Use one course and review the practice explanations.
Pass reports describe combining a main course with Tutorials Dojo tests, then revisiting the concepts behind missed questions.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) Exam Guide
Validates knowledge of designing secure, resilient, high-performing and cost-effective cloud solutions using AWS services.
Learn the service trade-offs, build a few small architectures and practise choosing the best design for a business requirement. Pay attention to availability, security, performance and cost rather than memorizing service names alone.
Understand the exam
Syllabus
Domain 1Design secure architectures30%
- 1.1Design secure access to AWS resources
- 1.2Design secure workloads and applications
- 1.3Determine appropriate data security controls
Example scenario: An application on EC2 needs to read one S3 bucket without storing long-lived credentials. Which access design fits?
Domain 2Design resilient architectures26%
- 2.1Design scalable and loosely coupled architectures
- 2.2Design highly available and/or fault-tolerant architectures
Example scenario: Orders must still be accepted when a downstream fulfilment service is unavailable. How would you separate the two components?
Domain 3Design high-performing architectures24%
- 3.1Determine high-performing and/or scalable storage solutions
- 3.2Design high-performing and elastic compute solutions
- 3.3Determine high-performing database solutions
- 3.4Determine high-performing and/or scalable network architectures
- 3.5Determine high-performing data ingestion and transformation solutions
Example scenario: A read-heavy application serves users worldwide and has a small set of frequently requested objects. Which caching and delivery options would you compare?
Domain 4Design cost-optimized architectures20%
- 4.1Design cost-optimized storage solutions
- 4.2Design cost-optimized compute solutions
- 4.3Design cost-optimized database solutions
- 4.4Design cost-optimized network architectures
Example scenario: A fault-tolerant batch job can be interrupted and restarted. Which compute purchase option could reduce its cost?
Format
- Questions
- 65
- Duration
- 2h 10m
- Passing score
- 720 / 1000
- Delivery
- Test centre or online
- Languages
- English, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish
Question types
Choose the single best answer from four options; one is correct and three are distractors.
CertUp example
A web application runs on EC2 instances in two Availability Zones and must keep serving users if one zone fails. Which design meets this requirement?
Show answer
Place instances in an Auto Scaling group across both zones behind an Application Load Balancer. Traffic keeps flowing to the healthy zone if the other fails.
Choose two or more correct answers from five or more options; you select every option that applies.
CertUp example
Which TWO actions reduce the cost of storing rarely accessed log files in Amazon S3?
Show answer
Move the files to a lower-cost storage class with a lifecycle rule, and expire files that are past the retention period. Both cut the amount stored at a higher price.
Eligibility and booking
Create an AWS Certification account, choose SAA-C03 and schedule with Pearson VUE. Use a personal email so the account stays with you when you change employers.
Make a study plan
Take a short diagnostic set, then use one course for coverage. Add hands-on practice for the services and trade-offs you have not used.
Plan for 35–70 hours. Plan for the low end if you already work with AWS; add time if networking, cloud basics or hands-on practice are new to you.
- 1Understand the examRead the syllabus and format, check you’re eligible and pick a target date.3 h
- 3Learn the core conceptsWork through one main course or book, topic by topic.29 h
- 4Practice with mock examsTake timed practice tests and review every mistake.15 h
- 5Prepare for exam dayBook the exam and check the ID and delivery rules.3 h
Learn the core concepts
Choose one course, then build enough to understand how the services work together. The official exam prep plan is useful for checking coverage.
Best full courseUltimate AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate 2026
Best hands-on courseAWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate
Best official courseSAA-C03 exam prep planCompare the alternatives. For each design, explain why you chose it over a plausible alternative. Delete lab resources when finished and monitor your AWS usage.
Practice with mock exams
Start with official sample questions to learn the style. Use timed tests and the explanations to identify gaps, then revisit the service documentation or build a small example.
Official Practice Question Set (SAA-C03)
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Practice Exams SAA-C03Official Practice Exam (SAA-C03)Are you ready?
- You can choose between similar services using the scenario’s constraints.
- You can explain availability, recovery and security decisions in a small architecture.
- You can finish a fresh timed test and explain your wrong answers.
Prepare for exam day
Choose the checklist for your test-centre or online appointment.
Before going to the test centre
Before testing from home
- Bring two accepted IDs matching the name on your booking.
- Arrive 15–30 minutes before your appointment.
- Store personal belongings as instructed and use the tutorial to check the interface.
- Keep time to review flagged questions before submitting.
- Run the OnVUE system test on the computer and network you will use.
- Prepare a private room, clear the desk and have your accepted ID ready.
- Follow the check-in instructions and keep your phone available only as directed by the proctor.
- Allow for the full appointment without interruptions.
SAA-C03 results are posted to your AWS Certification account within five business days.
Advice from exam takers
Practise architecture choices.
Candidates describe questions with several plausible services. Identify the requirement that makes one design a better fit, rather than choosing a familiar service.