{"id":12930,"date":"2026-07-02T18:14:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T12:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/?p=12930"},"modified":"2026-07-02T18:14:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T12:44:14","slug":"aws-cloud-practitioner-syllabus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/aws-cloud-practitioner-syllabus\/","title":{"rendered":"AWS Cloud Practitioner Syllabus 2026: Topics, Exam Pattern & Prep Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The AWS Cloud Practitioner syllabus for 2026 is defined entirely by the CLF-C02 exam, which tests four domains: Cloud Concepts (24%), Security and Compliance (30%), Cloud Technology and Services (34%), and Billing, Pricing and Support (12%). The exam has 65 questions, lasts 90 minutes, requires a score of 700 out of 1000 to pass, and costs approximately 7,600 INR in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is the entire syllabus in one sentence. The rest of this guide breaks down what each domain covers, what the exam pattern looks like, and how to prepare in four weeks using free resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This syllabus is aligned to the official AWS Cloud Practitioner exam guide (CLF-C02)<\/a> published by AWS. For a structured, zero-cost starting point, the free AWS course on Scaler Topics<\/a> covers the foundational concepts you need before booking the exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam (CLF-C02) at a Glance<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Detail<\/strong><\/td>Specification<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Exam code<\/td>CLF-C02<\/td><\/tr>
Number of questions<\/td>65 (scored and unscored; unscored are not identified)<\/td><\/tr>
Question format<\/td>Multiple choice and multiple response<\/td><\/tr>
Duration<\/td>90 minutes<\/td><\/tr>
Passing score<\/td>700 out of 1000 (scaled)<\/td><\/tr>
Exam fee<\/td>~100 USD (approximately 9,473 INR in India; varies with exchange rate)<\/td><\/tr>
Delivery method<\/td>Pearson VUE testing centre or online proctored<\/td><\/tr>
Languages<\/td>English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese<\/td><\/tr>
Prerequisites<\/td>None (recommended: 6 months of AWS Cloud exposure)<\/td><\/tr>
Exam version<\/td>CLF-C02 (retired CLF-C01 is no longer available)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The passing score of 700 sounds like 70%, but it is a scaled score. AWS does not publish the exact percentage-to-scale conversion, so do not try to calculate how many questions you can afford to get wrong. Aim to consistently score 80% or higher on practice exams before booking your test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>AWS Cloud Practitioner Syllabus: Exam Domains and Weightings<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The CLF-C02 exam tests four domains. The weighting tells you how much of the exam each domain occupies, which directly affects how you should distribute your study time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Domain<\/strong><\/td>Weighting<\/strong><\/td>What It Tests<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Domain 1: Cloud Concepts<\/td>24%<\/td>Cloud definitions, value proposition, design principles, shared responsibility model<\/td><\/tr>
Domain 2: Security and Compliance<\/td>30%<\/td>AWS Shared Responsibility Model, IAM, security best practices, compliance frameworks<\/td><\/tr>
Domain 3: Cloud Technology and Services<\/td>34%<\/td>AWS core services (compute, storage, networking, databases), global infrastructure<\/td><\/tr>
Domain 4: Billing, Pricing and Support<\/td>12%<\/td>AWS pricing models, cost optimisation tools, billing dashboard, support plans<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Notice that Domain 3 (Cloud Technology and Services) carries the highest weight at 34%, and Domain 2 (Security and Compliance) is close behind at 30%. Together, these two domains account for nearly two-thirds of the exam. If you are short on time, prioritise these. Domain 4 (Billing, Pricing and Support) carries only 12%, but the questions tend to be straightforward once you understand the pricing models and support plan tiers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Domain 1: Cloud Concepts (24%)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This domain covers the foundational ideas behind cloud computing. You do not need hands-on AWS experience for this domain, but you do need to understand the vocabulary and the business reasoning behind cloud adoption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Topic<\/strong><\/td>What You Need to Know<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
What is cloud computing<\/td>On-demand delivery of IT resources over the internet with pay-as-you-go pricing<\/td><\/tr>
Cloud value proposition<\/td>Trade capital expense for variable expense, benefit from massive economies of scale, stop guessing capacity, increase speed and agility, stop spending money on running data centres, go global in minutes<\/td><\/tr>
Cloud design principles<\/td>Scalability, elasticity, agility, durability, availability, fault tolerance<\/td><\/tr>
Cloud deployment models<\/td>Public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, multi-cloud<\/td><\/tr>
Cloud computing models<\/td>IaaS, PaaS, SaaS (definitions, examples, trade-offs)<\/td><\/tr>
