AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is Amazon Web Services' foundational credential, validating a broad understanding of AWS Cloud concepts, services, security, architecture, pricing, and support. It covers the cloud value proposition, shared responsibility model, security best practices, and an overview of core services across compute, storage, networking, and databases.

This is the recommended starting point for anyone entering the AWS ecosystem, including business professionals, managers, and early-career technologists. It demonstrates fundamental cloud literacy and the ability to articulate the benefits and considerations of operating on the AWS platform.

The exam consists of 65 questions (50 scored, 15 unscored), featuring multiple-choice and multiple-response question types over 90 minutes. Questions test conceptual understanding of AWS services, cloud economics, and the shared responsibility model. With roughly 1.4 minutes per question, pacing is manageable but avoid overthinking. There is no penalty for guessing, so answer every question.

While this is a foundational exam, candidates who skip the AWS free tier and only memorize definitions often struggle with scenario-based questions that require understanding real AWS use cases.

Delivered via Pearson VUE online or at testing centers. Available in English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Indonesian, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, and Italian. The certification is valid for 3 years with renewal through recertification exams.