1. Introduce the exam first:
2. CLF vs. SSA
3. Exam preparation process
   • 3.1 Udemy online courses
     • 3.1.1《Ultimate AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate SAA-C03》 by Stéphane Maarek
     • 3.1.2 《Practice Exams | AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate》by Stéphane Maarek and Abhishek Singh
     • 3.1.3 《Practice Exams | AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate》 by Jobshie Academy
   • 3.2 Question bank
     • 3.2.2 Pass4itsure

1. SAA Exam Introduction

Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) is the basic level exam of Amazon Cloud. There is no threshold for taking the exam and it is suitable for any group of people, but the difficulty will be slightly higher than Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C01).

The registration fee is $150 in North America, and now you can get the PROMO CODE: AWSRETAKE on the official website (Amazon Web Services:: Pearson VUE). After using this CODE, if you fail the exam before May 31, 2023, you can retake the exam for free. This CODE can be used in multiple exam registrations, but only one CODE can be used for one exam.

The exam consists of 65 multiple-choice questions, 15 of which are not scored. The total score of the test is 1000 points, and 720 points are regarded as a pass.

After the test, the result will not be released on the spot. You will know whether you passed and the specific score within a day, and you will receive a badge that can be placed on LinkedIn within a week.

You can choose to take the test at an offline test center or at home. There are multiple language options, and you can choose the language you are familiar with. English is recommended.

The test time is 140 minutes, and candidates who are not native speakers of English can apply for an additional 30 minutes, for a total of 170 minutes.

When using study materials, be careful to avoid SAA-C02 materials.

2. CLF vs. SAA

Compared with CLF, SAA examines more extensive and detailed knowledge points, and the length of questions and options is significantly longer. I can get a result in 2 to 10 seconds for a question in CLF, but I have to read it carefully for one minute in SAA, so there is a big difference in the speed of answering questions. I handed in the CLF exam in 15 minutes, and it took me almost an hour to hand in the SAA exam.

CLF will only examine the basic concepts and basic application scenarios of various AWS services, but SAA will combine multiple services and multiple scenarios, and require candidates to choose the most reasonable architecture under different requirements. Both exams are purely conceptual multiple-choice exams and do not involve writing code.

I personally suggest that if you don’t have AWS, you can take the CLF test first to find experience, because it can detect whether the candidates really want to take the certificate (generally speaking, the fourth highest probability of CLF serious preparation is no problem, and students with basic skills can pass the test in two days), Moreover, after passing the CLF, a 50% coupon will be given, and the next time the examination can be half price. In the United States, the CLF test fee is $100, and the SSA test fee is $150. The two exams together are equivalent to 100 + 150 * 50% = 175 US dollars. It only costs 25 US dollars to get a certificate, which is quite a deal.

3. Exam preparation process

3.1 Udemy Online Courses

3.1.1《Ultimate AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate SAA-C03》 by Stéphane Maarek

I didn’t watch the online class for CLF, and just memorized the summary of other people’s knowledge points and passed the test. I searched for SAA and found no suitable summary, so I had to watch the online class by myself. I mainly follow this online class. Teacher Xiao Huang is not Indian, and his English accent is fairly standard. The knowledge points covered in this course are very comprehensive, but I haven’t finished it, and I probably watched 80% of the theoretical courses. For the purpose of taking the exam, I basically skip the lab class.

What is very interesting about this course is that it was $19.99 when I clicked to buy it for the first time, $24.99 the second time, and $29.99 the third time. At this time, I changed a Udemy account on a whim. I found that the price of the course has changed to $18.99, so I placed an order at the speed of light and gave it to my Udemy account.

PS: If you have bought courses on Udemy in recent years, then you can participate in this settlement to receive compensation, $4 per course Marion Williams v. Udemy, Inc. – Superior Court of California, County of San Diego – Case No. 37-2023-00003666-CU-BT-NC

3.1.2 《Practice Exams | AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate》by Stéphane Maarek and Abhishek Singh

Teacher Xiao Huang’s supporting model test questions are extremely difficult, and the questions are not very similar to the real ones. Some of the test points covered have not even been covered in his own class. I hovered between 50% and 60% in the first two sets of the exam, which was a blow to my confidence. However, although the quality of the questions in this set of mock exams is average, the analysis and writing are very detailed and have great reference value.

I don’t recommend this set of questions, or you can do two sets of questions after buying it to experience it. If you feel bad, you can return it within the 30-day refund window.

3.1.3 《Practice Exams | AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate》 by Jobshie Academy

The quality of the free model test questions that Udemy received when it was limited to free can only be described in four words: a pile of shit.

3.2 Question bank

3.2.1 Pass4itsure

If you want to get the certificate quickly, brushing the questions is essential. And I think Pass4itsure is the eternal god in various question banks. There may be 65%+ questions in my exams, all of which are original questions. From the question stem to the options, and even the order of the options are exactly the same. Therefore, readers are advised to practice carefully.

At present, there are 610 questions on Pass4itsure, some demos are given away, and the updated content of each time period is shared.

I do not recommend SAA memorization because:

1. The knowledge learned is your own, and mere endorsement is painful
2. The topic is too long, and the differences between the options are also very subtle. It is still necessary to study theoretical knowledge and understand it carefully.
3. In case of bad luck on the day of the exam, why not just play around with few original questions?

I am advancing in parallel with the online class and brushing the questions, because the online class is too long, and I have to do the questions in one or two sections to relax. It’s not normal to do anything at the beginning, don’t put too much pressure on yourself, just record (and review) the newly learned knowledge points from the comment area.

PS. Share the free SAA-C03 practice questions I got