Exam Details
AWS · DVA-C02
Develop and deploy applications using AWS services and serverless architectures.
Practice with ExamOS for AWS Certified Developer - Associate. Learn daily with scenario-based questions, timed quizzes, detailed explanations, and exam-style difficulty.
Who is this for?
Level: Intermediate. This exam is all about building and maintaining cloud-native applications on AWS. While there are no strict formal prerequisites, AWS officially recommends at least one year of hands-on development experience. You should be comfortable with at least one high-level programming language like Python or Java, and deeply understand core services like Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, and S3. Familiarity with serverless architectures and IAM security is essential.
Are you ready?
You are prepared if you can build, deploy, and debug applications while explaining how AWS services interact in a real-world system. Jump into a 30-minute quiz to test your coding and deployment knowledge!
Overview
The AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) certification is designed for developers who build and maintain applications on AWS. It focuses on using AWS services to develop, deploy, and debug cloud-based applications. The exam covers topics such as AWS Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, S3, and application security. Candidates are expected to understand how to write code that interacts with AWS services, handle authentication, and optimize application performance. A key focus of this certification is serverless development. You will encounter scenarios involving event-driven architectures, integration between services, and monitoring application behavior. This certification is particularly relevant for backend developers and engineers working on cloud-native applications. It is often pursued alongside or after the Solutions Architect Associate certification. Roles aligned with this certification include cloud developer, backend engineer, and application developer working with AWS. As serverless and event-driven systems continue to grow, this certification remains highly relevant.
FAQ
The exam consists of 65 questions which are either multiple choice or multiple response. You are given 130 minutes to complete the assessment. The questions include a mix of operational scenarios and technical knowledge checks.
The exam is scored on a scale of 100 to 1,000, and a minimum scaled score of 720 is required to pass. Unanswered questions are scored as incorrect, so it is beneficial to provide an answer for every item.
The exam content is divided into four distinct domains that reflect the lifecycle of cloud application development:
Preparation should involve a mix of official documentation and practical testing. Recommended resources include:
The registration fee for the Associate-level exam is $150 USD. This fee does not include any additional taxes that may apply in your region or the cost of external practice materials. If you have passed an AWS certification previously, you may have a 50% discount voucher available in your AWS Certification account.
If you fail the exam, you must wait 14 business days before you are eligible to retake it. There is no limit on the number of attempts you can make, but you must pay the full registration fee for every attempt.
The certification is valid for three years from the date of passing. To maintain your certified status, you must recertify by either passing the latest version of the Associate exam or by earning a Professional-level certification, such as the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional.
There are no formal prerequisites for taking the DVA-C02, though AWS recommends at least one year of hands-on experience developing and maintaining AWS-based applications. The target audience includes:
Earning this certification validates your technical skills but does not guarantee employment on its own. It is a signal to employers that you understand cloud-native development patterns, particularly serverless architecture. Common roles for certificate holders include Cloud Developer and Backend Engineer. In a competitive market, this credential helps filter candidates for teams heavily invested in the AWS ecosystem, though practical coding ability remains the primary factor in hiring.
Once you have mastered the Developer Associate content, there are several logical paths to continue your professional growth: