I already have the AWS CCP and going to give the SAA in a few days. I have the 50% off coupon. I wanted to know how much will it cost me if I opt for a physical test center exam. I have studied stephen mareek's video course and using TD's tests and getting around 60% in review tests. Any tips and one week preparation strategies would be appreciated. Thank you for your time.

Edited on 2-July: This option has probably expired as it was meant to end on 30th June.

Please check for any other options here : https://www.reddit.com/r/AWSCertifications/s/Bxknr4Pg8U

Go to AWS Training Live on Twitch video : https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2154078439

Scroll to 00:22:00 (22 mins in) time mark, pause and copy the code starting with "AWA" from the chat on the right.

I am NOT posting the code here directly as you are meant to go to the livestream / on-demand session and get the code and I dont want to break any etiquette and annoy folks at AWS.

Use that code to book your AWS SAA-C03 exam and you get approx $50 off the $150 exam cost.

I am based in UK and just tried to use it and it works as below for an exam booked for 31-May.

Credit where its due : we should thank /u/Thyfranck for their original post which is where I first saw this : https://www.reddit.com/r/AWSCertifications/comments/1d16oig/another_33_voucher_for_the_solutions_architect/

The code wasn't working during the livestream but I reached out to one of the host of the show + AWS Training & Cert team and they kindly followed through and then confirmed they fixed the issue.

Note :

This code ONLY works for AWS Solutions Architect Associate exam - SAA-C03 and not other exams.

You cannot combine with other vouchers / discount codes / no "stacking".

If you have an 50% exam benefit from passing another AWS exam - obviously use that!

There are time and other limits to most vouchers - so book your exam ASAP.

Exams MAY have to be booked before June 30 2024 as per terms in the twitch chat.

However booking exams for 1-July worked.

I tried booking an exam for 1-October and got this error

"This voucher cannot be used with appointments scheduled after 31 Aug 2024."

So that is the LAST day to take the exam.

I am posting this as a fresh thread as the other thread had lots of comments that it did not work and commenting there may not reach everyone.

I would like to figure out how much my SAA-C03 test is going to be so I can plan for it.

I couldn't find any table so I found my test center, chose a date and got to the time selection but still no price.

I would rather not have to schedule, find out the price and then cancel if I can avoid it.

I'm sure prices probably vary but can someone give be a ballpark figure?

Thanx

Thank you to this sub for all the tips, recommendations and inspiration. I passed the popular AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate test over the weekend (my second AWS cert after AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner). Just sharing my overall experience and guide that may be helpful to others

• Booked the exam online via Pearson Vue using my 50% discount voucher that I got for passing the Cloud Practitioner test.

• Many people here are saying to skip Cloud Practitioner but to each his own I guess, that 50% discount on my SAA exam is still a $75 savings since the regular price of the two is $250 which $100 for Cloud Practitioner + $150 for SAA, that has become $75 only ($175 discounted price).

• Apart from that $75, the Cloud Practitioner review that I did several months ago really built the momentum I need to review all the crook and cranny of all the relevant AWS services in detail. It's a good strategy, like doing the KCNA test before your CKA/ CKAD test, or AZ-900 before AZ-104/3A05.

• On the test date, I'm having issues on checking in. Just found out that I've been using an expired driver's license card for verification. The OnVue system is legit and it does an OCR on the IDs you're presenting.

• Another hurdle is the failed network connection tests on the OnVue app. I have to uninstall the thing again several minutes before my schedule to fix the error message. I was able to start the exam about 10 minutes after my scheduled time so it's a good thing they have that kind of queue.

• There's an annoying OnVue modal that's hovering right in front of the question section. Didn't bother me at first but on my several questions, it starts to bug me so I recommend moving that hovering box at the bottom of your screen. This is the box containing the whiteboard, chat with the proctor etc.

• Most questions are scenario-based and there's no option where the answer is the name of the AWS Service or concept, unlike in Cloud Practitioner.

• The total question is 65 so make sure you complete a question within 2 minutes or so. Whenever I got stuck, I used the Flag feature and get it back again.

• One key thing that really helped is doing the practice tests religiously. I was able to answer most of the questions since I have seen similar scenarios like that on my review. I know full well that Kinesis is used on "real-time stream", DynamoDB is a NoSQL database, DataSync is used for migrating data from on-prem etc...

