How and Why I Passed the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam (CLF-C02)

In the past, I worked with AWS Cloud while participating in several projects over the years. However, in the last two years, my focus shifted to alternative cloud providers.

I wanted to refresh my knowledge of AWS, so I decided to take the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) exam.

Surprisingly, I gained valuable insights while preparing for this certification. My previous experience with AWS was primarily hands-on as a developer, so I lacked a bit of “meta” overview of the platform. Additionally, I hadn’t used some AWS services before because they weren’t relevant to my previous projects. This preparation was an excellent opportunity to fill those gaps.

I focused on understanding fundamental topics during my preparation, which greatly enhanced my grasp of AWS:

1. Six Advantages of Cloud Computing

These advantages provide the foundation of why businesses adopt cloud computing:

• Trade fixed expense for variable expense
• Benefit from massive economies of scale
• Stop guessing capacity
• Increase speed and agility
• Stop spending money on running and maintaining data centers
• Go global in minutes

Source: AWS Documentation on Cloud Computing Advantages

2. AWS Well-Architected Framework (6 Pillars)

The framework emphasizes designing secure, high-performing, resilient, and efficient infrastructure for cloud applications:

• Operational Excellence
• Security
• Reliability
• Performance Efficiency
• Cost Optimization
• Sustainability

Source: AWS Well-Architected Framework

3. AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (AWS CAF)

AWS CAF helps design and implement their cloud strategies effectively, focusing on these perspectives:

• Business
• People
• Governance
• Platform
• Security
• Operations

Source: AWS Cloud Adoption Framework

I highly recommend diving into these sources to read and familiarize yourself with the description of each term.

My Study Resources

I used the following resources to prepare for the exam:

1. AWS Skill Builder

I completed the following courses:

• AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials
• Getting Started with AWS Cloud Essentials
• Exam Prep Official Question Set: AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02 — English)

2. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 Course by Maximilian Schwarzmüller

This course covered the main AWS services in modules, each followed by a short test to reinforce learning. I appreciated how well Max explained the concepts, and the course included a final exam simulation that closely resembled the actual test.

3. AWS Cloud Practitioner Prep from App Store

The app offered practice questions across four categories:

• Cloud Concepts
• Security & Compliance
• Cloud Technology & Services
• Billing, Pricing & Support

The questions were similar to those on the real exam, making it a valuable tool for exam preparation.

Final Thoughts

I recommend the resources I used, as they provided both theoretical knowledge and practical insights.