Developer or Solutions Architect Associate first?

Solutions Architect is broader and more widely requested. Choose Developer if your day job is writing application code on AWS rather than designing infrastructure.

Do I need to be a strong programmer?

You should be comfortable reading code and understand how applications call AWS services. The exam is not a coding test, but development experience helps a lot.

How long is it valid?

Three years, with recertification by passing the current exam or a higher-level AWS certification.

IT & Cloud

AWS Developer – Associate (DVA-C02)

AWS Certified Developer – Associate

By The Exam Atlas Editorial Team · Verified 2026-05-29

Quick facts

Provider	Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Exam code	DVA-C02
Level	intermediate
Format	Multiple choice and multiple response
Questions	65 questions (50 scored)
Duration	2h 10m
Passing score	720 / 1000
Exam fee	$150
Validity	3 years
Languages	EN, JA, KO, ZH, ES, FR, PT, IT, DE

Overview

The AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) validates that you can build, deploy and debug cloud applications on AWS. Where Solutions Architect focuses on designing systems, Developer focuses on writing and shipping code that uses AWS services well.

Expect questions on serverless (Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB), deployment and CI/CD, security (IAM, KMS, Cognito), and troubleshooting. Hands-on experience building something serverless is the fastest way to pass.

Who it is for

Developers building applications on AWS
Engineers moving into serverless or cloud-native development
People who prefer a code-focused path over architecture

Who it is not for

Non-developers — Solutions Architect Associate maps better to infra roles.
Cloud beginners (start with Cloud Practitioner).
Those who never touch code or CI/CD.

Exam structure

Development with AWS Services	32%
Security	26%
Deployment	24%
Troubleshooting and Optimization	18%

How the exam is weighted

Development with AWS Services 32%
Security 26%
Deployment 24%
Troubleshooting & Optimization 18%

Approximate official domain weighting — confirm the current split in the official exam objectives. Verified 2026-05-29.

Realistic study time

Developer with some AWS 60-80 hours
New to AWS 100-130 hours

Bars show relative effort, not a guarantee. Your time depends on background and study method.

What it really costs

Exam fee	US$150
Retake	Full fee again
Study materials + labs	US$0-300
Renewal	Recertify within 3 years

Fees change and vary by region. Confirm the current amount on the official site before you register.

Is it worth it?

Worth it for developers who build on AWS and want to prove cloud-native skills. If your role is more about infrastructure design than writing application code, Solutions Architect Associate is the better first choice.

What to do next

Often paired with or following SAA. Next: DevOps Engineer Professional. See the Cloud Engineer career path.

FAQ

Developer or Solutions Architect Associate first?: Solutions Architect is broader and more widely requested. Choose Developer if your day job is writing application code on AWS rather than designing infrastructure.
Do I need to be a strong programmer?: You should be comfortable reading code and understand how applications call AWS services. The exam is not a coding test, but development experience helps a lot.
How long is it valid?: Three years, with recertification by passing the current exam or a higher-level AWS certification.