• In terms of review, I used the video course from Tutorials Dojo portal and it covered all SAA-C03 exam topics. I personally like the included AWS labs on the course, it complemented my learning experience, instead of doing another lab exercise on my own. Don't skip their labs as some questions from the exam are about them (e.g. RDS Replica, S3 Object Lock etc).

• There's an Active and Passive learning where you do the labs/practice exams (active) or just watch videos (passive). I make my passive learning "active" by actively making notes along the way.

• Scored 90% on all practice exam sets and did the Final-Test mode twice. Many people here are complaining about memorizing the questions but if they do the Final-Test (unique 65 items out of all 400+ question bank), their experience would be different. So leverage on the different test modes and not just the good 'ol Timed mode.

• My pet peeve with TD is their lack of native mobile app though the site is mobile responsive, but would still be great if I can do the mocks on my phone.

• Also invest time doing flashcards. You can build your own via Anki or use the ones in Quizlet or wherever

• Another good set of mocks is the free ones from AWS Skill Builder which isn't getting much love on this sub. Personally, I did see a couple of questions from the actual test from this official practice test and again, there are free with complete explanation. The issue here is it's just 20 items and not as extensive than TD: https://explore.skillbuilder.aws/learn/course/external/view/elearning/13266/aws-certified-solutions-architect-associate-official-practice-question-set-saa-c03-english?saa=sec&sec=prep

• Also read the official SAA-C03 exam guide from cover to cover, especially the task statements for each exam domains. It's completely underrated in this sub not to check out the exam guide but believe me, you will have more confidence knowing that the exam topics you're reviewing is indeed relevant on the test.

Next one is DVA-C02!

Every single day there is a question from someone here saying "where do I start for AWS Solutions Architect Associate" when there are a few hundred articles from those who passed already.

Last updated : 7-June-25

Links to some of my other posts which you may find useful :

Foundational Level Resource Guides : CCP/CLF AIF

Associate Level Resource Guides : SAA DVA DEA MLA SOA

Professional Level Resource Guides : SAP DOP

Specialty Level Resource Guides : SCS ANS

2025 Vouchers / Discounts

Free Learning / Digital Badges : Beginner level Intermediate Level

Absolute beginners guide to starting on AWS and working way up to Certification levels

If you find this post useful - please upvote so it shows high up on any search. This post is written for benefit of this community and please comment with any constructive feedback / suggestions / changes required.

tl;dr

1. Get 1 video course and watch it end to end - the subreddit favourites are below / scroll down further for links

   • I cannot afford any courses / need a free option - get Andrew Brown's YouTube course

   • I want to just learn bare minimum to pass exam - Stephane Maarek on Udemy

   • I really want to learn this AWS and cloud stuff well and be good at it - Adrian Cantrill

2. Read whitepapers / review new announcements from re:Invent 2023 and re:Invent 2024

3. Do one decent set of practice exams from one provider- subreddit favourites below / scroll down further for links

   • Tutorialsdojo (personal favourite - I passed ALL my exams using "TD")

   • Udemy (Stephane Maarek)

Take and Pass exam!

Subreddit Search

Following my own usual guidance, you can always use the subreddit search feature and read articles from everyone in the last month who posted about this exam / passed it. There is a wealth of detail / experience here to learn from :

Link : https://www.reddit.com/r/AWSCertifications/search/?q=saa+solutions+architect+associate+pass&type=link&t=month

Exam Details

If you have absolutely no clue about the exam - start here.

The exam code is SAA-C03

AWS page with all the details : https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-solutions-architect-associate/

Always read the Exam Guide (tells you whats in / out of scope) : https://d1.awsstatic.com/training-and-certification/docs-sa-assoc/AWS-Certified-Solutions-Architect-Associate_Exam-Guide.pdf

Minimum Viable Path to Certification

Most people usually need 3 things to pass the exam

1. A single video based course introducing AWS and all the key exam topics

Typically these are courses where someone reads from some slides, shows you the AWS console and how to use it and then gives you tips on what to remember - there are free and paid versions of these.

2. Additional material on key topics.

For SAA-C03 - there are some recommended whitepapers on WAF and also since 6 months have passed since the last re:Invent 2024 - any of the major announcements from then now are in scope for the exam. You wont see too many new things but there is a chance there are some random questions that were not covered in any practice exam / course.

3. One good quality practice exam

Note : do not fall for some random "dump" found on internet or a file your mate gave you to study.

Also note - you do NOT need more than 1 of each category. You can buy more than one practice exam for sure but doing one is enough IMHO.

