AWS Certification Guides: Costs, Renewal, Study Plans and Service Comparisons
Straight answers to the questions people ask before and after an AWS exam. Every guide is built from official AWS documentation and links its sources, so you can verify each fact. Last updated: October 2026.
Start here: AWS certifications
How much exams cost, how renewal works, what happens if you fail and which certification to choose first.
- Certifications
AWS Certification Cost: Exam Prices by Level
Foundational and Business exams cost 100 USD, Associate 150 USD, Professional and Specialty 300 USD. See taxes, retake fees and the 50% voucher.
2 min read - Certifications
AWS Certification Renewal: How to Recertify (3-Year Rule)
AWS certifications are valid for 3 years. See the renewal options, the 1-year Skill Builder extension and how the 50% exam voucher works.
2 min read - Certifications
AWS Exam Retake Policy: Wait Time, Fees & Limits
Failed an AWS exam? You wait 14 calendar days, pay the full fee again, and there is no limit on attempts. Here is the complete retake policy.
2 min read - Certifications
How to Schedule an AWS Exam: Online vs Test Center
Step by step: book your AWS exam with Pearson VUE, choose online proctoring or a test center, and learn the cancel and reschedule rules.
2 min read - Certifications
Which AWS Certification First? A Simple Decision Guide
No idea where to start? Match your background to the right AWS certification level, from Cloud Practitioner to Specialty, using AWS's own guidance.
2 min read - Certifications
AWS Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) Exam Guide: Cost & Domains
CLF-C02 at a glance: 65 questions, 90 minutes, 700 to pass, 100 USD, four domains with weights, and who the exam is for.
2 min read - Certifications
AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03) Exam Guide
SAA-C03 at a glance: 65 questions, 130 minutes, 720 to pass, 150 USD, four domains with weights, plus how it compares to two other AWS exams.
2 min read
AWS fundamentals
The concepts that every AWS exam builds on.
- AWS Fundamentals
AWS Shared Responsibility Model Explained (With Examples)
AWS secures the cloud; you secure what you put in it. See who owns what, the three kinds of controls, and examples such as patching and configuration.
2 min read
AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C03)
What changed in the new exam, the official list of services, a 4-week study plan, test-day tips and comparisons of the services that look alike.
- Security Specialty
SCS-C02 vs SCS-C03: Every Change in the New Exam
SCS-C03 replaced SCS-C02 on Dec 2, 2025. See the new domain weights, every topic added or removed, and how to adjust your study plan.
3 min read - Security Specialty
SCS-C03 In-Scope AWS Services: The Official List
Every AWS service on the Security Specialty exam, grouped by category, plus what is out of scope and the concepts AWS says to know.
2 min read - Security Specialty
AWS Security Specialty Study Plan: A 4-Week Roadmap
A week-by-week SCS-C03 study plan built from the domain weights: what to read, what to practice and how to finish with a timed test.
3 min read - Security Specialty
AWS Security Specialty Exam Tips: 12 Must-Know Facts
12 facts and tactics for SCS-C03 test day: scoring, unscored questions, time per question, question types, retakes and managing the clock.
2 min read - Security Specialty
AWS GuardDuty vs Inspector vs Macie vs Security Hub
Compare GuardDuty, Inspector, Macie, Security Hub, Detective and Security Lake in one table, with exam-style scenarios to pick the right one.
3 min read - Security Specialty
KMS vs CloudHSM: Differences and When to Use Each
AWS KMS or AWS CloudHSM? Compare control, tenancy, FIPS validation and key management to choose the right option for the exam and for real workloads.
2 min read - Security Specialty
AWS WAF vs Shield vs Network Firewall vs Firewall Manager
Four AWS firewall-style services, four different jobs. See what WAF, Shield, Network Firewall and Firewall Manager protect and when to use each.
2 min read - Security Specialty
Secrets Manager vs Parameter Store: Which to Use?
Secrets Manager or Systems Manager Parameter Store? Compare purpose, rotation and encryption, plus AWS's own recommendation for storing secrets.
2 min read - Security Specialty
S3 Encryption: SSE-S3 vs SSE-KMS vs SSE-C vs DSSE-KMS
Every S3 bucket encrypts new objects by default. Compare SSE-S3, SSE-KMS, DSSE-KMS, SSE-C and client-side encryption, plus the 2026 SSE-C change.
2 min read - Security Specialty
CloudTrail vs CloudWatch vs AWS Config: Which Does What?
Compare CloudTrail, CloudWatch and AWS Config by the question each answers, with scenarios you will meet on AWS exams.
2 min read
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