AWS Solutions Architect
SAA-C03
1Design Secure Architectures
30%
2Design Resilient Architectures
26%
3Design High-Performing Architectures
24%
4Design Cost-Optimized Architectures
20%
Certification comparison
AWS Solutions Architect vs AWS Developer
Both are associate-level AWS certifications. Solutions Architect is about choosing and combining services into a design. Developer is about writing, deploying and debugging the code that runs on them.
Last updated
Side by side
The two exams at a glance
Every figure comes from the vendor’s own pages, through our exam guides, and is checked every week.
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate | AWS Certified Developer – Associate | |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | AWS | AWS |
| Exam code | SAA-C03 | DVA-C03, DVA-C02 |
| Level | IntermediateAWS calls it Associate | IntermediateAWS calls it Associate |
| Written for | Cloud engineer or architect | Software developer |
| Questions | 65 | 65 |
| Time | 130 min | 130 min |
| Passing score | 720 / 1000 | 720 / 1000 |
| Exam cost | $150Per attempt, before tax | $150Per attempt, before tax |
| Experience | 1 year designing solutions on AWSRecommended experience | 1+ years building applications on AWSRecommended experience |
| Renewal | Every 3 years: pass the exam again | Every 3 years: pass the exam again |
| Exam outline | 4 domainsLargest: Design Secure Architectures (30%) | 4 domainsLargest: Development with AWS Services (30%) |
| What’s changing | No change announced | DVA-C02 retires on November 30, 2026 |
Levels are our own rating, from the level each vendor gives its exam. How we check our facts
Exam domains
What each exam covers
Each domain’s share of the exam, as the vendor publishes it. Where one exam has two versions on sale, this is the newer one.
AWS Developer
DVA-C03
1Development with AWS Services
30%
2Security
26%
3Testing and Deployment
22%
4Troubleshooting and Optimization
22%
Which one
Which should you take?
Choose AWS Solutions Architect if
you design systems, or want the broadest view of AWS services.
Choose AWS Developer if
you write applications that run on AWS and want to prove you can build and ship them well.
Which one first?
Either order. Take the one that matches your job first: the ground they share makes the second quicker.
Beyond the numbers
What really differs
Designing against building
Solutions Architect asks which services to use and how to connect them. Developer asks how to use them from code: SDKs, deployment pipelines, permissions and troubleshooting.
Breadth against depth
Solutions Architect covers more services at design level. Developer covers fewer, mostly serverless and application services, in more working detail.
Who takes each
Solutions Architect suits architects, administrators and anyone moving into cloud work. Developer suits software engineers.
FAQs
Got Questions? We’ve Got Answers.
Find quick answers or contact our support team.
Should I take AWS Solutions Architect or AWS Developer first?
Either order. Take the one that matches your job first: the ground they share makes the second quicker.
Which is harder, AWS Solutions Architect or AWS Developer?
They sit at the same level: we rate both intermediate. What differs is what they cover, so the harder one is usually the one further from your own experience.
What experience do I need for AWS Solutions Architect and AWS Developer?
AWS Solutions Architect: AWS recommends 1 year designing solutions on AWS. It isn’t required to sit the exam. AWS Developer: AWS recommends 1+ years building applications on AWS. It isn’t required to sit the exam.
Which costs more, AWS Solutions Architect or AWS Developer?
Both cost $150 for one attempt.
