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AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C01)

The AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C01) certification is designed for professionals with significant experience in architecting and managing complex networking solutions within the AWS ecosystem. This certification validates advanced knowledge in building and securing scalable network architectures on AWS and hybrid environments.

– Target Audience

This certification is ideal for individuals in a networking specialist role who are responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of large-scale network infrastructures. It is recommended that candidates have a minimum of five years of hands-on experience working with AWS networking solutions.

– Skills Validated

Earning the ANS-C01 certification demonstrates a candidate’s ability to:

  • Design and implement hybrid and cloud-based networking architectures using AWS technologies.
  • Utilize AWS core networking services in alignment with AWS best practices.
  • Manage and maintain scalable and resilient network infrastructures across hybrid environments.
  • Apply automation tools and services for network deployment and operations.
  • Secure AWS networks using built-in AWS security services such as AWS WAF, IDS/IPS, and DDoS mitigation tools.
  • Configure and operate advanced network features such as IP VPN, MPLS, and multi-region connectivity.
  • Understand and apply routing protocols, network segmentation, and high availability architectures in enterprise environments.

– Exam Focus Areas

The exam measures proficiency across the following key domains:

  • Hybrid Network Design: Develop networking solutions that bridge on-premises and cloud environments.
  • Network Implementation: Configure AWS networking components like VPC, Direct Connect, and Transit Gateway.
  • Operational Excellence: Monitor and optimize networks for performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency.
  • Security and Compliance: Deploy secure network architectures that comply with AWS security standards and enterprise policies.
  • Automation and Monitoring: Use infrastructure as code and monitoring tools to automate and manage networking tasks efficiently.

Exam Details

  • The AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C01) certification falls under the Specialty category of AWS certifications. It is designed to validate advanced expertise in networking within the AWS environment.
  • The exam has a total duration of 170 minutes and consists of 65 questions presented in either multiple-choice or multiple-response formats.
  • Candidates can choose to take the exam either at an authorized Pearson VUE testing center or through an online proctored environment, depending on their convenience.
  • The ANS-C01 exam is available in multiple languages, including English, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese, to support a global audience.
  • Exam results are reported on a scaled score ranging from 100 to 1,000, with a minimum passing score of 750 required to earn the certification.

Course outline

The exam covers the following topics:

1. Understand the Network Design (30%)

Task Statement 1.1: Designing a solution that incorporates edge network services to optimize user performance and traffic management for global architectures.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 1.2: Designing DNS solutions that meet public, private, and hybrid requirements.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 1.3: Designing solutions that integrate load balancing to meet high availability, scalability,
and security requirements.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 1.4: Defining logging and monitoring requirements across AWS and hybrid networks.
Knowledge of:

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Task Statement 1.5: Designing a routing strategy and connectivity architecture between on-premises
networks and the AWS Cloud.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 1.6: Designing a routing strategy and connectivity architecture that includes multiple AWS
accounts, AWS Regions, and VPCs to support different connectivity patterns.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

2. Understand Network Implementation (26%)

Task Statement 2.1: Implementing routing and connectivity between on-premises networks and the AWS Cloud.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 2.2: Implementing routing and connectivity across multiple AWS accounts, Regions, and VPCs to support different connectivity patterns.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 2.3: Implementing complex hybrid and multi-account DNS architectures.

Knowledge of:

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Task Statement 2.4: Automating and configuring network infrastructure.

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3. Learn About Network Management and Operations (20%)

Task Statement 3.1: Maintaining routing and connectivity on AWS and hybrid networks.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 3.2: Monitoring and analyzing network traffic to troubleshoot and optimize connectivity patterns.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 3.3: Optimizing AWS networks for performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

  • Optimizing for network throughput (AWS Documentation: Amazon EC2 instance network bandwidth)
  • Selecting the right network interface for the best performance (for example, elastic network interface, Elastic Network Adapter [ENA], Elastic Fabric Adapter [EFA]) (AWS Documentation: Elastic Fabric Adapter)
  • Choosing between VPC peering, proxy patterns, or a transit gateway connection based on analysis of the network requirements provided (AWS Documentation: Transit gateway design best practices, Automate the setup of inter-Region peering)
  • Implementing a solution on an appropriate network connectivity service (for example, VPC peering, Transit Gateway, VPN connection) to meet network requirements (AWS Documentation: Transit VPC solution)
  • Implementing a multicast capability within a VPC and on-premises environments (AWS Documentation: Working with multicast)
  • Creating Route 53 public hosted zones and private hosted zones and records to optimize application availability (for example, private zonal DNS entry to route traffic to multiple Availability Zones)
  • Updating and optimizing subnets for auto-scaling configurations to support the increased application load (AWS Documentation: UpdateAutoScalingGroup)
  • Updating and optimizing subnets to prevent the depletion of available IP addresses within a VPC (for example, secondary CIDR) (AWS Documentation: Subnets for your VPC)
  • Configuring jumbo frame support across connection types (AWS Documentation: Network maximum transmission unit (MTU) for your EC2 instance)
  • Optimizing network connectivity by using Global Accelerator to improve network performance and application availability (AWS Documentation: AWS Global Accelerator)

4. Learn About Network Security, Compliance, and Governance (24%)

Task Statement 4.1: Implementing and maintaining network features to meet security and compliance needs and requirements.

