AWS Certified Solutions Architect Study Guide with 900 Practice Test Questions: Associate (SAA-C03) Exam (Sybex Study Guide)

I used this to study for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate exam and I found it to be a valuable study guide. I especially liked the practice questions and I feel those really helped me prepare for the exam which I passed on the first attempt. I will point out that I had several years experience working with AWS, but there is so much material that the exam covers - many things I had not worked with at all. While someone with little to no AWS experience can likely use this to help prepare for the exam, having some experience helps.

Amazing book!

I used this book as part of my preparation for the exam and happy to say I passed on first try. As another reviewer has stated, the review questions at then end of the chapters are not representative of actual exam questions. This is especially the case in Part 1. The review questions at the end of the chapters in Part 2 are more representative. The info is very good though to form the base knowledge necessary for the exam, and the information is presented in a well structured and concise manner. I would highly recommend combining this with other learning, training and prep materials, particularly the very good set of sample tests from Jon Bonso, as well as the official practice exam offered by AWS. Also, as another reviewer noted there are some glaring errors in the book, that resulted in some incorrect responses on the practice exam (and maybe the real exam.... who knows). An example... the book states maximum retention for Kinesis Data Stream messages is 7 days... according to AWS documentation it's 365 days. Summary, good book to read cover-to-cover as recommended by the authors, but combine this with other materials to learn and prepare for the exam.

I passed the exam with absolutely 0 work experience in AWS so this book definitely works.

If you're like me, you can't stand online trainings. I don't need to see powerpoints, videos, or hear someone narrate or provide a lecture. This book lets you read at your own pace and has everything you need including an online question bank with 900+ questions and practice exams. I used this book and passed on my first try. Years ago I used the first version to pass the original SAA-C01 exam as well. It worked then, and the updated version works now.

This is a well written study guide which puts the most emphasis on common questions on the exam. Personally, I don't think you can just read this book and pass the exam with no other AWS knowledge. But combine this book with sample questions form many sources and some hands on experience with AWS and you should be fine.

I haven't taken the exam yet, so I can't say how complete this is for that. However, I learned a lot from this and am using it as my starting point for more. Great work!

This book is terrible. Most of these very extensive exams are written the same way. You need to read the entire book front to back and be able to remember intentionally overlapping terminology just to prove you drink their koolaid. My biggest issue with this book in particular is that there are several questions in the respective Chapter Reviews that have blatantly wrong answers with mismatching explanations in the answers section. Example: Chapter 5 Database Services Q 9: Which database instance class provides dedicated bandwidth for storage volumes? A. Standard B. Memory Optimized C. Storage Optimized D. Burstable Performance A: B. Memory-optimized instances are EBS optimized, providing dedicated bandwidth for EBS Storage. Direct Quote on Page 150: "Database instances use EBS storage. Both the standard and memory-optimized instance class types are EBS optimized, meaning they provide dedicated bandwidth for transfers to and from EBS storage" --The answers section and chapter statements are completely contradicting. There's nothing more frustrating than spending hours upon hours trying to prep for an exam only to realize everything you're reading is pointing in opposite directions. The book is fine to hit the broad strokes of material, but don't advertise this as a study guide if you have mismatching questions and answers and just contradict yourself at every turn.

Helped me pass the exam.

I have read probably 50+ study guides for a variety of certifications. This one is single handledly the most poorly written one i have come to see. It's not that it is boring, it is the constant feeling of disjointed word salad, and context-less enumeration of stuff without any clear grounding. This is the types of books written by an engineer who is incapable of teaching a topic ABCD without skipping 2 letters in the middle. It's so poorly written you feel like checking out within a page or 2. Never have i ever read a chapter in a study guide and then fail over 50% of the end of chapters questions despite the fact that i actually havr the certification already. This book needs a complete overhaul by someone who actually knows how to teach the subject matter. I am very disappointed. And then you start realizing the amount of padding and repetitions leveraged to make the book thicker: example page 43/44 and 263/264 are copy pasted same text (that they had lifted from another book too afaik). Just do yourself a favor, get another resource to learn for this exam

Book binding is very bad. Pages are coming out. After paying so much money you get this quality.

not about the book's content, but it seems used.

After using the "AWS Certified Solutions Architect Study Guide with 900 Practice Test Questions: Associate (SAA-C03) Exam (Sybex Study Guide)" to prepare for my exam, I'm thrilled to report it was everything I hoped for and more. This guide has been an invaluable resource in my journey towards AWS certification. One of the standout features of this study guide is its precise alignment with the exam objectives. It meticulously tracks what you need to know, covering the breadth of topics without veering into unnecessary detail. This focus ensures you're spending your study time efficiently, concentrating on the knowledge areas that matter most. The balance of detail is just right. It delves into the necessary concepts to give you a solid understanding, yet it's careful not to overburden you with information that's beyond the scope of the exam. This approach made studying feel manageable rather than overwhelming, a balance that's hard to strike in technical subjects. Additionally, the inclusion of 900 practice test questions is a game-changer. These questions helped me gauge my understanding and readiness for the exam, providing a clear insight into areas where I needed to focus more. The practice tests mimic the actual exam's structure and difficulty, making them an excellent tool for building confidence and reducing exam day anxiety. In conclusion, this study guide is a must-have for anyone serious about passing the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate exam. It's well-structured, comprehensive, and strikes the perfect balance between breadth and depth. A solid 5 stars from me for making my exam preparation journey not just successful, but thoroughly enjoyable.