An AWS certification is a structured way to prove you can actually build and operate on AWS, not just talk about it. It will not replace hands-on experience, but it gives hiring managers and clients an objective signal that your skills are current.<\/p>\n
AWS organizes its active certifications into four tiers, 11 exams total as of 2026:<\/p>\n
If an older guide or job posting still references one of the retired specialty exams, most notably Database, the practical answer isn’t “wait for a replacement,” it’s that AWS folded that skill area into the broader Associate and Professional tracks instead. For database-focused work specifically, AWS Certified Data Engineer \u2013 Associate is the closest currently active credential, though it’s framed around data engineering pipelines and infrastructure broadly rather than deep database administration the way the old Database specialty was. Worth checking directly against the current exam guide before assuming an older certification roadmap is still accurate, AWS has retired and renamed certifications at a steady pace over the last couple of years (SysOps Administrator becoming CloudOps Engineer is another example).<\/p>\n
Foundational exams run about $100, Associate about $150, and Professional or Specialty about $300. Most exams run 65\u201375 multiple-choice and multiple-response questions, delivered online proctored or at a test center. Passing any exam earns a 50%-off voucher toward your next one, worth planning around if you’re working through more than one certification.<\/p>\n
Start with Cloud Practitioner if you are new to cloud concepts generally. If you already work with AWS managed services<\/a> or AWS database services<\/a> day to day, an Associate-level exam matching your actual role (Solutions Architect for infrastructure design, Data Engineer for data pipelines) is a more useful next step than starting over at Foundational.<\/p>\nHow to Prepare<\/h2>\n