Getting an AWS Certification can open up a world of possibilities in your career. It’s one of the most prestigious certifications you can obtain in the information technology field.
Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, you can benefit from the corresponding AWS certificate. They cover a very wide variety of career paths and options, so there’s something for everyone.
Can you take an AWS Certification test from home? As of earlier this year, you can take the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam at home or at the office.
This is great news for busy professionals who want to take the exam but need a little more flexibility. Work hours and test center locations won’t prevent you from adding this certification to your resume.
If you’re looking to prove that you have the skills and knowledge that come with an overall understanding of the AWS Cloud, this is the best test for you to take. Regardless of the role you’re in now or the one you’re going for next, this certification can be really helpful.
While you can obtain the Cloud Practitioner certification from home or at work, all of the others will require that you go to a testing center.
How does the home exam work?
The AWS Cloud Practitioner certification has been named one of the top five in most regions, according to the Global Knowledge IT Skills and Salary Report of 2019. So, it makes sense that this would be the certification that Amazon chose to allow certification on outside of the established test centers.
You can schedule your test any time, day or night. The actual exam times are available in time slots that are 15 minutes apart.
This means that you won’t have to take any time off of work to get to a test center during business hours. You won’t have to leave a class, cut a meeting short, or rearrange your child care, either.
Keep in mind that you’ll need to be alone in the room while you’re taking the test. If you live with a significant other, family or roommates, they’ll need to stay in another room on the other side of your closed door.
You can take the exam first thing in the morning or in the middle of the night, so it will be easy to plan accordingly. The options are endless and the choice is yours.
The exam itself will be 65 questions and a combination of multiple answer and multiple-choice questions, along with fill ins. You’ll have 90 minutes to finish it and will be cut off when the time is up. It’s almost time to get studying.
But first it’s important that you know how the process is different before you move forward and schedule your exam.
Amazon enlists the help of online proctoring in order to ensure security and honesty from anywhere you choose. In order to accomplish these goals, a proctor will supervise via webcam for the duration of the test.
Here are a few things that you’ll need to do first:
- Run a system test of your computer and network to get them ready for exam day
- Make sure your webcam is up and running
- Study the free exam guide provided to you
- Follow the digital course at your own pace
- Follow the digital course at a timed pace
- Take the practice exam(s)
The exam is issued through Amazon’s preferred third-party provider, Pearson VUE. There is more information on the Pearson VUE website regarding technical requirements, how the process itself works, and what their individual privacy policies are. It would be helpful to review these on the website before moving forward.
When you’re ready to schedule the exam, you can do this here: aws.training/certification. If you don’t already have one, you’ll need to create an account first.
Choose Pearson VUE for the exam delivery provider when prompted. From there, you’ll choose the “at my home or office” choice and it will guide you from there.
It’s important to note that the online proctored AWS Cloud Practitioner exams are currently only offered in English. There’s no indication of when it will be offered in other languages at this time, so you may have to wait a while if you prefer to take it in one other than English.
What will it cost to take the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification from home?
While you’ll save on gas, missed time from work, and the other costs of schedule rearranging, transportation and accommodations, you’ll still have expenses that come along with this exam.
The most notable cost is the actual exam fee. As of August this year, the fee for this particular exam (when taken using this method) is $100. This is the price before tax, so it’ll end up being just a little bit more.
When you register, they’ll give you a free exam guide and free digital course to follow. These are a good resource to get you started.
It’s recommended that you also purchase practice exams to take when you’re done with these. At $20 each, the practice exams are affordable enough to take multiple times.
Since the actual exam is timed, it would be helpful to take one or two practice tests at your own pace and then one or two more timed. If you’re way off the mark in your timing, it’s better to know that ahead of time so you have the opportunity to study, practice, and get your time down.
There are other study materials you can purchase, such as books, guides, and training courses. However, the exam guide, digital course, and practice tests will probably be enough.
If you’re looking for more study materials without spending extra money, you can find free guides, articles, and videos online. If you know someone who took the exam already, ask them to borrow their study materials or offer to buy them from them at half of what you’d pay for new ones.
If you know someone who will be preparing for the exam soon, see if they’ll split the study materials with you. This way, it’ll save both of you money and you’ll have an automatic study buddy. Enlisting the help of a friend or coworker can also help to keep you motivated.
What are some examples of career roles that people obtain this certification for?
The AWS Cloud Practitioner certification is the most general exam. It offers evidence of an overall understanding and implementation of skills, regardless of specific roles.
Because it provides such a great overview, it can be applied to just about any career path in the IT field. According to the AWS website, people in the roles of account executive, CEO, senior consultant, program manager, data engineer, and sales manager have all obtained this certification to further their career.
Due to privacy policies, Amazon can’t release the names of notable business men and women that have obtained this certification, but due to its high demand, it’s clear that it is a desirable addition to any resume.
This exam helps individuals of different education and career levels demonstrate their overall knowledge of AWS. Thankfully, it’s also the easiest exam to take out of all of the available AWS certification options, according to many test takers.
Once you’ve taken and passed this exam, the certification will allow you to make a better case for a raise or promotion within your company, open doors at new companies, or help get you started in your career. If you’re motivated to keep moving forward after the first exam, you can always go back to take another, more specific exam, too.
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