The AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA‑C03) is a globally recognized certification that validates the ability to design, implement, and evaluate secure, scalable, cost-efficient, and high-performing solutions on AWS. It is intended for individuals with hands-on experience in AWS services who can architect distributed systems and ensure they meet business requirements effectively. Exam Code: SAA‑C03 Certification: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate Provider: Amazon Web Services Duration: 130 minutes Format: Multiple-choice and multiple-response questions Passing Score: Scaled scoring system (approximately 720 out of 1000)
The exam tests real-world architectural skills rather than just memorization. Candidates are assessed on their ability to design secure, resilient, high-performing, and cost-optimized solutions on AWS. Exam Covered Knowledge Areas (Domains)1. Design Secure Architectures (30%)Implement Identity and Access Management (IAM) and roles Apply data protection and encryption methods Configure secure networks using VPCs, security groups, and NACLs Ensure governance and compliance
2. Design Resilient Architectures (26%)Use global infrastructure effectively (Regions, Availability Zones) Implement load balancing, auto-scaling, and decoupling mechanisms Plan disaster recovery strategies and high availability
3. Design High-Performing Architectures (24%)Select appropriate compute, database, and storage services Apply caching and content delivery strategies Optimize network and system performance
4. Design Cost-Optimized Architectures (20%)Apply cost-saving techniques with storage, compute, and database options Use AWS pricing models effectively Monitor and control spending with cost management tools
Exam ObjectivesTranslate technical requirements into AWS solutions Apply AWS best practices in real-world scenarios Choose appropriate AWS services for compute, storage, database, and networking needs Balance performance, security, and cost considerations in solution design
Ideal CandidatesProfessionals with 1+ years of hands-on experience on AWS Those familiar with core AWS services like EC2, S3, RDS, VPC, and IAM
| 
