The sticker price of an AWS exam is $100 to $300. The real number you pay? Usually close to double.
Here’s the deal. Nobody budgets for the sales tax, the practice tests, the failed first attempt, or the renewal that lands three years later. So people plan for $150 and spend $362. We see it constantly in our live classes.
This guide breaks down every active AWS exam fee as of 2026-08-02, the costs that never show up at checkout, what a full certification path actually runs you end to end, and the legitimate ways to cut the bill. Prices are current, and two certs changed status this year.
Let’s get into it.
AWS Certification Cost in 2026: The Quick Answer
AWS charges by difficulty level, not by topic. Four tiers, three price points.
| Level | Exam fee (USD) | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Foundational | $100 | Cloud Practitioner, AI Practitioner |
| Associate | $150 | Solutions Architect, Developer, SysOps |
| Professional | $300 | Solutions Architect Pro, DevOps Engineer Pro |
| Specialty | $300 | Security, Advanced Networking, Machine Learning |
That’s per attempt, booked through Pearson VUE. Tax comes on top. AWS currently runs 12 active certifications across these four levels.
If you’re still deciding which cert to chase, our complete AWS certifications guide for 2026 maps the full path, from Cloud Practitioner to Professional.
What Changed in 2026 (Check This Before You Book)
A lot of AWS cost articles are quietly out of date. Three things moved this year, and one of them has a deadline about three weeks out.
AWS Certified Machine Learning, Specialty (MLS-C01) is gone. Final testing day was 2026-03-31. If you see it listed as a $300 active exam anywhere, that page is stale. AWS points people to three replacements instead: AI Practitioner, Machine Learning Engineer Associate, and the new Generative AI Developer Professional. Existing MLS-C01 holders keep their cert until it expires.
Advanced Networking, Specialty (ANS-C01) retires on 2026-08-25. That’s the last day you can sit it. No direct replacement has been announced. If you’ve been studying for this one, book now or stop spending money on it. Certs earned before the deadline stay valid the full three years.
There’s a new Professional exam. AWS Certified Generative AI Developer, Professional (AIP-C01) came out of beta and opened for standard registration in March 2026. It’s $300. AWS also added an Agentic AI microcredential alongside it, which is a separate credential type rather than a standard exam, so check the AWS site for current pricing on that one.
One more. The Security Specialty is now SCS-C03, not SCS-C02. Same $300, updated blueprint with generative AI and ML security content added.
Worth double-checking before you pay. Booking a retiring exam is an expensive mistake.
Every AWS Exam Fee in 2026, by Level
Here’s the full breakdown. Exam codes matter because AWS updates them, and the current version is the one you’ll sit.
Foundational level: $100
- AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02): $100
- AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01): $100
No prior cloud experience needed for either. Cloud Practitioner is the cheapest way to find out whether you actually like this stuff before committing $150 or $300. If you want structure rather than a solo slog, our AWS Cloud Practitioner live training runs six weeks and covers all four CLF-C02 domains.
Associate level: $150
AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Associate (SAA-C03): $150
AWS Certified Developer, Associate (DVA-C02): $150
AWS Certified SysOps Administrator, Associate (SOA-C03): $150
AWS Certified Data Engineer, Associate (DEA-C01): $150
AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer, Associate (MLA-C01): $150
Solutions Architect Associate is the single most popular AWS cert worldwide, and it’s the one hiring managers recognise on sight. It’s also where most people’s budget goes sideways, because the pass rate isn’t friendly to casual studying.
Professional level: $300
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Professional (SAP-C02): $300
- AWS Certified DevOps Engineer, Professional (DOP-C02): $300
- AWS Certified Generative AI Developer, Professional (AIP-C01): $300
These assume two-plus years of real production AWS experience. Not lab experience. Production. If you’re heading toward the DevOps Pro, the tooling matters as much as the exam, and our DevOps Engineer programme covers the pipeline side properly.
