DVA-C03 exam format: questions, score, cost
The updated AWS Certified Developer - Associate exam, DVA-C03, has 65 questions (50 scored and 15 unscored) and a 130-minute time limit. It costs 150 USD and has a passing score of 720 on a scale of 100 to 1,000. AWS’s exam guide lists DVA-C03 as in use beginning 1 December 2026, and the last day for DVA-C02 as 30 November 2026. The question counts, score and domains (30/26/22/22) come from the AWS exam guide on docs.aws.amazon.com; the fee, duration, languages and validity come from the AWS certification page. The booking date is stated differently by two AWS pages, explained under Dates below.
The format at a glance
| DVA-C03 | |
|---|---|
| Certification | AWS Certified Developer - Associate |
| Level | Associate |
| Questions | 65 (50 scored, 15 unscored) |
| Duration | 130 minutes |
| Fee | 150 USD |
| Passing score | 720 on a scale of 100 to 1,000 |
| Question types | Multiple choice and multiple response |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE, test centre or online proctored |
| Registration | See Dates below: AWS pages differ |
| Used from | 1 December 2026 (exam guide) |
| Validity | 3 years (AWS certification page) |
AWS notes that exam fees can carry extra costs such as currency conversion; its exam pricing page has the details. See certification costs for how this fee compares with other vendors.
Languages
AWS’s certification page for the Developer - Associate exam lists English, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Simplified Chinese and Spanish (Latin America). Confirm the list when you register, since the page also says a change to short service names rolls out on a rolling basis for other-language versions.
Question types
AWS exams use two response types:
- Multiple choice: one correct answer and three distractors.
- Multiple response: two or more correct answers out of five or more options. The exam instructions ask you to select every correct response.
The DVA-C03 exam guide states that unanswered questions score as incorrect and that there is no penalty for guessing. Answer every question. Fifteen of the 65 questions are unscored items AWS uses to test future questions, and they are not marked, so treat every question as if it counts. For general tactics, see multiple-choice exam tips and question types.
Scoring
The DVA-C03 guide describes a compensatory model: you do not need to pass each section, only the exam as a whole, and the scaled score (100 to 1,000, minimum 720) reflects overall performance on the exam. Each section has its own weighting, so some sections have more questions than others. AWS also says to use caution when reading section-level feedback in a score report.
Who the exam is for
AWS recommends one or more years of hands-on experience developing and maintaining applications with AWS services. The guide’s general IT knowledge list adds proficiency in at least one high-level programming language, understanding of application lifecycle management, basic cloud-focused application development, and experience with development tools including AI tools and AI-assisted workflows. The target roles named by AWS are software developers and similar application-building roles; see the career page.
Dates
| Date | What AWS says |
|---|---|
| 27 October 2026 | AWS training and certification blog post, dated this day: “Registration is now open” for DVA-C03 |
| 30 November 2026 | Last day to take DVA-C02 (exam guide and blog post agree) |
| 1 December 2026 | DVA-C03 in use beginning this date (exam guide comparison page) |
The sources are not fully consistent on registration. The blog post says registration is open, while the note at the top of the DVA-C03 exam guide still says registration for the updated version opens December 1, 2026. This site does not choose between them: look at the exam listing in your AWS Certification account for the dates you can actually book.
How the two versions relate is covered in DVA-C03 vs DVA-C02.
Domains and weights
The AWS exam guide lists four DVA-C03 domains. Their names are the same as on DVA-C02 except that Deployment becomes Testing and Deployment:
| Domain | DVA-C03 weight | DVA-C02 weight (outgoing guide) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Development with AWS Services | 30% | 32% |
| 2. Security | 26% | 26% |
| 3. Testing and Deployment | 22% | 24% (named Deployment) |
| 4. Troubleshooting and Optimization | 22% | 18% |
Weights are shares of scored content. The guide lists three tasks per domain (3.1 to 3.3 and so on) with skills under each. Each domain has its own page: development, security, testing and deployment and troubleshooting and optimization.
The exam guide
The DVA-C03 exam guide is published in the AWS documentation (checked 30 October 2026). It contains the target candidate description, response types, content domains with task statements and skills, technologies and concepts, in-scope and out-of-scope service lists and a comparison with DVA-C02. AWS says guide revisions are published at least one month before changes reach the exam, so recheck it before you book. The study plan and the domain pages follow the guide’s task statements.
Booking and the day itself
You book through your AWS Certification account, choosing a Pearson VUE test centre or online proctoring. Exam day covers ID, check-in and the online-proctoring environment. Results are reported to your AWS Certification account within five business days, per the AWS after-testing policy, as set out on the renewal and retakes page.