After Cloud Practitioner: the badge, the calendar and the Associate exam that renews it

A badge that no longer verifies reads as a credential that was never there.

On the day you pass

AWS issues your digital badge through Credly, and employers use it to verify the credential. On the day it arrives:

1. Add the badge to LinkedIn.
2. Keep the link in your CV.
3. Note the expiry date three years ahead in your calendar, with reminders at 12, 6 and 3 months before it.
4. Save three records in one note: your AWS Certification Account sign-in email address (never the password), your candidate ID and your expiry date.

If a recruiter clicks a badge that no longer verifies, they may treat the credential as missing, however much you know.

Four ways to renew

AWS certifications are valid for three years. When you renew, the new period runs from the date you complete the renewal step.

The Cloud Quest route is the lightest, but only in the final six months. Renewal rules can change, so confirm that it is still offered, and check its cost, when your window opens.

The Associate that does two jobs

If you plan an Associate credential within three years anyway, time it so that it also renews Cloud Practitioner. Then you need no separate renewal step. A candidate who passes Solutions Architect Associate in the second year has nothing separate to plan.

If your goal is understanding rather than building, Cloud Quest in the last six months is the simpler route.

What happens if the cycle ends

The credential expires and you would need to pass the current exam again. The badge stops verifying. The six months of renewal time you did not use are gone.

A calendar that holds

1. At six months before expiry, look at the Cloud Quest route.
2. If you intend to take an Associate exam, plan it before the expiry date.
3. After renewing, check that the badge shows the new dates and set the next three-year date.

Use the 50 per cent voucher

After you pass, you receive a 50 per cent discount voucher for your next AWS exam. If you plan an Associate exam within the voucher's life, the discount and the renewal arrive together.

Keep the knowledge current

The cloud changes quickly. Since the current exam launched, AWS has renamed services, replaced its support plans and changed its free offer. For a technical role, pair the credential with two small projects and a next step by goal.