Specialty level: $300
- AWS Certified Security, Specialty (SCS-C03): $300
- AWS Certified Advanced Networking, Specialty (ANS-C01): $300, retiring 2026-08-25
Two left. It used to be three.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Warns You About
This is where the budget breaks.
Retakes are full price
Fail, and you pay the whole fee again. $150 becomes $300. $300 becomes $600. AWS doesn’t do partial refunds or discounted retakes, and you have to wait 14 calendar days before you can sit it again.
There’s no cap on attempts. Just on your wallet.
One rule people miss: once you pass an exam, you can’t retake that same version for two years. Fine for most, annoying if you wanted a better score for some reason.
Sales tax and VAT
The listed price is pre-tax. In the US that’s state sales tax. In most of Europe it’s VAT. Budget another 5% to 10%.
Canadian candidates, note this one. You pay in USD, then GST or HST lands on top, anywhere from 5% in Alberta to 15% in the Atlantic provinces. Add the exchange rate and a $150 exam can clear $230 CAD before you’ve bought a single practice test. If you’re weighing certs against local salaries, our breakdown of IT certification jobs in Canada puts those numbers in context.
Recertification every three years
Every AWS cert expires after three years. To keep it, you take the current version of the exam again, or you pass a higher-level exam in the same domain, which rolls the lower one forward.
So a cert isn’t a purchase. It’s a subscription. A $150 Associate cert is really $50 a year for as long as you keep it.
Practice exams and prep materials
Official AWS practice question sets are often free through AWS Skill Builder. Third-party practice tests run $20 to $80. Most serious candidates buy at least one set, and honestly, a good practice exam pays for itself if it stops one failed attempt.
Skipping practice tests to save $40 is how you end up paying $150 twice. Bad trade.
Instructor-led training
This is the big variable. Partner-run AWS bootcamps typically run $1,500 to $3,500 for a 3-to-5-day course, based on current market rates and varying by provider and region. Free digital training covers most exam objectives, but a lot of people pay for live instruction because self-study alone has a high failure rate.
For comparison, our AWS Solutions Architect course runs 16-plus weeks of live instruction at $549 at the current early-bird rate, with lab access and mentoring included. Longer, because passing SAA-C03 isn’t a five-day problem. Want self-paced practice on top? The AWS workbook from SMEnode Labs covers the hands-on side.
The time cost
Associate exams take most people 80 to 120 hours of study across two to three months. If your time is worth anything at all, that’s the largest line item on this page by a distance. Nobody puts it in the budget. Everybody pays it.
What You’ll Actually Pay: A Real Example
Priya budgeted $150 for Solutions Architect Associate. Here’s what she actually spent:
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Exam attempt 1 | $150 |
| Sales tax (both attempts) | $22 |
| Third-party practice tests | $50 |
| Exam attempt 2 (after failing by 30 points) | $150 |
| Total | $372 |
Plus a mandatory 14-day wait that pushed her start date at a new job by three weeks.
Her mistake wasn’t the practice tests. It was buying them after booking the exam instead of before.
What a Full AWS Certification Path Actually Costs
| Path | Exams | Exam fees only |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud beginner | Cloud Practitioner | $100 |
| Solutions Architect track | CLF + SAA + SAP | ~$550 |
| DevOps track | SAA + DevOps Pro | ~$450 |
| Security specialist | SAA + Security Specialty | ~$450 |
| Architect + Specialty | CLF + SAA + SAP + 1 Specialty | ~$850 |
Now add reality. Tax, practice materials, and one likely retake somewhere along the way. A Solutions Architect track realistically lands between $800 and $1,200 end to end. Add instructor-led training and you’re north of $2,000.
Comparing vendors before you commit? AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud certifications covers where each one pays off, and the Azure certification guide has the equivalent Microsoft numbers. Coming from networking instead? The CCNA exam cost breakdown is a useful side-by-side.
