Stay ahead by continuously learning and advancing your career. Learn More

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03)

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) certification is designed for professionals involved in architecting cost-effective and performance-optimized solutions using AWS services. It serves as an excellent starting point for individuals with experience in the AWS Cloud or those with a solid background in traditional on-premises IT environments. While in-depth programming expertise is not required, a basic understanding of programming principles can be beneficial. The SAA-C03 exam evaluates the candidate’s ability to:

  • Design cloud architectures that align with both current business needs and future growth projections.
  • Build solutions that are secure, resilient, high-performing, and cost-efficient.
  • Analyze and improve existing architectural solutions using AWS services.

– Intended Audience

This certification is intended for professionals who operate in a solutions architect role. Candidates should be capable of designing reliable, scalable, and secure solutions in alignment with the AWS Well-Architected Framework.

– Recommended Experience

To be successful in this certification, AWS recommends that candidates have:

  • A minimum of one year of hands-on experience in designing distributed systems on the AWS platform.
  • Familiarity with AWS global infrastructure, core services, and security features.
  • Practical knowledge of architectural best practices, including networking, storage, and compute solutions in a cloud environment.

Exam Details

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) exam falls under the Associate certification category and is designed to assess foundational to intermediate-level architectural skills within the AWS ecosystem. The exam has a total duration of 130 minutes, during which candidates are required to answer 65 questions in either multiple-choice or multiple-response format.

Candidates can choose to take the exam at a Pearson VUE testing center or through an online proctored environment, offering flexibility based on individual preferences. The exam is available in multiple languages, including English, French (France), Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Latin America and Spain), as well as Simplified and Traditional Chinese. Exam results are reported on a scaled score ranging from 100 to 1,000, with a minimum passing score of 720 required to earn the certification.

Course Outline

The exam covers the following topics:

1. Designing Secure Architectures (30%)

Task Statement 1: Designing secure access to AWS resources.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 2: Design secure workloads and applications.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Task Statement 3: Determine appropriate data security controls.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

2. Designing Resilient Architectures (26%)

Task Statement 1: Design scalable and loosely coupled architectures.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

  • Designing event-driven, microservice, and/or multi-tier architectures based on requirements (AWS Documentation: Event-Driven Architecture)
  • Determining scaling strategies for components used in an architecture design
  • Determining the AWS services required to achieve loose coupling based on requirements (AWS Documentation: Loosely Coupled Scenarios)
  • Determining when to use containers (AWS Documentation: Determining task size)
  • Determining when to use serverless technologies and patterns
  • Recommending appropriate compute, storage, networking, and database technologies based on requirements
  • Using purpose-built AWS services for workloads (AWS Documentation: Database)

Task Statement 2: Design highly available and/or fault-tolerant architectures.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

  • Determining automation strategies to ensure infrastructure integrity (AWS Documentation: Protecting Compute)
  • Determining the AWS services required to provide a highly available and/or fault-tolerant architecture across AWS Regions or Availability Zones (AWS Documentation: Architecture guidelines and decisions)
  • Identifying metrics based on business requirements to deliver a highly available solution
  • Implementing designs to mitigate single points of failure (AWS Documentation: Withstand Component Failures)
  • Implementing strategies to ensure the durability and availability of data (for example, backups)
  • Selecting an appropriate DR strategy to meet business requirements (AWS Documentation: Plan for Disaster Recovery (DR))
  • Using AWS services that improve the reliability of legacy applications and applications not built for the cloud (for example, when application changes are not possible)
  • Using purpose-built AWS services for workloads (AWS Documentation: Database)

3. Designing High-Performing Architectures (24%)

Task Statement 1: Determine high-performing and/or scalable storage solutions.

Knowledge of:

  • Hybrid storage solutions to meet business requirements (AWS Documentation: Hybrid Cloud Storage)
  • Storage services with appropriate use cases (for example, Amazon S3, Amazon Elastic File System [Amazon EFS], Amazon Elastic Block Store [Amazon EBS]) (AWS Documentation: Storage)
  • Storage types with associated characteristics (for example, object, file, block)

Skills in:

  • Determining storage services and configurations that meet performance demands (AWS Documentation: Storage Architecture Selection)
  • Determining storage services that can scale to accommodate future needs (AWS Documentation: Storage)

Task Statement 2: Design high-performing and elastic compute solutions.

