Overview
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is Amazon Web Services' entry-level certification. It checks a candidate's overall understanding of the AWS Cloud, independent of any specific technical role — covering cloud concepts, security, core AWS services, and the economics of running workloads on AWS. It is meant as a starting point both for people moving into a cloud career with no prior IT background and for non-technical staff (sales, finance, project management) who want foundational cloud literacy. The current exam version is coded CLF-C02.
Who can apply
There are no prerequisites and no required training. AWS suggests candidates have roughly six months of exposure to the AWS Cloud in any role (technical, managerial, sales, purchasing or financial), but this is only a recommendation, not a condition of registering.
Exam pattern
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Question types | Multiple choice and multiple response |
| Delivery | Computer-based, at a Pearson VUE testing centre or online with a remote proctor |
| Total questions | 65 |
| Scored questions | 50 |
| Unscored questions | 15 (used by AWS to evaluate future questions; they do not count toward the score) |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
Online proctored sittings can be taken from a private space such as a home or office using the candidate's own computer, with a remote proctor monitoring over webcam and screen share; in-person sittings use a computer provided at the testing centre.
Syllabus
The exam is organised into four scored content domains, each with its own weight:
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Cloud concepts | 24% |
| Security and compliance | 30% |
| Cloud technology and services | 34% |
| Billing, pricing and support | 12% |
Cloud concepts covers the value proposition of the AWS Cloud and basic architectural principles. Security and compliance covers the AWS shared responsibility model, identity and access management basics, and compliance resources. Cloud technology and services covers how to identify and use core AWS services across compute, storage, database, networking and other common service categories, plus ways to access AWS (console, CLI, SDKs). Billing, pricing and support covers AWS pricing models, billing and cost-management tools, and the support plans and resources AWS offers.
Marking and results
Results are reported as a scaled score from 100 to 1,000, and a scaled score of 700 or higher is a pass. AWS uses a compensatory scoring model: there is no separate pass mark for each of the four domains, only an overall score across the whole exam. An unanswered question is scored as incorrect, but there is no additional penalty for guessing, so every question should be attempted. For 2026, final results are posted to the candidate's AWS Certification account within five business days of the exam.
Fees
For 2026, the exam fee is $100 (USD), payable when scheduling. The fee is charged again for each attempt, including retakes.
How to apply
Candidates register and manage exams through their AWS Certification account (accessed via AWS Skill Builder / aws.training). From the account, a candidate schedules the exam, which hands off to Pearson VUE to pick a date, time, and either a nearby testing centre or an online-proctored slot; online slots are generally available every day of the week.
After the exam
If a candidate does not pass, they must wait 14 calendar days before attempting the same exam again; there is no limit on the number of attempts, but the full fee applies each time. Once a candidate passes, they cannot retake that same exam version for two years, unless AWS releases a new exam guide and series code for it. The certification is valid for 3 years from the date it is earned. Before it expires, a candidate can recertify either by passing the current version of the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam again, or by completing AWS Cloud Quest: Recertify Cloud Practitioner, a game-based learning path AWS offers as an alternative recertification path for this certification.
Preparation tips
AWS Skill Builder (AWS's own training platform) offers a free digital course, Cloud Practitioner Essentials, built around the exam's topic areas — cloud basics, compute, global infrastructure, networking, storage, databases, AI/ML and data analytics, security, monitoring, compliance and governance, and pricing and support. Skill Builder also lists an Exam Prep Plan for this certification alongside the free course. Reviewing the official exam guide's domain weights before studying helps prioritise time toward Cloud technology and services and Security and compliance, which together make up nearly two-thirds of the scored content.
Are there any prerequisites for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam?
No. Anyone can register; AWS only recommends around six months of general exposure to the AWS Cloud, in any role, before attempting it.
How is the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam scored?
Scores are reported on a scale of 100 to 1,000, and 700 is the minimum passing score. Scoring is compensatory across the whole exam, not domain by domain, and unanswered questions count as incorrect with no extra penalty for guessing.
How long does the AWS Cloud Practitioner certification stay valid?
Three years from the date it is earned. Before it expires, a holder can recertify by passing the current exam again or by completing AWS Cloud Quest: Recertify Cloud Practitioner.
What happens if I fail the exam?
There is no limit on attempts, but a failed attempt requires a 14-calendar-day wait before the next try, and the full exam fee is charged again each time.