1. Video Courses

Free Video based Courses

Free from AWS's own training service (Skillbuilder) :

There is an Exam Prep course from Skillbuilder but note that this just covers the high level domains but is not a comprehensive deep dive. Note that this pathway covers free AND paid tier items and you can take just the free one's. This link works best after you have logged into Skillbuilder.aws

Please note that Skillbuilder courses are not considered enough on their own to pass and you may want to try additional material below.

YouTube based video course

This course below is a better alternative to the SkillBuilder course above but is about 50 hours.

Andrew Brown is an AWS community hero who runs his own training site called exampro.co but offers most of the material for free on FreeCodeCamp's YouTube channel.

The 2024 refresh of the SAA course is here : https://youtu.be/c3Cn4xYfxJY

Andrew also has additional (free / paid) content on his site to check out.

PAID Video based courses

AWS Skillbuilder PAID Tier : As above the Exam Prep course from Skillbuilder has subscription only items in the learning plan. This link works best after you have logged into Skillbuilder.aws

Please note that Skillbuilder courses are not considered enough on their own to pass and you may want to try additional material in this guide.

Adrian Cantrill's courses :

Adrian Cantrill is an independent content creator and has his own site from where you can obtain courses.

His courses go above and beyond what the exam needs and this is exactly why the community loves these courses as you get more practical knowledge than just cramming for the exam. The additional coverage means these courses are longer and not as cheap as other courses that cover just the exam material but in the general opinion of everyone who has taken the course it is absolutely worth it.

Link : https://learn.cantrill.io/

Udemy Courses :

Udemy is a marketplace for courses created by independent authors.

Two of the well known authors are mentioned below but please note that Udemy's pricing model can be a bit weird. One day it may show 150 USD for a course and another day 15 USD. This price it high and discount it heavily model catches out most people - so NEVER pay more than USD 20 for anything on Udemy.

Just wait for a day or so and prices may change. Opening Udemy in another incognito browser etc usually yields a different price or follow the authors on social media for codes that shrink the cost.

Stephane Maarek :

Go via his site : https://courses.datacumulus.com/ for links to his Solutions Architect Associate with the best available coupon.

Neil Davis :

https://www.udemy.com/course/aws-certified-solutions-architect-associate-hands-on/

Either one of these Udemy courses is sufficient. You still need to combine it with practice exams but you do not need more than 1 video course.

Other sites :

Exampro.co

As mentioned above Andrew Brown has his own site with additional material over his YouTube course.

QA (Previously Cloud Academy)

QA Learning SAA Course has both a learning plan and a practice exam at the end.

2. Additional Material

WAF - Well Architected Framework

https://aws.amazon.com/architecture/well-architected/

You need to know at some decent depth on what the pillars are and what they do.

Read the whitpapers from https://aws.amazon.com/whitepapers/

Specifically I found the Reliability and Cost Optimization white papers very useful.

Cheat sheets :

Tutorialsdojo Cheat Sheet

Neil Davis Digital Cloud Cheat Sheets

3. Practice Exams

Please do NOT fall for "dumps" - if anyone offers you the EXACT list of AWS questions or guarantees the question bank matches the exam - these are dumps. There are also YouTube videos where people go through practice questions and try to answer them - many of these are based on online dumps and you should avoid these too.

The links below are either official or well regarded sources.

Free :

AWS skillbuilder has one free official exam with just 20 free questions. Personally I do not believe its worth it but you can use it if you want.

AWS Official Practice Questions - Free 20 questions. This link works best after you have logged into Skillbuilder.aws

exampro.co

Has 1 free practice exam you can sign up to.

Paid :

Paid Tier of Skillbuilder has Official Practice exams . This link works best after you have logged into Skillbuilder.aws

Tutorialsdojo.com

Highly recommended independent resource for practice exam questions. I have passed many exams with "TD" as they get abbreviated here - they are also an AWS Authorized Training Partner lending more credibility.

Udemy

Stephane Maarek : again go via his site : https://courses.datacumulus.com/

Neal Davis : https://www.udemy.com/course/aws-certified-solutions-architect-associate-hands-on/

Other popular sites :

Exampro.co

Andrew Brown has I believe 3 practice exams as well on his site. One is free - the other two you pay for.

Whizlabs

I havent used them personally but https://www.whizlabs.com/aws-solutions-architect-associate/

QA Learn (previously called CloudAcademy)

https://platform.qa.com/learning-paths/aws-solutions-architect-associate-saa-c03-certification-preparation-for-aws-1-7446/ has both a learning plan and a practice exam at the end.

