CLF-C02 vs CLF-C01: What Changed

Why the exam changed

AWS replaced CLF-C01 with CLF-C02 to reflect modern AWS services, pricing models, and exam mechanics. If you study from old C01 material, you'll miss updated weighting and a new question style. Always prepare for CLF-C02 — it's the only version currently offered.

Same fundamentals

• 65 questions / 90 minutes, passing score 700/1000.
• Cost $100, valid 3 years, no prerequisites.
• Core content is stable: the shared responsibility model, global infrastructure, core services, and billing are still the heart of the exam.

What changed in CLF-C02

1. Domain weighting shifted

CLF-C02 rebalanced toward security and modern services. Cloud Concepts dropped from 28% to 24%, while Security & Compliance rose to 30%. Technology & Services stayed the biggest at 34%, and Billing & Pricing is 12%.

2. New question formats

CLF-C02 introduced multi-response (select all that apply) questions and longer scenario prompts. Practice tests now must include both single-answer and multi-select items to reflect the real exam.

3. Updated service coverage

CLF-C02 emphasizes newer services and models: Savings Plans (alongside Reserved Instances), AWS Well-Architected pillars, Global Accelerator, Organizations and consolidated billing, and a stronger focus on machine learning services (SageMaker, Comprehend, Rekognition) as an answer choice.

4. More scenario-based language

More questions describe a business scenario and ask you to pick the best fit. Keyword-to-service mapping (e.g., "fully managed relational database" → RDS) became even more central to passing.

How it changes your study plan

1. Study the four CLF-C02 domains in the current study guide — not older C01 outlines.
2. Learn Savings Plans vs Reserved Instances side by side; both appear in pricing questions.
3. Drill the four Well-Architected pillars (Security, Reliability, Performance Efficiency, Cost Optimization) — they appear across domains.
4. Practice multi-select questions; they're the format most people trip on.

Bottom line

CLF-C02 is slightly harder than CLF-C01: heavier security content, multi-select questions, and more scenario reading. But it's still a foundational exam. Prepare with current materials, drill the question bank and timed mocks, and the format change won't matter.