OCI Foundations Associate study plan
OCI Foundations Associate · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Cloud Concepts
Define IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, and classify at least six OCI services into the correct model
Explain regions, availability domains, and fault domains, and describe how each layer affects fault tolerance
Distinguish scalability from elasticity and give a concrete OCI example of each
Compare capex and opex funding models and contrast public, private, hybrid, and multicloud deployments
Describe the shared responsibility boundary between a cloud provider and a customer
Your checkpoint
A one-page glossary of 25 cloud-concepts terms written in your own words, plus a closed-book 25-question self-quiz scored at 80% or higher.
Getting Started with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure
Create an OCI Free Tier tenancy and navigate the Console to locate Compute, Storage, Networking, and Database services
Map the tenancy hierarchy from root compartment down to child compartments and explain why compartments exist
Write and attach a scoped IAM policy that grants a group inspect-level access to one compartment only
Run Cloud Shell or the OCI CLI to list compartments and confirm the policy behaves as intended
Identify the entry points for billing, support, and region switching in the Console
Your checkpoint
A live tenancy containing three child compartments, one group bound to a scoped policy, and a CLI transcript of at least ten commands run in Cloud Shell.
Core Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Services (Compute, Storage, Networking)
Compare standard, flexible, GPU, and HPC compute shapes and justify a shape choice for a given workload
Launch a compute instance, attach and mount a block volume, write data to it, and take a volume backup
Differentiate block, file, object, and archive storage by access pattern, durability, and cost
Configure object storage lifecycle rules or auto-tiering to move data between storage tiers
Describe instance pools and autoscaling as the mechanism for horizontal scaling
Your checkpoint
A workload-mapping table that assigns a compute shape and a storage service to eight scenarios, each backed by evidence from a hands-on launch you performed.
Core Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Services (Compute, Storage, Networking)
Build a VCN with one public and one private subnet, a route table, and internet and NAT gateways
Contrast security lists with network security groups and write rules that isolate a two-tier application
Explain when to use local peering, a dynamic routing gateway, site-to-site VPN, or FastConnect
Describe how a load balancer distributes traffic across instances in an availability domain set
Your checkpoint
A functioning two-tier VCN (public subnet reachable, private subnet egress-only) plus a timed half-length practice test covering domains 1 through 3 scored at 80% or above.
Database Services
Compare Autonomous Database (transaction processing vs. data warehouse workloads) against Base Database Service and Exadata Database Service
Provision an Autonomous Database instance and run queries against it from a SQL client or Database Actions
Explain how autonomous patching, scaling, and automated backups differ from self-managed database administration
Position MySQL HeatWave and OCI NoSQL Database against the correct workload types
Describe the database migration options available for moving an existing database into OCI
Your checkpoint
A database decision matrix that selects a service for six stated scenarios, plus one working Autonomous Database you created and queried yourself.
Security, Identity and Access Management
Write least-privilege policies that combine the correct verb, resource type, and compartment scope
Enable multi-factor authentication and describe how identity domains and federation change user sign-in
Explain the roles of Vault key management, Cloud Guard, security zones, and Web Application Firewall
Apply the shared responsibility model to a workload you built in week 3 or 4 and list the controls you own
Your checkpoint
A set of five least-privilege policy statements verified in your tenancy, plus a security-focused quiz covering domain 5 scored at 80% or above.
Pricing, Billing and Support
Compare pay-as-you-go, annual universal credits, bring-your-own-license, and Always Free/Free Tier consumption models
Estimate the monthly cost of a three-tier application using the OCI cost estimator
Create a budget with a usage alert and explain what triggers it
Match the available support tiers to stated response-time and severity requirements
Explain how stopping or scaling resources affects billing
Your checkpoint
A written cost estimate for a three-tier workload, a budget with a working alert configured in the tenancy, and a one-page mapping of support tiers to business needs.
Cloud Concepts & Getting Started with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure & Core Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Services (Compute, Storage, Networking) & Database Services & Security, Identity and Access Management & Pricing, Billing and Support
Retake full-length practice exams under timed conditions and log every missed question by domain
Re-study only the domains where logged accuracy falls below 80%
Recite from memory the compartment/policy model, the storage service trade-offs, and the database service trade-offs
Confirm exam logistics, environment requirements, and question format before test day
Your checkpoint
Three timed full-length practice exams completed, with the final attempt scored at 85% or higher and a written list of your five remaining weak spots.
Milestones
Week 2: Can explain, without notes, how regions, availability domains, and compartments relate, and demonstrate a working scoped IAM policy in your own tenancy.
Week 4: Half-length practice test over domains 1 through 3 completed at 80% or higher, with a functioning two-tier VCN deployed.
Week 6: Security quiz at 80% or higher and five least-privilege policies live in the tenancy; domains 1 through 5 covered at least once.
Week 8: Final full-length practice exam at 85% or higher, with no single domain below 75%.