QuickStart Guide for AWS Cloud Quest to boost your learning
Tags: aws, cloudcomputing, certification, beginners
Published: 2023-07-06 11:51:05

World is moving with a fast pace and so is technology. Digitization and in particularly Cloud Computing is the way forward.
One of the most important question which we hear is how to get started with **Amazon Web Services**, the market leader in Cloud computing Web services.

In this blog , I am gonna touch base on AWS Cloud Quest which is an AWS game based learning experience and part of AWS Skill Builder initiative.
**AWS Cloud Quest** is the role-playing game to help build practical hands-on AWS Cloud skills. 

![ACQ](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/myumgur679hetafqlzhb.jpg)

###<u>Benefits of Cloud Quest</u>
####1. Learn by doing Approach:
Build solutions in a live AWS environment — first with step-by-step guidance, then experiment on your own.

####2. Build in-demand cloud skills:
AWS Cloud Quest contains multiple roles that help individuals or organizations develop sought-after skills and build role-specific knowledge to achieve their learning goals.
 
####3. Keep it fun:
Customize your avatar, collect gems and learn concepts as you zap drones and solve puzzles — all while learning AWS technology concepts.  
 
####4. Earn Role Specific badge:
Dive into the roles that matter most for your learning goals. Once you complete all of the assignments in a role, showcase your achievement with a digital badge, shareable on your social networks.

![Credly Badges](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/14x0p0hlpkl5pswwzm0s.png)


 
###<u>Getting started with AWS Cloud Quest</u>
####Step 1: Signing on to Skill builder portal

Skill Builder portal is one stop portal for all the training requirements to get well-equipped with AWS.

We can Learn from AWS experts and build in-demand cloud skills which help in achieving Advance professional goals with access to **600+ free courses**, gain experience in an **AWS Management Console sandbox**, explore game-based learning, take **AWS Certification Official Practice Exams**.

On Skill Builder, Beginner level content is available free of cost while advanced content is Subscription based. To get started you can go ahead with Free content and once you are ready to take up advance or intermediate course, go with the Subscription model.
Let's get started without wasting much time:-

- Click on [AWS Skill Builder](https://skillbuilder.aws/)
- You need to login via any of the supported login as shown below 

![Login to AWS Skill Builder](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/dkyzjmfe23mgahxzlnag.png)

**Note**: Amazon account is not your AWS account but account which you use for shopping stuff!

- Click 'Allow' to Sign-In to Training and Certification.

![Allow](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/g6itqlho4mzvy2j1rkfo.png)


####Step 2: Selecting Cloud Quest from Dashboard
- Navigate top left corner of screen to User Menu
![User Menu](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/emvu6ms9homsbl2w894b.png)
- Select Course Catalog
![Course Catalog](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/07fhnw988sbwtcr3nesp.png)
- Select Game based Learning i.e. **AWS Cloud Quest**.
![Cloud Quest](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/xharltw7dub473hw5uws.png)


You will notice AWS Cloud Quest: Cloud Practitioner is available in free catalog while other roles Require Subscription.

####Step 3: Choosing the right Role
We need to choose a role on the basis of our interest or experience or both from the following:
- Cloud Practitioner
- Serverless Developer
- Solutions Architect
- Machine Learning Specialist
- Security Specialist
- Data Analytics Specialist


####Step 4: Getting Started with a chosen Role
Once the role is chosen, we need to work on different modules specific to that role to help our city, which in a way give us understanding of AWS services along with some hands-on experience.

![City Needs You](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/wmjnpuwzu23s1bbpfm8v.png)


Each module comes with a problem related to the city and we have to use a single AWS Service or a combination of them to solve it.
We are guided at every step and once the problem is solved, we are given rewards which inches our progress to completion.

If a module has combination of services, then each of the service involved would have an individual module already covered prior to it. This makes the learning easy and systematic.
`For example if Core Security Concepts module is going on then it would have AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM), Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), Amazon EC2 services involved and each of the services would have a dedicated module already covered prior to this very module`.

Each module has 4 parts:
**1. Learn:** We are shown documentation and Video to learn about the services involved.
**2. Plan:** We are given a view of Architecture Diagram and what should be our plan of action to solve the problem 
**3. Practice:** We implement the Plan using AWS Sandbox created specifically for the use case. This is a Guided Process
**4. DIY(Do-It-Yourself):** We are asked to perform some implementation by ourselves to complete the solution with the knowledge we have gained during previous steps.

Once we finish off all the modules in the designated role by applying cloud skills to help the citizens of our virtual city, we will be issued a **digital badge via Credly** to showcase our achievement.

###<u>Conclusion</u>
Whether you’re starting your cloud learning journey or diving into specialized skills, AWS Cloud Quest helps you learn in an interactive, engaging way.
So, what are you waiting for? Sign up and start utilizing the wonderful initiative AWS has taken to educate the learners in a easy way.

Also, there is limited period **7 days Free trial** going on for Paid content.
Check it out here:[Free Trial for Paid Content](https://pages.awscloud.com/GLOBAL-Other-GC-Skill-Builder-Subscription-Free-Trial.html)

**Credits**: AWS Skill Builder Portal and AWS Documentation.