AWS CCP (CLF-C02) Cheat Sheet.
The night-before summary, built like the exam.
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) Cheat Sheet
A condensed, night-before reference for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner exam. Pair this with practice questions — it is not a substitute for full review.
Exam Logistics At-a-Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Question count | 65 questions |
| Scored questions | 50 questions affect your score |
| Unscored questions | 15 unscored questions do not affect your score |
| Duration | 90 minutes |
| Cost | 100 USD |
| Passing score | 700 on a scaled score of 100 to 1,000 |
| Result | Pass or fail designation only |
| Question types | Multiple choice and multiple response |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE testing center or online proctored (OnVUE) |
| Validity | 3 years |
- You will not know which 15 questions are unscored, so treat every question as if it counts.
- Unanswered questions are scored as incorrect — there is no penalty for guessing, so never leave a question blank.
- Schedule at aws.amazon.com/certification by selecting "Schedule an exam" and signing in with an AWS Builder ID.
Content Domains (Quick List)
- Domain 1 — Cloud Concepts: 24% of scored content, organized into four task statements.
- Domain 2 — Security and Compliance: 30% of scored content, the single largest domain.
- Domain 3 — Cloud Technology and Services: 34% of scored content, the largest domain overall.
- Domain 4 — Billing, Pricing, and Support: 12% of scored content, the smallest domain.
The exam has four content domains with published weightings — memorize the order of weight (Domain 3 > Domain 2 > Domain 1 > Domain 4) so you can triage study time correctly.
Key Terms and Concepts to Memorize
- AWS Well-Architected Framework pillars: Domain 1 covers identifying design principles of the AWS Cloud, including these pillars — know them by name and be able to match a scenario to the right pillar.
- Fixed vs. variable costs and rightsizing: Domain 1 covers cloud economics concepts, including fixed versus variable costs and rightsizing — expect scenario questions contrasting CapEx with OpEx.
- AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (AWS CAF): Domain 1 addresses migration benefits and strategies, including the AWS CAF — know its role in guiding migration planning.
- Shared Responsibility Model: a core Security and Compliance concept distinguishing what AWS secures versus what the customer secures.
- IAM basics: users, groups, roles, and policies — the backbone of Security and Compliance questions.
- Core service categories: compute (EC2, Lambda), storage (S3, EBS), database (RDS, DynamoDB), and networking (VPC) — Cloud Technology and Services is the largest domain, so breadth across services matters more than depth.
- Support plans and billing tools: Billing, Pricing, and Support covers AWS Support plan tiers, the Pricing Calculator, Cost Explorer, and budgeting/alerting tools.
Common Gotchas and Traps
- Do not confuse scored and unscored questions — 50 of the 65 questions are scored and 15 are unscored, but they are indistinguishable during the exam, so answer all 65 with full effort.
- The exam reports pass/fail only, not a detailed numeric breakdown by domain — do not expect to see your exact score per domain during the test.
- Remember the exam explicitly states unanswered questions are marked incorrect — always select an answer, even a best guess, before moving on.
- Watch for questions that test the highest-weighted domains (Security and Compliance at 30% and Cloud Technology and Services at 34%) disguised as simple scenario questions — read carefully for the specific AWS service being described.
- Do not assume in-person testing is the only option — remote OnVUE proctoring is available if a testing center is inconvenient.
- Do not underweight Domain 4 just because it is smallest (12%) — a few missed billing/support questions can still tip a borderline score below 700.
Night-Before Checklist
- Confirm your exam appointment time, delivery method (Pearson VUE center or OnVUE online), and required ID.
- Review the four domain weights one more time: Cloud Concepts 24%, Security and Compliance 30%, Cloud Technology and Services 34%, Billing/Pricing/Support 12%.
- Skim the Well-Architected Framework pillars and the Shared Responsibility Model — these show up across multiple domains.
- Remind yourself: 65 total questions, 90 minutes, 700 to pass on a 100–1,000 scale, pass/fail result only.
- Plan to answer every question — no guessing penalty, but blanks are automatically wrong.
- If testing online, test your webcam, ID, and quiet room setup in advance per OnVUE requirements.
- Get sleep — 90 minutes of sustained focus benefits from being well-rested more than a final cram session.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam, and how much time do I get?
The exam contains 65 questions and you are given 90 minutes to complete it. Only 50 of those questions actually affect your score — the other 15 are unscored questions that do not count, and you will not know which is which, so treat every question as if it counts. All questions are one of two types: multiple choice or multiple response. That timing works out to roughly 80 seconds per question on average, which is enough to read each scenario carefully and still leave a buffer to revisit flagged questions at the end.
What score do I need to pass, and should I guess on questions I'm unsure about?
You need a minimum passing score of 700 on a scaled score range of 100 to 1,000, and the exam has a simple pass or fail designation — there is no letter grade or percentile requirement beyond clearing that bar. Always answer every question: unanswered questions are scored as incorrect, and there is no penalty for guessing. That means leaving a question blank can only cost you points, while eliminating one or two obviously wrong options and making an educated guess can only help.
How much does the exam cost, how long is the certification valid, and how do I schedule it?
The exam costs 100 USD, and once you pass, the certification is valid for 3 years before you need to recertify. You can take it either in person at a Pearson VUE testing center or from home as an online proctored exam — the remote option runs through Pearson's OnVUE online proctoring. To schedule, visit aws.amazon.com/certification, select Schedule an exam, and sign in with an AWS Builder ID; from there you pick your delivery method, date, and time slot.
Which exam domains should I spend the most study time on?
The exam has four content domains with published weightings: Cloud Technology and Services at 34% of scored content, Security and Compliance at 30%, Cloud Concepts at 24%, and Billing, Pricing, and Support at 12%. Cloud Technology and Services plus Security and Compliance together account for 64% of your scored content, so those two domains deserve the bulk of your preparation time. Don't skip Cloud Concepts, though — it is organized into four task statements covering the pillars of the AWS Well-Architected Framework, migration benefits and strategies including the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework, and cloud economics concepts such as fixed versus variable costs and rightsizing.
Sources
- 1.AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) Exam Guide — AWS (accessed Jul 18, 2026)
- 2.AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification Page — AWS (accessed Jul 18, 2026)
- 3.AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam Guide — Content Domain 1: Cloud Concepts — AWS (accessed Jul 18, 2026)
- 4.AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) Exam Guide — Exam Content and Question Types — AWS (accessed Jul 18, 2026)
- 5.Pearson VUE — AWS Certification Exam Scheduling — Pearson VUE (accessed Jul 18, 2026)