By Quick answer: Which AWS certification is easiest, and which is hardest?
- Easiest — Cloud Practitioner.
- Easy — AI Practitioner.
- Moderate — Solutions Architect – Associate.
- Harder — ML Engineer – Associate.
Key takeaways
- Foundational exams test concepts; associate exams test design.
- Hands-on practice is the difference for associate exams.
- Difficulty also depends on your background.
AWS exams vary a lot in difficulty. Foundational exams test vocabulary and concepts; associate exams test whether you can design and build. Here's how the most popular four compare.
Four AWS exams by difficulty
Ranked for this reader. Costs and formats come from each issuer's own page, checked on 3 November 2026; prices change, so confirm before you book.
| # | Certification | Cost | Time | Prove it free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AWS Certified Cloud PractitionerAmazon Web Services | $1001 | 90 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 2 | AWS Certified AI PractitionerAmazon Web Services | $1002 | 90 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 3 | AWS Certified Solutions Architect – AssociateAmazon Web Services | $1503 | 130 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 4 | AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – AssociateAmazon Web Services | $1504 | Check issuer | Free test |
Prove it free before you pay for an exam
Take the free test first. Pay for an exam only when you pass.
Every pick above has a matching free practice test on Science of Apps, one of the world's largest libraries of free certification tests (1,200+). Check your level before you pay for an exam, or add a verifiable credential to LinkedIn while you study. (Disclosure: we publish these tests; the certifications above earn us nothing.)
- AWS Cloud Practitioner Practice ExamPractise for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner before you pay.Start free test →
- AWS AI Practitioner Practice ExamPractise for AWS Certified AI Practitioner before you pay.Start free test →
- AWS Solutions Architect Associate Practice ExamPractise for AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate before you pay.Start free test →
- AWS ML Engineer Associate Practice ExamPractise for AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate before you pay.Start free test →
Each exam, and what makes it easy or hard
- AWSAWS Certified Cloud PractitionerEasiest$100
- AWSAWS Certified AI PractitionerEasy, AI-focused$100
- AWSAWS Certified Solutions Architect – AssociateFirst technical exam$150
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
- Cost
- $1001
- Format
- 90 minutes, 65 questions
Easiest: concepts, services, security and billing. 90 minutes, 65 questions, $100. AWS's entry exam covers cloud concepts, core services, security and billing. It's 90 minutes with 65 questions and costs $100, so it's the usual first cloud exam for beginners and non-technical staff.
Best foreasiest
AWS Certified AI Practitioner
- Cost
- $1002
- Format
- 90 minutes, 65 questions
Easy: AI, ML and generative AI concepts on AWS. 90 minutes, 65 questions, $100. AWS's foundational exam covers AI, machine learning and generative AI concepts and how AWS services support them. It's 90 minutes with 65 questions and costs $100, so it suits cloud, tech and business staff who need AI literacy.
Best foreasy, AI-focused
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
- Cost
- $1503
- Format
- 130 minutes, 65 questions
Moderate: designing secure, resilient systems. 130 minutes, 65 questions, $150. AWS's associate exam tests designing secure, resilient, high-performing and cost-aware systems on AWS. It's 130 minutes with 65 questions and costs $150, and it's the cloud credential most often named in job posts.
Best forfirst technical exam
AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate
- Cost
- $1504
Harder: data prep, training, deployment and monitoring on AWS. $150. AWS's associate exam proves you can prepare data, train, deploy and monitor machine learning models on AWS. It costs $150 and expects hands-on ML and AWS experience, making it a strong credential for ML engineers.
Best forhardest of these four
What decides difficulty for you
| Your background | Easiest path |
|---|---|
| No IT | Cloud Practitioner first |
| IT or dev experience | Straight to SAA |
| Data science | AI Practitioner, then MLE |
Table: AWS difficulty by background
How we ranked these picks
We ranked AWS exams by level and scope, using AWS's official exam pages, checked 3 November 2026. Difficulty varies by individual.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest AWS certification?
Cloud Practitioner.
Is Solutions Architect – Associate hard?
Moderate; hands-on practice makes it manageable.
Should I take Cloud Practitioner first?
If you're new to cloud, yes.
How long do AWS exams take to prepare?
Weeks for foundational, two to three months for associate.
Is there a free AWS practice test?
Yes. Science of Apps offers free AWS practice tests.
Sources
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified AI Practitioner, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Checked November 4, 2026. Figures that change — fees, salaries, prices — are reviewed every six months; if something is out of date, tell us.
Where to go from here
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- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The best AWS certifications in 2027: which exams are worth it, in what orderWhich AWS certifications are worth it in 2027: Cloud Practitioner ($100), AI Practitioner ($100), Solutions Architect ($150) and ML Engineer ($150), in order.
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- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027Free AWS training and certification options in 2027: learn AWS free, then pay only for the examFree AWS training in 2027: free Skill Builder courses for Cloud Practitioner, AI Practitioner and Solutions Architect, the AWS free tier and exam costs.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The cloud certification roadmap for 2027: from first cloud exam to platform engineerA cloud certification roadmap for 2027: Cloud Practitioner or AZ-900, then AWS SAA, AZ-104 or Google ACE, then CKA and Terraform, then ML on cloud.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The highest-paying IT certifications for 2027, from Skillsoft's salary surveyThe highest-paying IT certifications for 2027 from Skillsoft survey data: CISSP, CISM, AWS Solutions Architect, CISA and AWS Cloud Practitioner, with fees.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The easiest IT certifications to get in 2027: seven quick wins that still mean somethingThe 7 easiest IT certifications to get in 2027: AZ-900, AWS Cloud Practitioner, AI-900, AWS AI Practitioner, ISC2 CC, Google AI Essentials and ITIL 4.
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