AWS certification is Amazon Web Services' set of exams that show you understand its cloud platform at a given level and for a given job. There are four levels and more than ten current exams, so the hard part is choosing where to start. This guide lists every current AWS certification, explains which one fits your role and experience, and covers exam formats, renewal and a study plan. All exam details come from AWS's own certification pages, checked in November 2026.
Cohesyve, which publishes this guide, isn't affiliated with AWS.
What are the AWS certification levels?
AWS groups its certifications into four levels. The recommended experience comes from AWS.
| Level | Who it's for | Recommended experience (per AWS) |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational | Anyone new to cloud, plus non-technical roles | No prior experience needed |
| Associate | People in or moving into technical cloud roles | Prior cloud or IT experience recommended |
| Professional | Experienced cloud practitioners | 2+ years of AWS experience required |
| Specialty | Deep expertise in one domain | Varies by exam |
What AWS certifications are there in 2026?
These are the certifications AWS lists as current, grouped by level. AWS adds and retires exams, so check its certification page for the latest list.
| Level | Certification | Typical roles |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | Career changers, students, sales, marketing, product and project staff |
| Foundational | AWS Certified AI Practitioner | People who use AI, ML and generative AI on AWS without necessarily building it |
| Associate | AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate | Solutions architects, cloud engineers |
| Associate | AWS Certified Developer – Associate | Software developers building on AWS |
| Associate | AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate | Operations, systems and site reliability engineers |
| Associate | AWS Certified Data Engineer – Associate | Data engineers |
| Associate | AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate | ML engineers |
| Professional | AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional | Senior architects |
| Professional | AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional | Senior DevOps and platform engineers |
| Specialty | AWS Certified Security – Specialty | Cloud security engineers |
| Specialty | AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty | Network engineers (retires 31 December 2026) |
AWS also lists an AI Business Strategist certification in beta, aimed at business rather than technical roles. AWS updates exams regularly, and its page notes that some Associate and Professional exams are being updated, so check the exam guide for the current version before you study.
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Which AWS certification should you take first?
Start from where you are now and the job you want next.
| Your situation | Start with | Then |
|---|---|---|
| No IT or cloud background | Cloud Practitioner | Solutions Architect – Associate |
| Non-technical role working with cloud teams | Cloud Practitioner or AI Practitioner | Stop there, or move to an Associate exam |
| IT support or sysadmin experience | Solutions Architect – Associate or CloudOps Engineer – Associate | The other one, then a Professional exam |
| Software developer | Developer – Associate | Solutions Architect – Associate or DevOps Engineer – Professional |
| Data analyst or data engineer | Data Engineer – Associate | Solutions Architect – Associate |
| Building ML models | Machine Learning Engineer – Associate | Solutions Architect – Associate |
| 2+ years on AWS | Solutions Architect – Professional or DevOps Engineer – Professional | A Specialty exam in your area |
AWS says that candidates with no IT experience should first earn Cloud Practitioner before attempting Solutions Architect – Associate.
What are the AWS exams like?
All the exams below can be taken at a Pearson VUE test centre or online with a proctor, according to AWS.
| Exam | Questions | Time | Question types |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Practitioner | 65 | 90 minutes | Multiple choice and multiple response |
| AI Practitioner | 65 | 90 minutes | See AWS exam guide |
| Solutions Architect – Associate | 65 | 130 minutes | Multiple choice and multiple response |
| Solutions Architect – Professional | 75 | 180 minutes | Multiple choice and multiple response |
| DevOps Engineer – Professional | 75 | 180 minutes | Multiple choice and multiple response |
For other exams, and for fees and passing scores, see each exam's page and exam guide on aws.amazon.com. AWS has started using short names for some services in exams, with a list of full names available through the Help button during the exam.
Is Cloud Practitioner worth it?
It's worth it if you're new to cloud or work alongside cloud teams in a non-technical role, such as sales, marketing, product or project management. AWS describes it as needing no prior IT or cloud background. If you already work in a technical role, you can usually skip it and go straight to an Associate exam. Check job adverts for your target role to see which level they ask for.
Is Solutions Architect – Associate the best AWS certification?
It's the most common starting point for technical roles because it covers how core AWS services fit together. AWS recommends at least one year of hands-on experience designing cloud solutions with AWS, though it notes that people with one to three years of general IT experience have also prepared for and passed it. Deep coding isn't required. Whether it's the "best" depends on your role: a developer may get more from Developer – Associate, and a data engineer from Data Engineer – Associate.
How do you study for an AWS certification?
This plan is illustrative, for someone studying part-time for an Associate exam.
| Week | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Download the official exam guide from the exam's AWS page. List every domain and service it names. |
| 2 to 4 | Work through AWS Skill Builder training or another course that follows the exam guide. |
| 5 to 6 | Build things in an AWS account: a static website, a VPC with public and private subnets, a serverless function. Watch your costs and use the free options where you can. |
| 7 | Take timed practice exams. Review every wrong answer and the AWS documentation behind it. |
| 8 | Revise weak domains, rest, then sit the exam. |
Tips:
- Hands-on practice matters more than reading. Scenario questions are much easier once you've configured the services yourself.
- Learn why the wrong answers are wrong. Many questions offer two plausible options; the exam rewards the one that best meets the stated requirement (cheapest, most resilient, least operational effort).
- Set budget alerts in your AWS account before you start building.
How long is an AWS certification valid?
Three years. According to AWS's recertification page, you can:
- Renew for three more years by passing the latest version of the exam, or another qualifying option for that certification. Many certifications can also be renewed by passing a higher-level exam.
- Maintain for one more year through an AWS Skill Builder subscription, for most Associate, Professional and Specialty certifications, within 90 days of expiry.
Cloud Practitioner holders can also renew through AWS's free, game-based Cloud Quest training when their certification is within six months of expiring, or by passing any Associate or Professional exam. Your certification must still be active to renew it.
Do AWS certifications help you get a job?
They help you get noticed. A certification shows you've learned the platform to a recognised standard, and many cloud job adverts mention them. What gets you hired is showing you can apply that knowledge: designing a sensible architecture, debugging a failed deployment, explaining trade-offs to a non-technical stakeholder.
Pair your certification with evidence:
- Projects in a public repository, with a short write-up of the architecture and why you chose it
- Interview preparation for your target role, such as our guides to prepare for cloud architect, DevOps engineer and solutions architect interviews
- Practice on real tasks. You can practise a cloud architect simulation or a DevOps engineer simulation on Cohesyve and get a scored report showing where you lost marks
Our cloud architect career guide covers the path from first cloud role to architect, and our guide to free certifications lists other credentials that cost nothing to earn.
FAQs
Which AWS certification is easiest?
Cloud Practitioner is the entry-level exam and needs no prior experience, according to AWS. AI Practitioner is also Foundational.
Can I take an AWS exam online?
Yes. AWS offers its exams at Pearson VUE test centres or online with a live proctor.
Do I need Cloud Practitioner before an Associate exam?
No, it isn't a formal prerequisite. AWS suggests people with no IT experience earn it first before Solutions Architect – Associate.
Do AWS certifications expire?
Yes, after three years, unless you renew or maintain them.
How many AWS certifications are there?
More than ten, across four levels, plus an AI Business Strategist exam in beta. The list changes as AWS adds and retires exams, so check aws.amazon.com/certification for the current set.