[AWS Certification] Finance department staff with no AWS practical experience passes in 1 week! AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF) certification story

Hello. I'm Ozaki from Classmethod Operations, in charge of general affairs at the Classmethod Group.
I recently acquired the AWS Certified AI Practitioner certification, so I'd like to share my reflections on the journey to obtaining it.

Background and Exam Overview

Purpose of Taking the Exam

I had previously obtained AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate certifications. Since nearly four years had passed, and since the AIF is a certification that can be pursued without practical experience, I decided to take the exam to acquire basic knowledge about AI.

What is AI Practitioner (AIF)?

It's an AWS certification exam that covers basic AI, machine learning, and generative AI.
It certifies knowledge of AI fundamentals, related AWS services, and security and compliance in AI implementation. It's an entry-level exam for not only engineers but also beginners across various professions interested in AI. For more details about the exam, please check the official page.

Exam Registration and Practical Tips for the Day

How to Register for AWS Exams

Since it had been 4 years since my last exam, I started by researching the registration process.
AWS exams can be taken following these steps:

① Create an AWS Builder ID
　Access the exam scheduling site, proceed to "Schedule Exam," and create an "AWS Builder ID" by entering the required information.

② Select and Register for the Exam
　Login to the exam registration site and apply.
　You can choose to take the exam at a test center or online from home.

Tips for Taking the Exam at a Test Center

I took the exam at a test center in Osaka, and there were the following requirements, so it's good to prepare in advance for a smooth experience:

・Reception opens 30 minutes before the exam starts
　I arrived early and was asked to wait outside as there was no waiting area.
　Entry to the reception area was not permitted, so be careful about arriving more than 30 minutes early.
・Two forms of identification are required
・All belongings must be stored in lockers
・Hair clips are not allowed ※Hair ties can be borrowed
・Pockets must be empty
　They checked by having me turn my pockets inside out.
・All accessories must be removed

My Learning Approach

Study Period

From starting to study until passing, my learning period was about one week.
Since there's a lot of memorization involved, I felt that concentrated short-term study was more efficient.

Study Methods and Materials Used

Here's how I studied for the exam:
①Read the textbook
②Solve practice questions on Udemy
③Re-read the textbook ※To reinforce knowledge in areas where I made mistakes

I was able to pass following this approach.

Here's the textbook I used:
『AWS Certified AI Practitioner Exam Guide + Practice Questions』
This textbook was written by a Classmethod employee and was very easy to understand even for beginners who have never used AWS. The explanations and diagrams were accessible rather than overly technical, allowing me to absorb the knowledge. Although it had been 4 years since my last AWS exam study, this textbook helped me deepen my understanding smoothly.

The Udemy course I used:
I studied with this course which is widely used within our company.
『【Shortest Path to Pass! 2026 Latest Edition】AWS Certified AI Practitioner Practice Exam【AIF-C01】+ Basic Knowledge Questions』
Since many similar questions appear in the actual exam, I believe that repeating this question set until you can score over 80% helps reinforce memory and leads to passing.

Future Outlook

Although I don't have opportunities to use AWS in my general affairs role, through this study, I feel I've become able to craft better prompts and use AI with an understanding of its risks.
As someone who handles internal information in a general affairs role, I want to safely utilize AI while avoiding risks based on the security and compliance knowledge I learned in the exam.
Going forward, I aim to achieve further operational efficiency with rapidly evolving AI!

About Classmethod Operations, Inc.

We are the operations company of the Classmethod Group.

We are a group of experts with specialized teams in operations, maintenance development, support, IT systems, and back office functions, providing everything from business operations to problem-solving and high-value-added services through mechanisms that fully utilize IT and AI.

We are recruiting for various positions.

If you are interested in our culture, systems, and work style that together realize "operational excellence" and "working and living authentically," please visit the Classmethod Operations, Inc. Recruitment Site. ※Changed company name from Annotation Inc. in January 2026.