Amazon Web Services (AWS) certifications are highly sought-after credentials in today’s environment. AWS certs provide an industry standard for demonstrating AWS cloud expertise, rigorously testing competency, and providing an accurate representation of the test-taker’s skills.

This article covers several aspects of getting and maintaining an AWS certification. We’ll look at the following topics and how they relate to your AWS certification journey:

• Available AWS certifications & categories
• AWS certification costs
• Benefits of AWS certification
• Picking the right AWS certification
• Study & practice

(This article is part of our AWS Guide. Use the right-hand menu to navigate.)

Available AWS certifications & categories

There are eleven active AWS certifications that you can achieve in 2022:

• 1 foundational certification
• 3 associate-level certifications
• 2 professional-level certifications
• 5 specialty certifications

Here’s a brief description of what each certification level offers and what proficiencies they certify.

Foundational Level

Cloud Practitioner is the only Foundational AWS certificate. It is ideal for candidates with at least six months of experience in any role involving the AWS cloud, such as technical, sales, purchasing, financial, or managerial positions.

This certification verifies that the candidate has an overall familiarity with the AWS Cloud and related knowledge and skills. While other certifications tie into specific technical roles such as Architect, Developer or Operations, the Cloud Practitioner certification provides a more general foundation for any career path.

Associate Level

Each of the Associate certifications typically require at least a year of previous direct experience and knowledge regarding AWS services and related technologies. The three certifications within the Associate level are:

• Solutions Architect focuses on designing and implementing AWS distributed systems
• SysOps Administrator focuses on deploying, managing, and operating workloads on AWS
• Developer focuses on writing and deploying cloud-based applications

Professional Level

The highest certification category, each Professional AWS certification requires a full two years of experience, with each candidate being successful and highly capable within their respective roles. The two Professional-level certifications are:

• Solutions Architect validates the candidate’s ability to design, deploy, and evaluate AWS applications inside complex and diverse environments
• DevOps Engineer validates the candidate’s ability to automate the testing and deployment of AWS applications and infrastructure

Specialty certifications

Whereas the previous three levels represent the core role-based certifications that AWS offers, the Specialty certifications provide evaluations in specific technical areas. These certifications include:

• Advanced networking
• Security
• Machine Learning
• Data analytics
• Database

Requirements vary for each specialty certification. Candidates must possess experience with AWS technology, along with 2-5 years’ experience in the specialty domain. Check each individual certification for prerequisites and requirements.

How much does AWS certification cost?

To earn an AWS certification, you’ll have to pass a test. Each exam requires an AWS testing fee, typically between $100 and $300 (visit this page for Amazon’s current pricing).

Be prepared though—the examination fee won’t be your only certification cost. You may also have to invest cash and time in test preparation, including:

• Paid classroom or remote training
• Course materials
• Practice exams

But there is an upside! Amazon offers an AWS Free Tier account for trials, 12 months free access, and some free-tier services that you never need to pay for. This is valuable when studying for certification. However, if you’re studying specific certification scenarios, you may have to purchase additional services with your free account.