By Quick answer: Which AWS certifications are worth it in 2027?
- Most worth it — Solutions Architect – Associate ($150).
- First step — Cloud Practitioner ($100).
- AI — AI Practitioner ($100), ML Engineer ($150).
- Survey pay — SAA holders averaged $155,597 in the US (Skillsoft 2025).
Key takeaways
- Associate exams are where AWS certifications start paying off.
- AWS's AI credentials are quickly becoming useful for cloud teams.
- Hands-on labs matter more than video courses.
AWS is the cloud most often named in job posts, so its certifications are among the most valuable in tech. But there's a clear order. Foundational exams teach vocabulary; associate exams get interviews. Here's which are worth it, and how to sequence them.
Five AWS options at a glance
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 Solutions Architect – AssociateAmazon Web Services | $1503 | 130 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 2 | AWS Certified Cloud PractitionerAmazon Web Services | $1004 | 90 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 3 | AWS Certified AI PractitionerAmazon Web Services | $1005 | 90 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 4 | AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – AssociateAmazon Web Services | $1506 | Check issuer | Free test |
| 5 | Generative AI with Large Language ModelsDeepLearning.AI & AWS / Coursera | Coursera plan7 | 2 weeks at 10 hours a week | 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 Solutions Architect Associate Practice ExamPractise for AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate before you pay.Start free test →
- 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 ML Engineer Associate Practice ExamPractise for AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate before you pay.Start free test →
Each AWS certification, and who it's worth it for
- AWSAWS Certified Solutions Architect – AssociateCloud engineers and architects$150
- AWSAWS Certified Cloud PractitionerA first AWS exam$100
- AWSAWS Certified AI PractitionerAI literacy on AWS$100
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
- Cost
- $1503
- Format
- 130 minutes, 65 questions
The most requested AWS credential: 130 minutes, 65 questions, $150. Skillsoft's 2025 survey put US holders at an average $155,597.1 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 forcloud engineers and architects
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
- Cost
- $1004
- Format
- 90 minutes, 65 questions
AWS's entry exam: 90 minutes, 65 questions, $100. Holders averaged $142,704 in the same survey, though many already worked in tech.1 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 fora first AWS exam
AWS Certified AI Practitioner
- Cost
- $1005
- Format
- 90 minutes, 65 questions
A $100 foundational exam on AI, ML and generative AI on AWS: 90 minutes, 65 questions. 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 forAI literacy on AWS
AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate
- Cost
- $1506
For engineers building and deploying ML 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 forML engineers
Generative AI with Large Language Models
- Cost
- Coursera plan7
- Time
- 2 weeks at 10 hours a week
DeepLearning.AI and AWS's course on how LLMs work and how to fine-tune and deploy them, about two weeks at ten hours a week. DeepLearning.AI and AWS's course explains how large language models work, how to fine-tune and evaluate them and how to deploy them. It takes about two weeks at ten hours a week and suits developers and data scientists with Python.
Best forgenerative AI on AWS
The AWS certification path
- Cloud Practitioner — vocabulary and billing basics.
- Solutions Architect – Associate — the hiring credential.
- Specialise — ML Engineer for AI, or a professional-level exam later.
How we ranked these picks
We assessed AWS certifications by job-post recognition and level. Fees and formats come from AWS's official pages, checked 3 November 2026; salary figures are survey averages.
Frequently asked questions
Which AWS certification is most worth it?
Solutions Architect – Associate, the most requested AWS credential in job posts.
Should I take Cloud Practitioner first?
If you're new to cloud, yes. If you have IT experience, you can go straight to Solutions Architect – Associate.
Is AWS AI Practitioner worth it?
Yes for cloud and business staff who need AI literacy. It's $100.
How long do AWS certifications last?
Three years. You recertify by passing the current exam or a higher one.
Is there a free AWS practice test?
Yes. Science of Apps offers free AWS practice tests with instant results.
Sources
- Skillsoft — Top-paying AWS certifications
- World Economic Forum — The Future of Jobs Report 2025
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- 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 Machine Learning Engineer – Associate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- DeepLearning.AI & AWS — Generative AI with Large Language Models, 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
- The best online certifications of 2027 — the full top 10 across every field
- Best Certification Providers & Platforms of 2027 — related guide
- Best AI Certifications of 2027: 10 Ranked by Career Impact — related guide
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027AWS certifications ranked from easiest to hardest for 2027, and the order to take themAWS certifications ranked from easiest to hardest for 2027: Cloud Practitioner, AI Practitioner, Solutions Architect Associate and ML Engineer Associate.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The best DevOps certifications of 2027: eight for cloud, containers, automation and deliveryThe 8 best DevOps certifications of 2027: CKA, Terraform, AWS Solutions Architect, Azure AZ-104, Google Cloud ACE, ITIL 4, PSM I and AWS Cloud Practitioner.
- 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 2027AWS Solutions Architect – Associate review for 2027: is it worth it, who it's for and the best alternativesAWS Solutions Architect – Associate review for 2027: $150, 130 minutes, what it tests, survey pay of $155,597 (US) and alternatives.
- 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.
Get the ideas, not the noise.
Sign up with Google and we’ll send you short UX psychology tips by email — why people tap, stall and leave, and what to do about it. Unsubscribe anytime. Prefer something to keep? Get the free Laws of UX guide as a PDF.
Prove the skill before you pay for the exam.
Start with the free AWS Solutions Architect Associate Practice Exam. 1,200+ free, test-based certifications graded on our server. Pass and get a founder-signed certificate with a credential ID employers can verify.