AWS Cloud Practitioner · Exam Format

AWS Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) Exam: Cost, Format and Question Types

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) exam costs $100 USD and gives you 90 minutes for 65 questions, 50 of which are scored. Questions are multiple choice and multiple response only, the passing score is 700 on a 100 to 1,000 scale, and there are no prerequisites.

Last updated August 2026.

Exam format at a glance

 CLF-C02
LevelFoundational
Cost$100 USD
Total questions65 (50 scored, 15 unscored)
Time limit90 minutes
Question typesMultiple choice, multiple response
Passing score700 (on a 100 to 1,000 scale)
Scoring modelCompensatory (overall score, not per domain)
PrerequisitesNone
DeliveryPearson VUE testing center or online proctored
Validity3 years

All figures from the official AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) exam guide. Prices vary by country and may have tax added at checkout.

The two question types, and why the difference matters

Multiple choice gives you one correct response and three distractors. Multiple response gives you two or more correct responses out of five or more options, and it tells you how many to pick. There is no partial credit: a multiple-response item is right only when every correct option is selected and no incorrect one is.

Those are the only two types the CLF-C02 guide lists. The ordering, matching, and case-study formats AWS has introduced on some associate and professional exams do not appear here, which keeps the foundational exam predictable: read the scenario, pick the service or concept that fits.

There is also no penalty for a wrong answer. An unanswered question and a wrong one score the same, so flag anything you are unsure of, move on, and make sure every question has a response before time runs out.

How scoring works

Results come back as a scaled score between 100 and 1,000, with 700 as the minimum passing score. The scale is not a percentage: 700 out of 1,000 does not mean 70% of questions correct, because scaling accounts for difficulty differences between exam forms.

Scoring is compensatory, so you pass on the overall score. A weak showing in one domain can be offset by a strong one elsewhere, and there is no separate bar to clear per domain. Your score report includes section-level feedback, but that is diagnostic information for a retake, not a pass condition.

Of the 65 questions, 15 are unscored items AWS is trialling for future use. They are not identified during the exam, so treat every question as if it counts.

Where the 50 scored questions come from

DomainWeightScored questions
1. Cloud Concepts24%About 12
2. Security and Compliance30%About 15
3. Cloud Technology and Services34%About 17
4. Billing, Pricing, and Support12%About 6

Weights are published in the exam guide; question counts are those weights applied to 50 scored questions, rounded. Domains 2 and 3 together are 64% of the exam.

Booking, proctoring, and retakes

  1. Create an AWS Certification account and register from the certification portal. You choose the delivery method at booking.
  2. Pick testing center or online proctored. A Pearson VUE center removes the environment risk; online proctoring is more convenient but puts the room, the connection, and the ID check on you.
  3. Check accommodations before you book. AWS offers testing accommodations, including additional exam time for candidates taking the exam in a language that is not their first. Requests are made in advance, not on exam day.
  4. Prepare for the check-in. Government-issued photo ID, a clear workspace, and no notes or phones. Online sessions include a room scan before you start.
  5. If you fail, expect a waiting period. AWS's retake policy requires a wait between attempts, and each attempt is paid in full. Confirm the current policy in the AWS Certification FAQ before rebooking.

You get a provisional result at the end of the session, with the official score report following in your certification account.

FAQ

How much does the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam cost?

The CLF-C02 exam costs $100 USD, with local tax added at checkout in some countries. It is the cheapest exam in the AWS certification track, since associate exams cost $150.

How many questions are on the CLF-C02 exam and how long is it?

There are 65 questions and a 90-minute time limit. Only 50 of the 65 are scored: the other 15 are unscored trial questions that are not identified during the exam.

What score do you need to pass the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam?

The minimum passing score is 700 on a scaled range of 100 to 1,000. That is not a percentage of questions correct, and scoring is compensatory, so you pass on your overall score rather than domain by domain.

What types of questions are on the CLF-C02 exam?

Multiple choice (one correct answer out of four) and multiple response (two or more correct answers out of five or more). There is no partial credit on multiple-response questions and no penalty for a wrong answer, so answer every question.

Is CLF-C02 still the current version of the exam?

Yes. CLF-C02 has been the live version since September 2023 and remains current as of August 2026. AWS announces version changes ahead of time on its certification site, so confirm the version when you book.

Read the official CLF-C02 exam guide

The exam guide lists the task statements and in-scope services behind all four domains. Questions are written from those statements, so it doubles as a blind-spot checklist.

Open the AWS exam guide →