You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
AWSAWS Certified Developer - Associate
The AWS Certified Developer - Associate certification validates your ability to develop, test, deploy, and debug applications on AWS. It is designed for developers who build and maintain cloud-based applications using AWS services, CI/CD workflows, and modern development practices. Earning this credential demonstrates that you can turn requirements into secure, optimized, and reliable cloud applications.
Exam formatMultiple choice and multiple response
Duration130 minutes
DeliveryPearson VUE
Passing score720 out of 1000
Free questions329
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What DVA-C02 proves, and what it asks of you
What this certification covers, who it is written for, and what the exam itself looks like on the day.
4domains
13objectives
112concepts
US $150exam fee
What it is
What this certification is
What it validates, who it is written for, and the experience it assumes.
About this certification
The AWS Certified Developer - Associate (DVA-C02) exam validates your technical proficiency in developing, testing, deploying, and debugging AWS Cloud-based applications. It confirms that you can develop and optimize applications on AWS, package and deploy them using continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) workflows, secure application code and data, and identify and resolve application issues.
This certification is a strong starting point on the AWS Certification journey for individuals in IT or cloud developer job roles. It demonstrates that you have the hands-on skills to build and maintain applications that leverage the breadth of AWS services, from compute and storage to databases and serverless technologies. Earning this credential signals to employers and peers that you can deliver functional, secure, and well-architected cloud applications.
Who it’s for
This certification is intended for individuals who perform a developer role and want to validate their ability to develop, deploy, and debug cloud-based applications on AWS. It is an ideal starting point for those in IT or cloud developer job roles who are beginning their AWS Certification journey. The target candidate should have one or more years of hands-on experience developing and maintaining applications using AWS services. They should be proficient in at least one high-level programming language, understand application lifecycle management, and have experience using development tools like the AWS CLI and SDKs.
Recommended experience
One or more years of hands-on experience developing and maintaining applications using AWS services, with proficiency in at least one high-level programming language. Proficiency in at least one high-level programming language; Understanding of application lifecycle management; Basic understanding of cloud-focused applications to write code; Ability to develop functional applications; Experience in using development tools; Experience developing and securing applications using AWS service APIs, the AWS CLI, and SDKs; Experience using a CI/CD pipeline to deploy applications on AWS
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective AWS measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official AWS exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
Content Domain 1: Development with AWS Services
- Task 1: Develop code for applications hosted on AWS
- Task 2: Develop code for AWS Lambda
- Task 3: Use data stores in application development
Content Domain 2: Security
- Task 1: Implement authentication and/or authorization for applications and AWS services
- Task 2: Implement encryption by using AWS services
- Task 3: Manage sensitive data in application code
Content Domain 3: Deployment
- Task 1: Prepare application artifacts to be deployed to AWS
- Task 2: Test applications in development environments
- Task 3: Automate deployment testing
- Task 4: Deploy code by using AWS Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) services
Content Domain 4: Troubleshooting and Optimization
- Task 1: Assist in a root cause analysis
- Task 2: Instrument code for observability
- Task 3: Optimize applications by using AWS services and features
On the day
The exam itself
Everything AWS publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
No mandatory prerequisites — this certification has no required predecessor exam or credential.
Exam codeDVA-C02
CertificationAWS Certified Developer - Associate
Exam formatMultiple choice and multiple response
Duration130 minutes
Questions65 questions; 50 scored and 15 unscored
Passing score720 out of 1000
DeliveryPearson VUE
LanguagesEnglish, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Simplified Chinese, Spanish (Latin America)
PricingUS $150
Certification levelAssociate
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path AWS lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to AWS Certified Developer - Associate
Credential earnedAWS Certified Developer - Associate Associate level certification Renewal and maintenance
This certification is valid for 3 years. Before it expires, you can recertify by passing the latest version of this exam, or by earning the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional, which will automatically recertify this Associate-level certification. Stay current with the latest technologies and maintain your certification.
Learn more about renewal requirements Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. AWS maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by AWS
Exam registration
Register for the exam through Pearson VUE, AWS’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official AWS certification page for exam policies and requirements.
View the official pageYour coach
And when you are serious, your coach Pip takes over
Your coach in the app reads what you have answered with the book closed and tells you one thing to do tonight. It will not count an answer you gave with the page open, and it will tell you when you are not ready.
See how the coach worksBefore you book
Questions people ask
How does the DVA-C02 exam relate to the previous version of the AWS Certified Developer - Associate exam?
The DVA-C02 exam is the current version of the AWS Certified Developer - Associate exam. AWS periodically updates exam guides to ensure the certification tests skills and services that are current and relevant. Exam guide revisions are published at least one month before changes are reflected on the exam.
Do I need to earn the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner before taking this exam?
No, the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is not a prerequisite. However, candidates who do not have any IT work experience would benefit from first earning the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner to gain foundational knowledge of AWS Cloud and services before attempting the AWS Certified Developer - Associate exam.
Is there a hands-on or lab component in the DVA-C02 exam?
No, the DVA-C02 exam consists of 65 questions, either multiple choice or multiple response. There is no hands-on lab component in this exam.
What is the retake policy if I fail the exam?
AWS does not specify a retake policy on the official exam page. For detailed information on retake policies, refer to the AWS Certification information and policies page.
