How I Passed the Atlassian Cloud Administration (ACP-520) Exam: A Strategic Approach
I’m happy to share that I recently acquired my Atlassian Cloud Administrator Certification. I’m super thankful to this community and the Atlassian University team for putting together such great content and helping me narrow down the content to focus on. Here’s a detailed look into the strategies I used to prepared for exam day.
Confluence: My Knowledge Hub
I used Confluence as my main tool for organizing all my study materials, and track quizzes and module score. I also created parent pages for tracking the various sections and modules of the exam for each of the two Atlassian ACP-520 Learning Paths. Child pages were mainly composed of Notes and highlights I captured after finishing each module. I also a full page for Modules questions this helped me have a focus area for clarification before moving to the next topic.
Trello: Visualizing My Study Plan
I also used Trello to helped me map out my study plan and visualize my progress.
My To-Do List Listed all the topics and subtopics to cover.
In Progress: Moved topics I was actively studying to this list.
Completed: A satisfying column where I moved topics once I felt confident in my understanding.
Using Trello’s calendar power-up, I set deadlines for each topic to ensure I stayed on track.
Engaging with the Atlassian Community
The Atlassian Community was an invaluable resource. I engaged with fellow aspirants and experts to:
Ask Questions: Clarified doubts and gained different perspectives on complex topics.
Stay Updated: Kept abreast of any updates or changes to the exam content or structure, specially because the Atlassian university team updated content around Atlassian Guard - formally knowns as Atlassian Access and the Admin roles.
The Power of Documentation
The official Atlassian documentation is comprehensive and well-structured. I made it a habit to:
Read Thoroughly: Went through the documentation multiple times to ensure I didn’t miss any details.
Take Notes: Jotted down important points and highlighted areas that needed more attention.
Review Regularly: Periodically revisited my notes to reinforce my memory and even created some flashcards for the concepts that needed more reviewing specially on travel days.
Hands-On Practice
Having the Atlassian tools and Org admin permissions by creating my own organization and environment was invaluable. It allowed me to apply what I learned in a risk-free setting.
Experimented Freely: Tried out different configurations and settings to see their impact.
Validated Concepts: Ensured my theoretical understanding translated into practical skills.
As a PMI Certified Project Manager I ensured to implement the Pareto Principle (80/20 rule)
Applying the 80/20 principle was a game-changer. I used Atlassian’s exam impact chart seen below combined with my recorded quizzes and practice exam scores to help me focus on the highest impact and value areas.
High-Impact Areas: Identified the 20% of topics that would likely make up 80% of the exam questions.
Efficient Study Sessions: Spent the majority of my time mastering these high-impact areas while still covering the rest.
Balancing Depth and Breadth: Ensured I had a deep understanding of the critical topics and a good grasp of the remaining ones.
Timeline and Commitment
I created a realistic timeline to manage my preparation:
Initial Assessment: Began with a self-assessment to identify strengths and weaknesses.
Study Schedule: Allocated specific times each day after work and on the weekends dedicated to studying.
Regular Reviews: Scheduled weekly reviews to track progress and adjust my plan as needed. These were usually in the form of exam reviews and quiz taking.
I also used AI to help me analyze focus areas.
Conclusion
By leveraging Atlassian tools, engaging with the community and leaders such as @Kavitha Chandrasekaran and @Joanna Thurmann thoroughly utilizing documentation, practicing in the Atlassian tools environment, and applying the 80/20 rule, I was able to strategically prepare for and pass the ACP-520 exam.
If you're preparing for the ACP-520 or any other certification, I hope these strategies will help you as much as they helped me. Happy studying and best of luck!
Ivonne
All the best,
Ivonne
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