How to Cut Your AWS Certification Costs
Use the 50% voucher you already have. This is the big one, and it’s badly understood. When you pass any AWS exam, AWS drops a 50% discount voucher into the Benefits section of your Certification Account. It works on your next exam or on a recertification. So the second cert in any path is effectively half price. Most people forget it’s sitting there and expire it.
Use free official training. AWS Skill Builder gives you official exam prep and real practice question sets at no cost. Start there before spending on third-party material.
Pass first time. Obvious, but it’s worth $150 to $300 plus tax. Every dollar spent on prep that prevents one retake pays for itself immediately.
Sequence smartly. Passing a higher-level exam recertifies the lower ones in the same domain. Pass SAP-C02 and your SAA-C03 rolls forward. Two renewals become one.
Skip what you don’t need. If you’ve got a few years of IT behind you, Cloud Practitioner is optional. Start at Associate and save $100 plus tax. Our AWS CloudOps exam prep guide will tell you fairly quickly whether you’re ready to skip ahead.
Ask your employer. Loads of companies reimburse certification fees and never advertise it. Some pay for the retake too. Worth an email.
Is AWS Certification Worth the Money?
Fair question after all those numbers.
The short version? For most people in or near cloud roles, yes. AWS skills sit near the top of employer demand, and cloud architect and engineer roles consistently rank among the better-paid tech jobs tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A certification that costs a few hundred dollars and helps land a role paying six figures is an easy ROI to defend. See the real numbers in our AWS Solutions Architect salary breakdown by level, and if you’re hiring-bound in Canada, our guide to IT certification jobs in Canada for 2026 shows which certs employers actually want.
But it’s not automatic. A cert opens doors. It doesn’t walk you through them. Pair it with real projects, a portfolio, and the ability to actually build on AWS, and the math works strongly in your favour. Treat it as a checkbox with no hands-on skill behind it, and you’ve spent money for a logo.
That’s exactly why our courses run longer than most and centre on live labs. Proper learning takes time, and the difference between knowing the answer and doing the work under pressure is the whole game.
Ready to commit? Browse our AWS course lineup and DevOps engineer track, or book a free demo class and talk through which path fits your goals and budget before you spend a dollar on an exam. For more on the exams themselves, see our guides in the AWS blog category and DevOps category.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does AWS certification cost in 2026?
AWS exams cost $100 for Foundational, $150 for Associate, and $300 for Professional and Specialty levels. Add 5% to 10% sales tax or VAT depending on your location.
Is there a free AWS certification?
No. There’s no free AWS exam, but AWS frequently offers 50% discount vouchers and free retake vouchers through training events and partner programmes. Official prep on AWS Skill Builder is free.
How much does it cost to retake an AWS exam?
A retake costs the full exam fee again, the same $100, $150, or $300 as your first attempt. You must wait 14 calendar days between attempts.
How often do I have to pay to keep my AWS certification?
AWS certifications are valid for three years. To recertify, you pass the current exam again or earn a higher-level cert, so the renewal cost is another exam fee roughly every three years.
What’s the cheapest AWS certification?
The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and AI Practitioner exams are tied as the cheapest at $100 each.
Does AWS certification expire?
Yes. Every AWS certification expires after three years and must be renewed by recertifying.
The Bottom Line
- Base fees are $100, $150, or $300 depending on level. Twelve active certifications, down from thirteen.
- Real cost runs well above the sticker price once tax, practice tests, and retakes land. Budget 1.5x to 2x.
- A full Solutions Architect path realistically costs $800 to $1,200 end to end.
- Retakes are the biggest budget risk. Passing first time is the single cheapest thing you can do.
- The 50% voucher you get for passing any exam is free money most people let expire.
- Check retirement dates before booking. ANS-C01 is gone after 2026-08-25.
Budget for the total, not the ticket price, and AWS certification is still one of the better-value moves in tech.
Ready to stop budgeting for retakes? Our AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate live training is 16-plus weeks of live instruction, unlimited hands-on labs, 1:1 mentoring, and practice exams built to the real SAA-C03 format. Two live sessions a week, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
