AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03)
Dear All, here we will find the details about AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03).
π AWS Certified Solutions Architect β Associate (SAA-C03)
πΉ Official Exam Blueprint & Detailed Domain Guide
π― Purpose of the Exam
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect β Associate certification validates your ability to:
- Design distributed systems that are scalable, resilient, cost-effective, and secure.
- Make architectural decisions based on AWS best practices.
- Demonstrate knowledge of AWS services and how they fit together.
π Current Version: SAA-C03
π Exam Duration: 130 minutes
π Format: Multiple choice and multiple response
π΅ Cost: $150 USD
π Level: Associate
π Available Languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and more
π Exam Blueprint (Domain Breakdown)
The AWS SAA-C03 exam is divided into 4 main domains:
| Domain | Description | Weight |
| 1 | Design Secure Architectures | 30% |
| 2 | Design Resilient Architectures | 26% |
| 3 | Design High-Performing Architectures | 24% |
| 4 | Design Cost-Optimized Architectures | 20% |
π Domain 1: Design Secure Architectures (30%)
π― Key Focus Areas:
- Secure access to AWS resources (IAM, policies, roles, MFA, SCPs)
- VPC security (Security Groups, NACLs, VPC endpoints, VPC Peering)
- Implement data protection using encryption (KMS, S3 encryption, EBS encryption)
- Design secure application tiers (public/private subnet, bastion host, WAF, Shield)
β Services to Focus On:
- IAM, STS, Organizations, KMS
- VPC, Security Groups, NACLs, WAF, Shield
- S3, EBS, RDS (encryption at rest/in transit)
Smart Cost Management: Creating a Billing Alarm in AWS | Solution Architect Associate SAA C03
π Domain 2: Design Resilient Architectures (26%)
π― Key Focus Areas:
- Design high availability (HA) using multi-AZ, multi-region
- Implement fault-tolerant solutions (Elastic Load Balancing, Auto Scaling)
- Use Amazon Route 53 for resilient DNS routing
- Use decoupling techniques (SQS, SNS, EventBridge)
β Services to Focus On:
- EC2, ELB, ASG, Route 53, S3, EFS
- SQS, SNS, Lambda, EventBridge
- Global Accelerator, CloudFront (for latency and HA)
π Domain 3: Design High-Performing Architectures (24%)
π― Key Focus Areas:
- Select appropriate compute and storage options
- Design performance-optimized databases (Aurora, DynamoDB, RDS, ElastiCache)
- Use caching mechanisms to improve latency
- Optimize network performance (Direct Connect, Global Accelerator, VPC endpoints)
β Services to Focus On:
- EC2 instance types (memory, CPU optimized)
- S3 vs EBS vs EFS
- Aurora vs RDS vs DynamoDB vs Redshift
- CloudFront, ElastiCache, Route 53
π Domain 4: Design Cost-Optimized Architectures (20%)
π― Key Focus Areas:
- Choose cost-effective storage and compute services (Spot, Savings Plans)
- Use pricing models to reduce costs (EC2 Savings Plans, Reserved Instances)
- Design solutions that scale economically
- Monitor and control cost using AWS Budgets, Cost Explorer, Trusted Advisor
β Services to Focus On:
- EC2 (On-Demand, Spot, Reserved), Lambda
- S3 Storage classes (Standard, IA, Glacier)
- Auto Scaling (for cost control)
- Cost Explorer, Budgets, AWS Pricing Calculator
π§ͺ Exam Question Types
- Multiple Choice: One correct answer out of four
- Multiple Response: Two or more correct answers out of five or more
- Scenario-based: Often includes a case study or architecture scenario
No hands-on lab questions (SAA is a theory-based exam)
π Recommended Study Materials
π Official Resources:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect β Associate Official Page
- AWS SAA-C03 Exam Guide PDF
- Sample Questions (Official)
π Learning Paths: AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03)
- AWS Skill Builder
- Free AWS Whitepapers (e.g., Well-Architected Framework, Security Pillar)
- Practice Exams: Tutorials Dojo, Whizlabs, Udemy
π§ Tips to Pass the Exam
- Understand the Shared Responsibility Model
- Know when to use IAM roles, policies, and federation
- Understand how to design for failure and high availability
- Practice decoupling and auto scaling
- Know cost optimization best practices (e.g., Spot, S3 tiers)
- Use practice exams to get comfortable with scenarios
- Focus on architecture trade-offs β security, cost, availability
π§ Final Thoughts
The AWS SAA-C03 exam blueprint is designed to test not just your theoretical knowledge but also your real-world architectural judgment.
Focus on:
- Making secure, resilient, high-performing, and cost-effective design choices
- Using the right AWS service for the right use case
- Applying AWS Well-Architected Framework principles
Great! Below is a 30-Day Study Plan for AWS Certified Solutions Architect β Associate (SAA-C03) β specifically designed for self-study students preparing for the exam. This plan balances concepts, hands-on labs, whitepapers, and practice exams.
ποΈ 30-Day AWS SAA-C03 Study Plan
π― Goal: Be fully prepared to take and pass the SAA-C03 exam in 30 days
β° Daily Time Commitment: 1.5 to 2.5 hours
π§ͺ Study Style: Concept + Hands-on + Practice Questions
π§° Tools Needed:
- AWS Free Tier account
- Browser, notebook, and calculator
- Access to study platform (optional: Udemy, Tutorials Dojo, etc.)
