How to Pass the AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam (2025)
Lucy Wang
Founder of Zero To Cloud | Ex-AWS Solutions Architect
This article covers:
Overview
Study Resources
Exam Study Advice (What You Should Know):
Exam Day Experience
Is the Certification Worth it?
Overview
Cloud Computing is one of the most in-demand skills in 2025, and obtaining a foundational certification is a great starting point to advance your career.
The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) certification is intended for individuals who want to validate their knowledge of AWS cloud concepts, services, and terminology. This is ideal for roles in areas like IT support, Sales, Business Analysis, or Project Management. The certification costs $100 USD and candidates can choose to take the exam in-person at a Pearson VUE testing center or at home through online proctoring.
Planning to take this certification exam? Book your appointment here.
Study Resources
When it comes to exam preparation, here are the resources that we recommend:
AWS Ramp-Up Guide: Cloud Essentials
This downloadable guide provides curated digital training, self-paced labs, videos, whitepapers, and other resources to help you build foundational skills in AWS.
AWS Cloud Quest: Cloud Practitioner
Learn AWS in a fun and interactive way! This role-playing game challenges you to translate business problems into technical solutions, giving you practical experience in building real-world applications.
Video Courses
Efficiently prepare for your certification by taking video courses that offer both lectures and hands-on exercises, allowing you to apply what you've learned. We recommend checking out Andrew Brown's video on YouTube or enrolling in Stephane Maarek's course on Udemy.
Practice Exams
To gauge your readiness for your AWS certification exam, take advantage of the FREE sample tests offered by Tutorials Dojo and Whizlabs. These tests let you simulate the exam experience and pinpoint the areas where you need to concentrate your studies.
Cloud Practitioner Study Notes
Looking for a Cloud Practitioner exam prep that's concise and easy to understand? Zero To Cloud offers Complete Study Notes with detailed explanations to help you pass your exam with flying colors! These notes will help you revise for the exam and reinforce your knowledge of key concepts and AWS services.
Exam Study Advice (What You Should Know):
Take a moment to review these points before using the resources above:
Create a study plan to allocate time for the video course, lab exercises, and practice tests. This will help you track your progress and estimate your completion time, ensuring you’re prepared well-ahead of your exam.
Prioritize learning the fundamentals of cloud computing, and then use the AWS Free Tier account to gain hands-on experience with each AWS service.
If you need to reschedule your certification exam, make sure to do it at least 24 hours before the scheduled appointment.
Exam Day Experience
The AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification exam has a 90-minute duration and consists of 65 questions. Candidates who are non-native English speakers may also apply for a 30-minute time extension. The exam questions are in multiple-choice and multiple-response format and the passing score is 700 out of 1000.
To help manage your time during the exam, utilize the flag feature to mark questions you wish to revisit. If there is still time, make sure to thoroughly review your answers before submitting the exam. The results will be available on your AWS certification account within 5 business days.
Absolutely! It demonstrates your initiative and willingness to learn, which are valuable qualities in any tech-related field. Earning an industry-recognized certification allows you to effectively showcase your knowledge and skills to future employers. Also, the fundamental cloud concepts and AWS services you’ll learn will be useful for your next AWS certifications. Once you pass the exam, you'll receive a 50% voucher that you can use for your next AWS certification exam.
For more detailed information on the certification, you can check out this YouTube Video from Tech With Lucy.
If you’re looking for a more challenging certification and want to advance to the next level, then prepare for the AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate exam. This certification is a deep dive into AWS services and will test both your theoretical and practical experience in building cloud solutions.
