The AWS Certified Developer – Associate exam is meant for cloud computing professionals looking to prove their skills and stamp their resumes with sure quality. This path is intended to validate all IT professionals and individuals involved in developing cloud-based applications, or working in an organization that prioritizes cloud solutions. It is also the exam of choice when you want to update your competence given the wide range of concepts it addresses as part of the AWS platform.

Certification Details: AWS Certified Developer - Associate

The AWS Certified Developer - Associate certificate is what passing the exam can bring you. It falls under the associate-level spectrum of AWS certificates and is one of the three most popular options chosen by professionals as it serves as a great means for building a desirable IT career. The other two options along this track include the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate and AWS Certified SysOps Administrator - Associate.

DVA-C01 Exam Details

The AWS Certified Developer - Associate test is coded DVA-C01 and focuses on the role of developers using the AWS cloud platform. Thus, it is tailored to test the candidates’ proficiency in programming, understanding of AWS services, developing cloud-based applications using AWS, and handling general maintenance of applications with AWS. Here are a few details you need to remember as well:

• The exam consists of 65 questions, in both multiple-choice and multiple-response format
• The exam can be taken online or at any one of the AWS testing centers worldwide.
• Candidates are allowed 130 minutes to finish their exam
• The exam costs $150
• It is available in English, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese
• The exam is scored on a scale of 100-1000, with the minimum passing mark being 720

Topics Covered

The exam objectives are grouped into 5 broad domains. They focus on verifying one’s understanding of core AWS services, uses, and architecture practices as well as evaluate the proficiency level in developing, deploying, and debugging cloud-based applications using AWS. Here is a more detailed breakdown of the domains and a glimpse at what they are about:

1. Deployment

This domain usually carries 22% of the total exam content. Here, the candidates need to demonstrate their ability to deploy written code in AWS with the aid of the existing processes, patterns, and CI/CD pipelines, deploy applications with the help of the Elastic Beanstalk, deploy serverless applications, and prepare a package for deploying apps for AWS. Therefore, it is exclusively built around the deployment of apps using AWS.

2. Security

The second domain contributes to 26% of the total exam weight and covers the relevance of security in AWS services. It tests the developer’s understanding of making authenticated calls in AWS, the implementation of encryption with the aid of AWS services, and the implementation of application authentication and authorization. In a nutshell, the candidates should show the skills needed to combat security threats through the measures stated in this section of the test.

3. Development with AWS services

This section carries 30% of the total exam questions. It primarily tests the candidates’ coding skills concerning cloud computing. And some of the subtopics it addresses include writing code for serverless apps, translating functional needs into application design, implementing app design into application code, and writing code for the AWS services with APIs, SDKs, and AWS CLI.

4. Refactoring

The fourth domain of this exam tests one’s knowledge of refactoring and accounts for 10% of all the questions. It assesses the candidates’ abilities to optimize apps for AWS use and migrate existing application code to the AWS cloud platform. Thus, it's easy to conclude that this section focuses on the professional’s ability to prepare applications to best utilize AWS services and features.

5. Monitoring and troubleshooting

Finally, the last section of the AWS DVA-C01 exam will account for 12% of the total questions. This area tests the knowledge of spotting errors and application monitoring in AWS. The two main subtopics here are writing codes that can be monitored easily and performing analysis to detect faults in testing and production. Thus, this part is the definitive assessment of a developer’s readiness to deal with and monitor any potential faults in applications using AWS.

Career Opportunities

The career opportunities that come after passing the AWS Certified Developer – Associate exam and earning the corresponding certificate are impressive. With the benefits of cloud technologies becoming more and more evident, companies are adopting cloud computing as the next big thing. And AWS is one of the leading cloud computing platforms worldwide, so your skills as the AWS certification holder will be in high demand and you will be marketable in all aspects. That being said, some of the best job titles associated with this accreditation include the following:

• Cloud Software Engineer ($99k)
• System Integrator ($80k)
• Cloud Developer ($95k)
• AWS Engineer ($76k)

The figures provided above are taken from the PayScale website. According to the same resource, the average compensation for holders of AWS Certified Developer – Associate is about $101k per year. Of course, this sum is higher in certain areas and also depending on whether or not one has certain experience and competencies. AWS certificates have become a game-changer for employers in IT requiring cloud computing skills and are much more valued among hiring managers than university degrees.

Certification Path

As you may already know, the AWS career path is organized with a role-based order in mind. This means that a lower-level certificate may cover the vital skills you need to have to succeed in advanced roles. With the AWS track well charted, it is much easier for professionals looking to validate their expertise in different levels to climb the corporate ladder. With each certificate you earn, you open up new possibilities and opportunities for an even broader career with larger and improved benefits. Your options are limitless, and you can work from anywhere. In general, any AWS accreditation is as good as it gets, and obtaining AWS Certified Developer - Associate may help you steer your career towards a new direction by qualifying for the professional-level certificates like AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional or AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional.