Prerequisites
- Basic ML terminology and model evaluation knowledge
- Some hands-on familiarity with SageMaker or AWS data services
- 3-5 hours of focused study time per day
Study Schedule
Day 1Domain 1: Data Preparation
- Review ingestion, cleaning, validation, labeling, and feature engineering workflows
- Study S3, Glue, Athena, DataBrew, SageMaker Processing, and Feature Store
- Take a data preparation quiz and note weak data-quality cues
Day 2Domain 2: Model Development Basics
- Compare classification, regression, clustering, anomaly detection, and forecasting
- Review SageMaker built-in algorithms, custom containers, and distributed training
- Drill metrics: precision, recall, F1, AUC, RMSE, bias, variance, overfitting
Day 3Model Tuning and Evaluation
- Study automatic model tuning, objective metrics, search ranges, and early stopping
- Review model registry, versioning, approval states, and artifact handling
- Run model development flashcards
Day 4Domain 3: Deployment and Orchestration
- Compare real-time, serverless, asynchronous, and batch inference
- Study endpoint variants, autoscaling, rollback, and SageMaker Pipelines
- Review CI/CD and IaC patterns for ML workflows
Day 5Domain 4: Monitoring, Maintenance, and Security
- Review Model Monitor, data drift, model quality, bias drift, and explainability drift
- Study CloudWatch metrics/logs/alarms for training jobs and endpoints
- Review IAM roles, KMS, VPC endpoints, private access, and audit controls
Day 6Mixed Review and Mock Exam
- Take a full 65-question timed mock exam
- Review explanations for every missed question
- Re-read the data prep, SageMaker, deployment, monitoring, and security cheat sheets
Day 7Final Weak-Area Pass
- Retake quizzes in the two weakest domains
- Run all MLA flashcard decks
- Write a one-page comparison of inference options, monitoring types, and metrics
- Keep the final review light before exam day
Study Tips
MLA-C01 is engineering-heavy. Know the ML workflow around SageMaker, not just algorithms.
Data preparation is 28%, so do not save it for a quick skim.
Practice choosing inference modes from latency, payload, traffic, and cost requirements.
Use the 130-minute timer during mock exams so pacing feels normal.
Ready to Practice?
Put your study plan into action with MLA-C01 practice questions.