Shared Responsibility Model<\/td>AWS secures the cloud; you secure what you put in the cloud. Know the boundary for each service type.<\/td><\/tr>
Cloud economics<\/td>Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), operational vs capital expenses, right-sizing<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For a deeper understanding of the cloud ecosystem that puts these concepts in context, explore the cloud computing tutorials on Scaler Topics<\/a> and the cloud computing roadmap<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Domain 2: Security and Compliance (30%)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is the second-heaviest domain and the one where exam-takers tend to lose the most points. The questions test whether you understand how security responsibility is shared between AWS and you, and how to use AWS security services correctly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Topic<\/strong><\/td>What You Need to Know<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
AWS Shared Responsibility Model (security)<\/td>AWS secures the infrastructure (hardware, facilities, networking). You secure your data, access controls, and configurations. Know where the line falls for each service type.<\/td><\/tr>
IAM (Identity and Access Management)<\/td>Users, groups, roles, policies (identity-based vs resource-based), MFA, root account protection, principle of least privilege<\/td><\/tr>
Security best practices<\/td>Encryption at rest and in transit, KMS, ACM, Secrets Manager, security groups vs NACLs<\/td><\/tr>
Compliance and governance<\/td>AWS Artifact, AWS Config, AWS CloudTrail, AWS Audit Manager<\/td><\/tr>
DDoS protection<\/td>AWS Shield Standard (automatic) and AWS Shield Advanced (paid), AWS WAF<\/td><\/tr>
Security services<\/td>Amazon GuardDuty, Amazon Inspector, Amazon Macie, AWS Security Hub<\/td><\/tr>
Data privacy<\/td>Data residency, GDPR considerations, AWS data protection features<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Domain 3: Cloud Technology and Services (34%)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is the heaviest domain. It covers the core AWS services that you are expected to know at a foundational level. You do not need to know how to deploy or configure these services, but you need to know what each one does and when to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Topic<\/strong><\/td>What You Need to Know<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
AWS global infrastructure<\/td>Regions, Availability Zones, edge locations, Local Zones, Wavelength Zones<\/td><\/tr>
Compute services<\/td>Amazon EC2 (instance types, pricing models), Lambda (serverless), ECS, EKS, Fargate, Elastic Beanstalk<\/td><\/tr>
Storage services<\/td>Amazon S3 (storage classes, lifecycle policies), EBS, EFS, AWS Backup<\/td><\/tr>
Database services<\/td>Amazon RDS, DynamoDB, Aurora, Redshift, ElastiCache<\/td><\/tr>
Networking services<\/td>Amazon VPC (subnets, route tables, internet gateways, NAT gateways), Route 53, CloudFront, Elastic Load Balancing<\/td><\/tr>
Messaging and integration<\/td>Amazon SQS, SNS, Kinesis, EventBridge<\/td><\/tr>
Management and governance<\/td>AWS CloudFormation, AWS Systems Manager, AWS Trusted Advisor<\/td><\/tr>
AI and ML services<\/td>Amazon SageMaker, Rekognition, Comprehend, Transcribe (high-level awareness only)<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For the networking portion, the VPC tutorial on Scaler Topics<\/a> covers the core VPC concepts that show up on the exam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Domain 4: Billing, Pricing and Support (12%)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This domain carries the lowest weighting but has some of the most specific questions. Know the pricing models and support plan tiers cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Topic<\/strong><\/td>What You Need to Know<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
AWS pricing models<\/td>On-Demand, Reserved Instances, Spot Instances, Savings Plans, Dedicated Hosts<\/td><\/tr>
Free Tier<\/td>12-month free tier, always-free services, short-term trials. Practice using the AWS Free Tier<\/a>.<\/td><\/tr>
Cost management tools<\/td>AWS Cost Explorer, AWS Budgets, AWS Pricing Calculator, Cost and Usage Report<\/td><\/tr>
Billing dashboard<\/td>How to view charges by service, set billing alerts, use consolidated billing<\/td><\/tr>
AWS Support plans<\/td>Basic (free), Developer ($29\/month), Business ($100\/month), Enterprise ($15,000\/month). Know what each includes.<\/td><\/tr>
AWS Marketplace<\/td>Third-party software available through AWS billing<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To understand where the Cloud Practitioner fits in the broader AWS certification journey, see the AWS certification path on Scaler Topics<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Exam Pattern and Cost in India<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Detail<\/strong><\/td>Information<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Exam format<\/td>65 questions, multiple choice and multiple response<\/td><\/tr>
Duration<\/td>90 minutes (additional 30 minutes for non-native English speakers on request)<\/td><\/tr>
Passing score<\/td>700 \/ 1000 (scaled)<\/td><\/tr>
Cost in India<\/td>Approximately 7,600 INR (USD 100; varies with exchange rate)<\/td><\/tr>
