How to Add New Certifications

This guide explains how to add new certification study notes to this repository.

Quick Start

Create the folder structure
Add your content files
Update the VitePress configuration
Update the certifications index page

Step 1: Create Folder Structure

Create a new folder following this pattern:

certifications/
  └── [provider]/
      └── [exam-code]/
          ├── index.md          # Overview page
          ├── objectives.md     # Exam objectives
          ├── notes.md          # Study notes
          └── exam-tips.md      # Exam tips & strategies

Example: For AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03):

certifications/
  └── aws/
      └── saa-c03/
          ├── index.md
          ├── objectives.md
          ├── notes.md
          └── exam-tips.md

Step 2: Create Content Files

2.1 Create `index.md` (Overview Page)

markdown

---
title: "[EXAM-CODE] - [Certification Name]"
description: "Study notes for [EXAM-CODE] [Certification Name]"
head:
  - - meta
    - name: keywords
      content: [exam-code], [keywords], certification, exam, study notes
---

# [EXAM-CODE]: [Certification Name]

## Exam Information

- **Provider**: [Provider Name]
- **Exam Code**: [EXAM-CODE]
- **Official Exam Page**: [URL]
- **Exam Duration**: [Duration] minutes
- **Number of Questions**: ~[Number] questions
- **Passing Score**: [Score]/1000
- **Exam Format**: Multiple choice, multiple select

::: tip Note Freshness
**Prepared**: [Month Year]
**Last Updated**: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Exam content may change. Always verify with official documentation.
:::

## Overview

Brief description of what the certification validates.

**Target Audience:**
- Role 1
- Role 2
- Role 3

**Prerequisites:**
- Prerequisite 1
- Prerequisite 2

---

## Study Materials

### 📋 [Exam Objectives](./objectives.md)
Official exam domains and objectives outline

### 📚 [Study Notes](./notes.md)
Comprehensive study notes covering all exam topics

### 💡 [Exam Tips](./exam-tips.md)
Exam strategies, common traps, and study advice

---

## 📖 Official Resources

- [Official Documentation](URL)
- [Practice Exams](URL)
- [Official Study Guide](URL)

---

## Study Progress Tracker

Track your progress through the study materials.

### Domain 1: [Domain Name]
- [ ] Topic 1.1
- [ ] Topic 1.2
- [ ] Topic 1.3

### Domain 2: [Domain Name]
- [ ] Topic 2.1
- [ ] Topic 2.2

[... Continue for all domains ...]

---

[Exam Objectives →](./objectives.md)

2.2 Create `objectives.md`

markdown

---
title: "[EXAM-CODE] - Exam Objectives"
description: "Official exam objectives for [EXAM-CODE] [Certification Name]"
---

# [EXAM-CODE]: Exam Objectives

Official exam domains and objectives for the [EXAM-CODE] [Certification Name].

[← Back to Overview](./index.md) | [Study Notes →](./notes.md) | [Exam Tips →](./exam-tips.md)

---

## Domain 1: [Domain Name] (~XX%)

### 1.1: [Topic Name]
- Objective 1
- Objective 2
- Objective 3

### 1.2: [Topic Name]
- Objective 1
- Objective 2

---

## Domain 2: [Domain Name] (~XX%)

[... Continue for all domains ...]

---

## Exam Weighting

| Domain | Weight | Focus Areas |
|--------|--------|-------------|
| Domain 1: [Name] | ~XX% | [Focus] |
| Domain 2: [Name] | ~XX% | [Focus] |
| Domain 3: [Name] | ~XX% | [Focus] |

---

[← Back to Overview](./index.md) | [Study Notes →](./notes.md) | [Exam Tips →](./exam-tips.md)

*Source: Official [Provider] Documentation*

2.3 Create `notes.md`

markdown

---
title: "[EXAM-CODE] - Study Notes"
description: "Comprehensive study notes for [EXAM-CODE] [Certification Name]"
---

# [EXAM-CODE]: Study Notes

Comprehensive study notes for the [EXAM-CODE] [Certification Name].