π WEEK 1: IAM, VPC & Core AWS Fundamentals
| Day | Topics | Resources | Lab/Action |
| Day 1 | β
Introduction to SAA-C03
β Shared Responsibility Model β Global vs Regional Services |
AWS Exam GuideAWS Documentation | Create AWS Free Tier account |
| Day 2 | β
IAM: Users, Groups, Roles, Policies
β MFA, IAM best practices |
IAM WhitepaperVideo (IAM Basics) | IAM Lab β Users, Groups, Roles |
| Day 3 | β
VPC Basics: CIDR, Subnets
β IGW, Route Tables |
AWS DocsA Cloud Guru/Udemy | Create a VPC from scratch |
| Day 4 | β
NACLs vs Security Groups
β VPC Peering, Endpoints |
AWS Networking Docs | Lab β Security Groups & Peering |
| Day 5 | β
EC2: Types, Pricing
β EBS & AMIs |
AWS DocsFree Tier EC2 | Launch & connect to EC2 |
| Day 6 | β
Elastic Load Balancing
β Auto Scaling Groups |
AWS Docs + Video | Lab β ELB + Auto Scaling |
| Day 7 | Review + Mini Quiz (IAM, VPC, EC2) | Tutorials Dojo or Udemy | Take 30 questions (focused quiz) |
π WEEK 2: Storage, Databases, High Availability
| Day | Topics | Resources | Lab/Action |
| Day 8 | β
S3: Buckets, Storage Classes, Encryption
β Bucket Policies |
AWS DocsVideos | S3 Lab: Upload, encrypt, lifecycle |
| Day 9 | β
EBS vs EFS vs S3
β S3 Versioning & Replication |
AWS Docs | S3 versioning lab |
| Day 10 | β
RDS Basics: Multi-AZ, Backups
β Aurora, DynamoDB |
AWS RDS GuideDynamoDB Guide | Launch RDS in Free Tier |
| Day 11 | β
Decoupling with SQS/SNS
β EventBridge |
AWS Messaging Services Docs | Build simple SQS β Lambda |
| Day 12 | β
CloudFront & Global Accelerator
β Route 53 Routing |
AWS Docs | Create distribution + Route 53 lab |
| Day 13 | β
Architecting for Resilience
β Fault Tolerance & High Availability Patterns |
AWS Well-Architected Framework | Review Multi-AZ/Multi-Region design |
| Day 14 | Review + Quiz (S3, RDS, Networking) | Tutorials Dojo or ExamPro | Take 30β40 questions quiz |
π WEEK 3: Cost, Performance, Design Principles
| Day | Topics | Resources | Lab/Action |
| Day 15 | β
AWS Pricing Models
β Spot, Reserved, Savings Plans |
AWS Pricing Docs | AWS Pricing Calculator practice |
| Day 16 | β
S3 Lifecycle & Intelligent Tiering
β Glacier Deep Dive |
AWS Docs | Create S3 lifecycle policy |
| Day 17 | β Compute Optimization: EC2 types, Lambda | AWS Compute Services Overview | Lambda basic function |
| Day 18 | β Database Optimization: Aurora vs DynamoDB vs RDS | AWS Database Decision Guide | Architecture comparison |
| Day 19 | β
Monitoring: CloudWatch, X-Ray
β CloudTrail |
AWS Docs | Enable monitoring on EC2 |
| Day 20 | β
CloudFormation Basics
β Elastic Beanstalk |
AWS Docs | Deploy app with Beanstalk |
| Day 21 | Review Week + Practice Test (60β80 questions) | Tutorials Dojo / Whizlabs | Track score & weak areas |
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03)
π WEEK 4: Exam Strategy, Scenarios & Full-Length Mocks
| Day | Topics | Resources | Lab/Action |
| Day 22 | β Design Scenarios: Security + Networking | AWS FAQs | Build scenario diagram |
| Day 23 | β Design Scenarios: Storage + Compute | AWS Well-Architected Labs | Practice with diagramming |
| Day 24 | β Design Scenarios: Database + HA | Whitepapers + Sample Qs | Solve end-to-end case |
| Day 25 | β Design Scenarios: Cost Optimization | AWS Trusted Advisor docs | Simulate cost cutting solution |
| Day 26 | β Read: Well-Architected Framework (Summary + Pillars) | AWS Whitepapers | Download and summarize |
| Day 27 | β Practice Exam #1 (Full-Length) | Tutorials Dojo / Udemy | Score β₯ 75% |
| Day 28 | β Practice Exam #2 + Review Mistakes | Same as above | Revisit weak areas |
| Day 29 | β Final Revision of Key Topicsβ Skim notes | Flashcards / Note sheets | Focus on IAM, S3, EC2 |
| Day 30 | π Exam Day or Final Mock | β | Go confidently! π― |
π οΈ Bonus Tools & Links
- AWS Free Tier Services
- AWS Well-Architected Framework
- AWS Pricing Calculator
- AWS Skill Builder (Free)
- IAM Policy Simulator
β Tips for Success
- Focus on use cases, not just service facts
- Learn to compare services (e.g., S3 vs EBS, RDS vs DynamoDB)
- Use diagrams to visualize architectures
- Practice interpreting JSON IAM policies
- Review failed questions more than passed ones
- Keep the Well-Architected Framework in mind during scenario questions
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AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03)