, buying, or financial roles will benefit from this course.

Refer: Learn about AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam

2. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Whitepapers

Following that, it’s essential to delve into AWS whitepapers. These resources will enhance your understanding of the cloud through AWS technical content, offering technical whitepapers, guides, reference materials, and architecture diagrams. We’ve narrowed down the crucial ones, so be sure to explore the following:

  • Overview of Amazon Web Services  
  • Architecting for the Cloud: AWS Best Practices  
  • How AWS Pricing Works 
  • Compare AWS Support Plans

Refer: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Whitepapers

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner online tutorials

3. Join the Online Community

Engaging in online forums and study groups is an excellent method to ready yourself for the certification exam. Don’t hesitate to connect with fellow candidates on study forums or online groups to seek assistance on topics causing you difficulty.

4. Evaluate yourself with Practice test

This is the most important part of your preparation, solve as many sample papers and practice tests as you can. This will help you improve your weak parts and also will clear your conceptual portions. You will feel more confident by practicing as much as you can. Testpreptraining.com has very good collection. Try the free test now!

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner free test
Validate your skills and Climb up the corporate ladder by taking The AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam. Start preparing now!
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