AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam Guide
At a glance
- Questions
- 65
- Time limit
- 1h 30m
- Passing score
- 700/1000
- Exam fee
- $100
- Governing body
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) validates foundational knowledge of AWS services, cloud computing concepts, and business fundamentals. Ideal for IT professionals, developers, and non-technical roles entering cloud environments, this entry-level credential demonstrates understanding of AWS architecture, security, and operational practices. It is valid for 3 years.
The exam spans four domains: Cloud Concepts (24%), Security and Compliance (30%), Cloud Technology and Services (34%), and Billing, Pricing, and Support (12%). Topics include cloud economics, migration strategies, the AWS Well-Architected Framework, AWS security services, core infrastructure, and pricing models. Questions are either multiple choice or multiple response.
The exam costs 100 USD. This fee includes access to the exam and official question types through Pearson VUE's testing infrastructure, whether you test in person or online.
Candidates have 90 minutes to answer 65 questions: 50 scored questions and 15 unscored (pilot) questions. The passing score is 700 on a scaled score of 100 to 1,000. Exams are delivered at Pearson VUE testing centers or remotely through OnVUE online proctoring. Unanswered questions count as incorrect, but there is no penalty for guessing.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam, and how much time do I get?
The exam has 65 questions, and you get 90 minutes to finish — that works out to a little under 90 seconds per question. Importantly, only 50 of those questions actually count toward your score; the other 15 are unscored pretest items, though you won't know which are which. Every question is either multiple choice (one correct answer) or multiple response (two or more correct answers). Unanswered questions are scored as incorrect and there is no penalty for guessing, so you should always select an answer for every question, even if you have to guess.
What score do I need to pass the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam?
You need a minimum scaled score of 700 on a scale of 100 to 1,000. The result is a simple pass or fail designation. Because AWS uses scaled scoring rather than a raw percentage, 700 does not literally mean answering 70% of questions correctly — the conversion from raw answers to the scaled score accounts for differences in difficulty between exam forms. Keep in mind that only 50 of the 65 questions are scored, so each scored question carries meaningful weight.
What topics does the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam cover, and which domains matter most?
The exam is organized into four content domains with published weightings: Cloud Concepts (24%), Security and Compliance (30%), Cloud Technology and Services (34%), and Billing, Pricing, and Support (12%). Security and Compliance plus Cloud Technology and Services together make up 64% of your scored content, so those two domains deserve the majority of your study time. Cloud Concepts is organized into four task statements and covers AWS Cloud design principles including 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.
How much does the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam cost, and how do I schedule it?
The exam costs 100 USD. You can take it in person at a Pearson VUE test center or remotely through OnVUE online proctoring, so there is no need to travel if a testing center isn't convenient. To schedule, visit aws.amazon.com/certification, select Schedule an exam, and sign in with an AWS Builder ID. Once you pass, the certification is valid for 3 years before you need to recertify.