Retake policy<\/td>24-hour waiting period; full fee per attempt<\/td><\/tr>
Rescheduling<\/td>Free if done 24+ hours before; full fee forfeited on no-show<\/td><\/tr>
Result<\/td>Preliminary pass\/fail on screen; official result within 5 business days<\/td><\/tr>
Validity<\/td>3 years from the date of passing<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The exam fee is denominated in USD, so the INR amount fluctuates with the exchange rate. Check the AWS Certification page<\/a> for the current pricing before booking. If you do not pass on the first attempt, each retake costs the same as the original exam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>4-Week Prep Plan (with Free Resources)<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This plan assumes you are starting from scratch with no prior AWS experience and can commit roughly 1 to 2 hours per day. If you already have cloud exposure, you can compress this into 2 to 3 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week 1: Cloud Concepts and AWS Fundamentals<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Day<\/strong><\/td>Focus<\/strong><\/td>Resource<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
1-2<\/td>What is cloud computing; IaaS, PaaS, SaaS; deployment models<\/td>Free AWS Course on Scaler<\/a> – Modules 1 and 2<\/td><\/tr>
3-4<\/td>Cloud value proposition; design principles; Shared Responsibility Model<\/td>AWS Skill Builder<\/a> free content: Cloud Practitioner Essentials<\/td><\/tr>
5-6<\/td>Cloud economics; TCO; right-sizing<\/td>AWS official documentation and the cloud computing tutorials on Scaler Topics<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>Review and practice questions for Domain 1<\/td>Free sample questions on AWS Certification page<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Week 2: Security and Compliance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Day<\/strong><\/td>Focus<\/strong><\/td>Resource<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
1-2<\/td>IAM fundamentals: users, groups, roles, policies<\/td>AWS topics on Scaler<\/a> – IAM articles<\/td><\/tr>
3-4<\/td>Shared Responsibility Model (security side); encryption; KMS<\/td>AWS Skill Builder free security modules<\/td><\/tr>
5-6<\/td>Security services: GuardDuty, Shield, WAF, Inspector, Macie, Security Hub<\/td>AWS services overview on Scaler Topics<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>Review and practice questions for Domain 2<\/td>Free sample questions; review incorrect answers<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Week 3: Cloud Technology and Services<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Day<\/strong><\/td>Focus<\/strong><\/td>Resource<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
1-2<\/td>AWS global infrastructure; compute services (EC2, Lambda)<\/td>Free AWS Course on Scaler<\/a> – Modules 3 and 4<\/td><\/tr>
3-4<\/td>Storage (S3, EBS, EFS); databases (RDS, DynamoDB)<\/td>Free AWS Course – Modules 5 and 6<\/td><\/tr>
5-6<\/td>Networking (VPC, Route 53, CloudFront); VPC tutorial on Scaler<\/a><\/td>Free AWS Course – Module 7; VPC tutorial<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>Review and practice questions for Domain 3<\/td>Free sample questions; review incorrect answers<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Week 4: Billing, Pricing and Support + Full Review<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Day<\/strong><\/td>Focus<\/strong><\/td>Resource<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
1-2<\/td>AWS pricing models; Free Tier; cost management tools<\/td>AWS support plans on Scaler Topics<\/a>; AWS Pricing Calculator<\/td><\/tr>
3<\/td>Support plans; AWS Marketplace<\/td>AWS official documentation on support tiers<\/td><\/tr>
4-5<\/td>Full-length practice exam<\/td>AWS official practice exam (~3,500 INR) or free third-party practice tests<\/td><\/tr>
6<\/td>Review weak areas identified by the practice exam<\/td>Revisit topics where you scored below 70%<\/td><\/tr>
7<\/td>Final review of all four domains; book the exam<\/td>Quick pass through notes; schedule exam for the following week<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Download the AWS Cloud Practitioner Syllabus PDF<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The search term “aws cloud practitioner syllabus pdf” has real volume, and for good reason: you want something you can print, annotate, and tick off as you study. The table below is designed to serve as your printable syllabus checklist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Domain<\/strong><\/td>Weight<\/strong><\/td>Key Topics<\/strong><\/td>Status<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Cloud Concepts<\/td>24%<\/td>Cloud definitions, value proposition, design principles, deployment models, Shared Responsibility Model, cloud economics<\/td>[ ]<\/td><\/tr>
Security and Compliance<\/td>30%<\/td>IAM, Shared Responsibility (security), encryption, KMS, security services, compliance, DDoS protection<\/td>[ ]<\/td><\/tr>
Cloud Technology and Services<\/td>34%<\/td>Global infrastructure, EC2, Lambda, S3, EBS, RDS, DynamoDB, VPC, Route 53, CloudFront, CloudFormation, messaging services<\/td>[ ]<\/td><\/tr>
