Memo of AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional (SAP-C01)
I have successfully passed AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional (SAP-C01) exam. I will be sharing some tips on how to obtain this certification.
aws.amazon.com
AWS Skill before Taking Exam
I have used AWS main services and passed Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C00) in March 2017.
When I took the Associate exam, my main goal was to pass it before my company’s AWS partner status expired. This time, I prioritized understanding the concepts behind cloud-native architectures.
Preparation
I started considering taking the exam July 2019 and created a plan to take it in around September 2019. However, the exam was fully updated in February. Exam topics were changed and passing score was raised by about 10%. I could not find information on the new version, so my learning got stalled.
Fortunately, Jayendra’s Blog was updated for the new version and I could learn the topics covered by the exam.
AWS Official Practice Test
On October 13th, I took an AWS official practice test which cost 4,400 yen.
1.0 Design for Organizational Complexity: 0%
2.0 Design for New Solutions: 80%
3.0 Migration Planning: 75%
4.0 Cost Control: 50%
5.0 Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions: 85%
Taking Exam
First Attempt
I took the exam on October 27th and failed with a score of 684 out of 1,000. Exam takers must answer 75 questions within 180 minutes. I struggled with time management, only answering 32 questions within the first 90 minutes.
Second Attempt
Reflecting on the first attempt, I followed my principle of “one question within two minutes” during the exam on December 8th, and passed with a score of 902 out of 1,000.
Reference Materials
Blog
This was an excellent resource for understanding the exam topics. The content is well-organized, and I recommend following this guide from start to finish on your learning path.
AWS Official Documentation
- Exam Guide
- AWS Whitepapers & Guides
- AWS Documentation
- AWS クラウドサービス活用資料集トップ
- AWS Architecture Center
- FAQ
- AWS official practice test (4,400 yen)
Practice Tests
Udemy - AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional Practice Exam
The in-depth explanations were useful and I could practice time management in Udemy platform.
Conclusion
I think I could get a picture of cloud-native architecture in AWS through this exam. Although the exam covers AWS services, the key concepts are not so different in Azure, GCP, or any other cloud platform.