Knowledge of:

  • AWS compute services with appropriate use cases (for example, AWS Batch, Amazon EMR, Fargate) (AWS Documentation: AWS Batch on AWS Fargate, Compute Services)
  • Distributed computing concepts supported by AWS global infrastructure and edge services (AWS Documentation: Global infrastructure)
  • Queuing and messaging concepts (for example, publish/subscribe) (AWS Documentation: Pub/Sub Messaging)
  • Scalability capabilities with appropriate use cases (for example, Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling, AWS Auto Scaling) (AWS Documentation: Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling)
  • Serverless technologies and patterns (for example, Lambda, Fargate) (AWS Documentation: Serverless)
  • The orchestration of containers (for example, Amazon ECS, Amazon EKS) (AWS Documentation: Orchestrating the containers)

Skills in:

  • Decoupling workloads so that components can scale independently (AWS Documentation: Event-Driven Architecture)
  • Identifying metrics and conditions to perform scaling actions (AWS Documentation: Monitor CloudWatch metrics)
  • Selecting the appropriate compute options and features (for example, EC2 instance types) to meet business requirements (AWS Documentation: Amazon EC2 Instance Types)
  • Selecting the appropriate resource type and size (for example, the amount of Lambda memory) to meet business requirements

Task Statement 3: Determine high-performing database solutions.

Knowledge of:

  • AWS global infrastructure (for example, Availability Zones, AWS Regions) (AWS Documentation: Global infrastructure)
  • Caching strategies and services (for example, Amazon ElastiCache) (AWS Documentation: Caching strategies)
  • Data access patterns (for example, read-intensive compared with write-intensive) (AWS Documentation: Best practices for Amazon RDS)
  • Database capacity planning (for example, capacity units, instance types, Provisioned IOPS)
  • Database connections and proxies (AWS Documentation: Using Amazon RDS Proxy)
  • Database engines with appropriate use cases (for example, heterogeneous migrations, homogeneous migrations) (AWS Documentation: Heterogeneous database migration)
  • Database replication (for example, read replicas) (AWS Documentation: Working with read replicas)
  • Database types and services (for example, serverless, relational compared with non-relational, in-memory) (AWS Documentation: Database)

Skills in:

  • Configuring read replicas to meet business requirements
  • Designing database architectures (AWS Documentation: Database Architecture Selection)
  • Determining an appropriate database engine (for example, MySQL compared with PostgreSQL) (AWS Documentation: Best practices for Amazon RDS)
  • Determining an appropriate database type (for example, Amazon Aurora, Amazon DynamoDB)
  • Integrating caching to meet business requirements

Task Statement 4: Determine high-performing and/or scalable network architectures.

Knowledge of:

  • Edge networking services with appropriate use cases (for example, Amazon CloudFront, AWS Global Accelerator) (AWS Documentation: Edge networking with AWS)
  • How to design network architecture (for example, subnet tiers, routing, IP addressing) (AWS Documentation: VPC with public and private subnets (NAT))
  • Load balancing concepts (for example, Application Load Balancer) (AWS Documentation: Application Load Balancer)
  • Network connection options (for example, AWS VPN, Direct Connect, AWS PrivateLink) (AWS Documentation: AWS Direct Connect)

Skills in:

Task Statement 5: Determine high-performing data ingestion and transformation solutions.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

Domain 4: Design Cost-Optimized Architectures (20%)

Task Statement 1: Design cost-optimized storage solutions.

Knowledge of:

  • Access options (for example, an S3 bucket with Requester Pays object storage) (AWS Documentation: Using Requester Pays buckets for storage transfers and usage)
  • AWS cost management service features (for example, cost allocation tags, multi-account billing) (AWS Documentation: Using Cost Allocation Tags)
  • AWS cost management tools with appropriate use cases (for example, AWS Cost Explorer, AWS Budgets, AWS Cost and Usage Report) (AWS Documentation: Analyzing your costs with AWS Cost Explorer)
  • AWS storage services with appropriate use cases (for example, Amazon FSx, Amazon EFS, Amazon S3, Amazon EBS) (AWS Documentation: Storage)
  • Backup strategies (AWS Documentation: AWS Backup)
  • Block storage options (for example, hard disk drive [HDD] volume types, solid state drive [SSD] volume types) (AWS Documentation: Amazon EBS volume types)
  • Data lifecycles (AWS Documentation: Amazon Data Lifecycle Manager)
  • Hybrid storage options (for example, DataSync, Transfer Family, Storage Gateway)
  • Storage access patterns
  • Storage tiering (for example, cold tiering for object storage) (AWS Documentation: Using Amazon S3 storage classes)
  • Storage types with associated characteristics (for example, object, file, block) (AWS Documentation: Storage)

Skills in:

Task Statement 2: Design cost-optimized compute solutions.

