How I Passed the AWS Machine Learning Specialty Exam as a Working Homeschooling Single Mother

This article is less about what materials I used to study. There are a number of articles that will help you with that. I used this article in particular: https://www.capitalone.com/tech/machine-learning/advice-for-taking-the-aws-machine-learning-specialty-exam/ . It helped me pass this difficult exam.

This article is more about how I managed my time to study and pass this specialty exam in 4 weeks while working full time and homeschooling my six year old daughter. During this time period, I also traveled to present at a tech conference, making it imperative for me to schedule my time efficiently. These time management steps to success can also be applied to any exam you are preparing for.

1. Assess the situation

A course I took to study said it would take 60 hours or more of studying to pass the exam. I divided 60 hours by 4 weeks, which means I need to study at least 15 hours a week up until the exam. I shot for 18 hours a week, totaling to 72 hours of studying time.

2. Assess your schedule

I lay my schedule out in my planner every week. Since I homeschool my daughter and she is involved in dance and theater classes, I combined my schedule and her schedule in my Passion Planner. I color coded tasks for ease. To study for 18 hours a week, I planned for 2 hours of studying a day Monday through Friday and 4 hours a day Saturday and Sunday. In my planner, I scheduled study time in the mornings before my daughter wakes up, (I wake up at 4:30AM), while I’m in the car waiting for her while she is in dance or theater classes, and in the evenings after work.

3. Fifteen minute study sprints

On my schedule, I also took note of the gaps in my schedule between work meetings or my daughter’s lessons where I could squeeze in 15 minutes of study sprints. Do not underestimate 15 minutes. Four 15 minute sprints adds up to an hour.

4. Keep track of time

I used a Pomodoro clock to keep track of most of my time. The default is 20 minutes. I changed it to 15 minutes to accommodate my 15 minute study sprints. When I start studying, I press the timer and keep going until 15 minutes is up. After 15 minutes, if I need a break, I take one. If not, I keep going and restart the timer. For situations, where I am studying in the car, I normally didn’t have my computer with me and studied from my notes. These blocks of time were usually untracked, but I kept note of how much time I spent studying for later tally and review at the end of the week.

5. Shoot for more every day

Although my goal during the week was to study 2 hours a day, I often shot for more. If I had time to study more, I did, in case something later in the week prevented me from hitting my study goal. Some days, I studied 2.25 hours more, which helps. Other days, I was able to fit in 4 hours of study time during a work day. The key is to always look for an opportunity to squeeze in more study time.

6. Use the weekend to catch up

Assess where you are in your study goal on Friday. One week in particular, I was behind on my study goal by 2 hours on Friday. I then planned to fit it an extra hour of studying Saturday and Sunday to meet my quota.

7. Review your study goal at the end of the week

Sundays are when I review my general goals and plan for the week. I would go over my study time logs and see how I did. Doing this helped me feel accomplished in how hard I’d been working. Studying this much while working full time and homeschooling is exhausting. If I did not keep track of study time and celebrate my achieved study hours, I could have burnt out.

8. Do the best you can

If you find yourself unable to reach your study time goals, give yourself grace. Do the best you can. I took the exam as part of my firm’s initiative, where passing the exam resulted in bonuses and upward career mobility. I was determined to pass. In this determination, I told myself to swing for the fences. I was going to give it all I got. Was I afraid that after studying this much, I could still fail? Yes! I did not let that fear rule me. I am more afraid of not trying because what if it works out?

The AWS Machine Learning Specialty Exam was incredibly difficult. I was able to pass with four weeks of study time while working full time and homeschooling my daughter. With careful time management planning, you can absolutely do the same.