AWS Certification Types & Tiers : Updated AWS Certification - Retirements and New borns
Written by Hyojung Yoon
Hello! Today we're going to learn about AWS certifications.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud computing platform provided by Amazon and is one of the most popular cloud service provider in the world. According to Michael Yu, Client Market Leader of Skillsoft Technology and Developer Portfolio, "The skyrocketing value of cloud-related certifications is not a new phenomenon," indicating that more companies are using cloud computing platforms. Among cloud-related certifications, AWS Certification is known to validate the technical skills and cloud expertise needed to advance your career and scale your business.
There are a few changes to AWS certifications this year, so we've put together a blog to help guide you, so let's get started!
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AWS Certification Overview
Tiers of AWS Certification
AWS Certification Overview
1. What is AWS Certifications?
AWS certifications are programs that allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in using the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing platform. AWS certifications focus on a variety of areas, including cloud architecture, development, and operations, and are organized into different levels. Certification exams are administered in multiple languages at testing centers around the world.
2. Types of AWS Certification
AWS offers granular certifications for different roles and skill levels. These certifications are divided into four tiers: Foundational, Associate, Professional, and Specialty.
3. Certification Validity
Certifications are valid for three years from the date they are earned, so be sure to keep them up to date before they expire. For Foundational and Associate level certifications, you can also fulfill the renewal requirements for Sage certifications by passing a higher level exam or renewing your certification.
4. Changes for 2024
New Exam Question Types
Three new question types are being introduced forAWS Certified AI Practitioner and AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate. The new question types are ordering questions, matching questions and case study questions. The intent of this change is to assess candidates' practical skills with questions that are closer to real-world situations. The addition of the new question types will not result in significant changes to exams. The total number of exam questions and standard allotted time will remain the same.
Explore question types
New Certification
AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate, which has been available in beta since November of last year, will be available for the standard version starting in April 2024. This certification validates your skills and knowledge of core data-related AWS services, your ability to implement data pipelines, monitor and resolve issues, and optimize cost and performance according to best practices.
Additionally, beta registration for AWS Certified AI Practitioner and AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate will begin on August 13th, 2024. According to study commissioned by AWS, organizations are willing to pay 43% more to hire AI-skilled workers in sales & marketing, 42% more in finance, 41% more in business operations, and 47% more inIT professionals.
Retirement Certifications
Three certifications are retiring this year. AWS Certified Data Analytics will not be available for examination after April 9, 2024, AWS Certified Database - Specialty, and AWS Certified SAP on AWS - Specialty will not be available for examination after April 30, 2024. If you hold these certifications, they are valid for three years from the date you earned them, and you can renew them by retaking them on or before April 8, 2024 and April 29, 2024, respectively.
Tiers of AWS Certification
Foundational AWS Certification
1. Cloud Practitioner (CLF)
Target Candidates
Individuals with a basic understanding of the AWS cloud platform
Individuals with no IT of cloud background transitioning into a cloud career
Exam Overview
Cloud Concepts(24%), Security and Compliance(30%), Cloud Technology and Services(34%), Billing, Pricing and Support(12%)
Cost $100 | 65 questions | 90 minutes
2. AI Practitioner (AIF) : Registration opens on August 13, 2024
Target Candidates
Individuals who are familiar with, but do not necessarily build, solutions using AI/ML technologies on AWS
Exam Overview
Fundamental concepts and terminologies of AI/ML and generative AI, Use cases of AI/ML and generative AI, Design considerations for foundation models, Models Training and Fine tuning, Prompt engineering, Foundation model evaluation criteria, Responsible AI, Security and compliance for AI systems
Cost $75* | 85 questions | 120 minutes
Go to beta registration → AWS Certified AI Practitioner
*Beta exams are offered at a 50% discount from standard exam pricing
Associate AWS Certifications
1. SysOps Administrator (SOA)
Target Candidates
1 year of experience with deployment, management, networking, and security on AWS
Exam Overview
the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate exam will not include exam labs until further more.
Monitoring, Logging, and Remediation(20%) Reliability and Business Continuity(16%) Deployment, Provisioning, and Automation(18%) Security and Compliance(16%) Networking and Content Delivery(18%) Cost and Performance Optimization(12%)
Cost $150 | 65개 questions | 130 minutes
2. Developer (DVA)
Target Candidates
1 + years of hands-on experience in developing and maintaining applications by using AWS services
Exam Overview
Deployment with AWS Services(32%) Security(26%) Deployment(24%) Troubleshooting and Optimization(18%)
Cost $150 | 65 questions | 130 minutes
Targe Candidates
1 + years of hands-on experience designing cloud solutions that use AWS services
Exam Overview
Design Secure Architectures(30%) Design Resilient Architectures(26%) Design High-Performing Architectures(24%) Design Cost-Optimized Architectures(20%)
Cost $150 | 65 questions | 130 minutes
4. Data Engineer (DEA)
Target Candidates
2 + years of experience in data engineering
1 + years of hands-on experience with AWS services
Exam Overview
Demand for data engineer roles increased by 42% year over year per a Dice tech jobs report
Data Ingestion and Transformation(34%) Data Store Management(26%) Data Operations and Support(22%) Data Security and Governance(18%)
Cost $150 | 65 questions | 130 minutes
5. Machine Learning Engineer (MLA) : Registration opens on August 13, 2024
Targe Candidates
Individuals with at least 1 year of experience using Amazon SageMaker and other ML engineering AWS services
Exam Overview
Data preparation for ML models, Feature engineering, Model training, Model performance and metrics, Model integration and deployment, Performance and cost optimization, Security
Cost $75* | 85 questions | 170 minutes
Go to beta registration → AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer
*Beta exams are offered at a 50% discount from standard exam pricing
Professional AWS Certifications
1. Solutions Architect (SAP)
Target Candidates
2 + years of experience in using AWS services to design and implement cloud solutions
Exam Overview
Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity(26%) Design for New Solutions(29%) Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions(25%) Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization(20%)
Cost $300 | 75 questions | 180 minutes
2. DevOps Engineer (DOP)
Target Candidates
2 + years of experience in provisioning, operating, and managing AWS environments
Experience with software development lifecycle and programming and/or scripting
Exam Overview
Job listings requiring this certification have increased by 52% between Oct 2021 and Sept 2022 (source: Lightcast™ September 2022).
