AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam Cost in 2026

The baseline price: $100 USD

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) exam costs $100 USD. This is the cheapest AWS certification — Solutions Architect Associate is $150, and Professional exams are $300. AWS lists regional pricing on its certification pricing page, but in nearly all regions the CLF fee is the flat $100.

Retakes: full price every time

If you fail, AWS charges the full $100 again for each retake. There is no discount retake. That makes over-preparing with free mock exams genuinely money-saving — passing on the first attempt avoids a second $100.

Rescheduling and cancellation

You can reschedule or cancel up to 24 hours before the exam window at no charge. Miss the 24-hour cutoff and you forfeit the fee. Exams booked through Pearson VUE online or a testing center follow the same rule.

Refund policy

Once you complete the exam, the fee is non-refundable — whether you pass or fail. Refunds are only granted for AWS-side cancellations (e.g., a broken proctoring session or a canceled testing-center appointment). If you experience a technical failure during online proctoring, contact AWS Support and provide the error details; legitimate incidents are usually rebooked for free.

How to pay less than $100

• Employer reimbursement: the most common path — many companies cover the full $100.
• AWS certification vouchers: occasionally offered at AWS events (re:Invent, AWS Summit) and partner programs.
• Free study materials: skip paid prep courses entirely. Everything you need is free: the official exam guide, AWS Skill Builder, and our free question bank.

The total real cost

With free resources, the out-of-pocket cost is just $100 (or $0 if reimbursed). Budget 2–3 weeks of part-time study and you avoid retake fees. Compared to most IT certifications, this is an exceptionally low barrier to entry.