What it takes to pass Solutions Architect Associate
The published passing score for SAA-C03, what kind of number it is, and what happens if you miss it.
SAA-C03 passing score
720 (scale 100-1000)
Stated on the official Solutions Architect Associate exam page. AWS exam page ↗
A scaled 720 is not 72 percent
SAA-C03 reports results on a scale from 100 to 1000, and 720 is the line on that scale, not a percentage of questions. AWS converts your raw performance to the scale with a model it does not publish, which weights questions by difficulty. Two candidates can answer the same number of questions correctly and land on different scaled scores.
That has one practical consequence: nobody outside AWS can tell you exactly how many questions you can miss. Any site that gives you a precise miss budget is guessing. What you can do is practice against the same cut score: our Solutions Architect Associate practice exams score on the published 720 line, so a practice result reads the same way the real one will.
The exam, in numbers
- Questions65 (50 scored, 15 unscored)
- Time limit130 minutes
- FormatMultiple choice and multiple response
- Exam fee$150 USD
Figures from the official exam page. AWS exam page ↗
If you miss it
A retake costs another $150, which is why sitting practice exams until you clear the line consistently is the cheapest part of preparing.
Know before you book
The candidates who pass on the first attempt treat the cut score as a rehearsal target, not a day-of surprise. Sit a full-length Solutions Architect Associate practice exam under the real time limit, scored against the published line, and book the real exam when you clear it consistently rather than once.
Keep reading
Solutions Architect Associate practice questions
Free sample questions with the full explanation on every answer.
Solutions Architect Associate exam objectives
The full official blueprint with domain weightings.
How hard is Solutions Architect Associate?
An honest difficulty read from the format, the clock and the weights.
AWS Cloud Practitioner Service Comparison
A printable reference table, free.
Practise Solutions Architect Associate for free while you decide
Original questions written from the published objectives, with the concept, the reasoning, and a note on every wrong option. No account needed to start.
Start free Solutions Architect Associate questions