AWS DevOps Engineer
Professional Study Guide 2025
Everything you need to know to pass the AWS DOP-C02 exam on your first try. From CI/CD to observability and automation best practices.
Table of Contents
Exam Overview
The AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional (DOP-C02) validates advanced technical skills in provisioning, operating, and managing distributed systems on AWS. Candidates are expected to demonstrate expertise in CI/CD, security automation, monitoring, and incident response.
Exam Facts
Exam Domains Breakdown
Understanding the domain weightings helps prioritize your study. Allocate more time to higher-weight domains and ensure practical proficiency.
Domain 1: SDLC Automation (22%)
- • Design and implement CI/CD pipelines
- • Automated testing strategies
- • Pipeline security
Domain 2: Configuration Management & IaC (17%)
- • Define infrastructure using IaC
- • Automate environment provisioning
- • Enforce compliance
Domain 3: Monitoring & Logging (15%)
- • Set up observability dashboards
- • Automate alerts
- • Optimize logging cost
Domain 4: Incident & Event Response (14%)
- • Detect and analyze events
- • Automated remediation
- • Post-incident reviews
Domain 5: Security & Compliance (17%)
- • Implement least-privilege IAM
- • Automate security controls
- • Perform compliance audits
Domain 6: High Availability & Disaster Recovery (15%)
- • Design resilient architectures
- • Backup & restore strategies
- • Multi-region failover
Your 12-Week Study Plan
Consistency and hands-on practice are key. This 12-week plan allocates ~8-10 hours per week combining theory, labs, and practice exams.
Weeks 1-2: Exam Foundations & AWS Basics
- • Review AWS core services (EC2, S3, IAM)
- • Set up AWS CLI & CDK
- • Refresh CloudFormation fundamentals
- • Watch re:Invent DevOps best-practice talks
Weeks 3-4: CI/CD Pipeline Deep Dive
- • Build CodePipeline with CodeBuild & CodeDeploy
- • Integrate unit & integration tests
- • Implement artifact versioning strategies
- • Secure pipeline with IAM conditions
Weeks 5-6: Infrastructure as Code & Automation
- • Write CloudFormation / CDK stacks for multi-tier app
- • Automate AMI baking with EC2 Image Builder
- • Use AWS Systems Manager for patch automation
Weeks 7-8: Observability & Security Automation
- • Create CloudWatch dashboards & alarms
- • Centralize logs with CloudWatch Logs & CloudTrail
- • Automate security findings via Security Hub & EventBridge
Weeks 9-10: Incident Response & DR
- • Simulate failures using AWS Fault Injection Simulator
- • Automate recovery with Route 53 health checks
- • Practice runbooks with SSM Automation documents
Weeks 11-12: Full Practice Exams & Review
- • Take 3 full-length practice exams
- • Review incorrect answers & revisit weak domains
- • Finalize exam logistics & schedule exam
Essential Hands-On Labs
These labs reinforce theoretical knowledge with real-world implementation. Complete each to build muscle memory for the exam scenarios.
Must-Do Labs (Complete All)
Blue/Green Deployment with CodeDeploy & ALB
Deploy two application versions and switch traffic using weighted rules.
Terraform-Driven EKS Cluster with GitHub Actions
Provision EKS via Terraform and deploy sample microservice via CI/CD pipeline.
Centralized Logging with Kinesis Firehose & S3
Stream application logs to S3, query with Athena, and visualize in QuickSight.
Automated AMI Patch Management
Use EC2 Image Builder and SSM Patch Manager to maintain compliant images.
Recommended Resources
Focus on high-quality resources that map directly to the current DOP-C02 exam blueprint.
Official AWS Resources
• AWS Exam Guide & Sample Questions
• AWS DevOps Engineer Learning Path (AWS Skill Builder)
• re:Invent 2024 DevOps sessions playlist
• AWS Well-Architected & Reliability Pillar whitepapers
Third-Party Training
• Stephane Maarek DevOps Pro course (Udemy)
• Zertly practice exams (AI-powered)
• AWS DevOps Pro Exam Prep by Adrian Cantrill
Exam Day Tips
Final polish to maximize your chance of success on exam day.
The Night Before
- • Review pipeline architectures & IaC templates
- • Get at least 7 hours of sleep
- • Verify Pearson VUE testing environment
- • Prepare two forms of ID
During the Exam
- • Flag lengthy scenario questions & return later
- • Watch for service limits & region-specific constraints
- • Eliminate obviously wrong answers first
- • Manage time: ~2 minutes per question
Final Thoughts
The DevOps Engineer Professional certification demonstrates mastery of end-to-end software delivery on AWS. Approach your preparation with a builder's mindset—automate everything, measure every metric, and continuously improve.
By following this guide and dedicating focused study time, you'll be well-equipped to ace the DOP-C02 exam and advance your career as an AWS DevOps specialist.
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