AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam is the most basic AWS certification exam for individuals to demonstrate an overall understanding of AWS Cloud.

AWS recommends that candidates come in with at least 6 months of experience with AWS Cloud, and to have a basic understanding of IT services before taking this exam.

Ready to get started? Check out “AWS for Non-Engineers” which can help you get from 0 to sitting for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam in just few hundred pages! I also teach Introduction to AWS for Non-Engineers courses on LinkedIn Learning!

Keep on reading for more resource recommendations and practice exams!


Cloud Practitioner Exam: Content Breakdown

Domain 1: Cloud Concepts (26%)

Domain 2: Security and Compliance (25%)

  • Define the AWS Shared Responsibility model
  • Define AWS Cloud security and compliance concepts
  • Identify AWS access management capabilities
  • Identify resources for security support

Domain 3: Technology (33%)

  • Define methods of deploying and operating in the AWS Cloud
  • Define the AWS global infrastructure
  • Identify the core AWS services
  • Identify resources for technology support

Domain 4: Billing and Pricing (16%)

  • Compare and contrast the various pricing models for AWS
  • Recognize the various account structures in relation to AWS billing and pricing
  • Identify resources available for billing support

Exam Overview

  • Cost: $100 (USD)
  • Length: 90 minutes
  • Languages: English, French, German, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Spanish
  • Delivery Method: Pearson VUE testing center, Online proctored exam

Content Overview

  • Explain the value proposition of AWS Cloud
  • Explain the AWS Shared Responsibility Model
  • Understand security best practices
  • Understand AWS Cloud costs, economics, and billing practices
  • Describe and position the core AWS Services (including: compute, network, database, storage)
  • Identify AWS services for common use cases
  • Target candidates should have AWS cloud concepts, security and compliance, core AWS services, and economics of AWS Cloud knowledge
  • There are 4 domains: Cloud Concepts, Security and Compliance, Technology, and Billing

(Source: Certified Cloud Practitioner Exam)

Exam Resources

Below, I have listed some resources I’ve utilized in my studying for the certification exam. The most useful exam prep resources were the sample exam on A Cloud Guru and the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner 2023 Practice Questions eBook from Amazon Kindle.

Introduction to AWS/Cloud Computing by Me

Practice Exams

Online Courses

AWS