Exam Details
AWS · SAA-C03
Prepare for SAA-C03: Design secure, resilient, high-performing, and cost-optimized architectures on AWS.
Study Plan Available
AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03) Study Plan for 2026
8-week plan · ~50 hours
Overview
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FAQ
The SAA-C03 exam validates your ability to design distributed systems and architectures on AWS that meet requirements for security, reliability, performance, and cost optimization. This associate-level certification targets solutions architects who select appropriate AWS services, design multi-tier applications, implement high availability, and optimize costs. You'll prove you can translate business requirements into technical architectures using EC2, RDS, S3, VPC, Lambda, and dozens of other services. As the most popular AWS certification, SAA-C03 is the gold standard for demonstrating cloud architecture competence.
You're a fit for SAA-C03 if you:
Not sure if you're ready? Try a free sample quiz: 10 questions, instant results, identify weak areas.
| Domain | Weight | What This Means |
|---|---|---|
| Design Secure Architectures | 30% | Implement IAM, encryption, network security, and data protection across multi-tier applications |
| Design Resilient Architectures | 26% | Build fault-tolerant systems with multi-AZ deployments, Auto Scaling, and disaster recovery strategies |
| Design High-Performing Architectures | 24% | Select the right compute, storage, database, and caching services for performance requirements |
| Design Cost-Optimized Architectures | 20% | Choose pricing models, right-size resources, and use cost management tools to minimize spend |
You're probably ready if you can:
You might need more prep if:
If this feels too advanced:
If you know the basics but want to build confidence:
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam consists of 65 questions to be completed within 130 minutes. These questions are presented in two formats:
The exam is scored on a scale of 100 to 1,000, with a minimum passing score of 720. Your performance is evaluated based on the difficulty of the specific questions you receive, using a scaled scoring model.
The SAA-C03 exam focuses on four primary domains that reflect the AWS Well-Architected Framework:
Effective preparation involves a mix of hands-on experience and theoretical study. Recommended resources include the following options:
The registration fee for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam is $150 USD. Please note that taxes may apply depending on your location. If you have previously passed an AWS certification, you may have a 50% discount voucher available in your AWS Certification Account.
If you fail the exam, you must wait 14 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 you pass the exam. To maintain your certified status, you must recertify in one of these ways:
There are no formal prerequisites for taking this exam. It is intended for individuals in roles such as solutions architect, developer, or systems administrator. AWS recommends that candidates meet these guidelines:
While this certification is respected, it is not a guaranteed ticket to a high-paying role without accompanying experience. In the current market:
Once you have mastered the Associate level, you have several specialized or advanced paths to consider: