Important: Complete the courses and study material suggested in the AWS Solution Architect first as this has some overlap. After you have completed this, then follow the study guide below.

Please review the following in addition to Professional notes:
AWS Solution Architect Associate Notes

1. My Study Guide for AWS Solution Architect Professional

FAQs:

1. Which video courses do I need to take?
   If you are like me and haven't completed all three associate certifications, then I recommend completing Cantril's course.
   Otherwise Stephane's or Neal's are fine.
   Watch at least two/all three of the courses as they all cover different topics.

2. How long does it take to prepare?
   I completed Cantrill's and Neal's courses twice and Stephane's once. It depends really, until you feel comfortable.
   It took me nine months in total, in which two and half months were full time.

3. What if I do not feel confident to take the exam?
   I didn't feel confident even after completing the practice exams, so I took AWS Skillbuilder - Online Course Supplement: Advanced Architecting on AWS which helped me gain confidence. This course has precisely everything that is needed for the Professional exam (re:Invent videos, FAQs, blogs, etc.)

4. How is the Professional exam different to an Associate exam?
   The Professional exam is very different to the Associate exam. Some of the questions are longer and most importantly, some of them have two correct answers. It is important to pick the most appropriate answer based on the requirement in the question.

5. What happens if I don't pass the practice exams?
   Try to score close to 70% in any practice exam in your first attempt. Don't be worried if you don't pass on your first attempt.

6. What do I do if I discover that I still have some weak areas after doing the practice exams?
   During the practice exams, if you find any areas that you seem to be weak in, then read more about those particular services in the AWS documentation.

7. What tools do I get to use during the exam at the test centre?
   I was given a pen and some paper, however I did not get a calculator to use during the exam. Please note that you are required to do some calculations during the exam, so please refer to my notes regarding how to do this.

Note: I haven't included Whitepapers, FAQ's and workshops in this guide as I completed them during my preparation for the Associate exam.

2. AWS Solution Architect Professional Notes

3. Exam Tips

1. During the exam, I marked the questions I was unsure of for review. At the end of the exam, I had about 20 questions for review, which made me feel slightly confident that I might pass the exam.

2. Make sure that you don't leave any questions unanswered as there is no negative marking.

3. It is also very important to know the basics, the exam will test you on the basics as well.
   For example: It is good to know which services are global and which are regional. We often tend to overlook this while preparing for Architect Professional.

4. DO NOT attempt to answer the questions based on key words alone, ensure you read all the answers as well.
   For example: Whenever we see cost, we tend to think of 'Reserved' but that may not always be the case for some scenarios.
   You will notice this when you do the live practice exams.

5. If English is your second language, you can request for ESL+30 mins before booking the exam from certmetrics > Request Exam Accomodations and wait for the approval. It might take a couple of days for the approval to come through.

4. AWS Labs

AWS Labs/Workshops

1. This is a list of labs which you can use for practice, using your own AWS account. This is optional as some of these labs are quite advanced.