AWS Certified Developer Associate (DVA‑C02) Practice Exams
About the AWS DVA-C02 exam
Exam at a glance
AWS's associate-tier developer certification for application builders, refreshed February 2023.
Who DVA-C02 is for
DVA-C02 targets application developers building on AWS. Heavy focus on Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, ECS, CodeDeploy, and X-Ray. AWS recommends 1+ year of AWS development experience but there are no formal prerequisites — familiarity with at least one high-level programming language (Python, Node.js, Java, .NET, Go) plus JSON and REST API basics is the practical entry bar.
Domain weighting
- Development with AWS Services: 32%
- Security: 26%
- Deployment: 24%
- Troubleshooting and Optimization: 18%
Core services tested
- Lambda — triggers, layers, versions and aliases, reserved/provisioned concurrency, environment variables, SAM.
- DynamoDB — partition/sort keys, GSIs and LSIs, streams, capacity modes, transactions, single-table design.
- API Gateway — REST, HTTP, and WebSocket APIs; Lambda + IAM + Cognito + custom authorizers; stages, throttling, usage plans.
- Cognito — user pools vs identity pools, hosted UI, federated identities, token flows.
- IAM & STS — roles for Lambda/ECS, AssumeRole patterns, presigned URLs, least privilege.
- S3 — presigned URLs, event notifications, encryption (SSE-S3 / SSE-KMS), multipart uploads.
- ECS / Fargate / App Runner — task definitions, service patterns, container packaging.
- CodeCommit, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy, CodePipeline — blue/green and canary deployments, buildspec/appspec.
- X-Ray, CloudWatch Logs, Logs Insights, EMF — tracing, structured logging, custom metrics.
- Secrets Manager & Parameter Store — secret rotation, parameter hierarchies, KMS integration.
Why take this certification
- Industry-standard developer credential. DVA-C02 is the most-recognized AWS certification for application developers and consistently appears in cloud-developer and serverless-engineer job postings.
- Strong salary signal. AWS Certified Developer – Associates earn an average of $115,000–$130,000 USD per year in the United States, with experienced serverless developers reaching the upper end.
- Gateway to higher-tier certs. DVA-C02 is the recommended stepping stone to the AWS DevOps Engineer Professional (DOP-C02) and complements SAA-C03 for full-stack cloud roles.
- Practical, hands-on skills. DVA-C02 tests your ability to build, deploy, and debug real serverless and container workloads — Lambda, DynamoDB, API Gateway, CI/CD — that map directly to day-to-day development on AWS.
What you'll learn in the DVA-C02 exam
DVA-C02 validates that you can develop, package, deploy, secure, and troubleshoot applications on AWS using the services developers actually reach for day-to-day. The exam is scenario-driven — most questions describe a developer problem with constraints (latency, cost, security, deployment risk) and ask you to pick the implementation that fits.
Core areas you'll be tested on
- Serverless apps: Lambda triggers, layers, versions, aliases, reserved/provisioned concurrency, environment variables, AWS SAM packaging and deployment.
- Container apps: ECS task definitions, Fargate vs EC2 launch types, App Runner for simple container deployments.
- API design: API Gateway REST APIs, HTTP APIs, and WebSocket APIs; choosing the right authorizer (IAM, Cognito, Lambda); stages, throttling, and usage plans.
- NoSQL: DynamoDB partition/sort key design, GSIs and LSIs, streams, on-demand vs provisioned capacity, transactions, single-table design patterns.
- SQL: RDS Proxy for connection pooling from Lambda, IAM database authentication, parameter groups.
- Auth: Cognito user pools and identity pools, IAM roles for applications, STS AssumeRole patterns, federated identities, presigned S3 URLs.
- Event-driven: SNS, SQS (standard vs FIFO, dead-letter queues), EventBridge buses and rules, Step Functions standard and express workflows.
- CI/CD: CodeCommit, CodeBuild (buildspec), CodeDeploy (appspec, blue/green, canary, linear deployments for Lambda + ECS), CodePipeline orchestration.
- Observability: X-Ray tracing and service maps, CloudWatch Logs and Logs Insights queries, Embedded Metric Format (EMF) for custom metrics.
- Secrets management: Secrets Manager with automatic rotation, Parameter Store (Standard vs Advanced), KMS integration for encryption at rest.
Developer patterns you'll need to recognize
- Choosing between Lambda, ECS/Fargate, and App Runner for a given workload.
- Designing idempotent event handlers and using SQS DLQs to isolate poison-pill messages.
- Implementing blue/green and canary deployments for Lambda and ECS via CodeDeploy.
- Securing API endpoints with the right authorizer + caching authorizer responses for performance.
- Reducing Lambda cold starts with provisioned concurrency, smaller packages, and SnapStart (Java).
- Optimizing DynamoDB cost and latency through capacity-mode choice, key design, and adaptive capacity.
- Diagnosing failures using X-Ray service maps + CloudWatch Logs Insights queries.
