AWS Certification Questions Answered (2026): Exam Costs, Passing Scores, Negative Marking, Results, Retakes, Rescheduling, Expiry and Which Exam to Take First

Here are the answers people search for most about AWS certification, with the numbers that decide your plans. Exams cost $100 (Cloud Practitioner, AI Practitioner and AI Business Strategist), $150 (every Associate exam) or $300 (every Professional and Specialty exam). Scores are scaled, and you pass at 700 on Foundational exams, 720 on Associate exams and 750 on Professional and Specialty exams. There is no penalty for guessing: an unanswered question simply counts as wrong. Results land in your AWS Certification Account within five business days. If you fail, you wait 14 days and pay again, with no limit on attempts. Every certification is valid for three years, and passing gives you a 50% voucher for your next exam. No exam has prerequisites, so you can sit a Professional exam first if you are ready. Below: every current exam and what it costs, which one to take first, how the exam works on the day, booking and rescheduling rules, results, retakes, renewal, honest answers on difficulty and jobs, and the exams that change before the year ends.

Jake wanted a certification for a reason he admitted was mostly pride: the shop now runs on AWS, and he wanted to understand the bills Ethan kept explaining to him. Ethan was further along; he had passed Solutions Architect – Associate two years earlier and was wondering whether to renew it or go straight for the Professional. Between them they had the same twenty questions everyone has. "Is there negative marking? Can I skip the easy one? What happens if I fail?" Jake asked, one evening, reading the exam page. "And why is the price different on every website?" This page is the list they ended up writing down, checked against the official certification policies.

Starting from zero? Our free AWS learning hub lists the plain-English guides that cover most of the Cloud Practitioner exam, and our certification changes page tracks which exam versions are being replaced.

Every AWS certification in 2026, and what it costs

The current lineup has five levels. Prices are per attempt in US dollars; local currency prices exist for several countries and are reviewed each May.

Some exam codes are changing right now. Solutions Architect – Professional moves from SAP-C02 to SAP-C03 on November 17, 2026; Developer – Associate moves from DVA-C02 to DVA-C03 on December 1, 2026; and Machine Learning Engineer – Associate is in beta as MLA-C02 until January 14, 2027. The SysOps exam is now called CloudOps Engineer – Associate (SOA-C03). If a course or practice test names an old code, check what it covers before you pay for it; our changes page keeps the dates current.

A few exam formats, for planning your time:

How much AWS certification really costs, and how to pay less

The exam fee is the main cost, and it is the same whether you test online or at a test center. On top of it you may spend on practice tests or courses, but you can prepare well for free. Here is where you can save:

• The 50% voucher. Every time you pass, a voucher for 50% off your next exam appears in your AWS Certification Account. Use it for your next certification or for renewing one you hold. A 50% voucher is worth half the exam price at the time you buy, so it pays most on a $300 exam.
• Free preparation. AWS Skill Builder has free digital courses and practice question sets for many exams, and the official exam guides list every domain and task covered.
• Promotions. AWS runs time-limited offers from time to time, such as discounted or free vouchers tied to challenges. Treat third-party "free voucher" claims with care and check them in your certification account.
• Employers and partners. Many employers pay exam fees, and companies in the AWS Partner Network often receive vouchers for staff.
• Practice without a bill. The new-account credits and free tier cover most hands-on practice; our free tier credits guide explains how to stay inside them.

"So the second exam is half price," Jake said, "if I pass the first one." "And the third," said Ethan. "As long as you keep passing."

Which AWS certification should you take first?

There are no prerequisites for any AWS exam, so the right first exam depends on where you start. These are the common paths:

1. New to cloud, any role: Cloud Practitioner first. It covers cloud concepts, core services, security, pricing and support, and it is the natural step for managers, sales, finance and students.
2. Technical, building systems: Solutions Architect – Associate. It is the most recognized AWS certification and the usual entry for engineers, even without Cloud Practitioner.
3. Developers: Developer – Associate, then DevOps Engineer – Professional.
4. Operations and support: CloudOps Engineer – Associate, then DevOps Engineer – Professional.
5. Data and AI: AI Practitioner for concepts, then Data Engineer or Machine Learning Engineer – Associate, then Generative AI Developer – Professional.
6. Business leaders working on AI: AI Business Strategist, which tests business judgment rather than AWS configuration; see our AI Business Strategist guide.
7. Experienced architects: Solutions Architect – Professional directly is allowed, but most people take the Associate first because the Professional assumes its knowledge and goes much deeper.

