My 9-Month Journey to 9 Cloud Certifications: Juggling Work, Deadlines, Projects, and a New Baby

Certifications earned in chronological order:

1. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C01)
2. Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
3. Oracle Foundations Associate (OFA)
4. AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA)
5. AWS Developer Associate (DVA-C02)
6. AWS Data Engineer Associate (DEA-C01)
7. AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01)
8. AWS SysOps Administrator Associate (SOA-C02)
9. AWS Machine Learning Engineer Associate (MLA-C01)

How It All Started
How did I even end up with 9 certifications when my initial target was just to focus on AWS Solution Architect Associate (SAA), get certified, build some projects, and rest? Oh boy, I was mesmerized and fell in love with cloud knowledge when I started! Solution Architect (SA) sounded interesting, and the concept of building solutions for products, brands, and companies using cloud infrastructure was exhilarating. To be frank, Solution Architect keeps coming up randomly as a highly sought-after skill set, and the job market needs people with such expertise. I'd just be watching random interviews where the presenter would ask, "What do you do for a living?" and the correspondent would say, "I'm a Solution Architect. I do this and that for companies…" The next day, I'd be skimming through LinkedIn or X or other social platforms, and there again, I'd see discussions and blog posts about Solution Architects. Then I'd say to myself, "This is the sign - SA is calling me!"

First Encounter with Cloud Computing
Let's retrace to the very beginning. My first encounter with the cloud was in one of my course modules during my Master of Data Science degree program called "Big Data and Cloud Computing." It amazed me that big data, programming, building solutions, storage, and many other activities could be done seamlessly on the cloud without needing to piece everything together - every service you need is already available on the platform like a one-size-fits-all solution!
The idea fascinated me. I wouldn't have to store data on a hard drive, manually upload or import it into my programming environment, worry about losing data entirely, or deal with different subscriptions and platforms to achieve a solution. The cloud could provide it all as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS) through a variety of services such as compute, storage, databases, machine learning, networking, analytics, and more. "Voilà," I said to myself, "Cloud is the way!"

The Immigration Journey and EB-2 NIW Motivation
Procrastination set in at first as I explored other paths - whether to pursue a Ph.D. immediately or get a job as a Data Scientist. As an immigrant in the UK with an expiring student visa, the visa challenges of finding skilled-worker sponsorship loomed large. I had just started a new family too, and the urge to move to countries where I could have more stability, along with other concerns I won't burden the readers with, occupied my mind rather than getting cloud certified - until early 2024.
In January, a Facebook friend recently shared his success story of obtaining USA EB-1 approval for a green card - a visa category for individuals with extraordinary abilities, outstanding professors, or multinational executives. This meant he would become a permanent resident in the USA while living in the UK on his previously approved Global Talent Visa. I reached out to him and discovered that I qualified for the EB-2 NIW (National Interest Waiver), a category for individuals with advanced degrees or exceptional abilities whose work benefits the U.S. However, I needed to demonstrate how "well-positioned" I was to advance my proposed endeavors. That sparked my motivation to pursue certifications, as they could serve as supporting documents to prove my exceptional abilities.

Starting with the Basics: Cloud Practitioner
Instead of jumping straight into the SAA certification, I needed to understand everything from scratch. Unlike Microsoft's Azure platform, which I had experienced in my Big Data and Cloud Computing module, I learned that AWS was the largest cloud provider with the biggest market share, so I focused on AWS. I started with the fundamentals through the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification (CLF-C02) from freeCodeCamp.org with instructor Andrew Brown on YouTube. The 14-hour video was comprehensive, but I couldn't follow it structurally as everything was mixed without sections, topics, and structure. So, I opted to subscribe to ExamPro, a platform developed by Andrew Brown, where I could find more structure in my learning and explore the practice exam questions - which are crucial for passing the main exam.
My next decision came upon entering the ExamPro platform. I discovered a course bundle with basic cloud foundation courses from top providers called "Cross-Cloud Fundamentals Package": AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, and Oracle Foundations Associate. I thought to myself, why not subscribe to this package? After all, it's not a bad idea to learn about diverse cloud concepts from the basics. I went for it at $69 USD and instantly became a serious student.
The Beast Mode Phase
Remember, during this period I was preparing my EB-2 NIW petition and gathering other documents for my application. I needed to speed up with my certifications to include as supporting documents, so my energy and "ginger" was on nitro! I was in beast mode and hyper-determined to succeed. I studied rigorously and mustered the wherewithal to meet my targets. I studied on my way to and from work, in the metro, during my free periods and breaks at work. At home, it was back-to-back studying if I was awake. Scratch that - I was waking up specifically to study, instead!

