Introduction
The AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA‑C03) exam is one of the most popular certifications for cloud professionals. It validates your ability to design secure, resilient, and cost-optimised architectures on AWS. If you’re planning to take this exam in 2026, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know.
For a broader roadmap of AWS certifications, check our AWS Associate Certifications Guide for 2026
Exam Overview
- Exam Code: SAA‑C03
- Format: 65 multiple‑choice/multiple‑response questions
- Duration: 130 minutes
- Cost: $150 USD
- Delivery: Pearson VUE or online proctored See the full AWS SAA exam guide for detailed objectives and domain weights.
Key Domains
- Design Secure Architectures (IAM, encryption, compliance)
- Design Resilient Architectures (multi‑AZ, failover, disaster recovery)
- Design High‑Performing Architectures (scalability, caching, load balancing)
- Design Cost-Optimised Architectures (pricing models, reserved instances, savings plans)
Study Strategy
- Read AWS whitepapers and FAQs
- Practice hands‑on labs with EC2, VPC, RDS, and S3
- Use scenario‑based mock exams to simulate real questions
- Focus on trade‑offs: cost vs performance, security vs usability
Common Mistakes
- Memorising services instead of learning architectural decision‑making
- Ignoring cost optimisation scenarios
- Overlooking IAM and governance questions
Conclusion
The AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA‑C03) exam is your gateway to advanced AWS certifications. By mastering the exam domains and practising with real scenarios, you’ll be ready to succeed.
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