Two practical points decide many of these choices. Passing an Associate or Professional exam also renews Cloud Practitioner, so a technical person can skip it without losing anything. And Solutions Architect – Associate is renewed by passing the Professional, so the two work as a pair.

What the exam is like on the day

Most exams are multiple choice (one correct answer out of four) and multiple response (two or more correct answers out of five or more options), written as short work scenarios. Newer exams also use other formats such as ordering and matching items; check the exam guide for your exam to see which types it uses. A few facts that change how you should approach the exam:

• Some questions do not count. Exams include unscored questions that are being tested for future use, and they are not marked. On Cloud Practitioner, 50 questions are scored and 15 are not. Answer everything as if it counts.
• You can flag and return. Mark questions for review and come back before you submit.
• Extra time for non-native speakers. If English is not your first language and you take an English exam, request the ESL +30 MINUTES accommodation once in your certification account before registering; it applies to all future bookings.
• Online or test center. Every exam is available online through Pearson VUE with a live proctor, or at a Pearson VUE test center.
• Identification. You need a valid government-issued ID plus a secondary ID, and online testing has its own room and computer checks.

For online exams, run the Pearson VUE system test on the computer and network you will use, clear your desk, and close every other application. A work laptop with locked-down security software is a common cause of trouble on the day.

Passing scores, scaled scoring and negative marking

AWS exams report a scaled score from 100 to 1,000, not the number of questions you got right. Scaling evens out small differences in difficulty between versions of the same exam, which is why nobody can tell you an exact number of correct answers needed to pass. The passing standard is:

• 700 for Foundational exams (Cloud Practitioner, AI Practitioner).
• 720 for Associate exams.
• 750 for Professional and Specialty exams.

There is no negative marking. Unanswered questions are scored as incorrect, and there is no penalty for guessing, so you should answer every question, even with a guess. The score report also shows how you did in each domain of the exam guide, which is the most useful part if you need to retake. The exam is pass or fail overall: a high score in one domain can make up for a weaker one.

"So a blank answer and a wrong answer cost the same," Jake said. "Then I'm never leaving one blank." "That," said Ethan, "is the one rule everybody agrees on."

Booking, rescheduling and canceling

You book through your AWS Certification Account, which hands you over to Pearson VUE to pick a time and place. The rules that catch people:

So if you are not ready, move the exam at least a day ahead; a late cancellation costs you the full fee.

Results, badges and the voucher

Your result is posted to your AWS Certification Account within five business days after the exam closes, occasionally longer if a result is reviewed for security or technical reasons. Once you pass, you get the certificate, a digital badge you can share on LinkedIn and with employers, and the 50% voucher for your next exam. The score report lists your scaled score and your performance in each exam domain.

Three things to do once your result arrives. First, accept and share your digital badge, because it is the way employers and clients usually check that a certification is real and current. Second, note your expiry date, three years from the day you passed, and put a reminder six months before it so you have time to renew or maintain. Third, if you passed, decide where the 50% voucher goes before it expires, since voucher dates cannot be extended. If a result has not appeared after five business days, contact AWS Training and Certification support from your certification account rather than rebooking the exam.

Online exam checklist. If you test from home, you need a private room with nobody else in it, a clear desk, a webcam and microphone, a stable internet connection, and your IDs within reach. Run the Pearson VUE system test on the same computer and network a day before, check in early because the room and ID checks take time, and keep your phone out of reach but nearby in case the proctor needs to call you after a disconnection.

Failed? The retake rules

Failing is common and fixable. The rules are simple:

• Wait 14 calendar days after a failed attempt before you retake.
• There is no limit on the number of attempts.
• Each attempt costs the full exam fee; there is no free retake.
• After passing, you cannot retake the same exam for two years, unless a new version with a new exam code is released.
• Beta exams can be taken only once; if you fail a beta, wait for the standard version.

