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Welcome, Solutions Architect Associates! In this guide, we review the exam content for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) exam. The exam objectives have not only shaped our comprehensive course content but also mirror AWS’s latest detailed guidelines. For direct access to the SAA-C03 exam guide, please click the link provided on this page or simply search for “SAA-C03 exam guide” on Google.
One of the exam’s main focuses is on designing solutions as well as assessing existing architectures for improvement. The four key areas of concentration are:
  • Security
  • Resiliency
  • Performance
  • Cost
Our course starts with an introduction to essential AWS services and then guides you step-by-step on designing solutions that optimize these areas.
The image shows a PDF document titled "AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate (SAA-C03) Exam Guide," detailing the exam's purpose and target candidate description. A small video overlay in the bottom right corner features a person speaking.
If you’re new to AWS, consider building a project portfolio during this course to gain practical experience. Sharing your portfolio with peers can lead to valuable insights.
This exam is tailored for candidates with at least one year of hands-on AWS experience. However, if you’re building your expertise, practicing course concepts through projects is a great way to build your portfolio. Look out for an upcoming lesson on portfolio development that perfectly complements this course.

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Exam Format and Scoring

The exam comprises two types of questions:
  • Multiple Choice: Only one correct answer is available.
  • Multiple Response: Two or more correct answers may be selected.
There are 65 questions in total. According to the exam guide, 50 of these are scored while the remaining 15 are used to evaluate new questions without impacting your final score. Hence, it’s wise to put equal effort into answering all 65 questions. You will have 130 minutes to complete the exam, and to pass, you typically need a score of at least 720 out of 1000 (approximately 72%). However, aiming for around 90% can provide additional confidence.
The image is a screenshot of a PDF document detailing the types of questions on an AWS exam, including multiple choice and multiple response questions. It also mentions unscored content and includes a small video call window with a person in the bottom right corner.

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Exam Domains and Weightings

The exam is structured into four domains as outlined below:
DomainPercentage Weighting
Designing Secure Architectures30%
Designing Resilient Architectures26%
Designing High-Performing Architectures24%
Designing Cost-Optimized Architectures20%
This breakdown signifies that about one-third of the questions center on security, more than a quarter focus on resiliency, slightly less than a quarter on high performance, and roughly one-fifth on cost optimization. Although cost optimization has a lower weighting compared to previous versions, it remains a critical area of focus.
The image shows a content outline for an AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate exam, detailing four domains with their respective percentage weightings. A person is visible in the bottom right corner, appearing to be explaining the content.

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Course Alignment with Exam Objectives

Each domain in the exam guide outlines specific knowledge and skills. Every section of this course is designed to directly address these objectives. For example:
  • Learn how to design secure access to AWS resources.
  • Understand how to create fault-tolerant architectures.
A notable update in the current exam is within task statement five of the High-Performing Architectures domain, which now includes data ingestion and transformation solutions. This update emphasizes the growing importance of building robust data ingestion pipelines, even when your primary focus is not machine learning.
The image shows a section of a PDF document titled "Domain 1: Design Secure Architectures," outlining task statements, knowledge areas, and skills related to designing secure access to AWS resources.
As you navigate the exam guide, you’ll see extensive task statements and subtasks for each domain. Rest assured, our course covers every knowledge area mentioned so you can build the necessary theoretical understanding as well as practical skills.
The image shows a screenshot of a PDF document titled "AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate Exam Guide," detailing task statements and knowledge areas related to AWS architecture. There is also a small inset of a person in the bottom right corner.

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Key Task Statements and Updates

  • Task Statement Two: Emphasizes designing highly available or fault-tolerant architectures.
  • Task Statement Five (High-Performing Architectures): Now includes data ingestion and transformation solutions, preparing you for designing comprehensive AWS solutions.
The image shows a section of a PDF document detailing skills and knowledge related to AWS data ingestion and transformation solutions, with a highlighted task statement. There's also a small video call window with a person in the bottom right corner.
Towards the end of the exam guide, you will find an extensive list of AWS services that could be covered on the exam along with services that are generally not included. For instance, services like Lightsail are mentioned to help differentiate them from EC2. Our course content is rigorously aligned with the exam guide to ensure you engage with all essential topics and avoid extraneous material.
The image shows a screenshot of a PDF document listing AWS services related to containers and databases. There is also a small video overlay of a person speaking.

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Final Thoughts

Every section of our course has been mapped directly to the objectives laid out in the exam guide. For more detailed information, please refer to the full exam guide via the provided link. Thank you for taking the time to review this guide. I’m Michael Forrester, and I hope this overview helps set you on the right path to success in your AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam. If you have any questions or would like to discuss AWS architecture in more detail, please feel free to reach out. Happy learning and best of luck with your exam!

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