AWS Training FAQ

We’re here to help. Get started below with answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.

AWS Training and Certification helps you build and validate your cloud skills so you can get more out of the cloud. We offer both digital and classroom training—delivered virtually and in person—so you can choose to learn online at your own pace or learn best practices from an instructor.

Are you looking for answers regarding AWS Training policies?

  • General Questions
  • Digital Training
    • Digital trainings are unscheduled courses you can take when and where it's convenient for you. They're made up of videos and written content that help you build in-demand cloud skills. 

    • Our free digital training gives you access to more than 500 on-demand courses in 17 languages, including Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), English, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (LATAM), Thai, and Vietnamese.

    • To access our free digital training, create an account or sign into AWS Skill Builder, select a course, and start learning.

      To sign in or create an account on AWS Skill Builder:

      1. Open AWS Skill Builder.
      2. Click Sign In.
      3. Sign in or create an account using one of the following options:
        • AWS Builder ID (recommended for individuals): Use or create your AWS Builder ID.
        • AWS Partner: Use your APN Partner Central credentials.
        • Sign into an organization: If your company has a Team subscription, use your company email to sign into your organization's account.
        • Log in with Amazon: Use your Amazon retail account credentials.
        • Amazon employee sign-in: Automatically sign in using authentication.
      4. If you're signing in for the first time, complete your account profile.
    • You can access AWS Partner training—including on-demand courses, PartnerCast videos, and learning plans—by signing in to AWS Skill Builder with your AWS Partner Central credentials.

    • If you're an Amazon employee, you can sign into AWS Skill Builder while logged into the Amazon network.

    • Ramp-Up Guides (RUGs) are reference documents that dive deep into a domain, role, or industry, and feature many different types of training including digital training, classroom courses, videos, whitepapers, certifications, labs, and more.

    • Learning plans are a subset of RUGs. Learning plans are a recommended collection of digital courses focused on a specific domain or job role. Each learning plan progresses a learner through a series of increasingly challenging courses to aid them in becoming a subject matter expert in the domain or job role. Learners can enroll in the learning plan and track their progress toward completion of the plan. They can also skip around if they do not wish to take the courses in the given sequence. If you have a subscription, self-paced labs will also be included in your learning plan.

    • The AWS Training and Certification experience works best on the two most recent versions of each of the following:

      • Google Chrome
      • Mozilla Firefox
      • Microsoft Edge
      • Safari
    • Both programs provide self-paced digital training to individual learners who are motivated to build their cloud skills at no cost. AWS Skill Builder is for professional learners and AWS Educate is for pre-professionals who are not yet working in the cloud, such as K-12 students, higher education and/or vocational students, and job training participants.

      AWS Educate learners can register without an Amazon.com account, which enables access to learn and practice cloud skills on the AWS Console by minors, individuals without credit cards, or those who do not want to create an account. In addition, AWS Skill Builder has a broad and deep content library (500+ digital courses), across all levels, from fundamental to advanced.

      AWS Educate offers fundamental content curated specifically for self-motivated, new-to-the-cloud learners through an easy-to-navigate and adaptive user experience that guides learners to new courses of interest, while keeping in-progress content displayed so learners never forget where they left off. 

  • Classroom Training
    • Classroom training includes live classes with instructors who teach you in-demand cloud skills and best practices using a mix of presentations, discussion, and hands-on labs.

      You can ask questions, work through solutions in person, and get feedback from AWS-accredited instructors with deep technical knowledge.  

    • You can find our in-person and virtual classroom training on AWS.training.
    • To create an aws.training account:

      1. Go to https://www.aws.training
      2. Select Sign In.
      3. Sign in or create an account using one of the following options:
        • AWS Builder ID (recommended for individuals): Use or create your AWS Builder ID.
        • AWS Partner Network: Use your APN Partner Central credentials.
        • Sign into an organization: Use your company email to sign into your organization's account.
        • Log in with Amazon: Use your Amazon retail account credentials.
        • Amazon employee sign-in: Automatically sign in using authentication.
      4. If you're signing in for the first time, complete your account profile.
    • All Classroom Training courses are currently delivered virtually.
    • Check your email for a registration confirmation email. This email will have instructions for how to register for access to course materials and the lab environment. Please complete the steps in that email before class.

