How to pass the AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam with 100%

When I prepared for my AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification, I did not just want to pass, I wanted to walk into the exam room knowing exactly what to expect. I had used a similar approach for other credentials such as the Scrum Master and Product Owner exams, and I adapted that approach for architecting on AWS. If you are building a broader roadmap, the AWS catalog at AWS Certification exams and the foundational Cloud Practitioner track provide useful context.

AWS Solution Architect Associate exam

I wanted to sit the Solutions Architect Associate exam with the same confidence I had on prior certifications. I also wanted a plan that would carry into advanced paths such as the Solutions Architect Professional and focused tracks like Security, DevOps, Developer, Data Engineer, Machine Learning, and the AI Practitioner.

Over time I developed a repeatable strategy that I used to pass multiple IT certifications. If you are targeting the SAA C03, here is a five step strategy that works well.

Thoroughly read the stated exam objectives and align your study plan
Start with practice exams to learn the question style
Take a course from a reputable trainer and supplement with labs
Do focused hands on projects that match the blueprint
Use the final weekend for full length practice tests and review

Add a sensible exam day strategy and you will greatly improve your chance of passing your AWS certification on the first attempt. Here is how I tailored this plan for the Solutions Architect Associate exam.

Chart showing cloud career titles and salaries

Step 1: read the exam objectives

Begin with the blueprint for the Solutions Architect Associate exam. The guide spells out domains and weightings which are secure design, resilient design, high performing design, and cost optimized design. It also clarifies in scope services such as VPC, IAM, KMS, Route 53, ELB, Auto Scaling, CloudFront, RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, S3, EFS, EBS, and many more.

If you are transitioning from the Cloud Practitioner, note that the architect exam expects deeper design reasoning. It is also useful to compare what comes next such as the Solutions Architect Professional and specialties like the ML Specialty and the AI Practitioner.

Mapping objectives to a personal backlog keeps you focused. Sites like Scrumtuous and technical write ups on MCNZ can help you turn the blueprint into a sprint plan.

Step 2: do practice exams before studying

Complete a set of practice questions before you dive into lessons. This shows how AWS frames scenarios and reveals blind spots. If you want a quick warm up, a bank such as this Udemy practice exam collection builds exam stamina. Pair that with architect specific sets from your preferred provider.

Practice early helps you spot recurring services like IAM, KMS, VPC, ALB, Auto Scaling, RDS Multi AZ, and S3 lifecycle policies. It also trains your eye for phrases such as most cost effective, highest availability, or least operational effort.

If you study across clouds, awareness of GCP certifications and roles such as Associate Cloud Engineer, Professional Cloud Architect, Professional Cloud Developer, and Professional DevOps Engineer can help you see common architecture patterns.

Step 3: take a course

Commit to a structured course that covers the design domains and then reinforce with targeted labs. Build a study path that borrows from related AWS tracks such as Security, DevOps, Developer, and Data Engineer. If you are preparing for future ML workloads, add context from Machine Learning as well.

If you like to broaden with multi cloud, map topics to GCP roles such as Professional Cloud Security Engineer, Professional Cloud Network Engineer, Professional Data Engineer, Professional Database Engineer, Workspace Administrator, Data Practitioner, ML Engineer, and Generative AI Leader.

For pacing and accountability, many learners follow the sprint themed advice on Scrumtuous and complement with deep dives from MCNZ.

Step 4: do simple hands on projects in the AWS console

Hands on practice cements design trade offs. Keep projects small and inexpensive while targeting the blueprint.

Design a VPC with public and private subnets, route tables, NAT gateway patterns, security groups, and network ACLs. Add an Application Load Balancer and EC2 Auto Scaling policy to serve a simple app.
Create an Amazon RDS instance with Multi AZ, enable automated backups, test read replicas, and add Amazon RDS Proxy for connection scaling.
Set up Amazon S3 with lifecycle rules, Intelligent Tiering, bucket policies, and default encryption with AWS KMS. Front a static site with Amazon CloudFront and use Amazon Route 53 for routing.
Build an event driven pattern with Amazon SQS and Amazon SNS, coordinate steps with AWS Step Functions, and expose an API with Amazon API Gateway and AWS Lambda.
Stream data with Amazon Kinesis, transform with AWS Glue, and batch process with Amazon EMR, then visualize with Amazon Athena and Amazon QuickSight.

These projects mirror core scenarios on the Solutions Architect Associate exam and prepare you for questions like which design meets the requirement with the least operational effort or the lowest cost.

Step 5: get serious about mock exams

When your study is solid, spend full days on mock exams. Do a complete set, review every answer, and repeat. Use your notes to explain each correct option and why the distractors are wrong. You can also build question stamina with resources like the Udemy practice exam collection and then switch to architect focused sets.

Average salary, by AWS certification

Your exam day strategy

On exam day use a consistent routine and trust your preparation.

Read each question carefully and watch for keywords like most secure, least effort, or lowest cost.
Eliminate the clear distractors first which often leaves two viable choices.
Prefer managed services where requirements allow since they reduce undifferentiated work.
Complete a fast first pass and flag questions to revisit. Use remaining time to analyze the tricky scenarios.
Answer every question. A guess is better than leaving it blank.
Track your time and aim to finish the first pass with at least twenty minutes left for review.
Use later questions as clues. A later scenario sometimes clarifies an earlier one.

This approach helped me make two complete passes through the exam and leave with confidence. There are always variables on test day, but a clear plan minimizes risk and improves your chance of passing on the first attempt.

Maybe go multi-cloud?

After passing SAA C03 you can target Solutions Architect Professional or branch into Security, DevOps, Developer, Data Engineer, Machine Learning, or AI Practitioner.

If you are building a multi cloud perspective, explore GCP certifications such as Associate Cloud Engineer, Professional Cloud Architect, Professional Cloud Developer, Professional DevOps Engineer, Professional Cloud Security Engineer, Professional Cloud Network Engineer, Professional Data Engineer, Professional Database Engineer, Workspace Administrator, Data Practitioner, ML Engineer, and Generative AI Leader.

Next Steps

The AWS Solutions Architect Book of Exam Questions by Cameron McKenzie

So what’s next?

A great way to secure your employment or even open the door to new opportunities is to get certified.

If you’re interested in AWS products, here are a few great resources to help you get Cloud Practitioner, Solution Architect, Machine Learning and DevOps certified from AWS:

Put your career on overdrive and get AWS certified today!