DevOps, an acronym for "development" and "operations," is an approach to creating agile software. Due to the streamlined nature of the process, several variants exist.
The DevOps approach has gained popularity because of its emphasis on rapid development cycles, enhanced security (via DevSecOps), and the rapid and simple scaling of software projects.
For these reasons, a company's adoption of the DevOps culture is a must if it wants to ensure its continued prosperity development. Amazon and its revolutionary cloud service, Amazon Web Services (AWS) are essential to this shift.
In line with the company's position as a market leader, Amazon provides excellent services, infrastructure, locations, and support.
When compared to the other two major cloud providers, Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure, AWS has the largest pool of DevOps-trained professionals.
In this article we will look at the following:
- What is AWS DevOps?
- How to become AWS DevOps Certified.
- A breakdown of the AWS Certifications.
- AWS Certification language choices.
- How to prepare for the AWS exam.
- What is the AWS passing score?
- Can I get AWS Certified online?
What is AWS DevOps?
When it comes to adopting the DevOps mindset, Amazon has its solution in the shape of AWS DevOps, which makes use of Amazon's cloud infrastructure and specialized tools and services.
AWS DevOps enables businesses to put the principles of DevOps into practice with the support of the many services, features, and tools made available by AWS.
With the support of AWS and DevOps, businesses can improve the reliability and speed with which they create and release their products.
AWS DevOps offers capabilities that make it easier to do a wide range of administrative tasks, including application monitoring, infrastructure management, software release automation, application code deployment, etc., on the AWS cloud platform.
How to Become AWS DevOps Certified
DevOps engineers are IT specialists who combine the necessary procedures, instruments, and techniques to meet every stage of the software development life cycle, from initial design and prototyping through final testing and upgrades.
A DevOps Engineer is a member of the IT team whose role is to coordinate the delivery of new software with programmers, system administrators, and other engineers.
Professional success in AWS DevOps Engineering requires a diverse set of abilities and relevant experience. You'll require extensive job experience and an in-depth understanding of DevOps to become an AWS DevOps Engineer. Each DevOps expert uses a unique set of tools and technologies, all of which you will need to become proficient with.
You need to learn all there is to know about DevOps, and then you need to understand AWS if you want to become an AWS DevOps Engineer. Following is a list of the resources and knowledge you'll need to become a DevOps Engineer on AWS and excel in your job with the correct training.
Advantages of earning an AWS DevOps certification
- Get a refresher on AWS services including Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), and AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM).
- Learn more about the interplay between various AWS services and how they might enhance one another.
- Test out a wide range of AWS services, including those that are valuable but less well-known.
- Learn more about AWS's billing and pricing structure so you can create more cost-effective solutions.
DevOps Engineer Required Skills
- DevOps engineers are sought after for their technical expertise, namely their familiarity with a wide range of scripting languages and cutting-edge market technologies.
- To bridge the communication gap between the business, development, testing, and operations teams, DevOps engineers should have a firm grasp of basic business concepts.
- DevOps engineers need strong interpersonal communication skills because they will be working with a wide variety of colleagues.
- The ability to manage one's own time, energy, and stress is essential for a DevOps Engineer.
AWS Certifications
Because AWS is adaptable in its certification policies, you can choose the certification test that you believe best reflects your knowledge, expertise, and interests.
Currently, certifications are aimed mostly at SREs/Architects, Developers, and Ops/SysAdmins.
All of AWS's certifications are shown here:
Those who want to establish and verify a broad familiarity with the AWS Cloud can aim for the Foundational (AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner) certification. It's helpful for anyone who works on AWS, whether they're a technician, manager, salesperson, buyer, or an accountant.
AWS Associate-level certificates include the following:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (for Solutions Architects)
- AWS Certified Developer – Associate (for Software Developers)
- AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate (for Systems Administrators in a Systems Operations role)
AWS Specialty-level certifications:
- AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (for individuals who perform complex networking tasks)
- AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty (for Big Data professionals)
- AWS Certified Security – Specialty (for Security professionals)
To keep your AWS Certified status active, you must undergo periodic recertification to show that you have maintained your knowledge of the AWS platform.
To maintain your AWS certification, you must take the most recent full-length exam every three years. Any exam can be taken at a 50% discount using the voucher provided to AWS Certified Professionals. You may get these discounts using your AWS Certification Account.
Certifications at the Professional level are more complex than those at the foundational levels:
- In a time limit of up to three hours, you must select the correct answer to each of 80 multiple-choice questions.