Foundation Certifications Success
In less than a month, I took and passed the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C01) exam. Yay! My approach was simple: I covered all topics from Andrew Brown's course module and completed the hands-on practicals, but more importantly, I practiced the sample exam questions extensively, which prepared me for the real exam. Learning the course material alone wasn't enough - I needed to familiarize myself with the AWS exam structure, which played a major role in my success.
Immediately after passing the CLF-C01 exam, I gained momentum like a toddler hungry for its mother's milk and swung into action toward Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900). I realized that I had already studied the CLF-C01 material extensively, which largely overlapped with the concepts in AZ-900, with only minor differences in terminology. As a result, I only needed to focus on practicing the AZ-900 exam questions. I took the AZ-900 and passed. Yay! The same happened with Oracle Foundations Associate (OFA). Yay! The OFA was a free exam, unlike the CLF-C01 and AZ-900 that cost about $100 USD each.

Tackling the Solution Architect Associate
Next came the certification that started it all - the SAA. I began researching study materials, and everywhere I turned, I encountered "Stephane Maarek" and success stories from those who had taken his Udemy course. This led me to sign up for Udemy and purchase my first course: "Ultimate AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate" by Stephane Maarek. It came with some practice questions, but for deeper preparation, I also bought the SAA practice exam by Abhishek Singh and Stephane Maarek, which contained six full practice exams. This gave me plenty of opportunities to familiarize myself with the material and prepare for the exam. Both courses cost just over £28, as I bought them during a Udemy promotional sale. Always watch for those promos!
I prepared intensively for less than a month as my EB-2 NIW petition deadline approached. I passed! Yay! The exam usually costs $150 USD, but since I had passed the CLF-C01, I received a 50% discount on my next qualified exam. So, I paid just $75 USD for the SAA.

The Developer Journey and Life Changes
Upon passing the SAA, wild thoughts began to swirl in my mind: "Perhaps I can go for the AWS Developer certification and then the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator." Another voice chimed in, encouraging, "Why not complete all the associate-level AWS certifications and become more grounded in it?" Yet another joined, cheering me on, "Besides, you'll get half-price for the next exam since you passed the last one!"
I gave in because, truthfully, I had become magnetized by the endless possibilities of cloud knowledge and, like Oliver Twist, yearned for more. I recalled Stephane Maarek's advice from his FAQ about "In which order should you learn?": "Start with AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate, then move on to AWS Certified Developer Associate and then AWS Certified SysOps Administrator. Afterwards, you can either do AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional or AWS Certified DevOps Professional, or a specialty certification of your choosing."

The Developer Certification Challenge
So, I continued with AWS Developer (DVA-C02) certification. I purchased both the course and practice exams from Stephane Maarek at £28 each (promotional price - regular price over £60). DVA-C02 proved challenging, possibly due to its different approach and because I had a lot going on as I neared the final submission of my EB-2 NIW application. While preparing for the DVA-C02 certification, I was also preparing to submit my EB-2 application, and in three weeks, I took the DVA-C02 exam and failed. Nay! I was sad but not broken - I get motivated by failure; it sparks me as if I have something to prove. I can be stubborn like that!
The sadness was short-lived, though, as my EB-2 NIW was approved in May. Success! YAY! The next day, I welcomed my baby into this world. YAY! so I took 4 weeks off to give my baby all the attentions needed.

Building Real-World Experience: The Projects Phase
After taking a break, I returned to my studies as if I'd never left. I went back to the drawing board and realized I needed more hands-on experience to build up my profile and portfolio with projects. I began exploring both free and paid hands-on projects.
I started with free projects on YouTube:
From Tech with Lucy:

• Launched a website on Amazon S3
• Visualized data using Amazon QuickSight From Tiny Technical Tutorials:
• Architected and built an end-to-end AWS web application from scratch
• Built a full end-to-end web app with 7 AWS services
• Created a free static website with AWS Amplify and Amazon S3
• Built a React app with Amplify (Gen 1), Cognito, and CI/CD with GitHub Then came the paid projects: From Tech with Lucy - AWS Cloud Projects ($63 USD):
• Built a daily task scheduler using Amazon PartyRock
• Created an image labels generator using Amazon Rekognition
• Developed a text narrator using Amazon Polly
• Built a language translation bot using Amazon Lex
• Deployed a bucket list tracker application on AWS Amplify From Azeez Salu through aosnote.com ($49.95 USD each):
• Host a Dynamic Web App on AWS
• Deploy a Dynamic Website on AWS with Terraform To ensure success on my next DVA-C02 attempt, I purchased another course by Jon Bonso. This provided additional learning opportunities, and combined with my hands-on project experience, I passed the exam in June after extra two weeks of study. Yay!

