Clearing the AWS Certified AI Practitioner Exam on My First Attempt
When I first thought about taking the AWS Certified AI Practitioner exam, I felt both excited and a bit nervous. AWS certifications are well-known and respected, especially in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). My goal was to pass this tough exam on my first attempt. I’m happy to share my experience with you, along with the tips and resources that helped me succeed.
Why I Decided to Take the Exam
I already had experience with AI and machine learning tools. However, I wanted to see how these skills could be used within AWS services. I also wanted to deepen my knowledge of AI, machine learning, and cloud computing on a global platform. Getting this certification seemed like a great way to open up more career opportunities and prove my skills in a fast-growing field.
Understanding the Exam Details
Before I started studying, I made sure to understand what the exam would be like:
- Level: Foundational
- Duration: 120 minutes
- Format: 85 questions (some that count towards your score and some that don’t)
- Cost: $75 (since it’s a beta version)
- Testing Options: At a Pearson VUE center or online with a proctor
- Languages Available: English and Japanese (with more languages coming in late 2024)
Knowing these details helped me prepare better. The exam focuses on areas like AWS AI services, the steps in machine learning, how to deploy models, and the ethical issues around AI.
How I Prepared for the Exam
1. Learning What the Exam Covers
I started by reading the AWS Certified AI Practitioner exam guide carefully. This helped me know exactly what topics I needed to study. The exam tests your ability to:
- Understand AI, machine learning, and related concepts both generally and within AWS.
- Use AI and machine learning tools appropriately in a business setting.
- Choose the right AI or machine learning technologies for different problems.
- Use AI and machine learning responsibly.
2. Using AWS Training Resources
AWS Skill Builder: This was a key resource for me. It offers training modules and a practice test, which helped me see how ready I was. The hands-on labs let me work with services like Amazon Rekognition and SageMaker, giving me practical experience.
3. Taking Courses on Udemy
I enrolled in two courses on Udemy:
Course 1: This course helped me understand AI concepts and how AWS services relate to them.
https://www.udemy.com/course/aws-ai-practitioner-certified/
Course 2: This course provided lots of practice questions similar to those on the exam.
https://www.udemy.com/course/practice-exams-aws-certified-ai-practitioner
These courses were organized and kept me focused, which was more helpful than trying to study from unstructured materials.
4. Practicing a Lot
I took many practice exams. I made sure I was consistently scoring at least 80% before I felt confident enough to take the real exam. This practice helped me identify areas where I needed more study and built up my confidence.
5. What Didn’t Work for Me
- AWS Official Training: Surprisingly, I found that the official training didn’t go deep enough into the topics. AWS has many services, and understanding the differences between them is important. The official materials didn’t explain these differences well.
- YouTube Videos: While there’s a lot of information available, I found it too scattered and unorganized. Without a clear plan, it was easy to get overwhelmed or miss important topics.
On the Day of the Exam
On exam day, I made sure to:
- Choose a Good Time: I scheduled the exam for the morning when I feel most alert.
- Stay Relaxed: I got a good night’s sleep and tried to stay calm.
- Use a Strategy: I answered all the questions I knew first and marked the harder ones to review later. Since there’s no penalty for wrong answers, I made sure to answer every question.
Tips for Passing the Exam
- Have a Clear Study Plan: Consistency is important.
- Understand AWS Services: Know the differences between them.
- Practice a Lot: The more you practice, the better you’ll do.
What’s Next for Me
Now that I’ve passed this exam, I’m planning to take the AWS ML Engineer Associate certification soon. I’m excited to keep learning and hope to pass that exam on my first try as well!
