Exam Details
AWS · MLS-C01
Design advanced machine learning solutions and optimize models on AWS.
Practice with ExamOS for AWS Certified Machine Learning - Specialty. Learn daily with scenario-based questions, timed quizzes, detailed explanations, and exam-style difficulty.
Who is this for?
Level: Advanced. This specialty certification demands deep machine learning expertise on AWS. Although there are no formal prerequisites, AWS strongly recommends at least two years of hands-on experience architecting and running ML or deep learning workloads in the cloud. You must have advanced proficiency with frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch, alongside AWS SageMaker.
Are you ready?
You are prepared if you can independently design, train, and optimize complex ML models across the entire data lifecycle, and confidently explain your architectural decisions in production scenarios. Validate your elite machine learning expertise with our advanced practice tests!
Overview
The AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty (MLS-C01) certification is designed for professionals with advanced knowledge of machine learning. It focuses on designing, building, and optimizing ML solutions on AWS. The exam covers data engineering, exploratory data analysis, model development, and deployment. Candidates are expected to understand how to select algorithms and improve model performance. This certification emphasizes advanced concepts and real-world applications. You will encounter scenarios requiring deep understanding of data pipelines and ML workflows. It is particularly relevant for experienced ML engineers and data scientists. As machine learning systems become more complex, professionals who can design and optimize these systems are in demand, making this certification valuable for specialized roles.
FAQ
The AWS Certified Machine Learning - Specialty exam consists of 65 questions which must be completed within 170 minutes. The questions are delivered in two formats:
The exam results are reported as a scaled score from 100 to 1,000, with a minimum passing score of 750. Because the exam uses a compensatory scoring model, you do not need to "pass" every individual section, only achieve the overall threshold.
The exam content is divided into four distinct domains that represent the machine learning pipeline:
Successful candidates typically combine several study methods to ensure they understand both theoretical and practical applications:
The registration fee for the AWS Certified Machine Learning - Specialty exam is $300 USD. Please note that additional taxes may apply depending on your location and local tax regulations.
If you are unsuccessful in passing the exam, you must wait 14 calendar 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 a period of three years from the date of passing. To maintain your certified status, you must go through the recertification process by passing the current version of the Specialty exam or by earning a qualifying Professional-level certification. AWS typically provides a 50% discount voucher for recertification attempts.
There are no formal prerequisites required to sit for the MLS-C01, though AWS recommends at least two years of hands-on experience developing, architecting, or running ML/deep learning workloads on the AWS Cloud. The target audience includes:
While this certification is a prestigious credential that validates your technical expertise in AWS-specific machine learning tools, it is not a silver bullet for employment. The market for ML roles is highly competitive and often requires a deep understanding of mathematics and statistics that a certification alone cannot replace. However, it can significantly improve your chances of securing roles as a Senior ML Engineer or Cloud Architect within organizations that are heavily invested in the AWS ecosystem.
After mastering the ML Specialty, professionals often look toward broadening their data or infrastructure expertise. Related certifications include: