AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is AWS’s newest certification. This entry-level certification is designed to validate a candidate’s overall understanding of the AWS cloud.
Areas Covered
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
AWS Certified Solutions Architect
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – 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.
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
AWS Certified Developer – Associate
The AWS Certified Developer – the 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.
Areas Covered:
Understanding the 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 – the 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.
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
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
A professional AWS architect is someone who can evaluate an organization’s requirements 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 is recommended
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, is recommended.
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
Specialty Certification
AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty
The AWS Certified Data Analytics – Specialty certification is for those with a background in data analytics and experience using AWS services for designing and architecting big data solutions. It is designed to validate a candidate’s experience in extracting value from data using AWS services.
Areas Covered:
Architecting best practices for implementing core AWS big data services
Designing and maintaining big data
AWS tools for automating data analysis
Security best practices for big data solutions
AWS services covered include: Kinesis, Athena, Quicksight, and Rekognition
AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty
The AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty certification is designed to validate a candidate’s skills and experience in connection with performing complex networking tasks on AWS and hybrid IT networking architecture at scale. Candidates should have a background in architecting and implementing network solutions and advanced knowledge of networking on AWS.
Areas Covered:
Designing, developing, and deploying cloud solutions with AWS
Implementing core services according to architectural best practices
Automation for AWS tasks for network deployments
Security and compliance design and implementation
Network optimization and troubleshooting
AWS Certified Security – Specialty
The AWS Certified Security – Specialty certification covers topics that security pros and teams need to master security fundamentals, follow best practices, and build deep knowledge in key services unique to the AWS platform. It is designed to validate your AWS knowledge across security topics such as data protection and encryption, infrastructure security, incident response, identity, and access management, monitoring and logging.
Areas Covered:
Use a variety of AWS services to select the appropriate level of security based on your deployments and the sensitivity of your data
Select the most appropriate data protection techniques including encryption mechanisms
Implement logging and monitoring solutions to detect and analyze security vulnerabilities and weaknesses within your infrastructure
AWS services include:
AWS Identity and Access Management
AWS CloudTrail, AWS Config
Amazon Inspector
AWS Trusted Advisor
Amazon GuardDuty
Amazon CloudWatch
Amazon Key Management Service
AWS Certified Alexa Skill Builder – Specialty
The AWS Certified Alexa Skill Builder – Specialty certification validates your technical expertise in creating, testing, and deploying Amazon Alexa skills. This exam is for anyone who performs a role as an Alexa skill builder. Candidates should have at least six months of hands-on experience building Alexa skills using the Alexa Skills Kit and should be proficient in a programming language.
Areas Covered:
Learning about the value of voice
User experience design
Following AWS and Alexa best practices for security
Creating, testing, and validating for the skill
Working with the Alexa Developer Console
AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty
The AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty certification validates your ability to create, implement, and maintain machine learning solutions for a range of business problems. This exam is for anyone who performs a development or data science role. Candidates should have one to two years of experience using ML and/or deep learning on the AWS Cloud.
Areas Covered:
Choosing and defending the best ML approach for a given business problem
Identifying the relevant AWS solutions to create and deploy your ML solution
Designing and implementing cost-optimized, scalable, reliable, and secure ML solutions
AWS Certified Database – Specialty
The AWS Certified Database – Specialty certification validates that you have an overall comprehension of all the AWS database services offered, as well as how to bring value to your business through optimized database integration and architecting. This exam is for anyone who works closely with databases and implements DB solutions. Candidates should at least two years of experience working with both AWS Cloud-based and on-premises relational and NoSQL databases.
Areas Covered: