Before Testing

All AWS Certifications may be earned without completing specific prerequisites. However, AWS provides recommendations for knowledge and experience that are aligned to the content and level of proficiency for each certification.

There is no true substitute for experience. AWS recommends that you have specific hands-on experience that covers the competencies, domains, and objectives in the content outline for each exam. In addition, AWS offers multiple training courses, and resources such as whitepapers and blogs, to assist you with acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary for competent practice.

AWS is committed to impartiality in all of its certification activities. We do not require or endorse any specific courses, as there are multiple methods to prepare for each certification.

Candidates ages 13-17 are permitted to take AWS Certification exams with the consent of a parent or legal guardian. Visit our Policies page for details.  

AWS endorses the principle of equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in all certification programs. Visit our Policies page for details.

Each AWS Certification exam assesses a unique, comprehensive set of knowledge, skills, and abilities that can be attained through learning and experience working with AWS products and services. Each exam samples the knowledge or skills required to perform the tasks in each of the major areas of responsibility—or domains—as defined through a job task analysis (JTA). Each exam does not attempt to test knowledge at all levels or settings in the content or practice area.

AWS Certification exams are constructed according to test specifications derived from the JTA. AWS conducts these studies with qualified subject matter experts (SMEs) to establish the test specifications used to construct each exam.

Exam guides for each certification contain the content outline for their respective exams. Each outline includes information on its exam’s domains and objectives, as well as the percentage of questions in each domain. Get started by downloading exam guides from each exam’s webpage, which are located on our website.

There are two types of questions on our exams:

• Multiple choice: Has one correct response and three incorrect responses
• Multiple response: Has two or more correct responses out of five or more options
  

Select one or more responses that best complete the statement or answer the question. Incorrect answers are response options that a candidate with incomplete knowledge or skill would likely choose. However, they are generally plausible responses that fit within the content area defined by the test objective.

Unanswered questions are scored as incorrect; there is no penalty for guessing. Partial credit is not awarded for multiple-response questions.

The following table shows the exam prices in local currency for countries that use the Australian Dollar, Euro, Korean Won, and Japanese Yen. Applicable taxes may apply. Prices are valid for one exam attempt.

Note: Exam prices are updated annually in April to reflect updated foreign exchange rates for these currencies. Refer to Exam pricing policies for more information.

• All prices in EUR, AUD, JPY and KRW apply to countries that use the Australian dollar, euro, Korean won, and Japanese yen.
• Foreign exchange rates displayed on this page do not apply to voucher purchases. For more on voucher pricing, please visit the Xvoucher website. Xvoucher is an AWS authorized reseller and distributor of AWS Certification exam vouchers.
• Vouchers that are intended to cover 100% of an exam will be valid for the full exam price, regardless of the updates to foreign exchange rates. Vouchers that are intended to cover 50% of an exam will be valid for 50% off of the exam price at the time of exam purchase.
  
• Individuals who pay for an exam with a credit card or cash will not be required to make any additional payment to reschedule their exam after the exchange rate is updated. Please note that AWS Certification exams can only be rescheduled twice.
• Individuals who cancel their exam more than 24 hours before their scheduled appointment will be refunded the exam fee they paid at the time of purchase.

AWS offers role-based certifications to validate expertise for those in Cloud Practitioner, architect, developer, and operations roles, plus Specialty certifications to validate advanced skills in specific technical areas. Details of each certification may be accessed through the AWS Certification homepage.

AWS Certification follows a rigorous process to create industry-recognized exams and credentials. Beta periods for new exams and new exam versions allow for testing the performance and quality of each question before use in a live exam.

Passing a beta exam earns candidates the applicable AWS Certification. Beta exams are offered at a 50% discount from standard exam pricing, and results are made available within 90 days of the end of the beta period. Learn more about beta exams on our Coming Soon page.

The best preparation for AWS Certification exams is practical experience. You can find specific recommendations to prepare for each certification exam by accessing our exam preparation page.

AWS offers many relevant options to supplement your learning:

• Customized learning paths
• Digital and instructor-led training
  
• Exam readiness courses
• Whitepapers
• Free tier access to AWS services
  
• Blogs

Please note that these offerings are neither required nor endorsed, and that we recommend you still review the exam content outline. Use the outline to determine what you will need to learn in preparation for the exam. You can find preparation resources for each certification on our exam preparation page.  

AWS Certification Official Practice Question Sets feature sample questions developed by AWS to demonstrate the style and depth of our certification exams. You can experience these exam-style questions, which offers detailed feedback and recommended resources to help fill gaps. AWS Certification Official Practice Question Sets are available for free on AWS Skill Builder.

We post sample questions on our website to provide you with an opportunity to become familiar with the format of questions used on AWS Certification exams. Sample questions are used strictly for illustrative purposes and are not indicative of actual content on the exams.

AWS Certification and their vendors are committed to providing all individuals with an opportunity to validate technical skills and cloud expertise. We will provide reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities to help ensure equitable access to AWS Certification.

Reasonable accommodations are granted for applicants with documented disabilities in coordination with our test delivery provider. Special accommodations will be arranged individually and in advance with the test delivery provider.

Accommodations must be requested prior to scheduling each exam.

A 30-minute exam extension is available upon request to non-native English speakers when taking an exam in English. The accommodation, “ESL +30,” only needs to be requested once, prior to registering for an exam. It will apply to all future exam registrations with all test delivery providers. To request this accommodation, follow these steps:

• Sign in to aws.training/Certification. 
• Select the Go to your Account button. 
• Select the Request Exam Accommodations button, followed by Request Accommodation.
• Using the Accommodation Type dropdown, select ESL +30 MINUTES.
• Select the Create button.

For Pearson VUE-granted accommodations, candidates will be required to request accommodations directly with Pearson VUE. A candidate with an approved accommodation will be given instructions for scheduling their exam appointment over the phone. For more information and to request accommodations, visit Pearson VUE’s accommodations page.

There are specific comfort aids, such as medicines, medical devices, and other items, that do not require prior approval. You may bring these items to test centers. Allowable comfort aids differ based on the test delivery provider.

Visit Pearson VUE’s comfort aids page for the current list of their allowed comfort aids.

To schedule a certification exam, you must first create an AWS Certification Account. Your AWS Certification Account is a central management tool for AWS Certification, allowing you to schedule exams and take advantage of certification benefits.

Your AWS Certification Account uses single sign-on (SSO) authentication from your aws.training account. If you have not yet created an aws.training account, go to aws.training, select the Sign In button at the top right, and create the appropriate account for yourself as a customer, APN Partner, or Amazon employee.

Once you are signed in to your account, select Certification from the top navigation. You will be prompted to fill out basic demographic information. As you enter your first name (given name) and last name (surname) when filling out this information, be sure they match your first and last name as they appear on the identification you will be required to present at your exam appointment. If the names are not identical, you will not be permitted to take the exam. (Visit the ID Requirements section of our During Testing [Test Day] page for more information about ID requirements.)

Should you have any account issues, visit our AWS Certification account FAQ for details on how to submit a case to AWS Training and Certification Customer Service. Account issues include the need to update the name on your account in order to match your valid identification, as well as merging multiple accounts.  

AWS Certification exams are currently offered through Pearson VUE. Learn more about the AWS Certification Test Delivery Provider, Pearson VUE, on our FAQ page.

To find a testing center, visit Pearson VUE to find a date, time, and location convenient for you.

You may review basic exam functionality for Pearson VUE test centers.

Online proctoring is available for all AWS Certification exams from our test delivery provider Pearson VUE. Review the information below for details on testing options available:

Note that communication with a proctor is required to complete an online-proctored appointment.

To schedule an AWS Certification exam through your AWS Certification Account, complete the following steps:

• Sign in to aws.training/Certification.
• Select the Go to your Account button, followed by the Schedule New Exam button. 
• Find the exam you wish to take, and then select Schedule with Pearson VUE.
• You will then be redirected to your Pearson VUE dashboard to select your testing location, date, and time for testing. Follow the prompts to purchase your exam. You will receive a confirmation email once you have purchased your exam.
• Please review the confirmation email in its entirety. This email contains pertinent details on the policies and terms for your upcoming exam appointment.
  

To reschedule or cancel an exam, complete the following steps:

• Sign in to aws.training/Certification.
• Select the Go to your Account button. 
• Select the Manage Pearson VUE Exams button.
• You will then be redirected to the Pearson VUE dashboard where you can select on the exam in the Upcoming Appointments menu. 
• Please note: You can reschedule your exam up to 24 hours before your scheduled exam time. Each exam appointment can only be rescheduled twice. If you need to reschedule your exam a third time, you will need to cancel your exam and schedule it for a more convenient date. If you paid for your exam using a voucher, verify the voucher expiration date prior to modifying your existing registration. Exam voucher expiration dates cannot be extended.
• You will not be able to cancel or reschedule your exam within 24 hours of your scheduled exam appointment. Within 24 hours of the exam time, our test delivery provider will charge the full delivery fee and refunds are not available. In cases of personal illness or unforeseen emergencies, and with appropriate documentation, the test delivery provider will waive the fee and allow the exam to be rescheduled without charging additional fees. To request an excused absence, contact Pearson VUE accordingly.

You must contact Pearson VUE (refer to the contact information above) or access your online account to cancel your exam a minimum of 24 hours prior to your appointment. Canceling your exam less than 24 hours prior to your appointment, or failing to appear for your appointment, will result in the forfeiture of your exam fee.

If you wish to reschedule your exam, sign in to your AWS Certification Account to complete the rescheduling process.

To offer certifications, AWS needs to collect some personal information about you, but we will never sell your personal information to others. We share personal information only as described in the AWS Privacy Policy, and with Amazon.com, Inc. and the subsidiaries that Amazon.com, Inc. controls that are either subject to the AWS Privacy Policy or follow practices at least as protective as those described in the policy.

The AWS Training and Certification team complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by providing a way for European Union members to request the deletion of personal data and by providing candidates with their personal data with a description of how it is used. We will also systematically notify you if an account breach occurs. You can find more details in AWS Training and Certification’s GDPR compliance FAQ.  

AWS Certification exams are not delivered in countries that are subject to sanctions or otherwise designated on any list of prohibited or restricted parties, including but not limited: to the lists maintained by the United Nations Security Council; the United States Government; the European Union or its member states; or any other applicable government authority. Our test delivery providers are committed to complying with applicable laws in the countries in which we operate, including international sanctions that may restrict us from providing services in, or to residents of, certain countries. A list of countries where AWS exams are delivered may be found during exam scheduling for Pearson VUE test centers.

To sit for an AWS Certification exam, you must provide valid government-issued identification establishing residence in a non-sanctioned country. If you do not have a qualifying government-issued ID from the country you are testing in (except for candidates who will use a European Union ID), an international travel passport from your country of citizenship is required and must be presented as your primary form of ID. A secondary form of ID is still required.

You can pay for AWS Certification exams using a credit card or voucher. The following credit cards can be used at Pearson VUE: Visa, American Express, Mastercard, and JCB.

Learn more about AWS Certification exam vouchers on our voucher webpage.  

When scheduling an exam with Pearson VUE, you will be prompted to agree to the test delivery provider’s terms and conditions. Be sure to read these terms and conditions carefully before proceeding to schedule your exam.