AWS Training and Certification Blog

New beta exam for AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate

Registration is now open for the new AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate beta exam, which will be available from February 16, 2021, to March 26, 2021. For the first time, exams may include a combination of multiple choice, multiple response, and exam lab items. To complete an exam lab, candidates build solutions with the AWS Management Console and AWS Command Line Interface (CLI).

About the certification

AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate is intended for system administrators in cloud operations roles who have at least one year of hands-on experience with deployment, management, networking, and security on AWS. This credential helps organizations identify and develop talent with critical skills for implementing cloud initiatives. By earning AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate, builders can highlight their experience using AWS optimization strategies, network configurations, and security implementation and compliance policies.

What’s new

“We are excited to offer a new way for builders to demonstrate their skills with exam labs,” said Diana Godwin, AWS Certification leader. “Candidates will be able to respond to a scenario by building a solution with AWS services, which will allow them to showcase hands-on experience as part of the exam.”

The new exam also takes into account the latest best practices for the SysOps administrator role as well as innovations on the AWS platform. You can view an updated description in the exam guide. To help you prepare, the outline includes the test domains, the weight of each domain, and detailed learning objectives with example AWS services.

About the beta exam

AWS Certification uses beta exams to test new questions and items. During the beta phase for the new AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate exam (SOA-C02), the current version of the AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate exam (SOA-C01) will also be available. Passing either exam will result in earning AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate.

The beta exam is open to anyone at a discounted rate of $75 USD. Exam appointments for the beta phase are limited, so register early to participate. You can find more information about the exam on our website. If you don’t make it into the beta, the updated exam (SOA-C02) will be generally available in Q3 2021.

Get the Exam Guide
Get the Sample Questions