One phData solutions architect completed 13 AWS exams to answer client questions that span networking, security, data, and AI.
The AWS Golden Jacket requires every active AWS certification to be current at the same time.
AWS is replacing narrow specialty exams with role-based paths that put AI in every tier.
Practice exams, console time, and back-to-back study of related exams made the path manageable.
Every data platform, machine learning (ML) pipeline, and generative AI application we build at phData sits on networking, security, identity and access management (IAM), and continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD). I wanted to understand all of it, including the parts I rarely touched. Wanting the whole picture put me on the road to the AWS Golden Jacket, the recognition AWS gives to people who hold every active AWS certification at the same time.
It took 13 exams, and I have a few lessons for anyone starting their own certification journey.
What pushed me to go for the AWS Golden Jacket
phData was named an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner in April 2026, the highest tier in the AWS Partner Network. Behind that milestone is a deep bench of AWS-certified experts across architecture, data, and AI, with approximately 250 AWS certifications and more than 250 AWS customers. I wanted to be someone on that bench who could back the milestone up in any room.
On client projects, the questions rarely stay inside one service. A data engineering conversation turns into a networking question, then an IAM question, then a security review. Each time, I answered from the part of AWS I knew best, and each time I wanted to answer from all of it.
phData is a data and AI company, and that work never lives in one corner of AWS. Credibility across the stack is what makes a solution hold up in production.
The AWS Golden Jacket became a goal once I saw how much of the exam material I already used on client projects, and how much closer each exam was than it looked. Years of hands-on AWS work meant most of the path was already behind me.
What does the AWS Golden Jacket take to achieve?
The jacket goes to people who hold all current AWS certifications at once. For me, that meant 13 exams across four tiers, including Machine Learning Specialty, which AWS has since retired.
| Tier | Certifications |
|---|---|
Professional | Solutions Architect, DevOps Engineer, Generative AI Developer |
Specialty | Advanced Networking, Machine Learning, Security |
Associate | Solutions Architect, Developer, CloudOps Engineer, Machine Learning Engineer, Data Engineer |
Foundational | Cloud Practitioner, AI Practitioner |
Certifications expire after three years, so holding them all at once means keeping your earliest ones current while you finish the last ones.
How the AWS certification list is changing
The list I completed won’t look the same a year from now, which shows where the industry is heading.
Machine Learning Specialty was retired, with March 31, 2026 as the last day to take the exam. Its ground is now covered by Machine Learning Engineer Associate, AI Practitioner, and Generative AI Developer Professional.
Advanced Networking Specialty retires on December 31, 2026.
AI Business Strategist is brand new and in beta. It is an AWS certification built around business judgment, with no coding and no service configuration.
Narrow deep-dive specialties are giving way to role-based paths, and AI now runs through every tier, from foundational to professional to business strategy. AWS certifications are evolving the same way our clients’ needs are: toward connecting data, AI, and business outcomes.
How I approached the AWS certification path
I didn’t work through the tiers in a neat line from Foundational to Professional. I took similar exams close together, with a few exceptions. The Associate and Professional versions of the same track share a lot of material, and so do the AI and ML exams. Taking them back to back kept that material fresh, so each exam made the next one easier.
Because of that overlap, and because I had worked with these services for years, most exams took me days of focused preparation rather than weeks. If you’re newer to AWS or to a particular domain, plan for weeks or even months per exam, especially at the Professional level. The goal is to understand the material.
The three hardest AWS exams
Three of the 13 pushed me hardest:
Solutions Architect Professional: Long scenario questions where several answers work, and you pick the one that best fits cost, resilience, and operational effort. Stamina counts as much as knowledge.
DevOps Engineer Professional: Deep detail on CI/CD pipelines, deployment strategies, and automated remediation. This is where hands-on experience paid off most.
Generative AI Developer Professional: The newest exam on the list, covering Amazon Bedrock (the AWS service for building generative AI applications), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) patterns, agents, and guardrails. Study material was thinner, so hands-on time filled the gap.
How I studied for the AWS exams
Practice exams, as many as possible. This was the biggest factor in passing. I took every practice exam I could find, and I recommend Stéphane Maarek’s courses and practice tests on Udemy. When I got a question wrong, I read the full explanation, and often the explanations for the right answers too.
Hands-on time in the console. Reading about a service is different from using it. I spent my console time on services I only knew in theory, and spinning them up to see how they behaved turned exam topics into understanding.
Official AWS resources. AWS Skill Builder, the exam guides, and whitepapers. The exam guide tells you exactly which domains carry the most weight.
Eight tips for starting your own AWS certification journey
| Tip # | Strategy | Actionable advice |
|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Practice exams |
Take every practice exam you can. Read every explanation for every question you get wrong, because that is where the learning happens. |
|
2 |
Elimination |
Learn to rule out two answers immediately. Spotting wrong options fast leaves a 50/50 choice, saving time and focus on long exams. |
|
3 |
Console experience |
Get into the console and try things. Hands-on experience turns memorized facts into understanding, which exams reward. |
|
4 |
Read carefully |
Read every question twice. Professional exams hide the deciding detail in phrases like “lowest operational overhead” or “most cost-effective.” |
|
5 |
Stack exams |
Stack exams that overlap. Take related certifications close together while shared material remains fresh. |
|
6 |
Schedule early |
Book the exam first. Setting a target date on the calendar turns vague plans into a concrete study schedule. |
|
7 |
Track expirations |
Track your expiry dates. Recertification can sneak up on you, especially for your earliest certifications. |
|
8 |
Learn from failure |
Treat a fail as data. The score report shows exactly where to focus next time. |
What it means for phData clients
The breadth shows up on client work. I can see how a client’s data pipeline, ML models, network design, and security posture connect, and that helps us design AWS systems that run in production.
I’m grateful to phData for supporting the time and process, and to the teammates and family who put up with a lot of study sessions along the way.
If you’re working toward your own AWS certifications, or the AWS Golden Jacket itself, reach out to me on LinkedIn. I’m happy to share what worked for me.
Need AWS expertise that spans data, AI, and security?
phData’s AWS Premier Tier team holds approximately 250 AWS certifications and builds data and AI solutions that run in production.
AWS Golden Jacket FAQs
What is the AWS Golden Jacket?
The AWS Golden Jacket is the recognition AWS gives to people who hold every active AWS certification at the same time. Ryan Leonard, a phData solutions architect, took 13 exams across four tiers on the road to it.
How many exams does the AWS Golden Jacket take?
The number changes as AWS adds and retires certifications. Ryan’s path covered 13 exams across the Foundational, Associate, Professional, and Specialty tiers, including Machine Learning Specialty, which AWS has since retired.
How long does it take to prepare for an AWS certification exam?
With years of hands-on AWS experience, most of Ryan’s exams took days of focused preparation. Anyone newer to AWS or to a specific domain should plan for weeks or even months per exam, especially at the Professional level.
Do AWS certifications expire?
Yes, AWS certifications expire after three years. Earning the AWS Golden Jacket means keeping your earliest certifications current while you finish the last ones.
Which AWS exams are the hardest?
Solutions Architect Professional, DevOps Engineer Professional, and Generative AI Developer Professional pushed Ryan hardest. The first rewards stamina on long scenario questions, the second tests deployment pipeline detail, and the third covers Amazon Bedrock and agents with thinner study material.
