AWS offers 12 certifications across four levels. Most people spend more time debating which order to take them than actually preparing — this guide cuts through that.
Here's the complete roadmap based on your background and where you want to go.
The Full AWS Certification Landscape 2026
Foundational (£100)
- AWS Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)
- AWS AI Practitioner (AIF-C01)
Associate ($150)
- Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03)
- Developer Associate (DVA-C02)
- SysOps Administrator / CloudOps Engineer Associate (SOA-C02 / COA-C01)
- Data Engineer Associate (DEA-C01)
- Machine Learning Engineer Associate (MLA-C01)
Professional ($300)
- Solutions Architect Professional (SAP-C02)
- DevOps Engineer Professional (DOP-C02)
Specialty ($300)
- Security Specialty (SCS-C02)
- Advanced Networking Specialty (ANS-C01)
- Machine Learning Specialty (MLS-C01)
Where to Start: By Background
Complete beginners to cloud and tech
Start with Cloud Practitioner.
It gives you the conceptual foundation for everything else, proves to yourself you can pass an AWS exam, and earns a 50% voucher for your next certification. After that, move to Solutions Architect Associate.
Timeline: CLF-C02 in 3 to 4 weeks, then SAA-C03 in 6 to 8 weeks.
Technical professionals new to AWS (developers, sysadmins, network engineers)
Cloud Practitioner is optional — you can go straight to SAA-C03. The 50% voucher is worth capturing if you can do it in 2 to 3 weeks, but don't let it add unnecessary time to your path.
Start with Solutions Architect Associate. It's the certification that most reliably clears recruiter filters, appears in the most job descriptions, and covers the broadest range of AWS architecture patterns.
Timeline: SAA-C03 in 4 to 6 weeks.
Software developers who want to stay in development
Cloud Practitioner → Solutions Architect Associate → Developer Associate
Developer Associate (DVA-C02) covers serverless, CI/CD pipelines, CodeBuild/CodePipeline/CodeDeploy, Lambda, API Gateway, and DynamoDB at a level of depth that directly maps to developer job descriptions.
DevOps and platform engineers
Cloud Practitioner → Solutions Architect Associate → DevOps Engineer Professional
You can skip SysOps Associate — the DevOps Professional covers the operational and automation content at greater depth, and its combination with the SAA is what most senior DevOps roles ask for.
Data engineers and analysts
Cloud Practitioner → Data Engineer Associate → (optionally) Solutions Architect Associate
DEA-C01 covers S3, Redshift, Glue, Lake Formation, Kinesis, Athena, and data pipeline architecture. If your job involves building or managing data infrastructure on AWS, this is the most directly applicable cert after the foundational level.
Security engineers
Cloud Practitioner → Solutions Architect Associate → Security Specialty
The Security Specialty (SCS-C02) requires you to already understand core AWS architecture. Going straight to it without the SAA foundation is possible but difficult. The SAA→Security path is well-established and the two exams share significant IAM and VPC overlap.
The Highest-ROI Certification Path for Most People
If you're unsure what to specialise in, the default answer is:
Cloud Practitioner → Solutions Architect Associate → Solutions Architect Professional
SAA is the highest-ROI certification at the associate level for salary and job openings. SAP is the most respected advanced certification across cloud engineering, architecture, and senior engineering roles. This path takes 12 to 18 months for most people (including the real-world experience SAP requires) and positions you for senior cloud engineering and architecture roles.
What the 50% Voucher Rule Means for Your Planning
When you pass any AWS certification, you receive a 50% discount voucher for your next attempt.
| Your current cert | Voucher value on next exam |
|---|---|
| Cloud Practitioner ($100 exam) | 50% off → saves $50–$150 |
| Solutions Architect Associate ($150 exam) | 50% off Professional/Specialty → saves $150 |
| Any Professional or Specialty | 50% off your next exam |
Always plan your certification sequence with the voucher in mind. Passing Cloud Practitioner before Solutions Architect Associate saves you $75 on the SAA. Passing SAA before a Professional saves you $150. Over a full certification path, this adds up to several hundred dollars.
What to Do After Your First Certification
Once you have Solutions Architect Associate, the right next step depends on your specific situation:
Less than 1 year of cloud experience: Focus on getting real AWS project work — build things, break things, deploy things. Certifications compound with experience. A second cert on top of zero experience is still zero experience.
1 to 2 years of hands-on AWS experience: Add Developer Associate or DevOps Professional depending on your role. Both are directly applicable to job descriptions at mid-senior level.
2+ years in cloud: Consider Solutions Architect Professional or a Specialty. These require applied experience to pass and the study process itself will surface genuine gaps in your understanding.
The Order That Doesn't Work
Collecting associate-level certifications across all tracks — SAA + DVA + SOA — before getting any real experience is rarely the right move. Three associate certs with 6 months of experience looks weaker than one associate cert with 18 months of project work.
Going straight to Professional level without hands-on experience. The SAP and DOP exams require you to apply architecture knowledge to complex multi-account, multi-region scenarios. Without real experience, the time-to-pass is dramatically longer and the pass rate is much lower.
Pick a track. Get the cert. Then build the experience to back it up.
Your First Step
Decide whether you're starting with Cloud Practitioner or Solutions Architect Associate based on your background. Then take a baseline practice exam on day one — not to pass, but to see your domain scores and know exactly what needs work before you study a single hour.
That baseline is your roadmap. Without it, you're guessing at what to study.