iTranslated by AI

The content below is an AI-generated translation. This is an experimental feature, and may contain errors. View original article
✏️

How I Earned AP and AWS SAP Certifications Within My First Two Years as a New Grad

に公開
AWS 認定試験
応用情報技術者試験
資格取得
awssap
idea

It's nothing major, but I have obtained several certifications starting from when I was a new graduate with no IT experience up until my second year, so I would like to document my study methods. I hope this serves as even a small reference for those in a similar situation.

Profile

  • Joined an SIer as a new graduate. My university major was law-related, and I was completely unrelated to IT.
  • Currently involved in large-scale projects as a cloud engineer.
  • I mainly handle AWS, Terraform, and some on-premises (network equipment) in my work.

Qualifications Acquired (In order of exam date)

Certification Name Exam Date Personal Difficulty
Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination May 2024 ★★☆☆☆
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner August 2024 ★☆☆☆☆
Applied Information Technology Engineer Examination October 2024 ★★★★☆
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate November 2024 ★★★☆☆
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional September 2025 ★★★★☆

Study Methods

Fundamental Information Technology Engineer Examination

Materials Used

Morning Exam Preparation

  • Since I had no IT experience, I mainly used materials that were easy to read.
    In particular, "Only what appears! Fundamental Information Technology Engineer" has many diagrams and is easy for beginners to understand.
    I skimmed through it about three times. (1–2 times is sufficient for those who learn efficiently.)

  • After that, I just focused on solving problems on Past Question Dojo. I went through about 2–3 rounds of the past 5 years' questions.

Afternoon Exam Preparation

  • I went through "Only what appears! Fundamental Information Technology Engineer [Subject B]" twice.
    The explanations are thorough, and the structure is easy to understand even for beginners.

  • After that, it's all about getting used to the format by solving past questions.
    If your only goal is to obtain the certification, there is no need to actually practice programming (as it takes too much time).

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

Materials Used

Learning Method

  • First, I went through the textbook once. It has many illustrations and is structured to be easy to understand even for those without experience.

  • Afterward, I solved the AWS official free question set.
    For questions I got wrong, I read the explanations and briefly checked the related services in the official documentation.

  • CLF is more about memorization and is an ideal exam for grasping the overall picture of AWS.
    Just knowing the service names in your first year is quite helpful.

Applied Information Technology Engineer Examination

Materials Used

Morning Exam Preparation

  • No textbooks are needed for the morning exam. Since it covers almost the same content as the Fundamental IT Engineer morning exam, Past Question Dojo is sufficient.

  • Go through the past 5 years' questions about 2–3 times. It's enough to just read the explanations for the questions you got wrong.

  • The morning exam for Applied IT is about "whether you know it or not," so memorizing patterns is most efficient.

Afternoon Exam Preparation

  • Textbooks are essential for the afternoon exam. The amount of text is large, and the way questions are asked is unique.

  • Use "Intensive Measures for Afternoon Questions" to get a handle on how to read the problems before moving on to past questions.

  • The afternoon exam is a matter of familiarity, so it's efficient to solidify your foundation with textbooks before cycling through past questions.

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate

Materials Used

Learning Method

  • Since the difficulty of SAA increases significantly compared to CLF, I first solidified my foundation using textbooks.

  • In particular, I made sure to thoroughly understand VPC / EC2 / S3 / RDS / IAM.

  • For services I hadn't touched in my work, I supplemented my knowledge with hands-on labs.
    (You can skip this if your only goal is to pass the exam.)

  • I took the official practice exam right before the actual test to check my time management. My impression is that if you can score 60-70%, you can compete in the real exam.

  • SAA is an exam where you choose "which service should be used."
    Concepts of high availability, fault tolerance, and cost optimization appear frequently.

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional

Materials Used

Learning Method

  • SAP has a broader range of knowledge than SAA and is more practical, covering areas like requirement organization, migration strategies, and cost optimization.

  • The textbooks are often harder than the actual exam, so don't worry if you struggle with them.

  • I repeatedly solved the end-of-chapter questions and focused on reviewing migration systems, availability design, cost optimization, and multi-account strategies.

  • I got used to the exam format with the official practice exam right before the test.

  • SAP is an exam for "interpreting requirements and choosing the optimal configuration."
    Understanding combinations and trade-offs is more important than knowing individual services.

Conclusion

  • In the two years since joining the company with no IT experience, I have gradually built up my knowledge through studying for certifications. Looking back, I feel it was truly a "stacking of small steps."

  • Even if the certification itself isn't the goal, the knowledge and thinking processes gained during the learning process are definitely useful in work and lead to confidence.

  • For those who are worried, thinking, "I have no experience, will I be okay?", I recommend starting with a certification that is easy to obtain.
    Once you pass one, you'll naturally reach for the next one, and before you know it, you'll have moved forward much further than you imagined.

I hope this is helpful, even if only a little.
Thank you for reading this far.

Discussion