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Hi everyone, So, how difficultis the SysOps Admin Associate exam really?From what I’ve seen, this exam isvery hands-on. It’s not just multiple-choice; you also need to complete labsin the AWS console, which can take time if you’re not quick with theservices. It covers a wide range of areas, like:
- Monitoring and troubleshooting (CloudWatch, logs, alarms)
- High availability and recovery
- Deployment and automation (CloudFormation, Auto Scaling)
- Security and IAM
- Networking (VPC, Route 53, CloudFront)
- Cost and performance optimization
That’s why it can feel overwhelmingif you don’t already use AWS in your job. Some people say it’s best to take the SolutionsArchitect Associate or Developer Associate first to get the basicsdown. Others suggest diving right in if you’ve already been working with AWSdaily. What do you all think? Is it worthgetting, even if you’re not a sysadmin by role? Reply1:
I took the SOA-C02 earlier this year. Honestly, it was harder than theSolutions Architect Associate. The labs were the trickiest part since you actually have to perform tasks in the console. What helped memost:
- SkillCertExams practice questions → These were very close to the real thing, especially for scenario-based problems.
- Tutorials Dojo (Jon Bonso tests) → Good for drilling weaker areas.
- AWS free labs / Skill Builder → Helped me get faster in the console.
If you practice enough, the exam istotally manageable. Reply2:
I skipped SysOps at first because I thought it wasn’t relevant to me, buthonestly, it’s a great differentiator. Many people hold SAA-C03, but fewer hold SOA-C02, making it appear stronger on a resume. Also, there’s a ton of overlapbetween associate exams. If you’ve already studied for Architect or Developer,then adding SysOps isn’t a huge leap — especially if you use resources like SkillCertExamsto test yourself under exam-style pressure.
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