Validates knowledge of developing, securing, deploying, troubleshooting and optimizing cloud applications using AWS services.
A good Developer Associate course teaches you to build with Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB and the other developer services, not just define them. We compared the main options on depth, hands-on practice, exam version and price.
Most people should start with Stéphane Maarek's Udemy course. Choose Adrian Cantrill to build the services yourself, Andrew Brown's free video for no cost, Digital Cloud Training for notes and practice exams in one membership, and AWS's Exam Prep Plan as a free checklist.
DVA-C02 stays available through November 30, 2026. DVA-C03 registration opens October 27 and its exams begin December 1, 2026. Source ↗
| Course | Best for | Format | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 Ultimate AWS Certified Developer Associate 2026 DVA-C02 | One full course | Video | $160 |
 AWS Certified Developer - Associate | Learning by building | Video | $40 |
 Exam Prep Plan: AWS Certified Developer - Associate (DVA-C02) | Official study checklist | Interactive | Free |
 AWS Certified Developer Associate (DVA-C02) Certification Course | Free full course | Video | Free |
 AWS Certified Developer Associate training | Notes and practice exams | Video | $25/month |
About 31.5 hours of video in 34 sections, with console and code demonstrations for every developer service in the exam guide and a full practice exam with explanations. Stéphane Maarek updated it in October 2026 for DVA-C02.
Great fit if you want one complete course that follows the exam outline closely
Poor fit if you want to build every service yourself in your own account; choose Cantrill
Short theory and demo lessons, none longer than 20 minutes, with a quiz after each section and a full practice exam. The demo code is on GitHub, and updates are included for the life of the certification.
Great fit if you want to understand how the services work and build them yourself
Poor fit if you already use most of the services and want a short review; use AWS's Exam Prep Plan
AWS's four-step plan for DVA-C02, with domain review lessons, the free 20-question practice set and links to labs and the official practice exam. It tells you what to study rather than teaching every service from scratch.
Great fit if you want an official checklist to follow beside a full course
Poor fit if you need a course that teaches each service; choose Maarek or Cantrill
A full lecture and follow-along course for DVA-C02, taught by Andrew Brown of ExamPro and published free on freeCodeCamp's YouTube channel. It is the only free full course on this list, so your only spend is on practice exams.
Great fit if you want a complete free video course
Poor fit if you prefer short modules you can jump between; choose Cantrill
A 15-hour video course with hands-on exercises and quizzes, six full-length 65-question practice exams and downloadable PDF training notes. The membership also covers Digital Cloud Training's other AWS and Azure courses.
Great fit if you want course, notes and practice exams in one place
Poor fit if you want a one-time purchase; choose Cantrill or Maarek
For most developers, Stéphane Maarek's Udemy course. Choose Adrian Cantrill if you want to build the services yourself.
Yes. Andrew Brown's free course and AWS's free Exam Prep Plan cover the material. Add a practice exam set such as Tutorials Dojo ($15) to check you are ready.
Maarek's course runs about 31.5 hours and Digital Cloud Training's about 15 hours. Plan for about 60 hours of preparation in total, including building and practice exams.
Yes. AWS writes the exam for developers who build applications on AWS, and Maarek's course expects basic programming knowledge.
