How to Pass the AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam in 5 steps

5 min readDec 2, 2024

As an IT professional and self-proclaimed certification junkie, I’ve spent over 25 years earning certifications, taking more than 50 exams along the way. AWS certifications are among the most valuable in the industry, and preparing for them can set you apart in the competitive tech landscape.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to pass AWS certification exams the first time using a five-step preparation process:

Practice: hands-on experience
Training: on-demand training
Theory: reading and reviewing
Practice questions: assess your exam readiness
Taking the exam

While tools and resources evolve, this structured approach ensures you’re well-prepared. Let’s dive in.

Understanding the AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate Exam

While this guide focuses on the AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate (SAA-C03) exam, the strategies here can help with other AWS exams as well. Before we break down the steps, here’s a quick overview of this popular certification:

Level: Associate
Cost: $150 USD | Read more on how to get AWS certified on a budget
Format: 65 multiple-choice or multiple-response questions
Duration: 130 minutes
Delivery: Testing center or online proctored exam via Pearson VUE
Passing Score: 720 out of 1000

This exam requires a solid understanding of AWS services and their use cases, such as designing cost-efficient, fault-tolerant, and scalable systems. AWS recommends at least one year of hands-on experience before attempting it (though this is not strictly required).

Step 1: Hands-On Practice

AWS certifications emphasize practical skills, so hands-on experience is crucial. If you don’t work with AWS professionally, you can still gain experience using the AWS Free Tier, which offers a range of services at no cost for a full year.

Key services to practice with:

Compute: Launch and manage EC2 instances.
Storage: Explore options like S3, EBS, EFS, and FSx.
Databases: Set up RDS and DynamoDB.
Networking: Create and configure VPCs.

By experimenting with these services, you’ll build the foundation to answer scenario-based questions effectively.

For an even deeper, guided learning experience, consider enrolling in the Cloud Mastery Bootcamp. This program offers structured, hands-on learning through projects that mirror real-world scenarios, helping you build job-ready skills. It bridges the gap between theory and real-world application, so you can confidently apply your cloud knowledge in your next-level cloud role.

Ready to take your cloud skills to the next level? Explore the Cloud Mastery Bootcamp today and see how it can accelerate your cloud career.

Step 2: Video-Based Training

Video courses are an excellent starting point for learning AWS concepts. However, not all courses are created equal. Choose a course that balances theoretical content with practical labs.

Recommended Courses:

AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Course by Digital Cloud Training
Over 20 hours of guided labs, quizzes, and in-depth explanations.

Pro Tip: Supplement video courses with practice sessions in your free tier AWS account. Avoid relying solely on video content.

Step 3: Master the Theory

While hands-on practice is essential, you’ll need a solid theoretical understanding of AWS services and architectural principles. AWS documentation and whitepapers are valuable resources:

Key resources:

AWS Well-Architected Framework: Learn best practices for building secure, reliable, and efficient systems.
AWS FAQs: A treasure trove of service-specific details.
AWS Documentation: Keep up with the latest features and changes.

To retain information:

Take notes while reading or watching videos.
Summarize key points using digital tools like Microsoft OneNote or Evernote.

Digital Cloud Training’s FREE online training notes offer concise summaries tailored to the SAA-C03 exam. These notes are regularly updated to reflect the latest exam content.

Step 4: Practice Questions

High-quality practice questions are your best friend for exam prep. They familiarize you with the exam’s format, identify weak areas, and reinforce your knowledge.

Tips for choosing practice questions:

Avoid low-quality exam dumps. These are often outdated and riddled with errors.
Use reputable sources like the Digital Cloud Training Practice Exams: Over 500 challenging questions with detailed explanations (in training and exam simulation mode).

Strategy:

Begin practicing early and incorporate questions into your daily study routine.
Aim to consistently score 80–90% on practice tests before booking your exam.

Step 5: Exam Day Tips

By the time exam day arrives, you should feel confident and prepared. Here’s how to make the most of it:

Time Management: With 130 minutes for 65 questions, allocate about 2 minutes per question.
Read Carefully: Pay close attention to keywords like most cost-effective, highly available, or least complex.
Mark for Review: If unsure, make your best guess and mark the question to revisit later.
Stay Calm: Take deep breaths and maintain focus.

Scheduling your exam for a morning slot can help you stay fresh and alert. Arrive early if you’re taking the test at a center, or set up your environment for online proctoring well in advance.

AWS Exam Domains: Key Topics to Master

Here’s a breakdown of the SAA-C03 exam domains with tips and examples:

1. Design Secure Architectures (30%)

Focus Areas: IAM roles, policies, multi-account setups, VPC security, and encryption.
Tips: Use security best practices, such as enabling AWS Organizations for centralized control.
Example: For compliance, use AWS Config and Security Hub to ensure resources adhere to policies.

2. Design Resilient Architectures (26%)

Focus Areas: Fault-tolerant setups, disaster recovery, elasticity.
Tips: Use Elastic Load Balancer and Route 53 to achieve failover.
Example: Implement RDS Multi-AZ for automatic failover in case of an outage.

3. Design High-Performing Architectures (24%)

Focus Areas: Scalability, serverless, latency reduction.
Tips: Leverage Auto Scaling and CloudFront to enhance performance.
Example: Use DynamoDB for fast and consistent read performance at scale.

4. Design Cost-Optimized Architectures (20%)

Focus Areas: Cost-saving opportunities.
Tips: Use AWS Trusted Advisor for identifying cost inefficiencies.
Example: Utilize S3 Glacier for archival storage to reduce costs on infrequently accessed data.

For detailed insights, refer to the AWS Exam Guide PDF.

Your Path to Certification Success

By following these five steps — practice, training, theory, practice questions, and smart test-taking — you’ll maximize your chances of passing AWS certification exams on the first attempt.

Start Now:

Set up an AWS Free Tier account.
Enroll in one of our monthly or yearly plans to get access to the best training.
Begin studying AWS services and review the online training notes.
Practice with high-quality exam questions.
Book your exam when you consistently score well in mock exams.

AWS certifications are a journey, but with the right preparation, they can be your ticket to cloud career success. Good luck!