Ever wondered if practical knowledge is crucial for passing certification exams? Or if the AWS Developer Associate exam is hard or easy to crack? Here’s my story!

After 3 months of dedicated preparation, diving into every important topic, I started with AWS SkillBuilder, the official AWS study portal. While SkillBuilder offers a comprehensive syllabus and sample exams, the limited number of full-length practice tests can be a drawback. Re-taking these exams might lead you to memorize answers rather than truly understand the material.

To keep my preparation exciting and effective, I invested in Udemy's practice exam course for the DVA-02, which includes six challenging practice exams. Trust me, these are tougher than the actual exam! If you can pass the Udemy tests, your chances of acing the real DVA-02 exam are high.

Choosing to take the exam online added another layer of adventure. On exam day, my internet connection slowed down, and I faced a 15-minute struggle to start the Pearson Vue app. Once connected, I had to wait in a queue for another 15 minutes, unable to move away from the webcam. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse, my internet issues pushed me into another 15-minute queue!

Finally, the exam began, and the questions seemed harder than anticipated. I used a strategy of skipping long or unfamiliar questions, focusing on the ones I was confident about. This approach allowed me to tackle the last question within 50 minutes, having skipped 33 questions initially. I marked the unsure ones for review and managed to answer everything within the time limit.

But the thrill didn’t end there. Unlike the usual instant results, my screen displayed a message saying my results would be available in 5 working days. Imagine the suspense! Thankfully, the same evening, I received an email announcing that I had passed the exam.

My key takeaway? The more practical experience you gain, the better you learn and can relate to the questions. The exam questions are more tricky than tough, so thorough preparation is essential.

Thinking about taking the AWS Developer Associate exam? Comment below if you’d like me to write another post on exam preparation tips.

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