AWS · DVA-C02
AWS Certified Developer - Associate (DVA-C02) Practice Tests
Validates ability to develop, test, deploy, and debug AWS Cloud-based applications using AWS services.
Exam Details
Practice Questions
536
≈ 8 practice exams
Duration
130 minutes
Passing Score
720/1000
Difficulty
AssociateLast Updated
Jan 2026
Topics Covered
Development with AWS ServicesSecurityDeploymentTroubleshooting and Optimization
AWS Certified Developer - Associate (DVA-C02) Practice Exam
DVA-C02 weights Development with AWS Services heaviest at 32 percent of scored content, followed by Security at 26 percent, Deployment at 24 percent, and Troubleshooting and Optimization at 18 percent. This practice bank of 536 questions is built to match that split, so you spend proportionally more time on writing and optimizing application code against AWS service APIs than on any single domain.
On test day you face 65 questions in 130 minutes: 50 scored and 15 unscored questions AWS uses to test future content, mixed in without being identified. Scoring is scaled from 100 to 1,000, and you need 720 to pass. AWS explicitly scopes out architecture design, IAM administration, and networking infrastructure from this exam, so expect application-layer questions on AWS SDKs and the CLI, securing application code and data, and debugging deployed applications, not designing distributed systems.
AWS recommends 1 or more years of hands-on experience developing and maintaining applications on AWS, plus proficiency in at least one programming language, though there's no formal prerequisite. The certification is valid for 3 years. Start with the 30 free questions, then work through the full 536-question bank until your accuracy holds steady across all four domains.
Exam Domain Breakdown
Development with AWS Services32%
Security26%
Deployment24%
Troubleshooting and Optimization18%
Exam Overview
The AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) is an intermediate-level certification from Amazon Web Services that validates a candidate's proficiency in developing, testing, deploying, and debugging cloud-based applications on the AWS platform. It demonstrates hands-on competency with core AWS developer services including AWS Lambda, Amazon API Gateway, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon S3, Amazon SQS, Amazon SNS, AWS CodePipeline, AWS CodeBuild, AWS CodeDeploy, and the AWS SDKs and CLI. The exam was updated in December 2024 (Version 2.1) to include 18 new skills, incorporating topics such as Amazon Q Developer, event-driven architecture patterns with Amazon EventBridge, and resilience patterns like retry logic and circuit breakers.
The certification covers four weighted domains: developing applications with AWS services (32%), implementing security controls (26%), automating deployment workflows (24%), and troubleshooting and optimizing applications (18%). It is recognized globally as a benchmark for cloud developers and is valid for three years, after which holders can recertify by retaking the current exam version or by earning the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional credential.
Who Should Take This Exam
This certification is designed for software developers and cloud engineers who spend at least a portion of their role building and maintaining applications on AWS. Relevant job titles include Cloud Developer, Backend Developer, Full-Stack Developer, DevOps Engineer, and Solutions Developer. Candidates typically have one or more years of hands-on experience writing application code using AWS services, familiarity with at least one high-level programming language (such as Python, Java, JavaScript, or Go), and practical knowledge of cloud-native development patterns.
Developers who are new to cloud but hold strong general programming backgrounds will also find this exam accessible, though AWS recommends that individuals with no prior IT experience first earn the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner to build foundational knowledge before attempting this associate-level exam.
Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites required to register for the DVA-C02 exam. However, AWS recommends that candidates have one or more years of practical experience developing and maintaining applications using AWS services before sitting the exam. Candidates should be comfortable with at least one high-level programming language and have working knowledge of AWS core services such as IAM, S3, DynamoDB, Lambda, API Gateway, SQS, and SNS.
Familiarity with CI/CD concepts and hands-on experience with AWS developer tools (CodeCommit, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, CodePipeline) is also strongly advised. Candidates should understand RESTful API design, serverless architectures, and basic cloud security principles including authentication via Amazon Cognito and secrets management via AWS Secrets Manager and AWS Systems Manager Parameter Store.
Exam Format
The DVA-C02 exam consists of 65 total questions: 50 scored questions and 15 unscored pretest questions that do not affect the final score (unscored questions are not identified during the exam). Question types are either multiple choice (one correct answer from four options) or multiple response (two or more correct answers from five or more options). The time limit is 130 minutes, and the exam is proctored via Pearson VUE either at an authorized testing center or through an online proctored session. The exam is available in English, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Simplified Chinese, and Spanish (Latin America).
Scores are reported on a scaled score of 100–1,000, with a minimum passing score of 720. Unanswered questions are scored as incorrect; there is no penalty for guessing. The exam fee is $150 USD, and AWS provides certified holders with a 50% discount voucher for their next certification exam.
Skills Measured
- 1.Domain 1 – Development with AWS Services (32%): Writing and optimizing application code hosted on AWS; developing and deploying AWS Lambda functions including event source mappings, layers, and environment variables; using AWS data stores in application development (DynamoDB, ElastiCache, RDS, S3, Amazon Kinesis); integrating applications using Amazon API Gateway, SQS, SNS, EventBridge, and Step Functions; applying event-driven architecture patterns and resilience patterns such as retry logic and exponential backoff.
