Roadmap: Cloud Foundations
A practical starting path for cloud, AI, data, and infrastructure certifications, from foundation exams to role-based next steps.
If you are new to cloud, start with one foundation exam, then add the next page that matches the platform or job path you actually want.
Best first page
| If you want to start with… | Open this page first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AWS cloud basics | CLF-C02 | Best first AWS page for cloud vocabulary, pricing, security, and core service recognition. |
| Azure platform basics | AZ-900 | Best first Azure page for identity, governance, architecture basics, and pricing. |
| Azure AI basics | AI-900 | Best first Azure page if you care about AI workloads, NLP, vision, and generative AI service selection. |
| Microsoft AI fundamentals transition | AI-901 | Best exam-selection page if your target date points to the newer Azure AI Fundamentals path. |
| Google Cloud entry point | ACE | Good first GCP page for platform usage, projects, IAM, and operational fundamentals. |
| Google Cloud GenAI leadership | Generative AI Leader | Good exam-selection page for business-level GenAI adoption before technical GCP depth. |
| Snowflake starting point | COF-C02 | Best first Snowflake page before advanced engineering work. |
Good next page after foundations
| After your foundation exam, move to… | Open this page next | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AWS architecture | SAA-C03 | Best next AWS page for core architecture decisions, resilience, storage, and cost tradeoffs. |
| AWS operations | SOA-C03 | Better next step if your work is operational, support-heavy, or deployment-focused. |
| Azure administration | AZ-104 | Best current Azure page for admin workflow, networking, compute, governance, and monitoring. |
| Azure AI cloud development | AI-200 | Best current page if your work is app delivery, integrations, Azure AI services, security, and troubleshooting. |
| Microsoft AI apps and agents | AI-103 | Live practice page if your next step is Azure AI apps, agents, Microsoft Foundry, RAG, or responsible AI implementation. |
| Microsoft Fabric data engineering | DP-700 | Live practice page if your cloud path is shifting into Fabric, lakehouse, or analytics engineering. |
| AWS production GenAI | AIP-C01 | Live practice page if you already know AWS and want the professional GenAI developer path. |
| Multi-cloud infrastructure as code | Terraform Associate (004) | Best current page for Terraform workflow, configuration, state, modules, and HCP Terraform. |
| Kubernetes and cloud native foundations | KCNA | Best MCQ-style cloud-native step after basic cloud vocabulary is stable. |
| Databricks data engineering | Databricks Certified Data Engineer Associate | Strong next step for ingestion, transformations, workflows, and governance on Databricks. |
| Snowflake data engineering | DEA-C02 | Best advanced Snowflake page for ingestion, transformations, orchestration, and observability. |
Notes
- Stay on one platform long enough to finish a foundation exam before switching.
- Use the exam page topic weights to set priorities instead of studying every topic equally.
- Build speed with timed mocks only after the vocabulary and main services feel familiar.
- If your goal is infrastructure automation or data engineering, it is reasonable to go from a cloud foundation page directly into Terraform, Databricks, or Snowflake once the platform basics are stable.
- If your goal is Kubernetes, Linux, or OpenShift, pair objective review with hands-on labs; cloud-native and Red Hat performance exams are not solved by multiple-choice practice alone.