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AWS Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02

Complete study reference for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner — the world's most widely held cloud certification. Covers all four exam domains with the revision cues that clarify the trickiest service comparisons.

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65

questions

90

minutes

700/1000

passing score

Domain weightings

Cloud Technology & Services

33%

Cloud Concepts

26%

Security & Compliance

25%

Billing, Pricing & Support

16%

Topics by domain

What each domain covers

Cloud Concepts (26%)

6 topics

The most concept-heavy domain. Focus on what makes cloud computing different from on-premises: variable cost, elasticity, no up-front hardware. The Well-Architected Framework pillars (Security, Reliability, Performance Efficiency, Cost Optimisation, Operational Excellence, Sustainability) are tested by name.

  • Benefits of AWS Cloud: agility, elasticity, scalability, cost savings
  • Cloud economics: OPEX vs CAPEX, consumption-based pricing
  • Cloud deployment models: public, private, hybrid
  • Service models: IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
  • AWS Well-Architected Framework: 6 pillars
  • AWS Cloud Adoption Framework (CAF)

Security and Compliance (25%)

6 topics

Know the Shared Responsibility Model cold: AWS manages security OF the cloud (hardware, datacentres, networking); customers manage security IN the cloud (data, IAM, OS, applications). This principle underlies many Security domain questions.

  • AWS Shared Responsibility Model
  • IAM: users, groups, roles, policies, MFA
  • AWS security services: Shield, WAF, GuardDuty, Inspector, Macie
  • Encryption: at rest (KMS) and in transit (TLS/ACM)
  • Compliance programmes: HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOC, ISO 27001
  • AWS Artifact — compliance reports

Cloud Technology and Services (33%)

7 topics

The largest domain — requires knowing each service by name, purpose, and key distinguishing feature. Focus on the most commonly confused pairs: EBS (block, attached to one EC2) vs S3 (object, internet-accessible) vs EFS (file, shared across EC2s); RDS (relational, managed) vs DynamoDB (NoSQL, serverless).

  • Compute: EC2, Lambda, Elastic Beanstalk, ECS, EKS, Lightsail
  • Storage: S3, EBS, EFS, S3 Glacier (retrieval tiers)
  • Databases: RDS, Aurora, DynamoDB, Redshift, ElastiCache
  • Networking: VPC, subnets, security groups, NACLs, Route 53, CloudFront, Direct Connect
  • Monitoring: CloudWatch (metrics/alarms), CloudTrail (API logging), AWS Config
  • Deployment: CloudFormation, Elastic Beanstalk, CodeDeploy
  • Migration: Snowball, DMS, Migration Hub

Billing, Pricing and Support (16%)

6 topics

Know the four EC2 pricing models and when to use each: On-Demand (unpredictable), Reserved (steady-state, 1 or 3 year commitment), Spot (fault-tolerant, interruptible), Dedicated Hosts (compliance/licensing). Support plan questions focus on which features are available at each tier — Business is the minimum tier for 24/7 phone and chat support.

  • Pricing models: On-Demand, Reserved (1yr/3yr), Spot, Savings Plans, Dedicated Hosts
  • AWS Free Tier: 12-month, always-free, trial
  • Cost management tools: Cost Explorer, AWS Budgets, Cost and Usage Report
  • AWS Pricing Calculator
  • Support plans: Basic, Developer, Business, Enterprise (TAM access)
  • AWS Organizations and consolidated billing

Commonly searched questions

What candidates ask most about AWS Cloud Practitioner

What is the best study plan for AWS Cloud Practitioner?

Most candidates pass with 1–2 weeks of focused study: Day 1–3 — complete an overview course (AWS Skill Builder free tier or Stephane Maarek's Udemy course). Day 4–6 — read the AWS service FAQs for the 15 most tested services. Day 7–10 — take practice exams, review wrong answers, re-read relevant service pages. Day 11–14 — focus on weak domains using practice questions.

Which AWS services are most tested on CLF-C02?

The most tested services are: EC2 (virtual servers), S3 (object storage), IAM (identity management), RDS and DynamoDB (databases), VPC (networking), CloudFront (CDN), Route 53 (DNS), CloudWatch (monitoring), CloudTrail (audit logging), Lambda (serverless), and ELB (load balancing). Know what each does and how it differs from similar services.

Is AWS Cloud Practitioner worth it in 2025?

Yes — AWS Cloud Practitioner is the most recognised entry-level cloud credential globally and is valued by employers as proof of foundational cloud knowledge. It is also a prerequisite for the Associate-level exams (Solutions Architect, Developer, SysOps). The certification is valid for 3 years. For non-technical roles (sales, finance, HR) in tech companies, it demonstrates cloud literacy that increasingly differentiates candidates.

What is the difference between CLF-C01 and CLF-C02?

CLF-C02 (released 2023) replaced CLF-C01. The main differences are: CLF-C02 adds more questions on newer AWS services, increases the focus on cloud migration and adoption strategies (AWS CAF), and includes more multiple-response questions (where you must select 2 correct answers). The core content is similar but CLF-C02 places more emphasis on real-world application over rote memorisation.

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