AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and Solutions Architect - Associate
AWS certifications show that you understand Amazon Web Services, the largest public cloud platform. The Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) is the foundational exam covering cloud concepts, security, core services and billing, and it suits technical and non-technical roles alike. The Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C03) is the common next step for people who design systems on AWS.
Who it is for
- Beginners, students and career changers who want a first, low-cost cloud credential (Cloud Practitioner)
- Non-technical staff in sales, finance, project management or procurement who work with AWS teams (Cloud Practitioner)
- Developers, system administrators and engineers with about a year of hands-on AWS experience who design or review architectures (Solutions Architect - Associate)
- IT professionals building toward the Solutions Architect - Professional or other specialty AWS certifications
The exam at a glance
| CLF-C02 | SAA-C03 | |
|---|---|---|
| Exam | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate |
| Questions | 65 (50 scored, 15 unscored) | 65 (50 scored, 15 unscored) |
| Time | 90 min | 130 min |
| Format | Multiple choice (one correct answer out of four) and multiple response (two or more correct answers out of five or more options). Unanswered questions are scored as incorrect; there is no penalty for guessing. Taken at a Pearson VUE test center or online proctored. | Multiple choice (one correct answer out of four) and multiple response (two or more correct answers out of five or more options). Unanswered questions are scored as incorrect; there is no penalty for guessing. Taken at a Pearson VUE test center or online proctored. |
| Passing | Pass/fail against a minimum standard. Results are reported as a scaled score from 100 to 1,000; the minimum passing score is 700. Scoring is compensatory, so you only need to pass the exam overall, not each section. | Pass/fail against a minimum standard. Results are reported as a scaled score from 100 to 1,000; the minimum passing score is 720. Scoring is compensatory, so you only need to pass the exam overall, not each section. |
| Price | USD 100 (additional costs and foreign exchange rates may apply) | USD 150 (additional costs and foreign exchange rates may apply) |
| Prerequisites | None. The target candidate has up to 6 months of exposure to AWS Cloud design, implementation or operations, but this is not required. Suitable for people without an IT background. | No formal prerequisite. AWS recommends at least 1 year of hands-on experience designing cloud solutions that use AWS services. Candidates with no IT experience are advised to earn the Cloud Practitioner first. |
| Validity | Valid for 3 years. Recertify by passing the latest Cloud Practitioner exam, passing any Associate- or Professional-level AWS exam, or completing the AWS Cloud Quest: Recertify Cloud Practitioner course. | Valid for 3 years. Recertify by passing the latest version of this exam or by earning AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional. |
Checked against the official Amazon Web Services (AWS) pages on 2026-11-06: aws.amazon.com, docs.aws.amazon.com, aws.amazon.com, docs.aws.amazon.com. Exam details change; confirm on the issuer's site before you book. Some details could only be confirmed from secondary sources and are marked for re-checking.
Exam domains
CLF-C02
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Cloud Concepts | 24% |
| Security and Compliance | 30% |
| Cloud Technology and Services | 34% |
| Billing, Pricing, and Support | 12% |
SAA-C03
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Design Secure Architectures | 30% |
| Design Resilient Architectures | 26% |
| Design High-Performing Architectures | 24% |
| Design Cost-Optimized Architectures | 20% |
How to prepare
- Download the official exam guide for your exam and use its domains and task statements as a checklist, weighting your study time by the domain percentages.
- Open an AWS Free Tier account and build small things yourself: launch an EC2 instance, create an S3 bucket, set up IAM users and roles, and look at the billing console.
- Learn the AWS shared responsibility model and the six pillars of the Well-Architected Framework, since both appear across many questions.
- For the Solutions Architect exam, practice choosing between services for a given requirement, such as storage classes, database options, load balancing and multi-AZ designs.
- Take timed practice exams and, for every question, work out why each wrong option is wrong, not just why the right one is right.
- Book the exam once you consistently score comfortably above the passing level on full-length practice tests, and check the exam guide's in-scope services list for gaps.
FAQ
How hard are the AWS exams?
The Cloud Practitioner is an entry-level exam that tests concepts and service purpose, not hands-on configuration, and coding is out of scope. The Solutions Architect - Associate is noticeably harder: its questions are longer scenarios where you must pick the most secure, resilient, high-performing or cost-effective design.
How long does it take to prepare?
It varies with background. Many beginners prepare for the Cloud Practitioner in a few weeks of part-time study. The Solutions Architect - Associate usually takes longer, often one to three months, and goes much better with real hands-on practice.
Do AWS certifications expire?
Yes. Both certifications are valid for 3 years. You renew the Cloud Practitioner by passing its latest version, passing any Associate- or Professional-level exam, or completing the AWS Cloud Quest recertification course. You renew the Solutions Architect - Associate by passing its latest version or earning the Professional certification.
How much do the exams cost?
The Cloud Practitioner costs USD 100 and the Solutions Architect - Associate costs USD 150. AWS notes that taxes and foreign exchange rates may add to the price in some countries.