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Companies have begun to switch their workloads over to the public cloud. As this trend continues, cloud computing experience is becoming a necessity for many workers. That means you need to have a new set of skills to design, deploy and manage applications.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) currently offers 11 different certificates that cover both basic and niche cloud computing topics. Finding an AWS certification course online can be one way to gain the skills and excel at your job.
Quick Look: Best AWS Certification Courses
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner 2020 by Udemy
- Introduction to AWS for Non-Engineers: 1 Cloud Concepts by LinkedIn Learning
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect by Udemy
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate: 5 Identity and Access Management by LinkedIn Learning
- AWS Certified Security Specialty 2019 by Udemy
- Certified Developer — Associate Certification Preparation for AWS
- Cert Prep: AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Professional by Linkedin Learning
- AWS Certified Big Data Specialty 2020 by Udemy
- AWS Certified DevOps Engineer — Professional Level by Linux Academy
What Makes an AWS Certification Course Great?
Many employers don’t have an efficient way to test AWS skills in job interviews, but if you have an AWS certificate on your resume, it’s a clear sign to your potential employer that you’ve gained the necessary cloud computing skills to help you increase your credibility. Here are some things you should consider as you look for the best AWS certification course. Contains Recent Information
The features and services offered by AWS change rapidly from year to year. In Q4 of 2017, AWS introduced 497 new features and services. If the course is a few years old, guess what? It’s already out of date. Before you sign up for a certification course, make sure the material is updated at least once per year.
Knowledgeable Instructor
Who is the instructor? What experience does your instructor have? Where has the instructor worked and how did he or she use AWS skills? Is the instructor still working and learning? Research your instructor’s background and read student reviews before you choose your AWS certification course.
Prepares You for the Certification Exam
Taking an online AWS certification course won’t look as good as taking an exam and passing. Check the course to ensure that it’ll prepare you for the certificate you want to take, contains practice questions and teaches you the necessary material.
The Best Online AWS Certification Courses
There are many online AWS certification courses out there — but you need to ensure that you pick one from a reputable source to make sure the lessons are accurate and recent. Benzinga has selected some of the best online AWS certifications from the following platforms:
- Udemy
- LinkedIn Learning
- Cloud Academy
- Linux Learning
As you go through the list, you’ll see that these courses are sorted by price and skill level. Look for the certificate you want to prepare for and that will help you understand which course is right for you. We’ve split the best AWS certificate courses into 3 categories: best AWS certification courses for beginners, intermediate and advanced learners.
Best AWS Certification Course for Beginners
These courses provide a basic understanding of AWS. If you need to prepare for a foundational AWS certificate, it will likely be found here.
1. AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner 2020 by Udemy
- Who it’s for: Beginners with no previous experience
- Price: $29.99
It’s clear why this course is Udemy’s top choice — it’s got 4.4 stars. It was last updated in November of 2019 and provides you with an extensive overview of what the AWS Cloud is. It also fully prepares you for the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification exam.
The course contains clear videos and more than 170 practice tests to help you understand the material. There is also an instructor Q&A section available.
2. Introduction to AWS for Non-Engineers: 1 Cloud Concepts by LinkedIn Learning
- Who it’s for: Beginners who want a simple introduction to AWS
- Price: $29.99
Aren’t sure whether AWS is right for you? This is a good course to discover more about it. Brought to you by LinkedIn Learning, the course dives into cloud computing, different models and deployments and the basics of AWS.
Taught by Hiroko Nishimura, author of Intro to AWS for Newbies, gives the information in a clear way that helps to bridge the gap between nonengineers and the cloud. It also contains a helpful module that dives deeper into the different certifications so you can learn more about which is right for you and your career goals.
3. AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate 2020 by Udemy
- Who it’s for: Beginners who want to pass the AWS Solutions Architect — Associate exam
- Price: $179.99
This course is a bestseller from Udemy and packs tons of information into 13 hours of video. Throughout the course, you will learn all the information necessary to pass the AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate 2020 exam.
As you become more familiar with the platform, you’ll be able to design scalable websites on AWS. The course, which was updated in November of 2019, prepares you for both the 2019 and 2020 exam. The course will continue to be updated for free next year so you can still rely on it as a resource.
