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AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03) Certification Course Details

Certification Overview

Certification Name: AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C03)

Certification Level: Associate

Prerequisites: None (but 1+ years of hands-on experience with AWS recommended)

Exam Duration: 130 minutes

Exam Format: 65 questions (multiple choice and multiple response)

Passing Score: 720/1000

Exam Cost: $150 USD

Validity Period: 3 years

Recertification: Required every 3 years


Exam Domains and Weightings

Domain 1: Design Resilient Architectures (26%)

  • Design a multi-tier architecture solution

    • Load balancing concepts

    • Auto Scaling groups

    • Database replication and read replicas

    • Content delivery networks (CDN)

  • Design highly available and/or fault-tolerant architectures

    • Multi-AZ deployments

    • Cross-region architectures

    • Disaster recovery strategies

    • Health checks and monitoring

  • Design decoupling mechanisms using AWS services

    • SQS (Simple Queue Service)

    • SNS (Simple Notification Service)

    • AWS Step Functions

    • EventBridge

  • Choose appropriate resilient storage

    • EBS volume types and performance

    • S3 storage classes and lifecycle policies

    • EFS vs FSx

    • Database backup strategies

Domain 2: Design High-Performing Architectures (24%)

  • Identify elastic and scalable compute solutions

    • EC2 instance types and families

    • Auto Scaling policies

    • Elastic Load Balancing

    • AWS Lambda and serverless architectures

  • Select high-performing and scalable storage solutions

    • EBS optimization and IOPS

    • S3 performance optimization

    • CloudFront distribution strategies

    • Database performance tuning

  • Select high-performing networking solutions

    • VPC design and subnetting

    • Route tables and NAT gateways

    • Direct Connect and VPN

    • Enhanced networking features

  • Choose high-performing database solutions

    • RDS engine selection

    • DynamoDB design patterns

    • ElastiCache implementation

    • Database sharding strategies

Domain 3: Design Secure Architectures (30%)

  • Design secure access to AWS resources

    • IAM users, groups, roles, and policies

    • Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

    • AWS Organizations and SCPs

    • Cross-account access patterns

  • Design secure application tiers

    • Security groups and NACLs

    • WAF (Web Application Firewall)

    • API Gateway security

    • Application-level security

  • Select appropriate data security options

    • Encryption at rest and in transit

    • KMS key management

    • S3 bucket policies and ACLs

    • Database encryption options

Domain 4: Design Cost-Optimized Architectures (20%)

  • Identify cost-effective storage solutions

    • S3 storage class analysis

    • EBS volume optimization

    • Data lifecycle management

    • Archive strategies

  • Identify cost-effective compute and database services

    • EC2 pricing models (On-Demand, Reserved, Spot)

    • RDS cost optimization

    • Serverless cost considerations

    • Right-sizing strategies

  • Design cost-optimized network architectures

    • Data transfer costs

    • CloudFront cost optimization

    • VPC endpoint usage

    • Regional considerations

Core AWS Services to Master

Compute Services

  • Amazon EC2

    • Instance types and families

    • AMIs and launch templates

    • Auto Scaling groups

    • Elastic Load Balancing (ALB, NLB, CLB)

    • Placement groups

  • AWS Lambda

    • Serverless architectures

    • Event sources and triggers

    • Function configuration and optimization

    • Integration with other services

  • Amazon ECS/EKS

    • Container orchestration basics

    • Task definitions and services

    • Fargate vs EC2 launch types

Storage Services

  • Amazon S3

    • Storage classes (Standard, IA, Glacier, Deep Archive)

    • Bucket policies and ACLs

    • Lifecycle management

    • Cross-region replication

    • Transfer acceleration

  • Amazon EBS

    • Volume types (gp2, gp3, io1, io2, st1, sc1)

    • Snapshots and encryption

    • Performance optimization

  • Amazon EFS

    • File system modes

    • Performance and throughput modes

    • Mount targets and security

Database Services

  • Amazon RDS

    • Engine options (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, SQL Server)

