Top 5 Courses to Prepare for the AWS Certified Developer - Associate Certification
Imagine this: You're working on an AWS project, knee-deep in code, when you hit a roadblock. Every solution you try seems to lead nowhere. Frustration sets in, and you start surfing the internet for answers. Countless forums and articles later, you realize that mastering AWS cloud-based application development, testing, deployment, and debugging is crucial to overcoming these challenges. Without this deep understanding, advancing in your career seems like a distant dream.
Your progress is stalled, and the only way forward is mastering the intricacies of AWS cloud-based development.
That's the moment you decide it's time to dive deeper into AWS. But where to begin?
Self-Study with your own plan and resources: The First Choice
Your first thought might be to self-study. It seems like the most cost-effective option, allowing you to learn at your own pace with your own plan and resources. However, self-study comes with its own set of challenges.
Where do you start? What is the scope? Where can you find reliable resources? Without a clear roadmap, self-study can quickly become overwhelming. And then there's the crucial aspect of hands-on practice. Without it, you risk spending weeks or even months consuming information without truly understanding how to apply it—much like following a literature course without ever writing a word.
If you ever needed a way to solve the problems of self-study—like no structured lesson plan, no flow of lessons, no quizzes, and the biggest problem of all, no hands-on practice at the end of each lesson—then you know the answer is to go with a proper course for the area you are mastering and consume it at your own pace. In this case, find the AWS Certified Developer - Associate course.
A quick search reveals a plethora of AWS Certified Developer - Associate courses, each claiming to be the best. To save you the hassle, we've done the research and curated a list of the top courses that will help you ace the certification and become proficient in AWS cloud-based application development, testing, deployment, and debugging. Here's a selection of the 5 best courses available, in no particular order.
1. Adrian Cantrill.
Cantrill's course excels with its high production values, practical approach, and time-respecting structure. The course includes top-notch theory, architecture, and practical demos, all designed to enhance your learning experience.
You'll start by setting up AWS accounts using the free-tier, giving you hands-on experience while managing costs. The course is suitable for beginners, requiring only a computer, an email address, a payment card for the AWS account, and a commitment to learn.
The course is not just about passing the exam but gaining real skills. By the end, you'll be well-prepared to pass the AWS Certified Developer Associate exam and use AWS daily from a development perspective. Real-world scenarios from Animals4life.org make lessons relevant and applicable.
Respecting your time, lessons are concise, usually under 20 minutes, and include quizzes to reinforce knowledge. A full practice exam mirrors real-world conditions, ensuring you're confident and well-prepared. The course includes 63 hours of total content with 21 hours of demos and advanced demos. This course is priced at around $40.
The next course on our list stands out due to one key factor: HANDS-ON LABS. You know that learning doesn’t truly stick until you get hands-on experience, and this is where KodeKloud’s course shines. It’s designed not just to teach but to ensure you apply what you've learned through interactive, real-world labs.
This practical approach sets KodeKloud apart, making sure you build the skills you need by actually doing the tasks yourself.
2. KodeKloud
KodeKloud's course is quickly topping the list with its comprehensive 22 modules consisting of 315 lessons. Yes, you heard that right—315 lessons, starting from the basics and covering everything you need to know. This course spans nearly 30 hours, providing an optimal balance of theory and practical demos. The duration around 25-30 hours, ensuring a balanced and thorough preparation.
KodeKloud's course covers everything you need to know before sitting for the exam. KodeKloud's AWS Developer Associate certification course prepares you to develop and maintain applications on AWS. It covers AWS Fundamentals, Networking, IAM, EC2, S3, Load Balancing, Auto Scaling, and Database Management.
AWS Certified Developer Associate - Introduction - Watch Video
You'll also learn about CloudFront, Elastic Beanstalk, containerized applications, Application Integrations, Serverless Computing, API Gateway, SAM, Security, Monitoring, Data and Analytics, and CI/CD tools. This course ensures comprehensive preparation for the AWS Developer Associate exam and proficiency as a cloud developer. The curriculum is extensive and detailed, ensuring no topic is left uncovered.
However, the standout feature of KodeKloud's course is its 31 HANDS-ON labs. This practical approach is invaluable, allowing you to apply what you've learned and solidify your understanding.
With KodeKloud's annual subscription at just $15 per month, you gain access to all premium courses and labs, including the AWS Certified Developer course. The balance of Theory, Demos, and Labs makes it a compelling choice for anyone serious about acing the certification exam and mastering AWS with KodeKloud.
3. Digital Cloud Training
Digital Cloud Training's course offers a comprehensive blend of essential theory and practical exercises through 15 hours of on-demand video training. The instructor-led videos cover the latest DVA-C02 exam topics, featuring hands-on lessons using the AWS Management Console, separate theory lessons with detailed architectural diagrams, and exam cram sessions summarizing key knowledge. The course includes 110 quiz questions and provides all necessary materials for download. A study plan and a course certificate upon completion ensure you are well-prepared for the exam.
The course content is organized into four domains: Development with AWS Services, Security, Deployment, and Troubleshooting and Optimization, ensuring a thorough preparation for both the certification exam and real-world AWS development tasks.
The subscription for Digital Cloud Training courses is available at $19.99 per month or $179 annually.
4. Udemy
Udemy's course is a comprehensive guide that covers all the essential topics for the certification. With 33 hours of detailed lecture videos, quizzes, and a full practice exam with explanations included, this course ensures you're well-prepared for the exam. You'll learn to deploy applications using Elastic Beanstalk and AWS CICD tools, understand serverless APIs with AWS Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, and Cognito, and master AWS security best practices, monitoring, and infrastructure as code with CloudFormation.
This course is priced at around $74.99.
5. Pluralsight
Pluralsight offers a solid 20-hour course that covers all the essential topics needed for the certification. This course provides a comprehensive overview and hands-on experience to ensure you're well-prepared for the exam.
After completing Pluralsright's course, you'll be able to identify the key features of core AWS technologies used to build serverless applications, such as S3, DynamoDB, Elastic Beanstalk, Lambda, and API Gateway. You'll learn to build, deploy, and troubleshoot serverless applications in AWS, use AWS CLI, service APIs, and SDKs to interact with AWS, and create a CI/CD pipeline for deployments. Additionally, you'll implement AWS security best practices using IAM, KMS, and MFA, configure AWS services for optimal performance, and confidently sit for the AWS Certified Developer – Associate exam.
The subscription for Pluralsight's courses is around $19 per month after a 10-day free trial.
Where to Go from Here
Now that you've explored the top AWS Certified Developer - Associate courses, it's time to take the next step. While there are other options like LinkedIn Learning and Simplilearn, the five courses discussed above stand out for their comprehensive coverage and balanced approach.
Among them, no doubt, KodeKloud offers the best balance between theory and practical labs, with 31 hands-on labs to solidify your understanding. Pluralsight provides a solid foundation with detailed demos but falls short with only one lab. Udemy’s course is a popular choice with many enrollments, but you might see it lacks sufficient hands-on practice.
This guide is designed to help you find the best course that matches your learning style, preferences, and needs. Whether you prioritize hands-on labs, comprehensive theory, or a mix of both, there's a course here for you. Choose the one that fits your style and start your journey toward becoming an AWS Certified Developer Associate.
