The AWS Certification Maze

AWS offers 12 official certifications across 4 levels. Each costs between $100 and $300. Each requires scheduled proctored exams. And each requires significant study time.

If you're just trying to prove you know AWS, that's a lot of friction. Here's how the landscape actually breaks down — and where TrueCert fits in.

The Official AWS Certification Path

Foundational Level

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)

$100, 90 minutes, 65 questions

Entry-level, tests cloud concepts and AWS basics

No prerequisites

Best for: managers, sales, or technical staff new to AWS

Associate Level

AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate (SAA-C03)

$150, 130 minutes, 65 questions

The most popular AWS certification

Tests designing scalable systems on AWS

Best for: architects, senior developers

AWS Certified Developer — Associate (DVA-C02)

$150, 130 minutes, 65 questions

Focuses on application development with AWS services

Best for: backend developers, DevOps engineers

AWS…