What is the AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) exam designed to validate?
The AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) exam validates a candidate’s proficiency in developing, testing, deploying, and debugging applications built on the AWS Cloud. It confirms the ability to optimize applications on AWS, use CI/CD workflows for packaging and deployment, secure application code and data, and resolve application issues.
Who is the target audience for the DVA-C02 certification?
This certification is intended for individuals in a developer role who have one or more years of hands-on experience developing and maintaining applications using AWS services. It is recommended to have proficiency in at least one high-level programming language and a basic understanding of cloud-focused applications.
What is the format and duration of the DVA-C02 exam?
The DVA-C02 exam consists of 65 questions, which can be either multiple-choice or multiple-response. Candidates are allotted 130 minutes to complete the exam.
What are the main content domains covered in the exam and their respective weightings?
The exam is structured around four main content domains:
- Development with AWS Services
- Security
- Deployment
- Troubleshooting and Optimization
What is the passing score for the DVA-C02 exam, and how are results reported?
The exam is scored on a scale of 100 to 1,000, with a minimum passing score of 720. Results are reported as a scaled score indicating overall performance, and a compensatory scoring model means you only need to pass the overall exam, not each individual section.
What are some key AWS services and concepts that are in scope for the exam?
Key in-scope AWS services and features span categories like Application Integration (e.g., Amazon SQS, Amazon SNS, EventBridge), Compute (e.g., AWS Lambda, Amazon EC2), Database (e.g., Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon RDS), Developer Tools (e.g., AWS CodePipeline, AWS X-Ray), Security (e.g., IAM, AWS KMS, Amazon Cognito), and Storage (e.g., Amazon S3). Concepts such as idempotency, fault-tolerant design patterns, and various caching strategies are also important.
What types of tasks are considered out of scope for the DVA-C02 exam?
The exam does not cover tasks such as designing complex architectures (e.g., distributed systems, microservices, database schemas), designing and creating CI/CD pipelines, administering IAM users and groups, administering servers and operating systems, or designing AWS networking infrastructure (e.g., Amazon VPC, AWS Direct Connect).
What programming language proficiency is recommended for the exam?
Candidates should be proficient in at least one high-level programming language such as Java, C#, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, or Go, particularly for developing fault-tolerant and resilient applications and interacting with AWS services via APIs and SDKs.
How can one recertify the AWS Certified Developer – Associate certification?
The certification is valid for three years. To recertify, you can pass the latest version of this exam or earn a higher-level certification like the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional.