      Instructions for the day of class:
      1. Go to https://www.aws.training.
      2.  Select Sign In.
      3. After you've signed in and returned to the Dashboard, hover over My Account and select Transcript.
      4. Find your class, expand the listing by selecting the arrow to the left of the class name and then select Open. You'll be redirected to a page with a blue Launch link.
      5. Select the link and you'll be redirected to Cisco Webex to join your class. Please note the following:
        • The blue Launch link will be present up to 15 minutes before the start of the session. If you hit a Webex login wall prompting you for a Session ID, that means your Instructor hasn’t started the session. Please go back to your course and try to Launch again. You will only be able to launch if its within 15 minutes of the start of the session and if your Instructor has started it.
        • If you have a pop-up blocker enabled, you will need to disable it for Webex to launch.
        • If you're using a Mac, please disconnect from VPN, if possible, to reduce lag.

       

    • Private training can help your team meet your business objectives sooner. We can work with you to develop a training strategy, and then bring a dedicated instructor directly to you—in person or virtually—to train your staff. Contact us for more information.

    • If you are hosting private on-site training, it is critical that you provide a classroom environment with the following resources:

      • Large whiteboard with markers
      • LCD projector and screen
      • Power cables for each attendee
      • Internet access for instructor (preferably wireless)

      If you don't provide these resources, AWS may be unable to provide all or a portion of the training you've arranged.

  • Individual subscription
    • AWS Skill Builder Individual subscription is a digital training subscription for individual learners. The Individual monthly subscription provides access to self-paced digital training content including open-ended challenges, self-paced labs, game-based learning, and AWS Certification exam preparation. With annual subscriptions, in addition to all the content available with monthly subscription, you also get access to AWS Digital Classroom, in-depth classroom-based training packaged in a convenient, digital format. Learn more about the Individual subscription.

    • With AWS Skill Builder Individual subscription, individuals gain access to a broad portfolio of learning experiences with interactive approaches. These learning experiences help subscribers build practical cloud skills, learn about the AWS Cloud in a hands-on way, and pursue the training they need to advance their professional goals.

    • Subscribers have access to over 600+ self-paced digital courses and learning plans that are freely available to all AWS Skill Builder learners. In addition to these courses, Individual subscription includes training resources that help you:

      • Get certified. Gain confidence going into exam day with enhanced exam prep courses including guided labs and Official Practice Exams that mirror exam style, rigor, and scoring.
      • Learn by doing. Practice with AWS in a safe, no-fee sandbox environment. Unlock +1000 lab experiences to develop your building skills with guided, step-by-step instruction, apply your skills using common role and industry scenarios with game-based learning, and assess your building expertise through a Jam Journey.
      • Build problem-solving skills. Accelerate skill development with game-based learning. Deepen role expertise with AWS Cloud Quest’s guided, immersive simulations. Build AWS solutions through use cases common to your industry.
      • Dive Deeper. Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to innovate, through the same expansive content and expert instruction as AWS Classroom Training - all online, at your own pace, and on your schedule. AWS Digital Classroom courses are exclusive to AWS Skill Builder Individual annual and Team subscriptions.
    • No. AWS Skill Builder Individual subscription provides access to self-paced, digital training. Access to live classroom training and AWS Certification exams is not included in this subscription. However, with the AWS Skill Builder Individual annual subscription, individuals gain access to AWS Digital Classroom courses that provide the depth of classroom training with the flexibility of self-paced digital training.

    • Yes. The AWS Skill Builder Team subscription is available to teams of 50+.

    • The Individual subscription is offered monthly at a cost of $29 USD/month and annually at a cost of $449 USD/year.

    • The AWS Skill Builder Individual subscription is available to learners in 242 countries and territories served by AWS. However, it is not available in AWS China Region.

    • For monthly subscription, the Individual subscription monthly charge will be billed to your AWS account—prorated for the first month if you subscribe after the first day of the month, then billed on the first of each month following.

      For annual subscription, the Individual subscription annual charge will be billed to your AWS account.

    • The subscription automatically renews at the selected subscription term cadence (monthly or yearly) unless cancelled by the subscriber.

    • Yes. If you cancel within your default 7-day free trial, you will not be charged. If you cancel after your 7-day free trial has completed, your subscription will automatically convert into a paid subscription, either on a monthly or annual basis, as per your initial selection upon commencing the trial. In the case of a monthly subscription, we will calculate your first month's fee on a prorated basis, factoring in your subscription's Start date. Should you decide to cancel prior to the 7-day period ending, you will retain access until the trial period ends, with no charges applied. You can cancel anytime and your subscription will not automatically renew on the next billing cycle.

    • To cancel your subscription, log into your Skill Builder learner account and go to your Subscriptions Management page, then select Cancel Subscription. You will continue to have access to paid subscription content through the end of your current billing period.

