Compare the entry-level cloud certifications and make a realistic study plan for one.
Why it matters
Certifications do not replace hands-on skill, but for an entry-level cloud engineer they do two useful things: they give your study a clear syllabus, and they get your CV past filters that look for a recognised credential. Employers hiring cloud engineers usually look for associate-level certifications (for example AWS Solutions Architect Associate or Azure Administrator) plus real projects. A fundamentals certification is the common first step.
The three foundational certifications
| Certification | Provider | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | AWS | Cloud concepts, security and compliance, core AWS services, billing and pricing |
| Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) | Microsoft | Cloud concepts, Azure architecture and services, management and governance |
| Google Cloud Digital Leader | Google Cloud | Digital transformation with Google Cloud, data and AI, infrastructure, security and operations |
Checked on 2026-10-23. Exam codes, domains, prices, languages and validity periods change, so read the official exam guide on each page before you book. Do not rely on numbers in videos or blog posts, including this one.
All three are multiple-choice exams aimed at people new to the platform, and none require a degree or prior certification. They test whether you understand the concepts in this course: service models, regions and zones, shared responsibility, core compute, storage and networking services, IAM, and pricing. Microsoft Learn and AWS Skill Builder offer free official learning paths; Google Cloud Skills Boost has free introductory content.
Which one first?
- Look at job adverts in your area for cloud or ML engineering roles. Count which provider appears most. That is usually your answer.
- If your school or employer already uses one provider, start there: you will get practice for free.
- If you are unsure, AWS has the largest market share, Azure dominates in organisations built on Microsoft 365 and Windows, and Google Cloud is strong in data and machine learning.
- For machine learning engineers, the fundamentals exam is a stepping stone toward the providers' ML or data certifications later.
Doing one fundamentals exam is enough. The concepts transfer, and your next step should be an associate-level certification plus projects, not a second fundamentals badge.
Building a study plan
A realistic plan for someone who has completed this course is a few weeks of steady study. A sample four-week plan for the AWS exam:
Week 1 Read the official exam guide; map each domain to lessons in this course.
Work through the free official learning path, domain 1 (cloud concepts).
Week 2 Security and compliance: shared responsibility, IAM, MFA, encryption, audit logs.
Redo the IAM and Secrets lessons' tasks.
Week 3 Technology and services: compute, storage, databases, networking, global infrastructure.
Redo the Compute and Storage tasks on the free tier; clean up each time.
Week 4 Billing, pricing and support plans. Take the official practice question set.
Review every wrong answer until you can explain why the right one is right.
Study habits that work:
- Explain, do not memorise. If you can explain why multi-AZ survives a zone failure, you can answer any question about it.
- Keep an "I got this wrong" list and revisit it every few days.
- Use official practice questions first, then reputable free resources. Avoid "exam dumps": using leaked questions breaks the providers' exam agreements and can lead to a revoked certification.
- Book the exam once practice scores are consistently comfortable. A date on the calendar focuses study.
What employers also want
Pair the certificate with evidence. A small public portfolio project, built with infrastructure as code, with a README that explains the architecture, the costs and how you secured it, says far more than a badge. Combine it with the Linux and networking skills from earlier courses, which interviewers test directly.
Common mistakes
- Collecting several fundamentals certifications instead of moving to associate level.
- Studying only from videos without doing hands-on tasks.
- Leaving free-tier resources running while studying.
- Trusting third-party claims about exam content instead of the official guide.
Quick recap
- AWS Cloud Practitioner, Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) and Google Cloud Digital Leader are the entry-level options; pick one based on local job adverts.
- Use the official exam guide and free official training; check details on the provider's page.
- A few focused weeks, hands-on practice and a portfolio project beat memorising questions.
Try it
In the Do tab you compare the official pages and write your own study plan.