Certification Guide
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional
The AWS Solutions Architect – Professional is one of the hardest cloud exams on the market. It expects deep experience across multi-account governance, hybrid networking, cost optimization at scale, and migration planning. Passing SAP is a strong signal for staff-level cloud roles and principal architect positions.
Exam Code
SAP-C02
Cost
$300
Duration
180 minutes
Passing Score
750 / 1000
Validity
3 years
Vendor
Amazon Web Services
Difficulty
Professional
Salary Impact
$25K – $60K premium at the senior / staff / principal architect level
Who This Certification Is For
- Senior engineers with 2+ years running production AWS workloads
- Cloud architects targeting principal or staff-level roles at cloud-native companies
- Consultants leading enterprise AWS migrations
- Engineers who already hold SAA and want to unlock the $250K+ architect band
Exam Domains
What AWS SAP-C02 actually tests, with weightings where the vendor publishes them:
- Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity (26%)
- Design for New Solutions (29%)
- Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions (25%)
- Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization (20%)
Study Path
An opinionated plan, in order. Timelines assume ~10 hours per week.
Prerequisite: Hold SAA-C03 or have 2+ years of hands-on AWS at scale
Month 1: Adrian Cantrill's SAP-C02 course (30+ hours) end to end
Month 2: Deep-dive on AWS Organizations, Control Tower, Transit Gateway, and Direct Connect
Month 3: Read whitepapers — Well-Architected pillars, Landing Zone, Prescriptive Guidance for migration
Month 3–4: Practice exams (Tutorials Dojo + Jon Bonso). Target 75%+ before booking. Expect long, multi-paragraph scenarios.
Top Employers That Value AWS SAP-C02
How HiringFunnel Uses Your AWS SAP-C02
SAP is the credential that unlocks staff and principal architect roles at $250K+. HiringFunnel filters the LinkedIn firehose for architect roles that explicitly ask for AWS SAP and matches you to the seniority band your certification level supports.
Have your AWS SAP-C02? Let it work for you.
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