Today the world is fueled on information; raw, specific, categorized, uncategorized, any information you provide is valuable. This is true not only for individuals but huge corporations as well. But, with these corporations, the availability of information is linked directly to their ability to create value for customers and themselves and may, therefore, affect profitability directly. Profitability cannot be compromised.

So, the most viable solutions that can be found to this problem is to have information ready at all times. However, perpetually available has long seemed like a myth; not anymore though. The accessibility of the internet around the world and its impending innovations have made perpetually available information a truth. This is largely due to the development of Cloud Computing – the use of internet servers to process and store data that is accessible from anywhere.

AWS Cloud Certifications:

However, Cloud Computing is a technical skill and cannot be learnt through sheer talent. Therefore, professional certifications that teach essentials of cloud computing are fast gaining weight. Amazon Web Services is one of the providers in cloud certification and their certifications are often categorized as one of the most valuable ones. AWS offers 9 different certifications at present, which are:

• AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner.
• AWS Certified Developer – Associate.
• AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate.
• AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – professional.
• AWS Certified Solutions Architect – professional.
• AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty.
• AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty.
• AWS Certified Security – Specialty.

Different Levels of AWS Cloud Certification:

The certifications include one foundational level certificate, three associate level certifications, two professional level certifications and three specialty certifications. The complexity of different level of certifications may vary in terms of their course content, level of understanding and hours of practice required. Following is a detailed analysis of the 4 levels of AWS certifications:

• Foundation Level: the foundational level AWS Certification is the most recent addition to the AWS Cloud Certifications. It does not have any prerequisites and focuses on a broad spectrum of topics. However, the complexity of each topic may not be as deep and the aim is to simply develop an understanding of the AWS structure, to carry on learning for more advanced certifications.
• Associate Level: Just like the foundation level, there is no prerequisite to the associate level of AWS Cloud Certification and it focuses on a broad spectrum of topic. However, the focus is different from that of a Foundation Level certification. The courses focus more on the actual fields than on AWS structures and requires understanding of all general concepts within a field.
• Professional Level: professional level certifications, unlike both Associate and Foundational Level come with prerequisite. The prerequisite being an Associate Level Certification in related course. However, the courses are still very broad when it comes to the spectrum of topics but the depth of knowledge may be substantial. Where the associate level of required general knowledge, the Professional Level transcends that border and requires complete understanding of a number of different disciplines. The learning in professional level certifications is substantial and adds greatly to your portfolio.
• Specialty Certifications: The Specialty Certification has the same prerequisite requirement as that of the Professional level. However, the course scope is substantially narrowed to focus on specialization. The depth of understanding then in those topics is substantial and you will be required to know everything about the said specializations.

Exam Format For The AWS Exam:

The requirement for the getting an AWS certification at any level is to pass the AWS exam. Often individuals may require aws training to pass these exams. These trainings provide helpful insight into the exam patterns and formats. The trainings might also provide easy to follow schedules for proficiency in the course matter and provide sample and past exams to help easy attempts.

Apart from the recent foundational level course, the format is relatively stable across the Associate, Professional and Specialty level exams. The exams are taken online with the help of your AWS certification account under the supervision of an AWS professional. The exam questions are mostly focused on multiple choice and sample direction questions. There is no uniform passing criteria for every year and the passing scores may depend on the general performance every year.

The duration of the three levels varies. Where the associate level exam lasts only 80 minutes, the Professional and the Specialty level exams have a duration of 170 minutes. The results for the exams are posted on your AWS certification account within the next 72 hours. If you pass the exam, you can be labelled as an AWS certified developer and get your e-certificate on the same account. For those that do not pass the exam, the exams can be taken again after two weeks.

What Benefits Does An AWS Certified Developer Receive?

One question that comes up more than any other is what benefits the AWS certification allows you. Although when the certification was first introduced, there were barely any jobs that required it, only by the next two years the number of job postings that required AWS certifications had rocketed to around 2000. This is exponential growth is stands to validate the value added with the certification.

In addition to added more job opportunity and extra pay, an AWS certified developer gets benefits from the Amazon Web Services itself. One of the very first benefits that the you receive is the use of the AWS digital badges which becomes available to you once you pass the exam. These badges are meant to add to your credentials on professional websites and Curriculum Vitae. Moreover, passing an exam by the AWS makes you eligible for a 50% discount on the next exam you sit in which facilitates further certifications. In addition to an exam discount, you also get free practice exams from AWS instead of having to pay.

However, the most suitable networking platform for professionals – LinkedIn – also comes to play in the benefits provided by AWS. Becoming a certified AWS developer also grants you access to the AWS Certified LinkedIn Community which greatly increases your chances of being hired and making a place in the world of technology.

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