Independent certification and training decisions
Start with the AWS work you need to understand or perform. Compare foundational literacy, architecture and operations routes, then check the exact exam guide and practical preparation before paying for a course.
All certification guides · Official AWS credential directory
Official directory link checked September 30, 2026. This hub covers published Learnerside guides, not every vendor credential. Exam and training observations retain the separate dates shown in each guide.
Choose by work, not badge count
Compare AIP-C01 preparation with two distinct developer courses. Application integration differs from advanced model training; confirm lab access and exact exam-based renewal before buying.
Generative AI Developer training and exam guideThe Advanced Networking Specialty exam is announced to retire December31 2026. Compare an explicit badge requirement with task-based practice, the named networking course, lab access and unresolved maintenance before paying.
Advanced Networking retirement and preparation guideFor shared cloud vocabulary, compare Cloud Practitioner with your actual business or support requirement. A foundational badge is not proof that you can build or operate a workload.
Cloud Practitioner decision guideFor architecture work, use the Solutions Architect Associate guide to compare design tasks, practical background and the official study route. Do not purchase a beginner exam solely as a stepping stone.
Solutions Architect Associate guideStart from deployment, monitoring, troubleshooting or a specialized work requirement. Use the corresponding guide below; advanced scope is not automatically a formal registration gate.
CloudOps Engineer Associate guideTest practical readiness with the guide’s tasks and original assessment where available. Recommended experience, formal eligibility and a requirement owner’s approval are different questions. Neither a score nor course completion guarantees passing or employment.
Vendor catalog
Browse the AWS guides available on Learnerside. Filter by subject, experience requirements, dated exam status and cost, renewal model, and official preparation.
12 published guides—not the vendor’s entire credential inventory. Each card carries its own observation dates; these do not verify every guide fact, a current training price or an available seat. Experience requirements and recommendations remain separate; neither predicts a pass rate or job outcome.
Renewal filters describe recorded requirements, not a price or guaranteed eligibility. Check the guide and issuer before paying.
Experience requirements: Vendor recommendation. The exam guide recommends five or more years of networking experience, including two or more years in cloud and hybrid networking. This is target-candidate preparation guidance, not a verified work-history admission check. AWS says training is recommended rather than mandatory; personal identity, age, agreement and booking conditions remain separate.
Renewal: Depends on renewal route
1 recorded official/free preparation resources; inspect access limits on the guide.
Catalog observation: 2026-06-30; this does not date every claim or verify a current course offer.
Experience requirements: Vendor recommendation. Up to 6 months of exposure to AI/ML technologies on AWS; familiarity with core AWS services and use cases, the shared responsibility model, IAM, and AWS service pricing.
Recorded three-year self-study planning total: USD 100; inspect assumptions on the guide.
Renewal: Check expiry and renewal
2 recorded official/free preparation resources; inspect access limits on the guide.
Catalog observation: 2026-08-07; this does not date every claim or verify a current course offer.
Experience requirements: Vendor recommendation. Up to 6 months of exposure to AWS Cloud — explicitly not required; the exam targets candidates new to cloud who may not have an IT background.
Related work: Cloud Architect · Cloud Engineer. This is not a hiring or salary promise.
Recorded three-year self-study planning total: USD 100; inspect assumptions on the guide.
Recorded three-year renewal planning amount: USD 0.
Renewal: Check expiry and renewal
5 recorded official/free preparation resources; inspect access limits on the guide.
Catalog observation: 2026-08-23; this does not date every claim or verify a current course offer.
Experience requirements: Vendor recommendation. Individuals with about one year of experience deploying, managing, and operating workloads on AWS; FAQ says one year with deployment, management, networking, and security on AWS.
Renewal: Depends on renewal route
2 recorded official/free preparation resources; inspect access limits on the guide.
Catalog observation: 2026-07-01; this does not date every claim or verify a current course offer.
Experience requirements: Vendor recommendation. Ideal candidate has the equivalent of 2-3 years of experience in data engineering or data architecture and a minimum of 1-2 years of hands-on experience with AWS services.
Recorded three-year self-study planning total: USD 150; inspect assumptions on the guide.
Renewal: Check expiry and renewal
1 recorded official/free preparation resources; inspect access limits on the guide.
Catalog observation: 2026-06-30; this does not date every claim or verify a current course offer.
