How hard is the AWS SAA-C03? The data.
Data last updated: 2026 · Illustrative aggregates
~75%
Global pass rate — approximate blend of AWS disclosures and community surveys.
| Domain | Survey rank (1=easiest) |
|---|---|
| Cost-optimised | 2 |
| High-performing | 3 |
| Resilient | 4 |
| Secure | 5 |
Cost
Perf
Res
Sec
| Bucket | % cohort |
|---|---|
| <40h | 12% |
| 40–80h | 38% |
| 80–120h | 35% |
| 120h+ | 15% |
<40
40-80
80-120
120+
| Cert | Pass rate (est.) | Avg hours | Prereq |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAA-C03 | ~75% | 90 | Foundational cloud |
| Cloud Practitioner | ~85% | 35 | None |
| Developer Associate | ~72% | 85 | Hands-on helpful |
| SysOps Associate | ~70% | 95 | Ops depth |
SAA
CLF
DVA
SOA
Architecture trade-offs (cost vs resilience vs ops)
Service selection under explicit constraints
Multi-service integration (three+ services)
What is the AWS SAA-C03 pass rate?
Public summaries often cite ~70–80% first-attempt pass rates; treat as directional and verify AWS or community surveys.
Is SAA-C03 harder than Cloud Practitioner?
Yes for most candidates — deeper scenario design and broader service integration.
How many people fail SAA-C03 on the first attempt?
A meaningful minority fails on attempt one; retakes are common with targeted domain work.
What are the hardest topics in SAA-C03?
Multi-service architectures, VPC networking patterns, and cost/resilience trade-offs surface often.
Drill the domains that drag scores down.
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