Knowledge of:

  • AWS cost management service features (for example, cost allocation tags, multi-account billing) (AWS Documentation: Using Cost Allocation Tags)
  • AWS cost management tools with appropriate use cases (for example, Cost Explorer, AWS Budgets, AWS Cost and Usage Report) (AWS Documentation: AWS Cost Explorer)
  • AWS global infrastructure (for example, Availability Zones, AWS Regions) (AWS Documentation: Global infrastructure)
  • AWS purchasing options (for example, Spot Instances, Reserved Instances, Savings Plans) (AWS Documentation: Instance purchasing options)
  • Distributed compute strategies (for example, edge processing) (AWS Documentation: Amazon SageMaker Distributed Training Libraries)
  • Hybrid compute options (for example, AWS Outposts, AWS Snowball Edge) (AWS Documentation: Compute Services)
  • Instance types, families, and sizes (for example, memory optimized, compute optimized, virtualization) (AWS Documentation: Memory optimized instances)
  • Optimization of compute utilization (for example, containers, serverless computing, microservices)
  • Scaling strategies (for example, auto scaling, hibernation) (AWS Documentation: Warm pools for Amazon EC2 Auto Scaling)

Skills in:

  • Determining an appropriate load balancing strategy (for example, Application Load Balancer [Layer 7] compared with Network Load Balancer [Layer 4] compared with Gateway Load Balancer) (AWS Documentation: Elastic Load Balancing FAQs)
  • Determining appropriate scaling methods and strategies for elastic workloads (for example, horizontal compared with vertical, EC2 hibernation) (AWS Documentation: Best practices for EC2 Spot)
  • Determining cost-effective AWS compute services with appropriate use cases (for example, Lambda, Amazon EC2, Fargate)
  • Determining the required availability for different classes of workloads (for example, production workloads, non-production workloads) (AWS Documentation: Workloads)
  • Selecting the appropriate instance family for a workload
  • Selecting the appropriate instance size for a workload (AWS Documentation: Tips for Right Sizing)

Task Statement 3: Design cost-optimized database solutions.

Knowledge of:

  • AWS cost management service features (for example, cost allocation tags, multi-account billing) (AWS Documentation: Using Cost Allocation Tags)
  • AWS cost management tools with appropriate use cases (for example, Cost Explorer, AWS Budgets, AWS Cost and Usage Report) (AWS Documentation: AWS Cost Explorer)
  • Caching strategies (AWS Documentation: Caching strategies)
  • Data retention policies
  • Database capacity planning (for example, capacity units) (AWS Documentation: Read/write capacity mode)
  • Database connections and proxies (AWS Documentation: Using Amazon RDS Proxy)
  • Database engines with appropriate use cases (for example, heterogeneous migrations, homogeneous migrations) (AWS Documentation: Heterogeneous database migration)
  • Database replication (for example, read replicas) (AWS Documentation: Working with read replicas)
  • Database types and services (for example, relational compared with non-relational, Aurora, DynamoDB) (AWS Documentation: Database)

Skills in:

  • Designing appropriate backup and retention policies (for example, snapshot frequency)
  • Determining an appropriate database engine (for example, MySQL compared with PostgreSQL) (AWS Documentation: Best practices for Amazon RDS)
  • Determining cost-effective AWS database services with appropriate use cases (for example, DynamoDB compared with Amazon RDS, serverless)
  • Determining cost-effective AWS database types (for example, time series format, columnar format) (AWS Documentation: AWS Cloud Databases)
  • Migrating database schemas and data to different locations and/or different database engines (AWS Documentation: Best practices for AWS Database Migration Service)

Task Statement 4: Design cost-optimized network architectures.

Knowledge of:

Skills in:

  • Configuring appropriate NAT gateway types for a network (for example, a single shared NAT gateway compared with NAT gateways for each Availability Zone) (AWS Documentation: NAT gateways)
  • Configuring appropriate network connections (for example, Direct Connect compared with VPN compared with internet) (AWS Documentation: AWS Direct Connect FAQs)
  • Configuring appropriate network routes to minimize network transfer costs (for example, Region to Region, Availability Zone to Availability Zone, private to public, Global Accelerator, VPC endpoints)
  • Determining strategic needs for content delivery networks (CDNs) and edge caching (AWS Documentation: Working with Content Delivery Networks (CDNs))
  • Reviewing existing workloads for network optimizations (AWS Documentation: Optimize over time)
  • Selecting an appropriate throttling strategy (AWS Documentation: Throttle API requests for better throughput)
  • Selecting the appropriate bandwidth allocation for a network device (for example, a single VPN compared with multiple VPNs, Direct Connect speed) (AWS Documentation: Site-to-Site VPN single and multiple connection)

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) Exam FAQS

Click Here For FAQs!

