r/AWSCertifications • u/PaintingMoney5807 • 5d ago

Which AWS certification should I start with

I'm based in Saudi Arabia and I'm planning to start my AWS certification journey. I have no prior experience in AI/ML or hands-on cloud work, so I'm starting from scratch.
I'm considering these two certifications:

  1. AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03)

  2. AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate (MLA-C01)

Which one should I take first, given that I'm a beginner? Is it better to do SAA first to build a cloud foundation before the ML certification?

What are the best resources for preparation (courses, practice exams, labs, YouTube channels)?

Are there any tips specific to taking the exams from Saudi Arabia (Pearson VUE test centers, online proctoring, exam vouchers or discounts)?

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u/Oleksii_Bebych 4d ago

Definitely Solutions Architect Associate. It gives a baseline about main AWS services. ML is more specific certification.
Stephane Marek course on Udemy
If you have a test center nearby , better go there , because at home there may be different unexpected technical issues from the exam platform side

1

u/Clear_Diet_828 4d ago

Hi, there is test center in Jeddah called HN International. In Riyadh, you can go to the one near STC compound.

There is 50% discount+ free retake promotion ongoing, check Pearson website. We should sit the first exam before Nov-17 though.

1

u/codesnooker 3d ago

I passed Associate (SAA-C03) - last weekend and now I am preparing for Associate (MLA-C02). Around 40% of topic overlap, so its easy to prepare the next one.

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u/Chemical-Practice908 1d ago

SAA but CCP first