The AWS Solutions Architect Professional exam has recently been updated with the release of the new SAP-C02 version on November 15. This update replaces the previous SAP-C01 exam, which had been in place since October 2019. If you’re planning to take the AWS Solutions Architect Professional certification, you’ll now need to focus on the SAP-C02 exam.
How Different is SAP-C02 from SAP-C01?
Not much has changed. The SAP-C02 is quite similar to SAP-C01, with minor adjustments. The core structure of the exam remains the same, but there’s an increased focus on architecting for multi-account environments. The “Cost Control” domain has been removed, and its concepts are now integrated into other domains of the exam.
The good news? If you’ve been preparing for the SAP-C01, most of your study material will still be relevant for the SAP-C02. The exam still includes:
- 75 multiple choice and multiple response questions
- No short answers or hands-on lab scenarios
- A 180-minute duration
- A scoring scale of 100-1000, with a passing score of 750
- The cost is still $300 USD, and you can take it online or at a testing center
Preparing for the SAP-C02 Exam
If you haven’t started preparing, we recommend beginning as soon as possible to ensure you’re fully equipped for the exam. While there are no formal prerequisites, having a strong understanding of the concepts covered in the AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate exam will be a huge advantage.
Recommended Courses:
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate (SAA-C03) Course
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional (SAP-C01) Course (currently being updated)
By studying these courses, you’ll already be well on your way to acing the SAP-C02 exam, with just a few extra areas to review to cover the remaining updates.
What’s New in the SAP-C02 Exam?
Here are the key changes in the SAP-C02 exam compared to SAP-C01:
- The “Cost Control” domain has been removed, and cost optimization is now integrated into the other domains.
- The “Design for Organizational Complexity” domain has increased from 12.5% to 26%, reflecting a growing focus on multi-account environments and leveraging AWS Organizations.
- “Design for New Solutions” has decreased slightly from 31% to 29%.
- “Migration Planning” has been renamed “Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization” and increased to 20%.
- “Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions” now makes up 25% of the exam.
In terms of AWS services, there haven’t been many new additions, but you’ll notice a greater emphasis on multi-account management, Amazon Aurora for relational data, and hybrid networking and migration strategies.
Key Topics to Focus On
1. Multi-Account Architecture
The biggest shift in SAP-C02 is the increased focus on multi-account solutions architecture. Be sure to review:
- AWS Organizations and Service Control Policies (SCPs)
- Sharing resources with AWS Resource Access Manager (RAM)
- Managing permissions with assumed roles and trust policies
- Networking across multiple VPCs and accounts
- CloudFormation StackSets for deploying architectures across accounts
2. Amazon Aurora
Expect more questions related to Amazon Aurora, which has become the go-to solution for scalable and highly available relational databases on AWS. Make sure you understand:
- Aurora Clusters, Readers, and Writers
- High Availability and Scalability with Aurora
- Aurora’s database compatibility
3. Hybrid Networking and Workload Migration
Hybrid environments and incremental migrations are increasingly important. The SAP-C02 exam now focuses on specific workload migrations rather than full-scale cloud migrations. Key areas to study include:
- AWS Direct Connect and VPN configurations
- Networking multiple VPCs with Transit Gateway
- Secure, redundant hybrid networks
Honorable Mentions
Some additional services and topics to review include:
- AWS Security Hub
- Event-Driven Architecture
- AWS Secrets Manager
- Amazon Athena
- AWS Glue
- AWS Containers (ECS, EKS, Fargate)
- Amazon OpenSearch
Make sure you familiarize yourself with these topics as they may come up in the SAP-C02 exam.
Conclusion
Preparing for the SAP-C02 exam doesn’t have to be daunting. With most of the content remaining consistent from the SAP-C01, you can build on your existing knowledge. For the best preparation, visit DumpsForAWS.com, where we offer comprehensive AWS dumps that are designed to help you practice effectively and pass your certification on the first try.
Good luck with your studies, and we’re here to help you succeed!
