The short version
SAP-C03 is the new version of the AWS Solutions Architect Professional exam. AWS says registration opens on October 27, 2026 and delivery starts on November 17, 2026, with 75 questions in 180 minutes. AWS published the SAP-C03 exam guide on October 27, 2026, and this page follows it.
What the exam is
The credential is AWS’s Professional-level architecture certification, and AWS positions it for experienced architects who work across many applications and projects in complex, multi-account environments. SAP-C03 replaces SAP-C02. The last day to take SAP-C02 is November 16, 2026, and the next day SAP-C03 takes over.
The exam is not a trivia test about service names. Questions describe a company, its current setup and several requirements at once, and you pick the design that fits best. Often two answers could work. A single detail, such as a data residency rule, a recovery target or “least operational overhead”, decides which one is right.
What changed from SAP-C02
AWS’s announcement says the blueprint moves to five domains and adds new skill areas. According to AWS, the update brings:
- Generative AI and agentic AI skills, including Amazon Bedrock integrations, Bedrock AgentCore agent architectures, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), Bedrock Guardrails and human-oversight workflows.
- Resilience engineering, with AWS Fault Injection Service, AWS Resilience Hub, AWS Application Recovery Controller and automated runbooks in AWS Systems Manager.
- Cloud-native patterns such as serverless data pipelines, service mesh with VPC Lattice and ECS Service Connect, container image security and multi-tenant design.
- DevSecOps and observability, including pipeline vulnerability scanning and multi-account deployment pipelines.
- Data and analytics, including lakehouse designs with Lake Formation and Apache Iceberg, and cross-account sharing with Clean Rooms.
- Post-quantum cryptography in AWS KMS.
AWS also says existing task statements were updated to match current practice and that the core architectural skills stay.
Who it is for
AWS recommends two or more years of experience designing and implementing cloud solutions on AWS. There is no required prerequisite exam. Our prerequisites page covers what helps and gives you a self-check.
Format at a glance
| Item | What AWS says |
|---|---|
| Exam code | SAP-C03 |
| Level | Professional |
| Time | 180 minutes |
| Questions | 75 |
| Question types | Multiple choice and multiple response |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or online proctored |
| Registration opens | October 27, 2026 |
| Delivery starts | November 17, 2026 |
| Validity | 3 years |
More detail, including retakes and scoring, is on the exam format page.
The five domains
The AWS exam guide lists five domains with these weightings: 25%, 25%, 15%, 15% and 20%, in the order below.
- Architecture Design and Implementation Built for the Cloud (25%)
- Security, Compliance, and Governance (25%)
- Cost-Optimized Architecture Design (15%)
- Resilience, Migration, and Business Continuity (15%)
- Operational Excellence and Automation (20%)
Treat the exam guide as the authority for the weightings. The domains explained page describes what each domain covers, based on the AWS announcement, the exam guide and general architecture practice.
How to use the guide pages
- Exam format: time, scoring, retakes and exam-day rules.
- Study plan: a 4-week and an 8-week plan.
- Domains explained: what each domain covers and where people slip.
- Sample questions: five original questions with explanations.
- Is SAP-C03 hard?: an honest look at the difficulty.
- Prerequisites: experience that helps and a skills checklist.
Should you take SAP-C02 or SAP-C03?
AWS says that if you are prepared now, you can take SAP-C02 until November 16, 2026, and the credential stays active until its original expiration date. If you want the credential to reflect cloud-native, generative AI and resilience skills, AWS suggests waiting for SAP-C03. The right choice depends on your readiness and your deadline. Material written for SAP-C02 will miss the new areas.
More guides for SAP-C03
- SAP-C03 Renewal and Retakes Explained
- Is SAP-C03 Worth It? An Honest Look
- SAP-C03 Cheat Sheet: Key Facts to Review
- DVA-C03 vs SAP-C03: Which AWS Exam First?
Next step
Read the exam format page, then look at the SAP-C03 practice tests when you want to see where your baseline sits. The questions are original and are no substitute for AWS’s own documentation and hands-on practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is the SAP-C03 exam guide published?
Yes. AWS published the SAP-C03 exam guide, with task statements, on October 27, 2026.
How long does the credential last?
AWS lists a validity of three years. To recertify, you pass the latest version of the exam, or use another renewal path that AWS lists on its recertification page.
Is SAP-C03 in beta?
AWS’s announcement does not mention a beta for SAP-C03.