How To Pass The AWS SysOps Administrator Exam | Exam Preparation
How To Pass The AWS SysOps Administrator Exam
AWS cloud computing products and services currently host over a third of the entire internet. The closest competition is Microsoft Azure only 18% of the market share. With more companies migrating to AWS, an investment in a cloud computing certification is a safe investment. Their platform is the most cost-effective, reliable, secure, and scalable cloud computing service on the market. If you are looking to build credibility and confidence within the AWS environment, taking the AWS SysOps Administrator Associate exam is a great starting point.
Obtaining an AWS certification could lead to a new IT job or a way to move up in your existing organization. Be warned, it isn’t a walk in the park. The test is extensive. If you don’t have experience deploying, managing, and operating each service within the AWS system cloud environment, you will be wasting your time.
We will cover everything you need to know to prepare for the exam and get that new certification. Keep reading for:
The basic details on the exam
The best resources and study guides
Key concepts you need to know
How long we recommend studying
AWS SysOps Administrator Associate Exam Overview
When you are properly prepared, you can schedule an exam through AWS. You will be given 130 minutes to complete 65 questions. The exam consists of two types of multiple-choice questions, one with a single correct answer and another with multiple correct answers.
Participants are scored on a scale of 100 to 1000 with a passing grade of 720. There is no penalty for guessing, unanswered questions are counted as incorrect.
One of the perks of passing the exam is you will be awarded a 50% coupon for all future AWS certifications.
Resources and Study Materials – How to Pass
The best way to pass the AWS SysOps Administrator Associate exam is hands-on experience. If you haven’t worked in the AWS SysOps environment, several online platforms will help you prepare. We recommend Linux Academy and Udemy. Nothing will prepare you more than getting your feet wet and your hands dirty. Install the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) and get busy deploying and managing systems.
For future AWS-certified cloud administrators with work experience, online course prep isn’t necessary. We do encourage you to check out the exam guide and sample questions provided by AWS. Use the AWS documentation to answer any questions you have about deployment, management, and operations on AWS.
Key Concepts Covered on the Exam
According to the study guide provided by AWS, the exam covers these topics:
Monitoring and reporting – 22%
High availability – 8%
Deployment and provisioning – 14%
Storage and data management – 12%
Security and compliance – 18%
Networking – 14%
Automation and optimization – 12%
To pass the exam, participants understand designing highly available and fault-tolerant systems at a high level. You will be tested on Controlling the flow of data, selecting the appropriate service, and identifying the use of operations while using best practices outlined by AWS.
AWS recommends at least a year of experience managing AWS-native applications to pass the associate level exam.
How Long You Need to Study?
The time required to study is dependent on your understanding of the AWS cloud. If you already have experience migrating workloads, managing cloud systems, and deploying applications to the AWS environment, you don’t need to pull all-nighters studying.
After reviewing the exam guide and sample questions, you will have a good idea of how much preparation you will need to pass the exam. The SysOps Administrator exam is known as the most difficult of associate-level AWS certifications. If you are unfamiliar with the systems outlined in the exam guide, you may want to try the Architect Associate or Developer Associate exams.