Use the domain results on your score report to plan the retake: they show which parts of the exam guide pulled your score down.

Do AWS certifications expire? Renewal explained

Yes. Every AWS certification is valid for three years. You keep it current in one of two ways, and the certification must still be active when you do:

• Renew for three more years by passing the current exam again, or by passing a higher exam that counts for it.
• Maintain for one more year (Associate, Professional and Specialty only) by completing the maintenance activity on AWS Skill Builder with a paid subscription, within 90 days of expiry.

The cross-renewals worth knowing:

• Cloud Practitioner renews free through the AWS Cloud Quest recertification game when it is within six months of expiry, or by passing any Associate or Professional exam.
• Solutions Architect – Associate renews when you pass Solutions Architect – Professional.
• Developer and CloudOps Engineer – Associate renew when you pass DevOps Engineer – Professional.
• Data Engineer and Machine Learning Engineer – Associate renew when you pass Generative AI Developer – Professional.
• AI Practitioner renews by passing it again, Machine Learning Engineer – Associate, or Generative AI Developer – Professional.

Your 50% voucher works for renewal exams too. Ethan's answer was settled in a minute: passing the Professional would renew his Associate at the same time.

How hard is each exam, and how long should you prepare?

Difficulty depends on your experience more than on the exam, but the levels are a fair guide. Cloud Practitioner and AI Practitioner test understanding rather than hands-on skills, and people with some exposure to AWS often prepare in a few weeks. Associate exams expect you to design or build with core services; plan for a solid stretch of study plus hands-on practice, longer if you are new. Professional and Specialty exams are long, scenario-heavy and assume real experience; most people take them after working with AWS for a good while.

The preparation that works is the same at every level:

1. Read the exam guide for your exam code and list every domain and task statement.
2. Learn each service in plain words first, then the details that tell similar services apart, because that is what scenario questions test.
3. Build things in a free-tier account: a VPC, an S3 website behind CloudFront, a Lambda function behind API Gateway. Our first real AWS project walks through one end to end.
4. Practice with timed questions, and review every wrong answer until you can explain why each option was right or wrong.
5. Book the exam once practice scores are steadily above the pass mark, and keep the 24-hour rescheduling window in mind.

Every AWS post on this site now ends with an exam-style section for readers like you: search for the service you are studying and check the "For readers preparing for an AWS certification" questions at the end.

Is AWS certification worth it, and does it get you a job?

A certification proves you understand AWS to a recognized standard, which helps you get past CV filters, gives you a structured way to learn, and can strengthen a case for a raise or a new role. On its own, it rarely gets anyone a job. Employers hire for what you can do, so pair the certificate with projects you can show and explain. Salary figures you see online vary widely by country, role and experience, so treat them as rough. The most valuable certifications are usually the ones matching the work you want: Solutions Architect for design roles, DevOps for platform work, Security for security roles, and the AI certifications for AI projects.

Jake's reason was understanding his own bills, and Cloud Practitioner is a fine certification for exactly that. "I don't need a job," he said. "I need to know why the NAT gateway costs more than the coffee machine."

For managers paying for team certifications

• Budget per level: $100, $150 or $300 per attempt, and plan for some retakes.
• Use the vouchers: each pass earns a 50% voucher that can fund the next exam or a renewal.
• Prefer cross-renewing paths: a Professional exam renews the matching Associate, which saves exam fees over three years.
• Give hands-on time: a sandbox account with a budget alert teaches more than slides.
• Track expiry dates: certifications lapse after three years and must be active to renew or maintain.
• Check exam codes before buying training: several exams change versions between November 2026 and January 2027.

Frequently asked questions

Jake booked Cloud Practitioner for a Saturday morning, online, with his desk cleared of everything except the shop's receipt printer, which the proctor asked him to move. Ethan booked the Professional for the week after it switches to SAP-C03, with Jake's future 50% voucher already promised to him in exchange for a month of explanations. "So we're both studying," Jake said. "For different reasons," said Ethan. "You want to read the bill. I want to stop it growing."

Revision note. Written October 18, 2026. "Fortune favors the prepared mind," the proverb says; the exam favors the prepared mind that answers every question.