Experience requirements: Vendor recommendation. One or more years of prior hands-on experience developing and maintaining applications by using AWS services is recommended.
Renewal: Depends on renewal route
6 recorded official/free preparation resources; inspect access limits on the guide.
Catalog observation: 2026-08-05; this does not date every claim or verify a current course offer.
Experience requirements: Vendor recommendation. Twoormoreyears provisioning/operating/managingAWS plusSDLC/programming/scripting, highlyautomatedinfrastructure/OSadministration/development-operationsmethods/security.
Renewal: Depends on renewal route
1 recorded official/free preparation resources; inspect access limits on the guide.
Catalog observation: 2026-10-05; this does not date every claim or verify a current course offer.
Experience requirements: Vendor recommendation. The exam guide recommends two or more years building production-grade applications on AWS or with open-source technologies, general AI/ML or data-engineering experience, and one year implementing generative AI solutions. This is target-candidate preparation advice, not a verified work-history admission check. AWS says no specific prior certification is required before preparation; personal identity, age, agreement, accommodations and booking conditions remain separate.
Renewal: Depends on renewal route
1 recorded official/free preparation resources; inspect access limits on the guide.
Catalog observation: 2026-10-05; this does not date every claim or verify a current course offer.
Experience requirements: Vendor recommendation. At least one year of experience using Amazon SageMaker and other ML engineering AWS services; FAQ also states at least one year in ML engineering or related field and one year hands-on with AWS services.
Recorded three-year self-study planning total: USD 150; inspect assumptions on the guide.
Renewal: Check expiry and renewal
1 recorded official/free preparation resources; inspect access limits on the guide.
Catalog observation: 2026-06-30; this does not date every claim or verify a current course offer.
Experience requirements: Vendor recommendation. Intended for experienced individuals with five years of IT security experience designing and implementing security solutions and two or more years hands-on securing AWS workloads.
Recorded three-year self-study planning total: USD 300; inspect assumptions on the guide.
Recorded three-year renewal planning amount: USD 0.
Renewal: Check expiry and renewal
2 recorded official/free preparation resources; inspect access limits on the guide.
Catalog observation: 2026-07-01; this does not date every claim or verify a current course offer.
Experience requirements: Vendor recommendation. Recommended experience is two or more years using AWS services to design and implement cloud solutions.
Renewal: Depends on renewal route
2 recorded official/free preparation resources; inspect access limits on the guide.
Catalog observation: 2026-07-01; this does not date every claim or verify a current course offer.
Experience requirements: Vendor recommendation. At least 1 year of hands-on experience designing AWS cloud solutions (the vendor's recommendation, not a requirement); candidates with 1–3 years of IT experience have earned it.
Related work: Cloud Architect · Cloud Engineer. This is not a hiring or salary promise.
Renewal: Depends on renewal route
2 recorded official/free preparation resources; inspect access limits on the guide.
Catalog observation: 2026-08-23; this does not date every claim or verify a current course offer.
Training options, course outlines and total cost
For AWS training, specify the workload or exam target, the course title and revision, and the hands-on work included. Ask whether labs use a provided environment or your own account, whether that environment can incur charges, and how access ends. A Skill Builder resource is not necessarily a free lab or subscription.
Start with the official preparation linked from the credential guide. Free reading or videos do not establish that labs, practice exams or a voucher are included. Pay for structure, feedback, accessibility, a workable schedule or team support when those solve a real constraint.
Use a guide’s training comparison where available; no comparison link means Learnerside has not published one, not that training is unavailable. A dated price is not a quote and a published class is not a confirmed seat. Confirm time zone, modality, per-learner versus cohort price, taxes, voucher, retake, lab and recording access, cancellation and accessibility before purchase. Unknown extras are not zero.
Roles, skills and salary context
Architecture, development, operations, data and security are different work directions. Use a guide’s task and role links to assess fit; an AWS badge does not make those roles interchangeable.
Where a guide supplies wage context, read the occupation, geography, reporting year and mapping limits. Occupational wages are not the salary of credential holders, a causal certification pay premium or an offer you should expect. If a reviewed role mapping or wage source is missing, the answer remains unknown.
You can use these guides without contact. For an employer or team, start with the work outcome, current skills, schedule and delivery preference. An exact budget is not required to ask for help. A request permits Learnerside to reply; provider sharing requires separate consent naming the recipient.
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