TCP #13 - 30-Day Plan To Achieve AWS DevOps Professional Certification
Includes step-by-step study plan, tips, advice, project ideas and helpful daily checklist
You can also read my newsletters from the Substack mobile app and get notified when a new newsletter issue comes out
**Author note**: I apologize for not sending out newsletter issues for last couple of weeks as I was taking a break from writing. I wanted to take this time to brainstorm ideas, topics I should be covering and think about where this newsletter should be heading.
I completed the AWS DevOps Professional certification in Dec 2023.
As I was preparing for this certification, I made some notes on how one can speed up the learning process and get certified.
Here's a 30-day plan I put together.
The plan includes daily activities, key topics to learn, tips, advice, and ideas to keep you focused.
Week 1: Foundations and Basic AWS Services
Day 1-2: Introduction and Basics
Activities:
Read the AWS Certified Developer Study Guide introduction.
Watch introductory videos on AWS Developer tools.
Consider signing up for high-quality AWS courses.
NOTE: I took the AWS Certified DevOps Professional by Adrian Cantrill. I strongly recommend this course to get certified and job ready.
Key Topics: Overview of AWS, IAM basics, AWS CLI, SDKs.
Tip: Set up your AWS account and familiarize yourself with the AWS Management Console.
Day 3-4: Identity and Access Management (IAM)
Activities:
Study IAM roles, policies, and users.
Study about best practices for creating an IAM user.
Complete IAM labs on AWS.
Key Topics: IAM users, groups, roles, policies, MFA.
Advice: Practice creating and managing IAM roles and policies.
Day 5-7: Compute Services (EC2, Lambda)
Activities:
Learn about EC2 instances and Lambda functions.
Deploy an EC2 instance and a simple Lambda function.
Key Topics: EC2, Lambda, Auto Scaling, Load Balancers.
Idea: Create a project using EC2 and Lambda to reinforce learning.
Week 2: Storage and Databases
Day 8-9: S3 and Storage Solutions
Activities:
Study S3, Glacier, and EBS.
Perform hands-on labs with S3 buckets and EBS volumes.
Key Topics: S3 buckets, lifecycle policies, versioning, EBS.
Tip: Practice setting up S3 buckets with different storage classes.
Day 10-11: Database Services
Activities:
Learn about RDS, DynamoDB, and Aurora.
Deploy a simple RDS instance and a DynamoDB table.
Key Topics: RDS, DynamoDB, Aurora, backups, and restores.
Advice: Work on creating and managing database instances.
Day 12-14: NoSQL Databases and Caching
Activities:
Study DynamoDB and ElastiCache.
Perform labs on creating DynamoDB tables and ElastiCache clusters.
Key Topics: DynamoDB, ElastiCache, caching strategies.
Idea: Create a project that uses DynamoDB and caching for improved performance.
Week 3: Application Integration and Security
Day 15-16: Application Integration
Activities:
Learn about SQS, SNS, and Step Functions.
Implement a simple workflow using Step Functions.
Learn about event driven architectures using EventBridge
Key Topics: SQS, SNS, Step Functions, event-driven architecture.
Tip: Practice creating and managing queues and notifications.
Day 17-18: Security and Encryption
Activities:
Study AWS security services like KMS, CloudHSM and Security Hub.
Complete labs on encrypting data at rest and in transit.
Key Topics: KMS, CloudHSM, encryption, security best practices.
Advice: Ensure you understand encryption and key management concepts.
Day 19-21: Monitoring and Logging
Activities:
Learn about CloudWatch, CloudTrail, and X-Ray.
Set up monitoring and logging for an application.
Key Topics: CloudWatch, CloudTrail, X-Ray, logging best practices.
Idea: Create a dashboard in CloudWatch for monitoring application metrics.
Week 4: Advanced Topics and Exam Preparation
Day 22-23: CI/CD and DevOps
Activities:
Study CodePipeline, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy.
Implement a CI/CD pipeline for a sample application.
Key Topics: CodePipeline, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, CI/CD best practices.
Tip: Practice setting up a complete CI/CD pipeline.
Day 24-25: Advanced Networking
Activities:
Learn about VPC, subnets, security groups, and networking.
Perform labs on creating and managing VPCs.
Key Topics: VPC, subnets, security groups, peering, VPN.
Advice: Focus on understanding VPC design and security.
Day 26-27: Serverless and Microservices
Activities:
Study serverless architectures and microservices design patterns.
Deploy a serverless application using Lambda and API Gateway.
Key Topics: Serverless, API Gateway, microservices, best practices.
Idea: Build a serverless project to apply concepts learned.
Day 28-29: Practice Exams and Review
Activities:
Take full-length practice exams.
Review incorrect answers and study weak areas.
Key Topics: All topics covered in the study plan.
Tip: Simulate exam conditions for practice tests.
Day 30: Final Review and Relaxation
Activities:
Review notes, key concepts, and weak areas.
Relax and ensure you are well-rested for the exam.
Key Topics: Final review of important concepts.
Advice: Stay calm and confident.
Tips for Staying Focused
Set Specific Goals: Break down your study sessions with clear objectives.
Create a Study Schedule: Stick to a consistent daily routine.
Eliminate Distractions: Find a quiet study space and minimize interruptions.
Stay Healthy: Take regular breaks, eat well, and get enough sleep.
Reward Yourself: Celebrate small milestones to stay motivated.
Daily Progress Checklist
Here's a daily checklist you can use to track your progress as you work towards your AWS Developer Professional Certification:
Study Sessions
Set aside 1-2 hours for focused study.
Review previous notes and key concepts.
Complete today's reading/study materials.
Take notes on new topics learned.
Hands-on Practice
Complete today's hands-on labs or exercises.
Implement a mini-project or task using AWS services.
Course and Practice Exams
Watch the scheduled course videos/lectures.
Complete any assigned quizzes or practice questions.
Take a practice exam (if scheduled).
Documentation and Whitepapers
Read AWS documentation or whitepapers related to today's topics.
Highlight or make notes on important sections.
Community and Support
Participate in study groups or forums.
Post questions or share knowledge with peers.
Monitoring and Review
Update your study log or progress tracker.
Review any incorrect answers from quizzes/practice exams.
Identify and focus on weak areas.
Health and Well-being
Take regular breaks during study sessions.
Stay hydrated and eat healthily.
Get enough sleep and rest.
Motivation and Rewards
Reflect on what you have learned today.
Celebrate small milestones achieved.
Weekly Reflection (every 7 days)
Review the week's study progress and completed tasks.
Assess understanding of key topics covered.
Adjust the study plan based on areas needing more focus.
Plan for the upcoming week's activities.
Print or copy this checklist for each day, adjust it according to your daily plan, and tick off the items as you complete them. This will help you stay organized, motivated, and on track to achieve your goal.
That’s it for today!
Did you enjoy this newsletter issue?
Share with your friends, colleagues, and your favorite social media platform.
Until next week — Amrut
Whenever you’re ready, there are 2 ways I can help you:
Are you thinking about getting certified as a Google Cloud Digital Leader? Here’s a link to my Udemy course, which has helped 611+ students prepare and pass the exam. Currently, rated 4.24/5. (link)
Course Recommendation: AWS Courses by Adrian Cantrill (Certified + Job Ready):
ALL THE THINGS Bundle (I got this. Highly recommend it!)
Note: These are affiliate links.
Get in touch
You can find me on LinkedIn or X.
If you wish to request a topic you would like to read, you can contact me directly via LinkedIn or X.