    • Multi-AZ deployments

    • Read replicas

    • Backup and recovery

    • Parameter groups

  • Amazon DynamoDB

    • Table design and partition keys

    • Global secondary indexes

    • DynamoDB Streams

    • Auto Scaling and on-demand billing

  • Amazon ElastiCache

    • Redis vs Memcached

    • Cluster configurations

    • Security and backup

Networking Services

  • Amazon VPC

    • CIDR blocks and subnetting

    • Internet and NAT gateways

    • Route tables and routing

    • VPC peering and Transit Gateway

    • VPC endpoints

  • Amazon CloudFront

    • Distribution configuration

    • Origin types and behaviors

    • Caching strategies

    • SSL/TLS termination

  • AWS Direct Connect

    • Virtual interfaces

    • BGP routing

    • Hybrid connectivity

Security Services

  • AWS IAM

    • Users, groups, and roles

    • Policy types and evaluation

    • Cross-account access

    • Identity providers and federation

  • AWS KMS

    • Customer managed keys

    • Key policies and grants

    • Envelope encryption

    • Integration with other services

  • AWS WAF & Shield

    • Rule groups and conditions

    • DDoS protection

    • Rate limiting

Management and Monitoring

  • Amazon CloudWatch

    • Metrics and alarms

    • Logs and log groups

    • Events and EventBridge

    • Dashboards

  • AWS CloudTrail

    • API logging and auditing

    • Log file integrity

    • Multi-region trails

  • AWS Config

    • Configuration compliance

    • Rules and remediation

    • Relationship tracking

Study Approach and Timeline

Recommended Study Duration

  • Beginners: 3-4 months (15-20 hours/week)

  • Experienced: 2-3 months (10-15 hours/week)

  • Advanced: 1-2 months (8-12 hours/week)

Study Phases

Phase 1: Foundation Building (3-4 weeks)

  • AWS fundamentals and core concepts

  • Account setup and basic navigation

  • Understanding the AWS shared responsibility model

  • Basic networking and security concepts

Phase 2: Core Services Deep Dive (4-6 weeks)

  • Compute services (EC2, Lambda, ECS)

  • Storage services (S3, EBS, EFS)

  • Database services (RDS, DynamoDB)

  • Networking (VPC, CloudFront, Route 53)

Phase 3: Advanced Topics (3-4 weeks)

  • Security and compliance

  • Monitoring and logging

  • Cost optimization strategies

  • Well-Architected Framework principles

Phase 4: Practice and Review (2-3 weeks)

  • Practice exams and question banks

  • Hands-on labs and real-world scenarios

  • Weak area reinforcement

  • Final review and exam scheduling

Recommended Learning Resources

Official AWS Resources

  • AWS Training and Certification Portal

  • AWS Well-Architected Framework

  • AWS Architecture Center

  • AWS Documentation

  • AWS Whitepapers and FAQs

Popular Training Providers

  • A Cloud Guru (Pluralsight)

  • Linux Academy (Pluralsight)

  • Udemy (Stephane Maarek, Ryan Kroonenburg)

  • Cloud Academy

  • Whizlabs

  • AWS Training (Instructor-led and digital)