AWS Certification Exam Policy

Amazon Web Services (AWS) maintains a robust and transparent certification policy framework to uphold the integrity, fairness, and consistency of its examination process. These policies address essential areas such as exam retake rules, scoring methodology, and eligibility requirements.

– Retake Policy

Candidates who do not achieve a passing score on an AWS certification exam must wait a minimum of 14 calendar days before attempting the exam again. There is no limit to the number of retakes; however, each attempt requires payment of the full exam fee.

Once a candidate successfully passes a specific version of an AWS certification exam, they are not allowed to retake the same version for a period of two years. However, if AWS releases an updated version of the exam—indicated by a new exam guide and series code—candidates are eligible to attempt the revised version.

– Scoring and Exam Results

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) exam follows a pass/fail scoring model. Exam performance is measured against a predetermined benchmark set by AWS subject matter experts, adhering to industry-standard certification practices. Scores are presented on a scaled range from 100 to 1,000, with a minimum passing score of 720. This scaled scoring system ensures consistency across different versions of the exam that may vary slightly in difficulty.

Candidates receive a score report that may include section-level feedback, indicating relative performance across different domains. AWS employs a compensatory scoring model, meaning candidates do not need to pass every individual section, but must achieve an overall passing score on the exam.

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) Exam Study Guide

Step 1: Understand the Exam Objectives

Begin your preparation by reviewing the official exam guide provided by AWS. This document outlines the key domains and competencies assessed in the exam, such as designing secure architectures, implementing resilient and high-performing solutions, and optimizing for cost and performance. Understanding these objectives will help you focus your study efforts and create a strategic learning plan tailored to the exam’s requirements.

Step 2: Leverage Official AWS Training Resources

AWS offers a variety of free and paid training options specifically aligned with the SAA-C03 exam. Explore the AWS Training and Certification portal to access foundational and intermediate-level courses. These trainings are designed and delivered by AWS experts, ensuring that the content reflects real-world use cases and current best practices. Starting with these resources ensures your learning aligns with AWS’s standards and expectations.

Step 3: Build Knowledge with AWS Skill Builder

AWS Skill Builder is a centralized learning platform offering curated learning plans, video tutorials, interactive modules, and assessments for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam. Through this platform, you can follow a structured path and track your progress. It’s especially useful for identifying strengths and weaknesses across different domains of the exam.

Step 4: Fill Knowledge Gaps with Digital Courses

As you progress through the official learning materials, you may identify areas that require deeper understanding. Enroll in digital training courses from trusted platforms or AWS-authorized partners that focus specifically on topics where you feel less confident—such as networking, identity and access management, or high-availability architectures. Choose courses that offer hands-on labs, visuals, and real-world scenarios to solidify your understanding.

Step 5: Gain Hands-On Experience with AWS Builder Labs

Theory alone is not enough to succeed in the SAA-C03 exam. Use AWS Builder Labs to apply what you’ve learned in a real AWS environment. These labs guide you through common architecture and deployment tasks, helping you gain hands-on familiarity with core services such as Amazon EC2, VPC, IAM, S3, RDS, and more. Hands-on experience reinforces learning and improves your ability to solve real-world problems on the exam.

Step 6: Explore Gamified Learning with AWS Cloud Quest and AWS Jam

To make your learning more engaging, consider using AWS Cloud Quest, a role-playing game that helps you develop cloud skills through problem-solving in a virtual environment. Similarly, AWS Jam events and Jam Journey challenges provide a team-based or individual learning experience where you solve scenario-based tasks within AWS. These tools are ideal for reinforcing knowledge through practice and experimentation.

Step 7: Join Study Groups and Discussion Forums

Engage with others preparing for the same certification by participating in online study groups, forums, or local meetup communities. Platforms like Reddit, LinkedIn groups, Discord communities, and AWS discussion boards offer a space to ask questions, exchange tips, and clarify difficult concepts. Collaborative learning helps you gain new insights, understand different perspectives, and stay motivated.

Step 8: Assess Readiness with Practice Exams

Before scheduling your exam, evaluate your preparedness by taking realistic practice exams. Look for tests that mirror the difficulty level, format, and time constraints of the actual exam. Detailed feedback from these tests will highlight areas that require additional review. Make it a goal to consistently score above the passing threshold (720) before taking the real exam.

Step 9: Review, Revise, and Register

In the final phase of your preparation, revisit weak areas, revise key concepts, and review architectural patterns aligned with the AWS Well-Architected Framework. Ensure you are comfortable with interpreting use cases and selecting the appropriate AWS services based on given scenarios. Once you feel confident, schedule your exam through the AWS Certification Portal, choosing either a test center or online proctoring option.

keyboard_arrow_up
Exit mobile version