[← Back to Overview](./index.md) | [← Objectives](./objectives.md) | [Exam Tips →](./exam-tips.md)

---

## Domain 1: [Domain Name]

### Topic 1.1: [Topic Name]

[Study content here...]

#### Key Concepts

- Concept 1
- Concept 2

#### Code Examples

\`\`\`yaml
# Example code
\`\`\`

::: tip Why This Matters
Explain why this is important for the exam and real-world usage.
:::

::: warning Common Mistake
Highlight common mistakes or exam traps.
:::

---

[Continue with all topics...]

---

[← Back to Overview](./index.md) | [← Objectives](./objectives.md) | [Exam Tips →](./exam-tips.md)

2.4 Create `exam-tips.md`

markdown

---
title: "[EXAM-CODE] - Exam Tips & Strategy"
description: "Exam preparation strategies and tips for [EXAM-CODE]"
---

# [EXAM-CODE]: Exam Tips & Strategy

Strategic guidance for exam preparation and taking the [EXAM-CODE] exam.

[← Back to Overview](./index.md) | [← Objectives](./objectives.md) | [← Study Notes](./notes.md)

---

## ⚠️ Exam Traps & Gotchas

Common mistakes and tricky areas that often appear on the exam.

### Trap 1: [Trap Name]

**What it looks like:**
Description of the scenario

**Why it's wrong:**
Explanation

**Remember:**
Key takeaway

---

## 📚 Study Strategy

### What to Focus On
- Important topic 1
- Important topic 2

### What NOT to Over-Study
- Less important topic 1
- Topic that appears rarely

---

## ⏱️ Time Management

Tips for managing time during the exam.

---

## 🎯 Decision Tables

Quick reference tables for "which option" questions.

| Scenario | Use This | Not This | Why |
|----------|----------|----------|-----|
| Scenario 1 | Solution A | Solution B | Reason |

---

[← Back to Overview](./index.md) | [← Objectives](./objectives.md) | [← Study Notes](./notes.md)

Step 3: Update VitePress Configuration

Edit .vitepress/config.mts to add your certification to the navigation and sidebar.

typescript

nav: [
  {
    text: 'Certifications',
    items: [
      { text: 'All Certifications', link: '/certifications/' },
      // ... existing certifications ...
      { text: '[EXAM-CODE]: [Short Name]', link: '/certifications/[provider]/[exam-code]/' }
    ]
  }
]

typescript

sidebar: {
  '/certifications/': [
    {
      text: '[Provider] Certifications',
      collapsed: false,
      items: [
        {
          text: '[EXAM-CODE]: [Certification Name]',
          collapsed: false,
          items: [
            { text: 'Overview', link: '/certifications/[provider]/[exam-code]/' },
            { text: 'Exam Objectives', link: '/certifications/[provider]/[exam-code]/objectives' },
            { text: 'Study Notes', link: '/certifications/[provider]/[exam-code]/notes' },
            { text: 'Exam Tips', link: '/certifications/[provider]/[exam-code]/exam-tips' }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Example for AWS SAA-C03:

typescript

{
  text: 'AWS Certifications',
  collapsed: false,
  items: [
    {
      text: 'SAA-C03: Solutions Architect',
      collapsed: false,
      items: [
        { text: 'Overview', link: '/certifications/aws/saa-c03/' },
        { text: 'Exam Objectives', link: '/certifications/aws/saa-c03/objectives' },
        { text: 'Study Notes', link: '/certifications/aws/saa-c03/notes' },
        { text: 'Exam Tips', link: '/certifications/aws/saa-c03/exam-tips' }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Step 4: Update Certifications Index Page

Edit certifications/index.md to add your certification to the overview page.

markdown

## [Provider] Certifications

### [[EXAM-CODE]: [Certification Name]](./[provider]/[exam-code]/)
Brief description of what the certification covers.

**Status**: In Progress / Planning / Completed
**Difficulty**: Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced
**Prerequisites**: List prerequisites

Example:

markdown

## AWS Certifications

### [SAA-C03: AWS Solutions Architect Associate](./aws/saa-c03/)
Design and deploy scalable, highly available, and fault-tolerant systems on AWS.

