AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner study plan
AWS CRWT · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Cloud Technology and Services
Define compute, storage, database, and networking service categories and list at least two examples in each
Explain the AWS shared responsibility model boundary for each service category you listed
Describe the difference between Regions, Availability Zones, and edge locations and when each matters for a design decision
Build a written glossary of 30 core AWS service terms in your own words without copying vendor text
Your checkpoint
A one-page service map grouping at least 25 AWS services into compute, storage, database, networking, security, and management categories, each annotated with one sentence on when to choose it
Cloud Technology and Services & Cloud Concepts
Compare at least four compute options (virtual servers, containers, serverless functions, managed platform) on scaling model, operational overhead, and pricing basis
Explain how object storage, block storage, and file storage differ and match three scenarios to the right type
Describe the difference between relational, key-value, document, and in-memory data stores and select one for three given workloads
Diagram how a virtual private network, subnets, and routing connect a two-tier application
Your checkpoint
A completed decision worksheet for six scenario prompts (storage, compute, and database choices) with a justified selection and one rejected alternative per prompt
Security and Compliance
Explain identity and access management building blocks: principals, policies, roles, and groups, and how permissions are evaluated
Describe how to grant temporary credentials to a workload without embedding long-term keys
List the core logging and monitoring services and state what each one records
Identify the network protection services available and describe which layer each one defends
Summarize encryption at rest and in transit, including who manages keys in each option
Your checkpoint
A written least-privilege policy draft for a sample application, plus a table mapping five threat types to the specific control that mitigates each
Security and Compliance & Cloud Concepts
Describe the compliance and governance programs available to customers and how to find audit artifacts
Explain how data residency and regional choice affect compliance obligations
Distinguish the customer's security duties from the provider's for a managed database
Answer 40 mixed practice questions on security and cloud concepts and log every miss with its root cause
Your checkpoint
A scored 40-question practice set with a written error log that names the underlying concept behind each miss and the study action taken to close it
Cloud Technology and Services & Security and Compliance
Trace a request end to end through load balancing, autoscaling, and a managed database and name the failure point at each hop
Explain how to design for high availability across multiple zones and what single-zone designs risk
Describe how to isolate environments and workloads using separate accounts or network boundaries
Map five security controls onto the architecture you traced in goal one
Your checkpoint
A labeled reference architecture diagram for a highly available web application with at least eight annotated components and a short paragraph on how each security control is applied
Billing, Pricing, and Support & Cloud Technology and Services
Explain the main cost drivers for compute, storage, and data transfer and identify the levers that reduce each
Compare purchasing options for compute capacity on commitment level and discount trade-off
Describe the purpose of budgets, cost anomaly detection, and cost allocation tags
Identify the support plan tiers and the response-time and advisory differences between them
Match four billing scenarios to the correct cost tool or report
Your checkpoint
A cost optimization memo for a hypothetical three-tier application that names at least five concrete savings actions, the tool used to verify each, and the estimated impact direction
Cloud Technology and Services & Security and Compliance & Billing, Pricing, and Support
Complete two timed 65-question practice exams and record domain-level accuracy for each
Re-study every domain scoring below 80 percent using your own notes rather than new material
Rewrite your weakest five flashcards from memory and verify each against documentation
Explain aloud, in under two minutes each, the shared responsibility model, least privilege, and high availability
Your checkpoint
Two timed practice exam score reports with a domain-by-domain comparison showing improvement between attempt one and attempt two
Cloud Concepts & Security and Compliance & Cloud Technology and Services & Billing, Pricing, and Support
Review the consolidated error log and restate the corrected reasoning for each recurring miss
Take one final timed practice exam under test-day conditions and target 85 percent or better
Write a one-page cheat sheet covering the ten facts you most often forgot
Confirm exam logistics: scheduling, identification requirements, and testing environment rules
Your checkpoint
A final readiness packet containing the last practice exam score, the one-page cheat sheet, and a signed-off checklist confirming every domain has been reviewed at least twice
Milestones
Week 2: Can name the correct service category for any of 25 listed services and justify a storage or compute choice for a new scenario in under 60 seconds
Week 4: Scores 75 percent or better on a 40-question security and cloud concepts set and can explain every missed item without notes
Week 6: Can explain the cost impact of commitment-based purchasing, data transfer, and tagging to a non-technical stakeholder in three sentences
Week 7: Second timed practice exam shows at least a 10-point gain over the first and no domain below 70 percent
Week 8: Final timed practice exam at 85 percent or better with all four domains above 80 percent