Knowledge of:

  • Different threat models based on application architecture
  • Common security threats (AWS Documentation: Security and compliance)
  • Mechanisms to secure different application flows
  • AWS network architecture that meets security and compliance requirements

Skills in:

  • Securing inbound traffic flows into AWS (for example, AWS WAF, AWS Shield, Network Firewall) (AWS Documentation: AWS WAF, AWS Shield, and AWS Firewall Manager)
  • Securing outbound traffic flows from AWS (for example, Network Firewall, proxies, Gateway Load Balancers) (AWS Documentation: AWS Network Firewall example architectures with routing)
  • Securing inter-VPC traffic within an account or across multiple accounts (for example, security groups, network ACLs, VPC endpoint policies) (AWS Documentation: Internetwork traffic privacy in Amazon VPC)
  • Implementing an AWS network architecture to meet security and compliance requirements (for example, untrusted network, perimeter VPC, three-tier architecture) (AWS Documentation: Architecture)
  • Developing a threat model and identifying appropriate mitigation strategies for a given network architecture
  • Testing compliance with the initial requirements (for example, failover test, resiliency) (AWS Documentation: AWS Direct Connect Failover Test)
  • Automating security incident reporting and alerting using AWS (AWS Documentation: Automating Incident Response)

Task Statement 4.2: Validating and auditing security by using network monitoring and logging services.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 4.3: Implementing and maintaining the confidentiality of data and communications of the network.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty Exam FAQs

Check here for FAQs!

AWS Certification Exam Policy

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has implemented a robust set of certification policies aimed at ensuring a secure, fair, and consistent testing experience for all candidates. These policies are designed to maintain the integrity and credibility of the AWS Certification Program and cover key aspects such as exam retake rules, scoring methodology, and the use of unscored questions for research and quality assurance.

– Exam Retake Policy

Candidates who do not achieve a passing score on an AWS certification exam must observe a mandatory waiting period of 14 days before retaking the same exam. While there is no limit to the number of retakes, each attempt requires payment of the full exam fee. This policy is intended to encourage adequate preparation and to preserve the professional value of AWS certifications.

– Scoring and Results

The AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C01) exam is graded on a pass/fail basis. The final result is determined by comparing a candidate’s performance against a predefined standard established by AWS experts, in accordance with industry-recognized certification guidelines. Scores are reported as scaled values ranging from 100 to 1,000, with a minimum passing score of 750. Scaled scoring is used to account for slight variations in difficulty across different versions of the exam, ensuring fairness and consistency.

While candidates are not required to pass each individual section of the exam, AWS uses a compensatory scoring model, meaning that strong performance in one area can offset weaker performance in another. The score report may include a breakdown of your performance across different sections, helping you identify areas for improvement in case of a retake.

AWS Certified Advanced Networking Specialty Exam Study Guide

Step 1: Understand the Exam Objectives

Begin your preparation by thoroughly reviewing the official exam guide and blueprint provided by AWS. This document outlines the key domains and objectives that will be tested, including hybrid networking, network security, automation, and core AWS networking services. Gaining a clear understanding of the knowledge areas and the relative weight of each domain will help you create a structured and prioritized study plan.

Step 2: Use Official AWS Training Resources

Leverage the official AWS training resources, which are specifically designed to align with the ANS-C01 exam content. These trainings provide in-depth coverage of complex networking topics, such as AWS Direct Connect, Transit Gateway, BGP configurations, and VPN architectures. The materials are curated by AWS experts to ensure accuracy and relevance, making them an essential part of your study journey.

Step 3: Learn with AWS Skill Builder

The AWS Skill Builder platform offers a wide range of interactive learning paths tailored to AWS certifications. Enroll in the Advanced Networking – Specialty learning plan to gain structured access to relevant courses, technical deep dives, and scenario-based learning. This platform also allows you to track your progress, assess your readiness, and revisit areas where further improvement is needed.

Step 5: Practice Hands-On with AWS Builder Labs

Apply what you’ve learned through AWS Builder Labs, which offer practical, scenario-based exercises in a real AWS environment. These labs give you hands-on experience in configuring, troubleshooting, and optimizing AWS networking components. Active engagement with real-world configurations will solidify your skills and increase your confidence in managing complex architectures.

Step 6: Explore AWS Cloud Quest and AWS Jam

To take your learning to a more interactive level, consider exploring AWS Cloud Quest and AWS Jam events. Cloud Quest combines gamified learning with real AWS challenges, while AWS Jam provides team-based, time-bound problem-solving scenarios. Both are excellent tools for reinforcing practical skills and developing agility in handling unexpected technical challenges.

Step 7: Join Study Groups and Online Communities

Participate in study groups and online forums where other AWS aspirants and certified professionals share resources, tips, and insights. Engaging in group discussions can expose you to different perspectives, clarify difficult concepts, and provide motivation throughout your preparation. Platforms like LinkedIn groups, Reddit, and AWS community Slack channels are great places to start.

Step 8: Take Practice Exams to Assess Readiness

Finally, assess your exam readiness by taking realistic practice tests that simulate the actual ANS-C01 exam environment. These mock exams help familiarize you with the question format, pacing, and difficulty level. Analyze your results to identify areas that need further study and fine-tune your preparation strategy accordingly. Taking multiple practice tests can significantly boost your confidence and improve time management skills.

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