AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) Practice Tests

Validates knowledge of designing secure, resilient, high-performing and cost-effective cloud solutions using AWS services.

SAA-C03 is 65 long scenario questions in 130 minutes, almost all "which design is the most resilient, secure, cost-effective or lowest effort". We compared the main options on question style, timed pacing and price.

Most people should start with AWS's free 20-question set, make Tutorials Dojo their main bank, and add AWS's Official Practice Exam to rehearse pacing. Maarek's and Neal Davis's Udemy exams are the next tier for extra volume.

Practice test	Best for	Questions	Price
Official Practice Question Set (SAA-C03)	Free first look	20	Free
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Practice Exams SAA-C03	Main question bank	400+	$15
Official Practice Exam (SAA-C03)	Official pacing check	65	$29/month
Practice Exams \| AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate	Tougher extra mocks	390	$130
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Practice Tests [SAA-C03]	Different author style	390	$125
AWS Solutions Architect Associate SAA-C03 Practice Tests	Practice plus labs	450+	$11

Free first look

Official Practice Question Set (SAA-C03)

Twenty questions written by AWS to show the exam's style, with feedback on every answer choice and links to study material. Retakes reuse the same questions in a different order.

Great fit if you want to see AWS's own question style before spending anything.

Poor fit if you need more than one short set; move on to Tutorials Dojo.

Main question bank

AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Practice Exams SAA-C03

Nine timed exams with matching review sets, section and topic tests and a randomised 65-question final test, with explanations and AWS reference links. Candidates call it harder than the real exam.

Great fit if you want one main bank with domain and topic drills and thorough explanations.

Poor fit if you want an official-style pacing check; add the Official Practice Exam.

Official pacing check

Official Practice Exam (SAA-C03)

A 65-question, 130-minute exam with the real exam's length and scaled scoring and feedback on every answer. Retakes reuse the same questions, and candidates find it easier than the real exam.

Great fit if you want to practise pacing over 130 minutes and see AWS's wording on a scored exam.

Poor fit if you need a tough readiness test; Tutorials Dojo and Maarek are harder.

Tougher extra mocks

Practice Exams | AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate

Six 65-question exams with explanations, sold separately from the Maarek course. Candidates often score lower here than on Tutorials Dojo and describe the wording as harder than the real exam.

Great fit if you took Maarek's course or want extra full-length exams in tougher wording.

Poor fit if you want topic and section drills; Tutorials Dojo has them.

Different author style

AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Practice Tests [SAA-C03]

Six scenario-based 65-question exams timed at 130 minutes, with explanations, a test report and links to Neal Davis's training notes. The page says it is not aimed at people who want easy questions.

Great fit if you have finished another bank and want a different author's scenarios, or you study from Neal Davis's notes.

Poor fit if one paid bank is enough for you; Tutorials Dojo costs far less.

Practice plus labs

AWS Solutions Architect Associate SAA-C03 Practice Tests

Six full-length mock exams with 450+ questions plus section tests, updated January 2026, sold alone or bundled with video lectures, 110+ labs and a sandbox. Candidate reviews of its question quality are mixed.

Great fit if you want practice questions and hands-on labs in one purchase.

Poor fit if questions are all you need; Tutorials Dojo is the stronger bank.

What to look for in a AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate practice test

Built for SAA-C03. AWS's guide weights the exam Secure 30%, Resilient 26%, High-performing 24% and Cost-optimised 20%, with 65 questions (50 scored) in 130 minutes. A bank should spread its questions across all four design pillars, not just storage and compute.
Long scenarios with two plausible answers. Every question is multiple choice or multiple response (two or more correct from five or more options). Look for scenario questions built around phrases like most cost-effective and least operational overhead, which candidates say is how the real exam separates its answers.
Explanations that say why the other designs fail. The skill is choosing the better of two workable architectures. Maarek explains every option, Tutorials Dojo's review mode shows explanations after each question, and AWS's sets give feedback on each answer choice.
Know how hard each bank is. Candidates consistently say Tutorials Dojo and Maarek are harder than the real exam, and that AWS's own practice exam is easier. Use harder banks to build margin and the official exam to check pacing.
Enough fresh questions for several full runs. A full exam is 65 questions. Tutorials Dojo has 400+, Maarek and Neal Davis 390 each, while AWS's set and exam reuse the same questions on retake.
Skip sites selling "real exam questions." Sites promising actual SAA-C03 questions or a guaranteed pass are selling leaked or copied items. AWS's certification agreement bans using leaked exam content and lets AWS revoke some or all of your AWS certifications. A real practice test explains why each answer is right; a dump only lists answers.

How to use AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate practice tests

Start with a diagnostic. Take AWS's free 20-question set or Tutorials Dojo's free 30-question sampler before you review, so your first study days go to the domains where you actually miss questions.
Review every explanation, including right answers. For each miss, write which requirement in the question ruled out your pick. Candidates who passed after weak early scores say this review mattered more than extra attempts.
Track weak topics. Use Tutorials Dojo's section and topic tests to drill one area at a time, such as networking or databases, instead of retaking whole exams.
Practise reading the question first. Read the last sentence and underline the constraint words, such as lowest latency, least code changes or most cost-effective, before you look at the options.
Run timed full exams late and avoid repeats. Do two or three full 130-minute runs in the last two weeks on fresh questions. Candidates often score lower on Tutorials Dojo and Maarek than they expect and still pass, so judge your trend within each product.

AWS: SAA-C03 exam guide ↗Skill Builder: Official Practice Exam ↗Reddit: TD vs the real SAA-C03 ↗Reddit: passed SAA-C03, official exam easier ↗Reddit: Maarek harder than real exam ↗

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate practice test FAQ

Are there free SAA-C03 practice tests?

Yes. AWS offers a free 20-question Official Practice Question Set on Skill Builder, and Tutorials Dojo has a free 30-question SAA-C03 sampler (login required). AWS's full-length Official Practice Exam needs a paid Skill Builder subscription.

Are SAA-C03 practice exams harder than the real exam?

Most candidates say Tutorials Dojo and Maarek are harder than the real exam, with longer scenarios and more niche services, while AWS's official practice exam is easier. Some still find the real exam's answer choices harder to separate.

How many practice exams should I take?

Plan on three to five full-length exams on questions you have not seen, each with a full review, plus topic tests for weak areas. Reviewing four exams properly teaches more than rushing through ten.

What question types are on SAA-C03?

Multiple choice (one correct answer from four) and multiple response (two or more correct from five or more). There are 65 questions in 130 minutes and 50 are scored, so practice banks should use the same two formats.