Billing, Pricing and Support<\/td>12%<\/td>Pricing models, Free Tier, Cost Explorer, Budgets, Pricing Calculator, support plans, Marketplace<\/td>[ ]<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Print this table or save it locally. Check off each topic as you study it. When every row is ticked, you have covered the complete CLF-C02 syllabus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>FAQs<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. What is the syllabus of the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    The AWS Cloud Practitioner exam (CLF-C02) syllabus has four domains: Cloud Concepts (24%), Security and Compliance (30%), Cloud Technology and Services (34%), and Billing, Pricing and Support (12%). Cloud Technology carries the highest weight, followed closely by Security. Together, these two domains make up nearly two-thirds of the exam. See the domain weightings table<\/a> for the full breakdown with topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. How many questions are in the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      The exam has 65 questions, which include both scored and unscored items. AWS does not identify which questions are unscored, so treat every question as if it counts. You have 90 minutes to complete the exam, which works out to roughly 83 seconds per question. Non-native English speakers can request an additional 30 minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. What is the passing score for AWS Cloud Practitioner?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        The passing score is 700 out of 1000 on a scaled basis. This is not the same as 70%. AWS uses a scaled scoring model, and the exact percentage required to reach 700 is not published. As a practical guideline, aim to score 80% or higher on practice exams before taking the real test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        1. How much does the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam cost in India?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          The exam costs approximately 100 USD, which translates to roughly 7,600 INR depending on the exchange rate at the time of booking. The fee is set by AWS and is non-negotiable. Each retake costs the same amount. Check the AWS Certification page<\/a> for the current INR pricing before scheduling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          1. How long does it take to prepare for the AWS Cloud Practitioner?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            For a complete beginner studying 1 to 2 hours per day, 3 to 4 weeks is realistic. For IT professionals with some cloud exposure, 2 to 3 weeks is typically sufficient. The exam tests foundational knowledge, not hands-on engineering skills, so the preparation is conceptually straightforward. The 4-week prep plan in this guide covers all four domains with daily tasks and free resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            1. Is the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam hard?<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              It is the entry-level AWS certification, and it is designed to be accessible to people with no prior AWS experience. The questions test conceptual understanding, not technical implementation. The main challenge is breadth: the syllabus covers a wide range of AWS services across four domains, and the exam expects you to know what each service does at a high level. If you follow a structured study plan and score 80% or higher on practice exams, you should pass comfortably. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

              The free AWS course on Scaler Topics<\/a> is a good starting point if you are beginning from zero.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              For the next step after the Cloud Practitioner, explore the AWS certification path on Scaler Topics<\/a> to plan your progression. For structured programmes that take you from foundational cloud knowledge through DevOps and SRE skills, visit Scaler Academy<\/a> or the Scaler DevOps and Cloud programme<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              The AWS Cloud Practitioner syllabus for 2026 is defined entirely by the CLF-C02 exam, which tests four domains: Cloud Concepts (24%), Security and Compliance (30%), Cloud Technology and Services (34%), and Billing, Pricing and Support (12%). The exam has 65 questions, lasts 90 minutes, requires a score of 700 out of 1000 to pass, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":201,"featured_media":12931,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,449,320],"tags":[450],"class_list":["post-12930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-devops","category-aws","category-syllabus","tag-aws-cloud-practitioner-syllabus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12930","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/201"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12930"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12930\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12932,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12930\/revisions\/12932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12930"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12930"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scaler.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12930"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}