CertifyDeckAWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C03) is the AWS exam that shows you can design a complete architecture: security, resilience, performance and cost. Here is what it certifies, who it pays off for, who it does not, and which exam fits better in that case.
What it certifies
According to the official exam guide, the exam is intended for people in a solutions architect role and validates the ability to design solutions based on the AWS Well-Architected Framework. Specifically: design with AWS services for current and projected needs, build architectures that are secure, resilient, high-performing and cost-optimized, and review existing solutions to improve them.
The AWS page describes it as focused on cost- and performance-optimized solutions, with no need for deep hands-on coding, although familiarity with basic programming concepts helps. Questions are scenarios: a company, a set of requirements, and the architecture that meets them best.
Who it makes sense for
It fits if you work, or want to work, as a solutions architect, cloud engineer or systems administrator who designs on AWS. AWS recommends at least 1 year of hands-on experience designing cloud solutions on AWS, and notes that candidates with 1 to 3 years of IT experience have used it as their starting point on AWS.
It also makes sense if you come from on-premises infrastructure: networking, storage, databases and high availability carry over to VPC, S3, EBS, RDS, Aurora and DynamoDB. It is the natural step towards AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional, which also renews it automatically.
Who it is not for (and what to take instead)
With no IT experience, AWS recommends starting with Cloud Practitioner: see CLF-C02. If your job is writing code that calls AWS services, DVA-C02 matches your daily work better. For machine learning, MLA-C02; for a business profile that needs to understand AI on AWS, AIF-C01.
If your company runs on Azure, the practical equivalent is AZ-104, and AZ-305 for architecture design. On Google Cloud, Associate Cloud Engineer. The rest is in the catalog.
What the exam requires
It has 65 questions in 130 minutes, either multiple choice (one correct answer out of four) or multiple response (two or more correct out of five or more options). Only 50 count towards your score; the other 15 are unidentified trial questions. Scores run from 100 to 1,000 and 720 passes, with a compensatory model: you do not need to pass each domain separately.
It costs 150 USD (plus applicable taxes), runs at a Pearson VUE test center or online with a proctor, and is offered in English, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain and Latin America), Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese. The certification is valid for 3 years.
| Domain | Weight |
|---|---|
| Design Secure Architectures | 30% |
| Design Resilient Architectures | 26% |
| Design High-Performing Architectures | 24% |
| Design Cost-Optimized Architectures | 20% |
Source: official SAA-C03 exam guide (docs.aws.amazon.com), accessed 15 October 2026.
How to decide
Run three checks. First: explain when to use a private subnet with a NAT gateway and when a VPC endpoint. Second: tell the disaster recovery strategies apart (backup and restore, pilot light, warm standby, active-active) by their RPO and RTO. If both come easily and AWS is part of your job, SAA-C03 pays off now.
The third check is practical: try the free sample questions and see which domain you miss. If it is security, which weighs 30%, start there. Then move on to the SAA-C03 practice questions: start free and decide with your own data.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take SAA-C03 without AWS experience?
AWS recommends at least 1 year of hands-on experience designing on AWS, but says candidates with 1 to 3 years of IT experience have earned it. With no IT experience, it recommends starting with Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02).
How much does SAA-C03 cost?
150 USD plus applicable taxes. In countries that pay in euros, AWS lists 128 EUR for Associate exams.
What is the passing score for SAA-C03?
720 on a scale of 100 to 1,000. Scoring is compensatory: you only need to pass the exam overall, not each domain.
How long is the Solutions Architect - Associate certification valid?
3 years. You can renew it by passing the latest version of the exam, by passing Solutions Architect - Professional, or extend it by one year on AWS Skill Builder with a paid subscription.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. AWS states the exam does not require deep hands-on coding experience, although familiarity with basic programming concepts is an advantage.