Amazon as an organization extends more than 200 cloud services to users globally as well as certificates aimed at professionals. The cloud services cover compute solutions, databases, and storage, in addition to emerging technologies like machine learning, IoT, data analytics, and more. This description covers some of the leading Amazon AWS certifications.

AWS Certification Scheme

The scheme for AWS captures cloud expertise and confirmation of technical skills that give room to the growth of one’s career as well as business. Thus, you will meet three categories starting from Foundation to Associate and Professional. Still, an individual can strive for a certificate from the Specialty category too. Some of the well-known certificates include:

• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is a foundational certificate. It concerns essential prowess in effectively showing that one comprehends the cloud system linked to AWS. This does not include particular technical roles that other accreditations address. Still, it allows one to test the waters and then step into the associate or specialty-level certifications.

The knowledge expected from candidates intending for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification includes core AWS Cloud concepts and principles, main services available on the AWS platform, security aspects of this platform, account management, and main functions for managing in the AWS Cloud.

Exam CLF-C01 is what is to be undertaken by anyone intending on accessing the certificate. It costs $100 and carries 65 questions that should be tackled in 1.5 hours. The questions of this test have the types of multiple responses as well as MCQs. The least score one has to gain is 700 points.

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate Certification

The intermediate-level certificate targeting individuals involved in the role of solutions architect is called AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate. With at least a year of activity in the creation of distributed structures on AWS which are scaled, fault-tolerant, and cost-effective, you’re good enough for it.

Regarding skill areas of concern, one will be asked to demonstrate the skills in the creation of the following: resilient architectures, architectures that perform highly, secure apps in addition to infrastructures, and infrastructures that are optimized in terms of cost. Two question types, including MCQs and those expecting multiple responses, are to be experienced by candidates.

The SAA-C02 exam is the one directly linked to the certificate. It includes 65 questions, with 130 minutes being the time to clear them. The final score should be 720 and above for anyone wishing to access the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certificate. Registration involves $150.

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional Certification

If your experience in managing in addition to running systems within the AWS structure is from 2 years and above, then you qualify to register for this certification. This means you can enroll in SAP-C01 evaluation. Experts from AWS suggest that for you to fully exploit the requirements of the certificate, it’s important that you have obtained the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate beforehand. However, it is not a compulsory requirement.

What is critical is to raise the degree of your awareness by focusing on the stipulated skill areas. They include creating designs that take care of organizational complexity; creating new solutions; planning for migration; cost control; and continuously enhancing existing solutions. In the test, participants are to come across 75 questions. These are MCQs and those that ask you to give multiple responses. The test costs $300 and takes not more than 3 hours to conclude. Between 100 and 1000, participants should walk away with 750 marks before they can be issued with the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional certificate.

Career Opportunities

Just like other industries, moving deeper in the scheme of AWS in terms of skills implies better prospects. When starting at a lower level, there is a chance that the opportunities could be fewer. However, in the case of AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, which is the starting point of successful cloud professionals, entry-level chances start opening up. This is where you begin carving your career even as you project for more success. The certificate captures skill needs of those looking at operating the AWS associated cloud. With it, and as ZipRecruiter.com says, your earning is going to be about $132k annually.

Discussing about career opportunities for those having AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, the professionals can get to roles such as solutions architect. It is well-known that AWS is among the two providers that dominate cloud computing while the other one is Azure. Out of them, we have AWS taking a significant share of the market. This means the certificate is promising and offers better employment and earning options. With the clamoring for individuals with this accreditation, those who qualify will come face to face with opportunities to earn big. This applies as well to the holders of the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional certificate. The estimated pay for solutions architects with AWS certifications is around $166k as ZipRecruiter.com accounts.

Certification Path

The AWS path offers a clear road-map to professionals striving for the expansion of their skills as well as career opportunities. So, if you’re at the starting point and already have AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, your follow-up move should be to strive for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate certificate. However, for those already possessing the associate one, theirs is to venture into the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional certificate. Those with the professional accreditation already can explore other ways of making themselves more hirable since AWS doesn’t go beyond this level in their certifications.

In case you feel like just focusing your eye on the AWS space alone, another professional certificate to acquire is AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional. This regards DevOps engineers in the business of provisioning, running, and managing environments of AWS.