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A Team Leads Guide to Reaching the next AWS Partner Status by the end of the quarter

And How to Make Certification Procurement Easy Through AWS Marketplace

For many engineering-led organizations, reaching the next AWS Partner tier—especially Advanced—is less about ambition and more about execution. The deadline is fixed. Engineering teams are busy. Certification requirements are precise. And friction in booking or procurement can quietly derail timelines.

This guide is written for technical leaders who are driving toward AWS Advanced Partner status within a tight window, and who want to remove unnecessary overhead from the certification and procurement process.

 

1. Start With the Reality of AWS Advanced Partner Requirements

While the AWS Partner Network (APN) continues to evolve, one thing remains consistent:
Advanced Partner status requires a minimum number of AWS-certified technical professionals, with a mix of Associate-level and Professional or Specialty certifications held by unique individuals.

A common pitfall we see is over-indexing on a single certification type (for example, only AI or ML). While these certifications are valuable, AWS expects both breadth and depth across your technical team.

Best practice:

  • Use Associate-level certifications to build volume quickly
  • Use Professional or Specialty certifications (AI/ML, Security, Data, DevOps) to meet depth requirements
  • Identify more candidates than strictly required to build buffer against retakes

 

2. Front-Load Certification Efforts to Reduce Risk

If your goal is to reach the next tier by the end of this quarter, waiting for procurement or your engineers to use their credit cards is a risk multiplier.

High-performing partners typically:

  • We suggest you front-load Associate certifications
  • Schedule Specialty or Professional exams now, these are difficult exams and need plenty of time equally for both hands-on keyboard experience and time to practice.
  • Avoid first-time exams in the final 30 days before the quarter deadline

This approach absorbs exam failures, scheduling constraints, and operational delays without jeopardizing tier eligibility.

 

3. Reduce Friction: Let Engineers Book Exams Themselves

Most engineering organizations prefer that engineers book their own AWS exams directly with Pearson VUE, rather than routing everything through a central coordinator.

This model works well when paired with:

  • Clear internal expectations on timelines
  • A lightweight tracking mechanism (not heavy enforcement)
  • Fast access to exam vouchers when engineers are ready

The key is removing procurement delays, not adding process.

 

4. Why AWS Marketplace Is the Cleanest Way to Buy Certification Vouchers

For organizations already transacting heavily with AWS, AWS Marketplace is often the most efficient procurement path for certification vouchers.

Benefits include:

  • Procurement aligned to existing AWS spend and approvals
  • Cleaner audit trail and potential to use AWS MDF and other credits
  • No need to onboard a new vendor
  • Substantially faster turnaround than traditional PO-based purchasing
  • No need for the engineers to seek reimbursement for paying out of pocket
  • The organization is investing in your team

However, not all vendors in the Marketplace are equal.

 

5. Engaging ThunderCat Technology for Certification Vouchers

ThunderCat Technology is an AWS Authorized Training Partner (ATP) and a trusted Marketplace vendor for AWS certification vouchers.

How the Engagement Typically Works

  1. Purchase vouchers directly through AWS Marketplace via a private offer from ThunderCat
  2. Receive the Private Offer within an hour, accept the offer and have the vouchers in a PearsonVUE account the same day
  3. Assign vouchers to named users
  4. The Engineers schedule exams directly with Pearson VUE
  5. Organizations maintain visibility without any central booking overhead

This model keeps engineering teams autonomous while giving leadership confidence that certifications are progressing on schedule.

 

6. Best Practices for Voucher Procurement

Based on what we see across successful AWS partners:

  • Buy vouchers in bulk. Have them readily available
  • One purchase for all your certification needs:
    • Associate certifications
    • Specialty / Professional certifications
    • Retake buffer
  • Confirm voucher expiration terms upfront
  • Align voucher issuance with planned exam windows and ask the engineers to book the exams and then work backwards on any training needs and hands-on labs that might be needed from Digital Content such as AWS Skill Builder

This approach minimizes waste, reduces administrative overhead, and keeps momentum high.

 

7. Incentives Matter (More Than You Think)

Certifications are demanding—even for experienced AWS practitioners. Partners that consistently hit higher tiers often pair certification goals with meaningful incentives, such as:

  • Conference attendance (e.g., AWS re:Invent)
  • Recognition in engineering all-hands
  • Career progression alignment

These incentives convert certification from a checkbox into a shared objective.

 

8. The Big Picture

Reaching AWS Advanced Partner status by Q1 is absolutely achievable—but only if certification strategy, procurement, and scheduling are treated as engineering enablement, not bureaucracy.

By:

  • Front-loading certifications
  • Using AWS Marketplace for clean procurement
  • Letting engineers book exams directly
  • Partnering with an authorized ATP like ThunderCat

 

About ThunderCat Technology
ThunderCat Technology is an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner and Authorized Training Partner (ATP), helping organizations streamline cloud adoption, certification programs, and AWS Marketplace procurement.

If you’re planning your next AWS Partner tier milestone, ThunderCat can help simplify the path—without slowing your engineering teams down. Create your private offer and receive your AWS Certification vouchers today.