Not Recommended sites :

Sites that are sadly NOT recommended anymore - Avoid A Cloud Guru / Pluralsight as their courses are not considered the best anymore. They used to be leaders but somehow have fallen behind and their subscription model doesnt work in a world with cheap one time purchase courses. If you get free access to ACG via work - then definitely use it for the free labs / sandbox platform but don't rely too much on the course and their practice exams.

If you want a sandbox to experiment - then ACG offers one but so do Whizlabs and Tutorialsdojo.

Optional / Complementary material

I have an article where you can find complementary / alternatives to the Solutions Architect Exam - most are free and includes the "AWS Knowledge : Architecting Free Digital Badge"

https://www.reddit.com/r/AWSCertifications/comments/1d1o522/no_payment_options_to_learn_aws_with_digital/

This material isnt exam focused but if you want some free alternatives / cannot afford to pay for the exam - then check out the link.

FAQ

1. Do I need ALL this material?

No. Just one of each is fine. Example : just Adrian's Course + tutorialsdojo

2. Do I really need to do hands on work?

Yes - it is recommended that you get some hands on work at the Associate level. You can use one of the sandboxes but be careful using your own free tier account that you dont end up with leaving resources running too long and getting a big bill. Always secure your account and set billing alarms and dont create an account till you know how to do these!

3. Where can I find vouchers for the exam?

Refer to the 2025 Discounts post

4. Can I cheat my way using Dumps that I found online / my mate gave me / found on GitHub / YouTube?

Using dumps there is a high chance you fail and/or get caught / banned - the risk isnt worth it. Stick with genuine resources.

5. Can I pass with just free resources as I cannot afford the resources?

Its possible but please it is recommended to atleast spend on decent practice exams. If you cannot afford the exam / resources - just get the free digital badges (Architecting) for the interim

6. I skipped CCP / CLF - is that okay?

Yes - its okay to have skipped the foundational level - almost all the courses above teach you from scratch.

7. Can someone who is new to IT do this exam?

Yes - Many people start from scratch and get to the Associate level. Just make sure you are investing the time required.

8. Is it worth it?

Plenty of threads on this subreddit covering this. You have to make up your own mind if its worth it to you or not.

9. Do I need to do coding?

While there is no coding involved in the course - knowing how to use the AWS CLI / being able to do some basic scripting would be very helpful anyway. You can also use free tools like CoPilot / Code Whisperer to help you with pieces you struggle with.

10. Can I use ChatGPT / Amazon Q etc to learn?

Many of these Generative AI tools can still give you incorrect answers. So do not rely on them fully. If it helps you to quickly get the concept, use them but make sure to double check the results against official docs.

11. Are there books to learn from instead of videos?

Books get out of date too quickly and I do not recommend learning from them. However there is an official Sybex Guide to the exam. Tutorialsdojo and Neal Davis (Digital Cloud) also have an ebook. You can google for links to these.

12. Can I buy Tutorialsdojo via Udemy?

While you can get Tutorialdojo courses from Udemy, we recommend you go directly as their website has a review mode to review question by question rather than take full exams. Other differences are also covered on their FAQ (expand the question on different exam modes to see a table)

13. I failed my practice exam or Why do I find the practice exams tough after studying the videos?

It is very common to fail or find the practice exams very tough to start with as video courses do not cover 100% of the curriculum or the types of questions asked in the practice exams. Don't worry about it too much and just keep working through it

14. What score should I get on practice exams to guarantee an exam pass

There is no magic formula that says if you got X % on the practice exams you will pass the main certification exam. Usually high 80's is good but there are plenty who never passed a single practice exam but aced the actual exam as the LEARNING they got with the practice exams is what is important - not the score. For every practice exam you take - work on the incorrect or guessed answers. Check the cheat sheets, online AWS documentation and official AWS / re:Invent videos and make sure you really understand WHY a particular answer was right the others incorrect. If you work methodically through the questions you will learn a ton more and the exam becomes easier.

15. I read someone said their exam did not cover Service XYZ - can I skip it myself?

Everyone gets a different exam from a vast pile of questions AWS have. They also keep adding / removing questions. Just because someone else did not get a question on Service XYZ doesnt mean you wont get the question or just cause they got a ton of S3 questions you will get the same. Expect it to be different. The study guide for the exam covers what is expected to be in scope. Also note that some questions are not graded and may be tricky questions thrown in for future use.

Good Luck folks!