After completing my 12x certification on December 27, I shared my profound journey in a blog post detailing the highs and lows, the failures, and the eventual successes. (Link to the blog post: My Journey of 12x AWS Certifications: From Failure to Success)

Quick Preparation: A Race Against Time

Armed with determination, I embarked on a three-day preparation journey based on the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate Exam Guide (Exam Guide Link). Little did I know that this intensive preparation would pave the way for a challenge I was about to undertake.

Early Morning Challenge: Conquering AWS Data Engineering Exam

Undeterred by a 4.00 AM slot on December 30th, I took on the challenge of the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate Exam. Drawing confidence from my specialization in Data Analytics and Machine Learning, as well as real-time hands-on experience, I decided to give a try to Beta exam. The early morning exam required a 3.45 AM alarm, and with a touch of luck, I woke up at 3.30. Three days of quick review of reinvent videos and workshops set the tone for what was to come. (I am sharing all my learnings below)

Focused Topics and Recommendations: Lessons from the Exam Room

Sharing my exam experience, I highlight key focused topics such as AWS Athena, Redshift, Glue, Kinesis, Data Lake, Lake Formation, StepFunction, Serverless ETL, and Zero ETL. Delving into the nuances of Operation Efficiency and Cost Efficiency, I touch on associate-level exam insights involving S3, IAM, Security, Compute, and Cost Optimisation. My recommendation? Dive into the exam guide and supplement your knowledge with the outlined learning to confidently plan your AWS Data Engineer Associate or Beta exam.
The exam comprises a total of 85 questions with a duration of 180 minutes. Personally, I found that maintaining a high level of focus allowed me to efficiently address all the exam questions within the allotted time. As a recommendation, I advise against dedicating excessive time to individual questions.