- 2.Domain 2 – Security (26%): Implementing authentication and authorization using Amazon Cognito user pools and identity pools; managing API access with IAM policies, resource-based policies, and Lambda authorizers; encrypting data at rest and in transit using AWS KMS and ACM; handling sensitive application credentials securely using AWS Secrets Manager and SSM Parameter Store; applying the principle of least privilege to Lambda execution roles and application IAM roles.
- 3.Domain 3 – Deployment (24%): Preparing and packaging application artifacts for deployment to AWS (ZIP packages, container images, SAM templates, CloudFormation); configuring and using AWS CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, and CodePipeline for CI/CD workflows; deploying serverless applications using AWS SAM and the AWS CDK; using deployment strategies including canary, linear, and all-at-once via CodeDeploy; testing applications in development environments using AWS services and local emulation tools.
- 4.Domain 4 – Troubleshooting and Optimization (18%): Using Amazon CloudWatch Logs, CloudWatch Metrics, and AWS X-Ray to instrument and trace applications; performing root cause analysis on application errors including Lambda timeouts, throttling, and cold starts; optimizing Lambda performance through memory allocation, provisioned concurrency, and code profiling; using Amazon Q Developer for code suggestions and debugging assistance; optimizing DynamoDB access patterns and S3 performance configurations.
Study Tips
- Start with the official AWS Exam Prep Standard Course on AWS Skill Builder, which follows the four-step exam prep plan and maps directly to DVA-C02 domains. Complete the official practice question set (20 questions) to calibrate your readiness before purchasing the full practice exam.
- Download and study Version 2.1 of the official DVA-C02 Exam Guide from aws.amazon.com. Review the in-scope and out-of-scope task statements carefully — architectural design and VPC networking design are explicitly out of scope, so avoid over-indexing on those areas.
- Build hands-on experience with Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, SQS/SNS, and Cognito. The exam heavily tests code-level integration knowledge — understand how to configure event source mappings, DynamoDB Streams, SQS triggers for Lambda, and how retry behavior works for each invocation type (synchronous vs. asynchronous).
- Focus significant study time on the Security domain (26% weighting). Understand the difference between Cognito user pools and identity pools, when to use AWS Secrets Manager vs. SSM Parameter Store, how KMS envelope encryption works, and how to scope IAM policies for Lambda execution roles.
- Study the AWS CI/CD toolchain (CodeCommit, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, CodePipeline) end-to-end. Know the deployment configuration options in CodeDeploy (canary, linear, all-at-once), how buildspec.yml is structured in CodeBuild, and how appspec.yml works for Lambda and EC2 deployments.
- Practice with AWS X-Ray to understand how to instrument Lambda functions and trace requests across distributed services. The Troubleshooting domain (18%) tests your ability to identify bottlenecks and errors using CloudWatch Logs Insights, X-Ray service maps, and CloudWatch Metrics.
- Review the December 2024 exam updates if using older study materials. Version 2.1 added Amazon Q Developer usage, EventBridge event patterns, and resilience patterns (circuit breakers, exponential backoff) — topics not covered in pre-2024 resources.
Career Benefits
The AWS Certified Developer – Associate is one of the highest-compensating associate-level cloud certifications available. AWS-certified developers in the United States report average salaries of approximately $130,000–$133,000 per year, with senior roles exceeding $150,000. According to industry salary surveys, AWS-certified IT professionals earn on average 27.5% more than non-certified counterparts, and 19% of certification holders report a direct salary increase following certification. The credential is recognized globally and is frequently listed as a required or preferred qualification in cloud developer job postings across financial services, healthcare, technology, and e-commerce sectors.
Beyond compensation, 63% of certified AWS professionals report receiving or expecting a promotion after certification, and 41% report increased workplace engagement. The DVA-C02 serves as a natural step toward higher-level credentials including the AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional and AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional. Compared to vendor-neutral developer certifications, the AWS Developer Associate carries stronger market specificity, particularly for organizations running workloads on AWS — which represents the majority of enterprise cloud deployments.
Sample Questions
5 sample questions with answers and explanations. The full bank has 536 questions, enough for 8 full-length practice exams.
Preview — answers shown1. To perform a batch write operation in DynamoDB, which API call should be used?
APutItem in a loop.
BUpdateItem with a list of items.
CTransactWriteItems
DBatchWriteItem
Explanation
DynamoDB provides specific batch operations to improve performance and reduce the number of API calls. Why it's correct: The BatchWriteItem operation is designed to perform multiple PutItem or DeleteItem requests in a single API call. You can batch up to 25 requests. This is much more efficient than calling PutItem or DeleteItem individually in a loop because it reduces network round-trip time. It's important to note that BatchWriteItem is not transactional. Why others are incorrect: Looping PutItem is inefficient. UpdateItem only works on a single item. TransactWriteItems is for transactional writes, which is a different use case with stronger guarantees and higher cost.
