Illustrations of AWS Data Analytics Specialty: Certification Exam Tips

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Illustrations of AWS Data Analytics Specialty
Certification Exam Tips
I posted about the AWS Machine Learning Specialty
certification and my experience with it last
year. Along with updating my existing
credentials, I opted to pursue the AWS Security
Specialty and AWS Data Analytics Specialty
certifications this year. After completing the
latter successfully, I wanted to share my
experience and some advice with others through
this blog post.
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RESOURCES FOR STUDY For preparation, I used the
PassYourCert Course. It's helpful, but I'm afraid
it's insufficient. For one thing, it's a little
fragmented due to two separate teachers, and it
doesn't cover newer services like LakeFormation.
I had to supplement it by viewing many AWS videos
on YouTube. To reinforce these subjects, look
for TechTalks and reinvent/summit videos - even
if they are a little old - on the AWS Events
channel on YouTube Kinesis, Glue, Athena,
LakeFormation, RedShift, EMR, QuickSight. I've
included some links below. EXAM PREPARATION Make
sure you are knowledgeable about the following
topics Training materials (PassYourCert, for
example) are little unorganised and lack
information on current services. For the exam,
make sure you understand Lake Formation and
permissions well. AWS AppFlow and AWS Data
Exchange appeared on the test be sure you
understand what they accomplish. FILE FORMAT
(Parquet/columnar), COMPRESSION (Gzip/snappy),
and PARTITIONING are all heavily emphasised. How
this affects Athena performance, RedShift COPY,
and so forth. Kinesis seemed to take up half of
the exam - I knew it inside and out. Even things
that a certain Kinesis cannot perform
(anti-patterns, constraints, and unsupported
integrations). QuickSight Enterprise vs.
Standard, integrations / identity federation, and
dataset updating There are several areas where
you may apply ML insights with minimal or little
knowledge - Glue, QuickSight,... Various methods
for enhancing streaming data (reference tables in
S3, DynamoDB), Masking PII Encryption, Resizing,
and High Availability (EMR, RedShift) QMR,
RedShift WLM
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IoT, DynamoDB, Data Pipelines, DMS!, DataSync,
Snow Family, Direct Connect, VPC End Points,
Redshift RA3 nodes have very limited or no
coverage. For preparation, I used the
PassYourCert Course. It's helpful, but I'm afraid
it's insufficient. For one thing, it's a little
fragmented due to two separate teachers, and it
doesn't cover newer services like LakeFormation.
I had to supplement it by viewing many AWS videos
on YouTube.
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Look for TechTalks and reinvent/summit videos on
the AWS Events channel on YouTube to emphasize
these concepts Some links are provided below
for Kinesis, Glue, Athena, LakeFormation,
RedShift, EMR, and QuickSight. While viewing the
YouTube videos, I created several OneNote notes,
although they are primarily simply screenshots
for evaluation. (YouTube links are provided
below.) Other than that, I used hand-written
index cards to assist reinforce the study content
as I went along. Creating your own notes is
excellent. PRACTICE EXAMS I have AWS data
analytics specialty sample questions by
PassYourCert. Even though I have some doubts
about some of the information, it is absolutely
worth purchasing. It will provide you with the
finest overall exam experience. Their website is
not very appealing, but the content of the exam
is accurate. EXAMINATION EXPERIENCE If you have
already taken an AWS certification test, the
experience will be very similar. Soon after the
pandemic began, AWS collaborated with the test
providers (Person Vue and PSI) to make the
examinations available to test takers all around
the world via online remote proctoring mode.
Since then, I've used this method entirely to
take all of my certification examinations. Initia
lly, there were several instances of test-takers
experiencing technological and procedural
challenges, which caused everyone some worry.
However, I was fortunate not to have encountered
any of these concerns during my journey. To
appear for a professional or specialty
certification test, you must have additional
stamina, preparation, and planning. Remote
proctoring, unlike in-person testing, does not
enable you to take a break from the screen or
even get up from your seat for a stretch. This is
unquestionably more demanding on your mind and
body. The added 30 minutes for ESL test
accommodations extends the already lengthy
specialty/professional certification exam. But
the health and safety benefits of staying at
home, as well as the simple simplicity of
scheduling a test even at midnight and then
taking it with no travel, regardless of weather,
traffic, or parking, all add up to a major win in
my eyes.
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A personal laptop (not given by your company and
hence subject to numerous VPN, Firewall, and
other limitations) is required. It is strongly
advised to test and configure this system a few
days before your actual test. Getting a good
night's sleep the night before, as well as being
hydrated and fed, will all help you focus on the
exam.