Is AWS certification free?
Last updated: November 29, 2025 By Sunil Shaw
No, AWS certifications are not free.
AWS certification exams always have a fee, but AWS provides some free resources to help you prepare.
Is AWS Certification Free?
AWS offers free learning materials, free practice labs, and a Free Tier for hands-on practice – but the actual certification exam is paid.
Here are the official exam prices:
- AWS Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02): ~$100
- AWS Associate level (Solutions Architect / Developer / SysOps): ~$150
- Professional & Specialty certifications: ~$300
(Prices vary slightly by country)
What Is Free Then?
Although the exam isn’t free, AWS gives you:
1. Free Training
- AWS Skill Builder (free courses)
- AWS Educate (for students & beginners)
- Free YouTube tutorials
- Free whitepapers and labs
2. Free Hands-On Practice
- AWS Free Tier (EC2, S3, Lambda, RDS, etc.)
- $200 credit for new accounts (limited time offer)
3. Free Practice Questions
AWS gives sample exam questions on their official site.
Can AWS Certification Become Free?
Sometimes AWS runs offers like:
- 50% discount vouchers
- Free exam retakes
- Student programs with major discounts
But the exam itself is never permanently free.
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Sunil Shaw
About Author
I am a Web Developer, Love to write code and explain in brief. I Worked on several projects and completed in no time.
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