Preparing for the SAA MockPractice Exam

Welcome, future AWS Solutions Architect Associates! This guide is designed to help you efficiently prepare for your practice exam by providing you with key strategies to review and sharpen your AWS knowledge before the big day. Follow these three main recommendations to ensure you’re ready for exam day:

1. Review Your Summaries, Notes, and Study Materials
2. Retake the End-of-Section Quizzes
3. Practice Challenging Services and Concepts in a Hands-On Environment

1. Review Your Summaries, Notes, and Study Materials

Before you attempt the practice exam, collect all your study resources and review them thoroughly. Focus on the following areas:

• Course Summaries and Notes: Rely on your recorded notes and summaries from both the course and external study materials. Consistent note-taking during study sessions can boost information retention by 20–30%.
• Course Outlines: Utilize these outlines to identify key service components such as security, performance, and reliability.
• AWS Exam Guide: The AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam guide is indispensable. It clarifies concepts such as the differences between Key Management Service (KMS) and CloudHSM, and reinforces design strategies like cost optimization (e.g., knowing that Lambda typically costs less than EC2) and performance enhancements.

2. Retake the End-of-Section Quizzes

Consistently retaking the end-of-section quizzes is a proven method to test your knowledge and boost confidence. Focus on quizzes covering key topics such as:

• Core AWS Services: Networking, Storage, Compute, Database, and Application Integration.
• Advanced Topics: Data services, Machine Learning/AI services, Migration/Transfer processes.
• Management & Governance: This section integrates several topics for a holistic view.
• Security & Compliance: Fundamental for any AWS architecture.

On average, each section consists of about 25 questions. With nine sections overall, you can expect a total of roughly 225 questions. Additionally, complete the design quizzes for sections like Design for Security, Design for Reliability, and the ultimate design challenge. This structured practice is essential since the actual exam is scenario-based and requires you to design for resiliency, cost optimization, and performance improvements.

3. Practice Challenging Services and Concepts

If you repeatedly struggle with questions related to a specific AWS service (for instance, CloudFront or SQS), gaining hands-on experience is key:

• AWS Playground by KodeKloud: Experiment with around 60 supported AWS services in a controlled environment. This is a great way to gain practical experience.
• Personal AWS Account: If the service isn’t available in the playground (such as Systems Manager, which consolidates around 22 services), test it out in your own AWS account. Remember to terminate resources after an hour or two to avoid unexpected charges.
• AWS Documentation: For deeper insights and real-world examples, consult the official AWS Documentation.

In Summary

Effective preparation for the AWS Solutions Architect Associate mock exam involves:

• A thorough review of all your study materials including notes, summaries, course outlines, and the exam guide.
• Retaking end-of-section quizzes (including design quizzes) to solidify your understanding and improve recall.
• Gaining practical experience on challenging AWS services through interactive labs, personal account experimentation, or detailed documentation studies.

I'm Michael Forrester, and I hope you find these strategies beneficial as you prepare for your AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam. Best of luck, and I'll catch you in the next article!