Practice Resources

  • AWS Practice Exams

  • Whizlabs Practice Tests

  • MeasureUp Practice Exams

  • Tutorials Dojo Practice Tests

  • ExamPro Practice Exams

Hands-on Practice

  • AWS Free Tier Account

  • AWS Workshops

  • qwiklabs

  • AWS Hands-on Tutorials

  • GitHub AWS Labs

Key Study Tips

Hands-on Experience

  • Set up AWS Free Tier account immediately

  • Build real projects using learned concepts

  • Practice with AWS CLI and CloudFormation

  • Experiment with different service configurations

  • Document your learning journey

Theoretical Knowledge

  • Understand the "why" behind service selections

  • Learn service limits and constraints

  • Study integration patterns between services

  • Focus on trade-offs and decision factors

  • Master the Well-Architected Framework pillars

Exam Preparation Strategy

  • Take multiple practice exams

  • Review AWS FAQs for key services

  • Focus on scenario-based questions

  • Time management practice

  • Understand elimination techniques for multiple choice

Well-Architected Framework Pillars

1. Operational Excellence

  • Design principles for operations

  • CloudFormation and infrastructure as code

  • Monitoring and logging strategies

  • Incident response procedures

2. Security

  • Identity and access management

  • Detective controls and monitoring

  • Infrastructure protection

  • Data protection strategies

3. Reliability

  • Fault tolerance and recovery

  • Change management processes

  • Capacity planning

  • Monitoring and alerting

4. Performance Efficiency

  • Resource selection and optimization

  • Monitoring and measurement

  • Trade-off analysis

  • Continuous improvement

5. Cost Optimization

  • Cost-effective resource utilization

  • Matching supply with demand

  • Expenditure awareness

  • Optimizing over time

6. Sustainability

  • Environmental impact awareness

  • Resource efficiency

  • Demand management

  • Long-term sustainability practices

Common Exam Scenarios

Architecture Design Questions

  • Three-tier web application deployment

  • Disaster recovery planning

  • Migration from on-premises to cloud

  • Hybrid cloud connectivity

  • Microservices architecture patterns

Service Selection Questions

  • Database engine selection criteria

  • Storage class recommendations

  • Compute service comparisons

  • Networking solution optimization

  • Security service implementation

Cost Optimization Scenarios

  • Reserved Instance planning

  • Storage lifecycle management

  • Auto Scaling configuration

  • Data transfer cost reduction

  • Resource right-sizing

Lab Exercises and Projects

Essential Hands-on Labs

  1. Multi-tier Web Application

    • Deploy web servers with Auto Scaling

    • Configure Application Load Balancer

    • Set up RDS database with Multi-AZ

    • Implement CloudFront distribution

  2. Serverless Architecture

    • Create Lambda functions

    • Configure API Gateway

    • Set up DynamoDB tables

    • Implement S3 event triggers

  3. Disaster Recovery Setup

    • Configure cross-region replication

    • Set up automated backups

    • Test failover procedures

    • Document RTO/RPO requirements

  4. Security Implementation

    • Configure IAM roles and policies

    • Set up VPC with public/private subnets

    • Implement security groups and NACLs

    • Enable CloudTrail and Config

  5. Cost Optimization Project

    • Analyze current resource usage

    • Implement lifecycle policies

    • Configure Reserved Instances

    • Set up billing alerts

Final Preparation Checklist

2 Weeks Before Exam

  •  Complete all practice exams with 80%+ scores

  •  Review all weak areas identified in practice tests

  •  Re-read AWS FAQs for core services

  •  Complete final hands-on lab exercises

  •  Schedule exam appointment

1 Week Before Exam

  •  Take final practice exam

  •  Review AWS service limits and constraints

  •  Study exam-specific scenarios and use cases

  •  Prepare required identification documents

  •  Confirm exam location and requirements

Day Before Exam

  •  Light review of key concepts only

  •  Ensure good rest and preparation

  •  Confirm exam logistics

  •  Prepare mentally for exam day

Post-Certification Path

Immediate Next Steps

  • Update LinkedIn and resume

  • Join AWS certification communities

  • Start working on real-world projects

  • Consider specialization paths

Advanced Certifications

  • AWS Solutions Architect Professional

  • AWS Security Specialty

  • AWS Advanced Networking Specialty

  • AWS DevOps Engineer Professional

Career Development

  • Solutions Architect roles

  • Cloud Infrastructure Engineer positions

  • Technical consulting opportunities

  • Cloud migration project leadership

Success Metrics

Knowledge Validation

  • Ability to design scalable architectures

  • Understanding of cost optimization strategies

  • Proficiency in security best practices

  • Competency in performance optimization

Practical Skills

  • Hands-on experience with core services

  • Troubleshooting common issues

  • Implementing best practices

  • Making informed architectural decisions


This comprehensive guide provides a structured approach to preparing for the AWS Solutions Architect Associate certification, covering all essential topics, study strategies, and practical recommendations for success.

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