The most fun I've had renewing a cert. Ever!
Published: 2024-01-08 20:35:13

I am in the midst of my gauntlet of AWS certification renewals (7 of my 8 were set to expire over the next 3 months), so I've been diving into all the resources I can find to make my preparation for the exams as enjoyable and educational as possible. Since the last time my certs were up for renewal, AWS Skill Builder has become available, and I really like the work, time, and energy AWS has been investing into building a great learning platform for their users.

You might or might not be aware that I am a huge fan of using gamification to encourage learning and development. I'm planning a few all-employee events for my company this year that will be using DeepRacer and PartyRock as tools to encourage additional learning centered on machine learning and artificial intelligence, which I'm excited about. I also host quarterly Cyber Capture the Flag events, which are free and open to the general public, with my employer's support, to help employees, students, and other professionals upskill in Cyber engineering. You can learn about those offerings by visiting [this site](https://www.parsons.com/dtc-ctf/).

I like using gamification tactics in my own learning efforts as well, so when [AWS Cloud Quest](https://aws.amazon.com/training/digital/aws-cloud-quest/) was first released in March 2022 I of COURSE had to check it out. And I discovered that it was a LOT of fun. In this 3D virtual world you explore a city, helping its residents solve their application and infrastructure problems using AWS services. The solutioning work is done in AWS sandboxes provided as part of AWS Cloud Quest, so you're not just answering questions, you're getting hands on with AWS, building solutions and troubleshooting incomplete/incorrectly implemented designs using the knowledge you've gained by playing the games and completing quests.

Along the way you can collect pets and shoot down drones, answering quiz questions and collecting cards which can then be used to solve puzzles for extra rewards. Your character levels up as you go, and if you complete a full quest you receive a digital badge demonstrating your knowledge and hands on experience at working with and building solutions in AWS.

Since the initial release, AWS has continued to expand the training opportunities available through AWS Cloud Quest, adding roles focused on Solutions Architecture, Serverless Development, Machine Learning, Security, Data Analytics, and Networking, and currently in beta their latest extension - the abililty to renew your Cloud Practitioner certification up to six months in advance of its expiration date by completing a series of quests in AWS Cloud Quest instead of by taking a question-based certification exam.

Sounds fun, you say? It is!

How can I try this out, you ask? I'm here to help!

First, you'll need to register for an AWS Skill Builder account. The free version is fine, at least for the Cloud Practitioner Recertification Beta offering. Do this by [visiting the site](https://explore.skillbuilder.aws/learn/signin). You'll be presented with a selection of login options; pick the one that makes the most sense for you. I log in through the AWS Partner Network (APN) login, since my company has been an AWS Partner for quite a while. But there are other options available as well.

![Login options for AWS Skill Builder](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/2nks4mhsgkid5n1hdvxb.png)
Second, from the Learner Dashboard scroll down to the courses that are available. You can query for Cloud Quest if you'd like to reduce the number of options you can see. Select the **Beta: AWS Cloud Quest: Recertify Cloud Practitioner** option and click on the `Enroll` button. This will lead to another popup with the options to `Close`, `View My Courses`, or `Start Learning Now`. Select the `Start Learning Now` option. This will open another window, where the Cloud Practitioner Quest will open.

Initially, you'll be signed in to Cloud Quest as a Cloud Practitioner. 
![Start Page for Cloud Quest, with Cloud Practitioner role](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/31n79ua1flfzouydus3o.png)
You'll be invited to link your AWS Candidate ID to your player account in order to access the recertification profile and set of quests. To find your AWS Candidate ID, log in to your [AWS Certification Account](https://www.aws.training/Certification). Your ID will be in the upper right of your Certification site, and will begin with **AWS** followed by eight numbers. Copy and paste your AWS Candidate ID into the prompt. The system will validate your eligibility to play the recertification role, and then will change your player for you. You'll get a popup indicating the change, and then you'll be off and running.

In order to complete your recertification, you'll need to work your way through 13 specific quests, each with an accompanying hands-on component. Most of those will be run within a sandbox provided by AWS, with the exception of one - the cost estimation one, which uses the publicly available AWS Cost Estimation tool. Each quest includes a problem description, a guided partial solution, and a final portion where you get to work independently to complete the solution.

The entire process of solving the challenges to renew my Cloud Practitioner certification took a few days, and it was fun through the entire effort. I continue to revisit the Cloud Quest, and each time I do I learn, collect cards, and try to befriend more pets. This is a fantastic way to keep building knowledge in a memorable and engrossing manner. I have considered purchasing the paid Skill Builder subscription before, and the Cloud Quest offerings alone make it completely worth the price.

If you already have your Cloud Practitioner certification, and if it's going to expire soon, I strongly recommend trying out the Cloud Practitioner Recertification Cloud Quest for your recertification effort. It's fun, hands-on, free, and gets you actually using the knowledge in well designed, applied sandbox labs. Go give it a try!

I'm happy to friend anyone in there as well. My username is Jennworks40. Let's connect!