What job roles does the AWS Certified Developer - Associate credential map to?
This certification is designed for individuals who perform a developer role, validating proficiency in developing, deploying, and debugging cloud-based applications. It is a good starting point for individuals in IT or cloud developer job roles.
Can I recertify by passing a different AWS exam?
Yes. Earning the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional will automatically recertify this Associate-level certification. You can also recertify by passing the latest version of this exam.
Are there any discounts available for the exam?
Yes. Once you earn one AWS Certification, you get a 50% discount on your next AWS Certification exam. You can sign in and access this discount in your AWS Certification Account.
How soon will I receive my exam results?
All AWS Certification exam results, including results for beta exams, are available within 5 business days after you complete your exam. You can access the results in your AWS Certification Account, under Exam History.
What accommodations are available for candidates with disabilities or non-native English speakers?
AWS provides reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities in coordination with the test delivery provider. A 30-minute exam extension is available upon request to non-native English speakers when taking an exam in English. Accommodations must be requested prior to scheduling each exam.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 329 questions, free, no account needed.
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept AWS measures — each one written out.
4domains
13objectives
112concepts
71free pages
The domains, and what sits inside them
Every objective below is a page you can open and practise now, without an account.
The official AWS exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1Content Domain 1: Development with AWS Services86 questions
2Content Domain 2: Security70 questions
3Content Domain 3: Deployment108 questions
Task 1: Prepare application artifacts to be deployed to AWS8 concepts · 5 pagesOpen →Task 2: Test applications in development environments6 concepts · 3 pagesOpen →Task 3: Automate deployment testing12 concepts · 7 pagesOpen →Task 4: Deploy code by using AWS Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) services12 concepts · 8 pagesOpen →
4Content Domain 4: Troubleshooting and Optimization65 questions
Not a table of contents
Every line on this map already opens
In front of every objective the practice pages are already there, free and without an account. This is one objective, opened.
Task 1: Develop code for applications hosted on AWS8 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
38 questions on this objective, five to a page. Every range above is a real page, open now, with no account.
Reading the map is not the same as knowing the ground
The curriculum tells you what is on the exam. Proving you know it is a different job — and it is the one the closed-book run does.
Free questions
329 questions. No account, no card.
The whole bank is open. 5 questions to a page, every answer explained, and a discussion thread on each one.
329questions
71pages
13objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Content Domain 1: Development with AWS Services86 questions
2Content Domain 2: Security70 questions
3Content Domain 3: Deployment108 questions
4Content Domain 4: Troubleshooting and Optimization65 questions
What a practice page gives you
1Five to a page
Short enough to finish, long enough to matter.
2Every answer explained
Not only which one is right — why the others are wrong.
3A discussion on each
Ask, answer, and vote. Every question has its own thread.
A question, and the idea behind it
Every question comes from a concept
These are not trivia. Each one is written against a concept in the book, so when you get one wrong there is somewhere to go and find out why.
The visual book
See it once. Carry it into the exam.
The pages shown here come from our AI-900 book — an example of how each concept is written in plain language and, where the idea needs one, drawn as a full page you can take in at a glance.
112concepts
329free questions
Why a picture, and not another paragraph
Three reasons, and each one is a real finding rather than a slogan.
You can see it againThe whole idea at onceWhere it starts, what happens in the middle, what comes out, and the mistake to avoid.
Multimedia principle · MayerThe look-alikes sit togetherThe pairs the exam tests are drawn side by side, so the difference is seen, not told.
Dual coding · PaivioWhat one page is made of
You are never asked to read a poster here — only to see how one is built. After that, every other page is legible at a glance.
1A numbered strip on top
The idea as a sequence, followed with a finger before a word is read.
2Panels for the parts
What it is, how the machine learns it, when it is the right tool.
3The trap, framed
The distinction the exam tests, given its own box instead of buried in prose.
4One line at the bottom
The sentence to carry into the exam room.
Open book, on purpose
Answer it with the picture beside you
This is the part that teaches. The illustration and the written explanation stay where they are while you work, so a scenario stops being a memory test and becomes something you can simply look at.
It teaches · it does not count
A smartphone uses AI to unlock when the owner looks at the camera. Which AI capability is being used?
AImage classification
BFacial recognition
COptical character recognition
DObject detection
Look at the five steps. Detect finds a face, align straightens it, encode turns it into numbers, search compares it with a stored face, and decide answers one question: is this the same person? Classification would only say “a face”. Detection would only draw a box. Neither decides whose.
Then the page shuts, and it starts counting
The same questions come back with the book closed — that run is the one that counts. After it, your coach picks one thing for tonight, sized to the time you have, and brings pages back before you lose them.
Testing effect · Roediger & Karpicke 2006 · spacing effect · Cepeda et al. 2006
Official resources
Straight from AWS
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
6official links
112concepts mapped
The source
AWS’s own pages
We link to them rather than repeat them, so nothing here goes stale behind them.
Checked against the source
Every objective on the official AWS outline already has questions here
We build from the official skills outline, not from a summary of it — 13 objectives, 112 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When AWS changes the outline, this page changes with it.
13objectives on the outline→112concepts written→329free questions
An official page tells you what will be asked. It cannot tell you what you will get right.
That is the only question worth answering the night before, and no link answers it. You answer it by taking the questions with the book closed, and seeing what comes back.