The AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate exam (SAA-C03) costs 150 USD, and that is the only cost line on the AWS exam page. The exam is 130 minutes of 65 multiple choice or multiple response questions, taken at a Pearson VUE test center or online proctored. A retake costs the full 150 USD after a 14-day wait, and the fee is listed in local currencies, with applicable taxes where they apply. Once you hold one AWS certification, your next AWS certification exam is 50% off.
The fee, listed in your currency
SAA-C03 sits at the Associate level, and the AWS exam pricing table prices each level in USD and in the local currencies AWS publishes:
| Level | USD | EUR | AUD | JPY | KRW | CNY | INR* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business | $100 | €85 | A$150 | ¥15,000 | ₩131,525 | ¥704 | ₹8,553 |
| Foundational | $100 | €85 | A$150 | ¥15,000 | ₩131,525 | ¥704 | ₹8,553 |
| Associate | $150 | €128 | A$224 | ¥20,000 | ₩197,287 | ¥1,057 | ₹12,829.50 |
| Professional | $300 | €256 | A$449 | ¥40,000 | ₩394,575 | ¥2,113 | ₹25,659 |
| Specialty | $300 | €256 | A$449 | ¥40,000 | ₩394,575 | ¥2,113 | ₹25,659 |
*INR is accepted on the Pearson Mindhub voucher store only for exam voucher purchases.
The Associate row is the price that applies to SAA-C03. Four notes on the same page change what you pay. Applicable taxes may apply. Prices are valid for one exam attempt. AWS updates the local-currency prices at least annually in May to reflect foreign exchange rates, and it can update the rates more often with at least 30 days' notice. If you paid by card and an exchange rate update raises the price, you do not pay the difference to reschedule. If you pay in rupees, the table lists the Associate exam at 12,829.50 INR, and the footnote limits that price to voucher purchases on the Pearson Mindhub store. Check the table before you book, because the May update and the 30-day notice rule mean the price can move.
The rules around each attempt
The AWS Certification FAQs set the fee rules. If you fail, you must wait 14 calendar days before you can retake, and each attempt costs the full registration fee. There is no limit on how many times you can attempt the exam. If you pass, you cannot retake the same exam for two years unless AWS releases a new version with a new exam guide and exam series code.
On the date, you can cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before your appointment without fees. Once you are inside the 24-hour window, you cannot cancel or reschedule at all. Miss the appointment and the fee is forfeited, with a medical exception noted in the FAQ, and you cannot register again until 24 hours after the missed time. Missing the exam does not count as a fail. An exam can be rescheduled twice.
The 24-hour cutoff is where the fee stops being movable. Pick a date you will actually keep.
Passing halves the price of the next exam
Once you earn one AWS Certification, you get a 50% discount on your next AWS Certification exam, and you access the discount from your AWS Certification Account (SAA-C03 exam page). The Before Testing policy sets the mechanics. A voucher that covers 50% of an exam is honored at 50% off the exam price at the time of purchase, so the discount tracks the price in effect when you buy.
Two paths decide the budget. If you have no IT work experience yet, the exam page recommends earning the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner first. That first exam costs 100 USD (CLF-C02 exam page), and the SAA-C03 that follows drops from 150 USD to 75 USD with the voucher. The two exams cost 175 USD instead of 250 USD.
If you are moving up after the SAA-C03, the exam page lists the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional and the Security - Specialty as the certifications other cloud professionals earn next in roles like solutions architect. The Professional exam costs 300 USD and runs 180 minutes of 75 questions (SAP exam page). With the voucher it costs 150 USD, so the SAA-C03 to SAP path costs 300 USD instead of 450 USD.
Recertification costs an exam fee or a subscription
The certification is valid for 3 years (SAA-C03 exam page), and the recertification page lists three options for the Solutions Architect - Associate:
- Pass the latest version of the SAA-C03 exam.
- Pass the AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional exam.
- Maintain the certification on AWS Skill Builder.
The two exam options can be taken using the 50% discount voucher in your AWS Certification Account, and each one extends the certification by 3 years. The maintain option extends it by 1 year and requires a certification within 90 days of expiration plus an active Skill Builder subscription (Monthly, Annual, or Team), which is paid.
The Associate table has no free option, so plan the renewal when you plan the 3 years. If you will take the SAP, it recertifies the SAA-C03 at the discounted price. If you will not, the 1-year maintain keeps the certification current while you decide.
The prep side of the budget
AWS's prep materials are free. The exam page points to a 4-step Exam Prep Plan on AWS Skill Builder, which starts with the exam guide and the AWS Certification Official Practice Question Set and ends with the AWS Certification Official Practice Exam (SAA-C03 exam page). AWS also runs free live webinars and free Exam Readiness digital courses.
Two details shape how you spend the prep time. The exam uses short names of some AWS services, and the list of short names and full names is available through the Help button in the exam, so you can study it beforehand (SAA-C03 exam page). The results are reported as a scaled score of 100-1,000, with a minimum passing score of 720 (AWS SAA-C03 exam guide).
CramHQ's free SAA-C03 assessment costs nothing and needs no card. It returns a Readiness Report with your top gaps. The full SAA-C03 path is the paid side of CramHQ. It is 34.99 USD for 12 months of access, and it includes the practice tests and the Pass Plan that the assessment leads into.
What to budget and when to book
Budget the lines in your currency:
- One attempt: 150 USD (12,829.50 INR through the Mindhub voucher store), with applicable taxes where they apply.
- A failed first attempt: 150 USD more after 14 calendar days.
- Starting from the Cloud Practitioner: 175 USD for the two exams instead of 250 USD, because the CLF earns the 50% voucher.
- The renewal after 3 years: an exam fee taken with the voucher, or a 1-year Skill Builder maintain.
AWS recommends at least 1 year of hands-on experience designing cloud solutions that use AWS services before this exam (exam guide). Take the free SAA-C03 assessment before you book. It returns a Readiness Report with your top gaps, and as a CramHQ rule of thumb, book the exam when a timed practice set holds at 720 or above on the CramHQ practice scale and the report shows no large gaps.