- The test consists entirely of questions based on actual life events. You get a problem description and four or five solutions are provided. Although it may appear that all of the options are correct, you must select one that best suits the question.
- Price: $300.
Make sure you're well-prepared for any Professional-level certification exams you are taking. In this situation, picking answers by elimination is not a good strategy.
Attempting to make sense of the full question is the most difficult part of the Professional-level certificates. There may contain as many as two pages of information per question, with problems and other pertinent details dispersed throughout.
Keep in mind that AWS is always refining and improving the testing process. Keep it in mind when you study for the certification.
AWS Language-Choice Allowances
These certification tests are offered in English, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean due to the difficulty of the Professional-level questions. You can contact AWS to add a half-hour to your certification time if you don't know any of these languages.
It would be best to alert AWS if your English isn't so strong. Go to the certification website, then select Upcoming Exams, then Request Exam Accommodations, then select ESL + 30 Minutes as the accommodation type.
Before the test, you must get in touch with AWS. Once the request has been filed successfully, you will also receive the extra 30 minutes for the subsequent exams.
Register for AWS Certification
If you're interested in becoming AWS certified, visiting the AWS Training and Certification Portal is your first step.
This is your one-stop shop for registering and navigating the whole certification process, from choosing a certification time and paying for your test to downloading your PDF certificate and validation link and seeing your exam history.
You will not be permitted to take the exam and will forfeit the certification fees if you do not bring two forms of government-issued ID with you to the testing location on the day of the exam. The certifying area is a strictly no-personal-items zone.
Preparing for AWS Exam
Courses
You have access to a multitude of free online training resources and in-depth classroom instruction through AWS. Although AWS does not demand that you finish their training to prepare, you should still take advantage of these choices because they are valuable resources and were all created by AWS professionals.
Here are some other reputable platforms we recommend that offer AWS DevOps courses:
Experience
When deciding whether or not to pursue AWS certification, it is recommended that you have worked with the platform for at least a year before taking the Associate exam, and a few more years before taking the Professional exam. The advice is not mandatory, but it is still wise to comply.
The more time you've spent working with AWS, the less of a hassle getting ready will be. There is a wide variety in the total amount of material you'll have to consume. For comparison's sake, the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer- Professional course has more than 24 hours of video, whereas the Developer Associate course is just 13.
Also, keep in mind that there's a whole world of knowledge out there than what you see on YouTube. Maybe you're wondering if, even with little prior preparation, you still have a shot at passing your certification exams. While we wouldn't advise using this strategy on the Professional level tests, we see no reason why it couldn't be used on the Associate level exams.
Try taking a practice test; they cost around half as much as real exams but are quite close in content. The only real distinction is in the total amount of questions. Once you pass the first exam, you'll get free practice tests for the remaining examination.
What is the AWS passing score?
The passing score is unknown. It’s generally assumed to typically range around 65%. The exam takers' collective performance affects the passing score very heavily. In other words, it is adaptable and unpredictable.
After taking the exam, you will learn the result and get an email with all the information. The certificate will be visible on your account in a few business days.
Can I get AWS certifications online?
AWS courses and exams may now be taken online, at your convenience. It's important to be aware of a few things, and you can learn about them all on the 'net. Here, however, are the most crucial points to remember:
- You'll need to be able to converse with a proctor who only speaks English, Japanese, or Mandarin. Though test takers are free to use whichever language they choose throughout the exam, the proctor will only be able to communicate in English (Pearson VUE also supports online proctoring in Japanese and PSI supports online proctoring in Mandarin)
- Verify that your computer has the necessary specifications for online proctoring before beginning the process.
- A private, quiet space free from distractions is required for taking the exam.
- You may NOT leave your desk or be out of view of the webcam at any time during the exam, unlike in traditional certification facilities.
- Using Pearson VUE or PSI's online proctoring services is now an option (in mainland China, you must use PSI).
Conclusion
An AWS Certification is a useful tool for a DevOps Engineer to have in their arsenal as it can open you up to new opportunities and help expand your reach as a DevOps Engineer.
The process outlined above will help you get on your way to becoming a certified AWS DevOps Engineer. We hope you enjoy the process and wish you well on your AWS DevOps journey.
There are also plenty of other key skills a DevOps Engineer should have in their back pocket. To learn more, check our breakdown here.
What are your thoughts on AWS DevOps? Are you preparing to take the AWS exam? Let us know in the comments section.
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