Best Intermediate AWS Certification Courses
The intermediate-level courses are for learners with a strong AWS foundation. They might want to gain more in-depth knowledge of AWS in general or dive into a niche certification.
1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate: 5 Identity and Access Management by Linkedin Learning
- Who it’s for: Intermediate learners
- Price: Included with membership
Released in mid-August of 2019, this course by LinkedIn Learning helps prepare its students for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate exam. The course is part of a series so you might benefit from taking a few more in the series to fully prepare for the exam.
You’ll have access to 2 hours of videos and 2 chapter quizzes. You’ll learn more about authentication and authorization policies, permissions, multi-factor authentication and IAM best practices.
2. AWS Certified Security Specialty 2019 by Udemy
- Who it’s for: Intermediate learners
- Price: $34.99
Another bestseller course from Udemy, the AWS Certified Security Specialty 2019 course teaches you everything you need to know to pass the exam and gain your certification. You’ll learn about the enterprise-grade security implementation and master the security aspect of AWS. You’ll also gain insight into how to detect attacks and protect the AWS infrastructure.
The course, updated in November 2019, offers quizzes, resources and real-world scenarios to help you prepare properly for the exam.
3. Certified Developer — Associate Certification Preparation for AWS by Cloud Academy
- Who it’s for: Intermediate learners
- Price: $798 per user per year
Cloud Academy’s course is one of the most time-intensive courses on the list. By the end of the course, you’ll be fully prepared to take the Certified Developer — Associate exam and gain your certificate.
You’ll learn about DevOps with AWS as well as key services, methodologies and techniques like CI/CD and optimizing applications at scale. The class gives you the knowledge to learn how to write code that optimizes your AWS performance.
Best Advanced AWS Certification Courses
These courses are likely a better fit for those who want to learn about niche and advanced certificates. You’ll want to have a strong understanding and experience with AWS.
1. Cert Prep: AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Professional by Linkedin Learning
- Who it’s for: Advanced learners
- Price: $34.99
Do you already have your AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate certificate? If you want to advance your knowledge of design and deploy cloud architecture on AWS, then this course is likely a good fit. During the hour-long course, you’ll learn about how to prepare for the exam and also gain insight into concepts like data security. The instructor also shares resources to help you study for the exam.
2. AWS Certified Big Data Specialty 2020 by Udemy
- Who it’s for: Advanced learners
- Price: $199.99
This course, last updated this month, is yet another bestseller from Udemy. You should already have associate-level certificates before attempting to take the extremely challenging, advanced AWS Big Data exam.
You’ll be properly prepared for the AWS Certified Big Data exam. It teaches you how to store data with DynamoDB and S3 in the most efficient and secure way, how to use the Hadoop ecosystem with AWS and how to process big data.
3. AWS Certified DevOps Engineer — Professional Level by Linux Academy
- Who’s it for: Advanced learners
- Price: $450 per year
To be able to handle this course and exam, you should already have mastered the associate-level certificates. You’ll gain insight into how to provision, operate and manage distributed application systems on the AWS.
Over the 31-hour course, you’ll also learn about using IAM Roles with EC2, auto-scaling, ELB logging, using kinesis to process log data and much more. You also get access to 10 quizzes and 16 hands-on labs that help you prepare for the exam.
The course was updated to reflect the 2019 exam and will soon update lessons to reflect the material in the 2020 exam.
Pursue the Best AWS Certification Course for You
AWS features and services evolve each year. Once you take the courses and get certified, it’s a good idea to keep your knowledge current. You can do so by reading AWS blog posts, news releases and other information. Testing your skills and getting hands-on practice through experimentation is a must.
You’ll be required to recertify every two years if you want to demonstrate your continued knowledge and expertise of the most up-to-date AWS services. Online AWS Certification courses can be an efficient way to get updated on the latest AWS trends. Interested in learning more about Amazon? Check out our Best Amazon FBA Seller Courses page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the benefit of having AWS certifications?
It shows high levels of experience on the platform and specific skill sets.
What is the advantage of AWS certifications?
AWS certifications show that you know the basics of the platform.
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