    • To switch from the monthly to the annual Individual subscription, first, cancel your monthly subscription from the Subscriptions Management page in Skill Builder and wait until the remaining billing period is completed. Then, you can purchase the Individual annual subscription.

    • No. Subscription courses are only available as part of a subscription.

    • Yes, in addition to subscription training content, subscribers also have access to over 600+ self-paced digital courses and learning plans for specific job roles or domains.

    • Learners log into AWS Skill Builder using an AWS Builder ID account (What is AWS Builder ID?). AWS Partner Network employees can log in with AWS Partner Central.

    • Yes, learning history will still be viewable in AWS Skill Builder.

    • The AWS Skill Builder Individual subscription experience is not optimized for mobile phone and tablet devices. We recommend a laptop or a workstation to use training offerings provided in the subscription.

    • The 7-day free trial includes unlimited access to all the training resources that are available through the AWS Skill Builder Individual monthly or annual subscription. The 7-day free trial for the monthly subscription includes access to hands-on labs, role-based games, builder challenges, and enhanced exam prep resources with practice materials. The 7-day free trial for the annual subscription includes everything in the monthly free trial plus access to AWS Digital Classroom - classroom-based on-demand training.

    • To be eligible for the 7-day free trial, you must:

      • Not have an active individual subscription.
      • Not have redeemed a 7-day free trial for the Skill Builder Individual subscription within the last 12 months.
    • No, it's not possible to switch from a paid AWS Skill Builder account to a trial account.

    • At the end of your 7-day free trial, your subscription will automatically convert into a paid subscription, either on a monthly or annual basis, as per your initial selection upon commencing the trial. In the case of a monthly subscription, we will calculate your first month's fee on a prorated basis, factoring in your subscription's Start date. Should you decide to cancel prior to the 7-day period ending, you will retain access until the trial period ends, with no charges applied.

    • You will have 7 days from trial start date to cancel before you will be charged.

    • To initiate cancellation, please visit your AWS Skill Builder profile page.

      1. Log in to my profile.
      2. Select “Purchases and Subscriptions”
      3. Under Subscription Management, click on “Go To Subscription Page”
      4. Click “Cancel Subscription”
    • Your 7-day free trial will remain active until the original trial period ends. Regardless of whether you cancel during the 7-day period, your trial access will expire on the 7th day. Rest assured, you won't be charged for an Individual subscription after your free trial ends. AWS will send you an email confirming the cancellation and its associated effects.

    • If you need assistance, please feel free to visit our support page or reach out to our customer service team.

  • Team subscription
    • AWS Skill Builder Team subscription is a digital training subscription for organizations. The Team subscription provides access to self-paced digital training content including open-ended challenges, self-paced labs, game-based learning, and AWS Certification exam preparation. It also provides administrative capabilities to assign and track training for individuals and teams. Learn more about the Team subscription features.

    • With AWS Skill Builder Team subscription, individuals and teams gain access to a broad portfolio of learning experiences, all assignable and trackable from a self-service dashboard. Subscribers gain hands-on experience with real AWS services through access to AWS Builder Labs. They can learn role-specific skills through AWS Cloud Quest, an immersive game set in a virtual world. Teams can challenge themselves to solve practical problems and work together with AWS Jam. They can build industry expertise with AWS Industry Quest, an interactive training game that teaches solutions for common use cases in your industry. Organizations looking to grow their ranks of certified individuals gain the benefits of exam preparation courses and practice exams for AWS Certifications. These features help you upskill your workforce faster, and track their progress in a self-service way.

    • Learners who have the Team subscription have access to over 600+ digital courses that are freely available to all AWS Skill Builder learners. In addition to these courses, Team subscription includes:
      • AWS Builder Labs, to build practical skills in an AWS Management Console environment
      • Learning plans that provide a curated list of courses and labs related to a job role or a domain area
      • AWS Cloud Quest, an immersive game-based learning experience that provides role-based learning paths
      • AWS Industry Quest, an interactive training game that teaches AWS Cloud solutions for common use cases for specific industries
      • AWS Jam which offers scenario-based challenges that enable teams and cohorts to practice and validate skills
      • Practice exams for select AWS Certifications
    • No. AWS Skill Builder Team subscription provides access to self-paced, digital training. Access to classroom training and AWS Certification exams is not included in this subscription.

