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AWS • Solutions Architect Associate
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C03)
Design secure, resilient, and cost-effective architectures on AWS.
Practice setup
Exam info
- Exam ID
- SAA-C03
- Cost of Exam
- $150 USD
- Length of Test
- 130 Minutes
- Number of Questions
- 65
View full exam details
- Exam Level
- Associate
- Launch Date
- August 2022
- Recommended Experience
- Around 1 year of hands-on experience designing AWS cloud solutions
- Question Types
- Multiple Choice / Multiple Response
- Passing Score
- Scaled score determined by AWS
Domains and Objectives
Design Secure Architectures1.030%
Objectives in this domain
- Design secure access for AWS resources and workloads.
- Design secure applications and data protection controls.
- Evaluate security requirements across network and service boundaries.
Design Resilient Architectures2.026%
Objectives in this domain
- Design architectures with fault tolerance and high availability.
- Choose durable storage and backup/restore strategies.
- Plan disaster recovery and continuity approaches aligned to business objectives.
Design High-Performing Architectures3.024%
Objectives in this domain
- Select performant compute and storage solutions for workload patterns.
- Design scalable architectures for changing demand and usage profiles.
- Optimize network and data path decisions for throughput and latency.
Design Cost-Optimized Architectures4.020%
Objectives in this domain
- Choose cost-efficient service options based on usage characteristics.
- Apply right-sizing and pricing model strategies.
- Balance performance, resilience, and security with cost constraints.
Resources
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (Official)
Official exam page with current guide, blueprint, and registration details.
Open resourceAWS Skill Builder
Official AWS training and exam prep platform for associate architecture pathways.
Open resourceExam history
The History of AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C03 Context)
Last reviewed: 2026-03-16
AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate has long been one of the most recognized cloud architecture certifications for practitioners designing real workloads on AWS. It validates practical decision-making across security, reliability, performance, and cost dimensions.
The exam has evolved through multiple versions to reflect changing AWS service capabilities and modern architecture expectations. Earlier versions were more focused on baseline service familiarity, while current versions place stronger emphasis on scenario-based design tradeoffs and architecture choices.
SAA-C03 launched in 2022 and continues that practical focus, with significant attention to resilient multi-service designs, secure architecture fundamentals, and cost-aware service selection. Candidates are expected to reason through architecture scenarios rather than rely on isolated service memorization.
For many learners, SAA-C03 serves as a central milestone in AWS certification progression, often following foundational credentials and preceding specialty or professional-level architecture tracks.
Change tracker
SAA-C03 launched
AWS released SAA-C03 as the current associate architecture exam version with refreshed scenario focus and domain weighting.
SAA-C02 became previous version
The earlier exam version reflected prior architecture objectives before the C03 update cycle.