Starting AWS SA Pro Preparation

3-minute read
AWS • Certification • SA-PRO

Current Status

As of today, I hold four technical certifications. All of these are AWS certifications that I achieved in 2022. The certifications are:

After these four certifications, I intended to focus on getting Linux+ certified. And I have done some work toward that goal. However, my study has been slow, and I have found little motivation to work toward this goal alone. I am at the point where I could pass the exam - but I’m not confident enough to schedule it yet. I intend to achieve this certification and continue to work toward it - but I am focusing on AWS as the right path for me, and using the Linux skills I have learned so far for Linux+ in that context will help me more on both fronts.

To that end, I have decided to begin preparing for the Solutions Architect Professional AWS exam next.

Study Plan

I have had great luck with Adrian Cantrell’s materials - he has a website that uses Teachable to deliver excellent training to his students. So today, I took the plunge and upgraded the course package I had already bought from him to his “All The Things Bundle”. This bundle includes the Solutions Architect Professional course and courses covering the DevOps Professional exam and some specialty exams.

Since it has been several months since I took the other courses for the associate level exams, I intend to take this professional level course for the Solutions Architect exam straight through.

Often it is possible to skip or skim parts of Adrian’s classes because the exams cover very similar topics in many places, but I won’t be doing that for this exam. So instead, my intention is to re-watch and work through the labs in every part of the course, even if I have already done the same content in the previous courses.

Tracking and Documenting Progress / Solidifying knowledge

To ensure that what I am learning is sticking, I will blog about my progress and learning throughout the course. It is very easy to watch a video, think you got it, and move on before you are ready.

My blogging efforts will serve several purposes:

  • It will force me to go slowly through the course. It will require me to take good notes and translate those notes and concepts into my own words to write about them here.
  • It will give me a platform to document the labs I do during the course and provide my interpretation of them in the form of blog articles.
  • As I move through the course, I plan to evolve some of the course labs into my ideas and produce original proof of learning labs.
  • It will be a reference when I am doing final revisions for the exam and practicing for the actual test.
  • It will be a starting point for developing a portfolio demonstrating my understanding and use of AWS technologies.

I am excited about getting started on this project, and I look forward to the next chapter in my AWS certification journey.