    • Yes. AWS Skill Builder Individual subscription provides the digital training subscription for individual learners.
    • Any AWS customer located in Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belgium, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holy See (Vatican City State), Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mainland China, Macedonia - The Former Yugoslav Republic, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Moldova - Republic Of, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania - United Republic Of, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), United States, United Kingdom, Uruguay, and Vietnam purchasing a minimum of 50 seats can purchase the Team subscription.

    • The AWS Skill Builder Team subscription is available for $449 USD per seat/per year. It is an annual subscription, available to organizations that want to purchase a minimum of 5 seats. They then assign the seats to their employees. This seat-based model ensures that a user with an active seat can access all the subscription training resources available.

      Please note that the price is exclusive of applicable taxes and duties, including VAT and applicable sales tax.

    • The subscription purchase will provide access to subscription benefits for one year.

    • The Team subscription charge will appear on the AWS Billing Console, alongside your other AWS Service usage.

    • To purchase the Team subscription contact your AWS Training and Certification representative or contact us.

    • After you order the Team subscription, we will create a Team subscription record for your organization and assign administrative privileges to users you have nominated. We will then conduct an onboarding meeting to give the subscription seats to administrators and train the administrators on how to manage users, assign subscription seats, and view reports.

    • Your subscription will start when AWS notifies you that you have access to AWS Skill Builder Team subscription.

    • Yes. If you are already using the subscription and have a certain number of seats available to you, you can purchase additional subscription seats. The subscription end-date for seats added mid-term will match the end-date of the seats purchased earlier. To add additional subscription seats, please contact your AWS Training and Certification representative.

    • No, AWS Skill Builder Team subscription is non-refundable and not eligible for cancellation. Please contact your AWS Training and Certification representative if you have further questions.

    • No. You will have to place a new order for the Team subscription before the end of your subscription term. Your AWS Training and Certification representative will contact you before the subscription expires to help you renew it.

    • Learning administrators, nominated by an organization at the time of purchase, will have the ability to add employees to AWS Skill Builder and assign them a subscription seat. Administrators will receive a Getting Started Guide to help them perform subscription management activities like adding and removing users, assigning subscription seats, and reporting.

    • You may only designate access to AWS Skill Builder Team subscription seats to your company’s employees and contractors.

    • Yes, a user who has been assigned the subscription seat can access all of the training content available for free in addition to the training content included only with the subscription.

    • No. Only one user can use a subscription seat at any given time. Ensure that users keep their login details confidential and secure at all times and prevent any unauthorized use.

    • The subscription seats are meant to be used by a single user through the duration of the subscription. However, learning administrators may reassign up to twenty percent of seats to different users during the year-long subscription period.

    • Each organization that purchases a Team subscription will be assigned a specialized technical account manager (TAM) to aid in their Skill Builder journey. Administrators can directly reach out to their TAM with technical support questions.

    • You will be able to see enrollment reports for self-paced digital courses, labs, and AWS Cloud Quest for employees you have invited to AWS Skill Builder. The reports will also include the number of active users, most used courses and learning plans, and more. For AWS Jam events you have organized, you will be able to see the challenges completed by participating teams/individuals and their score.

    • No. Team subscription reports show only self-paced training usage data at this time.

    • Only learning administrators have access to reporting.

    • Yes. You can invite all employees who are using only the free training content to be associated with your organization within AWS Skill Builder. Once those employees are associated with your organization, you will then be able to see digital training usage reports for these employees even if they don’t have a subscription seat. Alternatively, if your company has Single Sign-On (SSO) integration with AWS Skill Builder, you will be able to see usage reports for all employees who use SSO to login even if you have not invited them explicitly.

    • Learners must log in using the same email address that was used by their administrators to add them to AWS Skill Builder. Learners can log in with an Amazon account or an AWS Partner Network account (only applicable for AWS Partners). Learners can also log in using their company credentials if their company has SSO integration with AWS Skill Builder.

    • Yes. SSO integration is available for Team subscription customers. SSO is available for the following identity providers (IdPs)—Active Directory Federation Service (ADFS), Azure AD, Ping, and Okta—and we are working to adding support for more IdPs.

    • When the learner loses access to the subscription seat, they will not be able to access any subscription-only training content. However, they will be able to maintain the history of the training they have already taken.

    • Yes. Learning administrators have an option to deactivate a learner’s record when the learner leaves their company. However, the learning history is still maintained. Learners can contact AWS customer service to migrate learning history to a new account.

    • The AWS Skill Builder Team subscription experience is not optimized for mobile phone and tablet devices. We recommend a laptop or a workstation to use training offerings provided in the subscription.