**Status**: In Progress
**Difficulty**: Intermediate
**Prerequisites**: AWS fundamentals, cloud computing basics

Step 5: Test Locally

Start the development server:
bash
```
npm run docs:dev
```
1
Navigate to http://localhost:5173 and verify:
- ✅ Certification appears in navigation dropdown
- ✅ Sidebar shows all 4 pages (Overview, Objectives, Notes, Tips)
- ✅ All internal links work
- ✅ Progress tracker works (if included)
- ✅ Search finds your content

Tips for Writing Study Notes

Use Consistent Formatting

Headings: Use H2 (##) for domains, H3 (###) for topics
Code Blocks: Always specify the language (yaml, bash, etc.)
Callouts: Use VitePress custom containers:
- ::: tip - Important exam tips
- ::: warning - Common mistakes
- ::: danger - Critical exam facts

Make Notes Exam-Focused

Add "Why This Matters" callouts
Include decision tables for "which option" questions
Highlight exam traps and gotchas
Use real-world examples
Keep tone conversational, not documentation-style

Include Practical Examples

yaml

# ✅ CORRECT - Show what works
example: code

# ❌ WRONG - Show what doesn't
bad: example

Add Exam-Specific Details

Specific timeouts, limits, quotas
Syntax patterns tested on exam
CLI commands and flags
Configuration options
API differences

Checklist

Before submitting or publishing:

[ ] Created all 4 required files (index, objectives, notes, exam-tips)
[ ] Added certification to navigation dropdown in config.mts
[ ] Added certification to sidebar in config.mts
[ ] Updated certifications/index.md with new certification
[ ] Verified all internal links work
[ ] Tested locally with npm run docs:dev
[ ] Spell-checked content
[ ] Verified code examples are correct
[ ] Added proper frontmatter to all .md files

Need Help?

Check existing certifications (GH-200) for formatting examples
Review VitePress documentation: https://vitepress.dev
Ensure all links use relative paths
Use clean URLs (no .html extensions)

Example: Complete Structure

certifications/
├── index.md
├── github/
│   └── gh-actions/
│       ├── index.md
│       ├── objectives.md
│       ├── notes.md
│       └── exam-tips.md
├── azure/
│   └── ai-102/
│       └── index.md
└── aws/
    ├── aip-c01/
    │   └── index.md
    └── saa-c03/           # NEW
        ├── index.md       # NEW
        ├── objectives.md  # NEW
        ├── notes.md       # NEW
        └── exam-tips.md   # NEW

Good luck with your certification studies!

How to Add New Certifications ​

Quick Start ​

Step 1: Create Folder Structure ​

Step 2: Create Content Files ​

2.1 Create index.md (Overview Page) ​

2.2 Create objectives.md ​

2.3 Create notes.md ​

2.4 Create exam-tips.md ​

Step 3: Update VitePress Configuration ​

3.1 Add to Navigation Dropdown ​

3.2 Add to Sidebar ​

Step 4: Update Certifications Index Page ​

Step 5: Test Locally ​

Tips for Writing Study Notes ​

Use Consistent Formatting ​

Make Notes Exam-Focused ​

Include Practical Examples ​

Add Exam-Specific Details ​

Checklist ​

Need Help? ​

Example: Complete Structure ​

How to Add New Certifications

Quick Start

Step 1: Create Folder Structure

Step 2: Create Content Files

2.1 Create `index.md` (Overview Page)

2.2 Create `objectives.md`

2.3 Create `notes.md`

2.4 Create `exam-tips.md`

Step 3: Update VitePress Configuration

3.1 Add to Navigation Dropdown

3.2 Add to Sidebar

Step 4: Update Certifications Index Page

Step 5: Test Locally

Tips for Writing Study Notes

Use Consistent Formatting

Make Notes Exam-Focused

Include Practical Examples

Add Exam-Specific Details

Checklist

Need Help?

Example: Complete Structure