SDLC Automation(22%) Configuration Management and IaC(17%) Resilient Cloud Solutions(15%) Monitoring and Logging(15%) Incident and Event Response(14%) Security and Compliance(17%)
Cost $300 | 75 questions | 180 minutes
Specialty AWS Certifications
1. Advanced Networking (ANS)
Target Candidates
5 + years of networking experience with 2 + years of cloud and hybrid networking experience
Exam Overview
Network Design(30%) Network Implementation(26%) Network Management and Operation(20%) Network Security, Compliance, and Governance(24%)
Cost $300 | 65 questions | 170 minutes
2. Machine Learning (MLS)
Target Candidates
2 + years of experience developing, architecting, and running ML or deep learning workloads in the AWS Cloud
Exam Overview
Data Engineering(20%) Exploratory Data Analysis(24%) Modeling(36%) Machine Learning Implementation and Operations(20%)
Cost $300 | 65 questions | 180 minutes
3. Security (SCS)
Target Candidates
2 + years of hands-on experience in securing AWS workloads
3~5 + years of experience in designing and implementing security solutions
Exam Overview
Threat Detection and Incident Response(14%) Security Logging and Monitoring(18%) Infrastructure Security(20%) Identity and Access Management(16%) Data Protection(18%) Management and Security(14%)
Cost $300 | 65 questions | 170 minutes
AWS Certification Paths
*Zoom in on the image to see the AWS Certification Paths.
Above are the top cloud jobs, their responsibilities, and the AWS Certification paths that fit those roles. Choose the job that interests you and start your AWS Certification journey to achieve your career goals!
※ Which AWS Certification should I start with?
New to IT and Cloud
From a non-IT background, switching to a cloud career?
Start with AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner that validates foundational knowledge of AWS Cloud and terminology
Line-of-Business Roles
In sales/marketing or other business roles?
Start with AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner that validates foundational knowledge of AWS Cloud and terminology
IT Professionals
Do you have 1~3 years of IT or STEM background?
Start with An Associate-level AWS Certification that aligns with your role or interests.
5 AWS Certifications expected to be more in demand in 2024
Surveys and job market analysis on platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed show a steady increase in the number of job listings that require AWS certification as a preferred qualification. Based on analysis of IT and cloud computing industry trends, market trends, and demand, the following AWS certifications are expected to be in high demand by 2024.
1. AWS Solutions Architect - Associate
AWS Solutions Architect - Associate is a highly regarded certification that is widely applicable in AWS. Those who hold the SAA have seen their average salary grow from $155,200 to $160,052 in less than a year, demonstrating the growing recognition and value of the certification in the industry.
2. AWS Solutions Architect - Professional
Following the Associate level, the Solutions Architect - Professional certification signifies expertise in complex AWS solutions. Certified professionals report an average salary increase of 27%, further emphasizing the demand, which indicates the industry's high regard for SAP. SAP is highlighted in industry salary surveys like Robert Half or PayScale as correlating to higher earnings and job titles.
3. AWS DevOps Engineer - Professional
Demand for DevOps engineers is expected to increase as organizations are increasingly adopting DevOps practices to increase efficiency and improve the frequency of deployments. They are also in high demand as they become more integrated with cloud infrastructure management.
4. AWS Machine Learning - Specialty
The explosive growth of AI/ML is driving demand for people skilled in designing, implementing, and maintaining AI/ML solutions. However, due to the AI/ML skills gap, many organizations report difficulty hiring experts. As a result, we expect AWS Machine Learning -Specialty to be more popular than ever before.
5. AWS Certified Security - Specialty
According to the Mandiant Cyber Security Forecast 2024, attacks targeting cloud environments will be prevalent this year. In addition, data protection and privacy compliance is becoming increasingly important around the world, including GDPR in Europe and CCPA in California. With the growing need for cloud security skills, the average salary for security professionals with AWS Certified Security - Specialty has increased by about 11% over the past year. (Source: Skillsoft)
Conclusion
The AWS certifications introduced in this article demonstrate cloud expertise. It is good to improve your competitiveness with having the AWS certifications which is the best cloud service provider in the world.
If you're looking to demonstrate your AWS knowledge in the ever-evolving and fast-paced world of cloud technology, then get AWS certifications.
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