2. Before you can deploy your first AWS CDK application into an AWS account/region combination, what one-time setup command must be run?
Acdk init
Bnpm install -g aws-cdk
Ccdk bootstrap
Dcdk doctor
Explanation
Bootstrapping provisions the necessary resources that the CDK needs to perform deployments. Why it's correct: The cdk bootstrap command creates a CloudFormation stack in the target account/region. This stack contains resources like an S3 bucket (for storing file assets like Lambda code) and IAM roles that the CDK toolkit assumes when performing a deployment. This only needs to be done once per account/region pair. Why others are incorrect: cdk init creates a new project. npm install installs the toolkit. cdk doctor is for troubleshooting.
3. Which of the following is an example of a policy variable that can be used in an IAM policy to create dynamic, user-specific permissions?
A${aws:region}
B${aws:username}
C${aws:source_ip}
D${ec2:instance_id}
Explanation
IAM supports policy variables that are substituted with values from the request context when the policy is evaluated. Why it's correct: The ${aws:username} variable is replaced with the friendly name of the current IAM user making the request. This allows you to create a single policy that can be attached to many users, but that grants them access only to resources that are tagged with or contain their own username. For example, you can allow a user to manage only EC2 instances that have a Owner tag matching their username. Why others are incorrect: While the other options are also valid context keys that can be used in Condition blocks, ${aws:username} is the most direct example of a variable used to create user-specific resource permissions.
4. An API Gateway method needs to return a fixed, static response for testing purposes without ever calling a backend service. Which Integration Type should be configured for the method?
AAWS_PROXY
BHTTP
CMOCK
DVPC_LINK
Explanation
The MOCK integration type is a special feature for testing and development. Why it's correct: When you configure a method with a MOCK integration, API Gateway does not forward the request to any backend. Instead, it immediately returns a pre-configured response that you define. This is extremely useful for generating example responses for front-end developers before the backend is ready, or for creating stubbed-out endpoints for integration tests. Why others are incorrect: The other options all involve invoking a real backend service (Lambda, HTTP endpoint, etc.).
5. An ECS task needs to place its tasks as evenly as possible across the Availability Zones in a cluster to maximize high availability. Which task placement strategy should be used?
Abinpack
Brandom
Cspread
DdistinctInstance
Explanation
Task placement strategies and constraints give you control over how ECS places tasks onto your EC2 cluster instances. Why it's correct: The spread strategy is designed to place tasks evenly based on a specified attribute. To spread across AZs, you would use spread with the field attribute:ecs.availability-zone. This tells the ECS scheduler to place new tasks in the AZ that currently has the fewest running tasks, ensuring an even distribution and maximizing availability. Why others are incorrect: binpack does the opposite; it tries to fill up one instance before moving to the next, which is good for cost optimization but bad for availability. random places tasks randomly. distinctInstance is a constraint, not a strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many questions are on the DVA-C02 exam?
65 questions in 130 minutes: 50 scored plus 15 unscored questions AWS uses to evaluate future content.
What is the passing score for DVA-C02?
720 on AWS’s scaled score of 100 to 1,000.
How much does the DVA-C02 exam cost?
$150 USD, though the exact price varies by the country or region where you sit the exam.
What are the DVA-C02 domains and weights?
Development with AWS Services (32%), Security (26%), Deployment (24%), and Troubleshooting and Optimization (18%).
Are there prerequisites for DVA-C02?
None formal, but AWS recommends 1 or more years of hands-on experience developing on AWS plus proficiency in at least one programming language.
What is out of scope on the DVA-C02 exam?
Architecture design (distributed systems, microservices, database modeling), building CI/CD pipelines from scratch, administering IAM users and groups, administering servers and operating systems, and designing networking infrastructure like VPCs — those fall under the Solutions Architect or SysOps exams instead.
Does the AWS Developer Associate certification expire?
Yes, after 3 years. You renew by retaking the current exam or passing a higher-level AWS exam.
Is DVA-C02 hard?
AWS does not publish a pass rate. It is application- and code-focused rather than architecture-focused, so candidates without hands-on SDK or CLI experience tend to struggle most on the Development domain, the largest single weighting at 32%.
More AWS Practice Exams
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)
CLF-C02 · 600 questions
AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer - Associate (SOA-C03)
SOA-C03 · 2141 questions
AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01)
DEA-C01 · 1120 questions
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer - Professional (DOP-C02)
DOP-C02 · 436 questions
AWS Certified Generative AI Developer - Professional (AIP-C01)
AIP-C01 · 1978 questions
AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate (MLA-C01)
MLA-C01 · 582 questions
$17.99
One-time access to this exam
536 questions (8 practice exams' worth)
Unlimited timed exam simulations
Yours forever — no subscription
Detailed explanations
Free preview stays available