Here’s How Long AWS Cloud Practitioner-Certified Professionals Said They’d Studied for the CLF-C01
by Ross Heintzkill | Published on August 31, 2023
For anyone who works in the cloud, the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is a familiar and foundational certification that covers the basics of working in the cloud. Some people argue that every IT pro should start their careers with the AWS Cloud Practitioner, but doing so takes study and preparation.
Earning an IT certification can be daunting – there are always questions about where to start and what you're committing yourself to. To make the journey easier, CBT Nuggets used Twitter, LinkedIn and a Google survey to find out how long it took most IT professionals to earn the AWS Cloud Practitioner.
We asked how long it took to prepare and what people did to shorten the time it took to prepare for the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification. Below, we explain how to take the lessons of our 287 respondents and pass the cert as quickly as possible.
How long did most people need to study for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner?
Half (49.5%) of 287 IT professionals reported that it took them fewer than 6 weeks to prepare for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam. After that, a quarter needed less than 3 months, and the remaining quarter needed more than 3 months – with some needing more than 5 months.
Search online and you'll find conflicting reports about how long it takes to study for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. Some Redditors claim it took them less than 14 days while other websites recommend 6 months as a rule of thumb. So although many people move through their preparations quickly, there's plenty of ways it can take months instead of weeks to prepare for the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam.
Everyone's study path will be different – the amount of experience you already have in the IT field is a huge factor in how long it takes to prepare. But there are ways you can shorten the time it takes you to prepare for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. After all, it's an entry-level certification, and the skills and knowledge are available to anyone who takes the time to find ways to learn them with a clear roadmap and a good plan.
How should you prepare ahead of taking the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam?
The AWS Cloud Practitioner is a dual-purpose certification. It introduces brand-new IT professionals to cloud concepts while also covering the specific and particular ways that the AWS cloud operates. Preparing for the AWS Cloud Practitioner has to include information about cloud technologies generally with opportunities to practice on AWS specifically. You'll need to navigate AWS billing plans and understand how AWS compute, network and database services actually work.
You could be one of the people who prepares for the exam in less than 6 weeks by taking an AWS Cloud Practitioner online course developed to speed you through the material. It sounds obvious, but the fastest way through the AWS Cloud Practitioner is with a study plan that covers everything you need to know and nothing you don't.
Tips to make sure you’re test-ready before AWS Cloud Practitioner exam day:
The AWS Cloud Practitioner cert isn't especially long, hard or expensive. But the first question you should always ask yourself before committing your time and money to a cert is whether or not the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is worth it for you.
People who decide it's right for them are almost always in (or trying to break into) the cloud career field. That means it's not worth it to just memorize some facts about the cloud – you want to actually learn how to do the things that make you a valuable cloud administrator and employee. Make sure you're finding solutions that help you actually apply and use what you're learning, not just pass some test.
Use virtual labs
Imagine if you could step into an AWS cloud environment and confidently make changes, apply new configurations and press buttons you're not sure about – just to see what happens. In a virtual lab, you're able to do exactly that and it's completely safe. Every CBT Nuggets membership includes virtual labs where you learn and practice real skills. Inside those digital sandboxes, you have complete control and can tweak and practice all you like as you prepare for the Certified Cloud Practitioner exam.
Test yourself using practice exams
One of the biggest factors in prep time for IT certifications is not knowing what will be on the exam. Practice exams that come with every CBT Nuggets membership eliminate that uncertainty and drastically reduce how long it takes to prepare for the Certified Cloud Practitioner. Use a CBT Nuggets membership to see what to expect on the real exam, hurry through the sections you're comfortable with, and spend your time on the things you actually need to practice.
Learn from the experts
If you could sit down with an AWS expert and have them walk you through every part of configuring and managing an AWS cloud instance, you'd probably be ready for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner in just a few weeks. CBT Nuggets gives you the next best thing: a CBT Nuggets course is full of short, to-the-point videos delivered by experts in the field who have taken the exams and know what you need to know to succeed. The first video in the Cloud Practitioner series is free – go to the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Online Training course page and see for yourself what it's like to learn from one of the industry's leading cloud experts.
Half of the people who earned it needed less than 6 weeks to prepare for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, while a quarter took more than 3 months. No matter your level of experience, you can be one of the people who finish in less than 6 weeks. Use tools from CBT Nuggets and you'll be ready to take the Cloud Practitioner exam in weeks, not months. And you don't have to stop there: a CBT Nuggets membership gives you access to every course on every certification and subject we've made, so you can keep going and earn any cert you want as fast as you want.