Cloud computing is getting increasingly important nowadays and I expect it to keep on growing substantially. As most ICT professionals I’ve read a lot about cloud computing and I know some parts of it. To increase (and test) my knowledge about cloud computing, I decided to try and get these certifications:

• CompTIA Cloud Essentials (CLO-001)
• Exin Cloud Computing Foundation (CLOUDF)

These exams don’t just focus on the technical aspects of the cloud, but also on the business aspects and what cloud computing could mean for your ITIL processes.

I passed both exams todat with scores of respectively 86% and 80%. But I have to say that I did not like the exams very much. I feel this way because cloud computing is such a broad concept and the “best” solution often depends on many factors, which of course are not provided in the exam. I think these exams would both benefit greatly from using cases/scenarios. It’s a pity I did not see any option to comment on the exam questions either.

If I’d have to choose which certification I found most valueable, I’d go with the Comptia Cloud Essentials certification.

Free study materials I used:

• Exin Cloud Computing Foundation (CLOUDF) preparation guide, pocket guide and sample exams
• CompTIA Cloud Essentials/A+ Certification online course
• CompTIA Cloud Essentials practice test
• Examforce Test Prep Software for the CompTIA Cloud Essentials Exam (be sure to check out the “Reference Library” under the “View” button).
• Ucertify CompTIA Cloud Essentials [CLO-001] (used available free content only)
• Cloud Computing article on Wikipedia

I thought the quality of these study materials were mediocre at best and I have my doubts about the correctness of some of the statements. Especially because cloud computing is defined in many different ways and because the “best” answer often depends on the situation which is not described. But as with everything, you can learn a lot from it by being critical and looking up everything you don’t know YET and/or have doubts about. You will learn more this way, which is far more important than just getting certified. I personally learned a lot especially about specific cloud services. Unfortunately I did not have access to paid materials, otherwise I would have loved to check out the Train Signal CompTIA Cloud Essentials training videos seeing as they have a reputation to provide high quality material.

I will now close with some wise words I read on Seth Godin’s blog post called “Curiosity was framed“:

Curiosity was framed

• Avoid it at your peril. The cat’s not even sick. (HT to C. J. Cherryh)
• If you don’t know how it works, find out.
• If you’re not sure if it will work, try it.
• If it doesn’t make sense, play with it until it does.
• If it’s not broken, break it.
• If it might not be true, find out.
• And most of all, if someone says it is none of your business, prove them wrong.

There are many more great posts on Seth Godin’s blog so be sure to check it out.