The Data Engineering Challenge
By now, my mission had expanded to completing all associate-level certifications. I wanted to be versatile and not limited to just one area of cloud computing. I aimed to become a full-fledged cloud engineer with comprehensive knowledge. When AWS launched the Data Engineer certification (DEA-C01), it was a perfect fit since data is my area of expertise. I made this my next target before tackling the most challenging one - AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate.
I purchased course materials from Frank Kane and Stephane Maarek, along with practice exams from Thomas Hass, both at the promotional price of £28. While studying, I attended the AWS Summit in London, where I met AWS partners and employees and gained first-hand experience with various AWS projects and services. This major event provided great insights into AWS. However, despite my preparation, I failed the DEA-C01 exam. NAY!
What went wrong? Data Engineer was complex, especially as a new certification with limited study materials available. I had approached it too quickly without thoroughly understanding the core concepts of data engineering, which focuses on moving and processing data. Many services appeared similar but differed in operation and approach. I needed to return to basics and take more time to understand the material properly.
For me, as I've mentioned before, failure doesn't weaken or depress me - it makes me more competitive and determined to win. I enjoy the challenge of overcoming failure. So, I purchased additional practice exams for AWS Certified Data Engineer from Abhishek Singh and Stephane Maarek, practiced for two more weeks, and passed! Yay!

The SysOps Administrator Battle
Next came the formidable AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate (SOA-C02). This proved to be the most challenging certification of all. Though I nearly gave up, I had to prove I could rise to the challenge. I started with Stephane Maarek's courses and practice exams but failed SOA-C02 twice! Nay! Nay!
I purchased additional materials from Neal Davis and Jon Bonso and continued studying. During this time, AWS launched two certifications in my field of expertise: AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01) and AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer Associate (MLA-C01). This excited me for two reasons: it aligned with my specialty, and AI and ML were advancing rapidly. I decided to use these as a refreshing break from my battle with SOA-C02.

AI and Machine Learning Certifications
AWS offered an "Early Adopter" badge to first-time earners of new certifications, so I tackled AIF-C01 first, purchasing course and practice exam materials from Stephane Maarek and Abhishek Singh. In just under three weeks, I passed - yay!
Next, I returned to finish my showdown with SOA-C02, and this time, it didn't stand a chance. I delivered the knockout punch, mastering monitoring and reporting, high availability and resilience, deployment and provisioning, storage and data management, networking, security and compliance, and cost and performance optimization. Passing SOA-C02 felt like a massive milestone.
Finally came MLA-C01. I purchased materials from Frank Kane and Stephane Maarek for both the course and practice exams, studied for less than a month, and passed - another yay! Although AIF-C01 and MLA-C01 were newly introduced, they turned out to be far less intimidating - my background in Data Science gave me a solid edge, and I happily breezed through both.

Cost Overview and Future Plans
It's worth mentioning that I utilized various AWS exam discounts, including the "Associate Challenge" promotion. These discounts helped significantly with retaking certifications. Generally, foundational certifications cost $100 USD at regular rates, while Associate Certifications cost $150 USD. However, passing one certification earns you a 50% discount on your next exam.
Speaking of next exams, I now have two bonus attempts available for professional certifications - either AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional, AWS Certified DevOps Professional, or a specialty certification.

Looking Forward
Overall, I've thoroughly enjoyed the journey and experiences gained along the way. The ups and downs have shaped my current position as I continue learning and building. There's still so much to learn both in cloud computing and beyond. The world of Data Science is evolving at lightning speed, and I'm staying current with all the new technologies. What makes these experiences particularly exciting is the integration of AI, ML, and Data with Cloud technologies. I believe both are unstoppable, especially when combined. Currently, I'm working on a project using the latest AWS services - Sagemaker, Glue, Bedrock Agentic AI, Knowledge bases, Lambda Functions, Step Functions, CloudWatch, EC2, and others - as a solution for a brand. AWS continues to push boundaries, ensuring builders, users, and cloud engineers have all the resources they need as a platform-as-a-service. And that's truly the best part.
As I keep learning and building, I'll be sharing my journey along the way! Bye for now and Keep Learning!