How the practice exams help
Each free question and every premium exam mirrors the scenario-style format AWS uses — a developer problem with realistic constraints, four to six plausible options, one or two correct. Detailed explanations cover not just why the right answer is right but why the distractors are wrong, so you learn the trade-offs rather than memorizing answers.
How to prepare for the DVA-C02 exam
A successful DVA-C02 preparation strategy combines studying the service APIs, building real serverless applications, and timed practice. Recommended approach:
- Study AWS developer services (2–3 weeks). Review the official AWS DVA-C02 exam guide and focus on Lambda, DynamoDB, API Gateway, IAM, and Cognito first — these dominate the "Development with AWS Services" and "Security" domains. Watch AWS Skill Builder's DVA-C02 learning path and read the service developer guides.
- Hands-on build (2–3 weeks). Create a free-tier AWS account and build a real serverless app: API Gateway → Lambda → DynamoDB with Cognito auth, deployed via AWS SAM. Add a CodePipeline stack with blue/green CodeDeploy. Hands-on experience is critical for scenario-based questions on deployment strategies, authorizer choice, and DynamoDB key design.
- Deep-dive CI/CD and observability (1 week). Read the CodeDeploy developer guide (appspec hooks, blue/green for Lambda + ECS), the X-Ray developer guide (sampling, segments, subsegments), and the CloudWatch Logs Insights query syntax. These topics show up disproportionately in the "Deployment" and "Troubleshooting and Optimization" domains.
- Practice exams (1–2 weeks). Take timed practice tests to identify weak areas. Detailed explanations on every answer option help you learn the reasoning, not just memorize answers. Aim for consistent 80%+ scores before scheduling your exam.
Recommended timeline
6–10 weeks of focused study (10–15 hours per week) for working developers. Candidates with no prior AWS exposure should consider passing CLF-C02 Cloud Practitioner or SAA-C03 Solutions Architect Associate first for foundational context.
Official resources
Download the official AWS DVA-C02 exam guide and follow the AWS Skill Builder DVA-C02 learning path. The AWS SAM developer guide is essential reading for the serverless-deployment scenarios that dominate this exam.
Frequently asked questions
Are these actual exam questions?
No. All Nex Arc AWS DVA-C02 practice questions are original content based on the provider's published exam blueprint, official documentation, and real-world scenarios across every topic the exam covers. We do not offer brain dumps, leaked questions, or actual exam content. Using or distributing real exam questions violates certification provider agreements and can result in certification revocation.
How many questions are in the AWS DVA-C02 exam?
The AWS DVA-C02 exam consists of 65 questions that you need to complete in 130 minutes. Questions are either multiple choice (one correct answer) or multiple response (two or more correct answers).
What's the DVA-C02 passing score?
The passing score is 720 out of 1000. AWS uses a scaled scoring model, and not all questions carry the same weight. Focus on understanding concepts rather than memorizing answers.
How do I access the full DVA-C02 practice exam?
Click on the Buy Now button in the sidebar to purchase the complete AWS DVA-C02 course. After payment, you'll have instant access to 12 practice exams with detailed explanations and lifetime access.
What are the prerequisites for the DVA-C02 exam?
AWS recommends at least one year of hands-on experience developing and maintaining applications on AWS, but there are no formal prerequisites. You do not need Cloud Practitioner or Solutions Architect Associate certification to take DVA-C02, though many candidates start with CLF-C02 to build foundational knowledge. Familiarity with at least one high-level programming language (Python, Node.js, Java, .NET, Go) plus a working understanding of JSON, REST APIs, and basic CI/CD concepts is essential. Motivated developers who invest 6-10 weeks in structured study and hands-on labs can pass without prior AWS certification.
How long is the DVA-C02 certification valid?
AWS certifications are valid for three years from the date you pass the exam. To recertify DVA-C02, you can either retake the current version of the exam or pass a higher-tier exam in the same track such as DevOps Engineer Professional (DOP-C02) or Solutions Architect Professional (SAP-C02). A 50% discount voucher for the recertification exam is available through your AWS Certification Account. AWS does NOT offer a Skill Builder credits or continuing-education recertification path for Associate-level certifications — exam-based recertification is the only option.
What's the exam cost and can I retake it if I fail?
The DVA-C02 exam costs $150 USD globally (converted to local currency). The exam is delivered through Pearson VUE at testing centers or via online proctoring. If you fail, you must wait 14 days before retaking the exam at full price. There is no limit to the number of attempts, but each attempt requires a new $150 payment. AWS occasionally offers 50% discount vouchers for recertification or through AWS Partner Network programs. Practice thoroughly before attempting to minimize retake costs.
What AWS services are most heavily tested on DVA-C02?
Based on the four exam domains, the most frequently tested services are: Lambda (event sources, layers, versions, aliases, concurrency, SAM), DynamoDB (indexes, streams, capacity modes, transactions), API Gateway (REST, HTTP, WebSocket APIs, authorizers), Cognito (user pools, identity pools), IAM (roles, policies, STS, least privilege), S3 (presigned URLs, event notifications, encryption), ECS/Fargate (task definitions, service patterns), CodeDeploy and CodePipeline (deployment strategies), X-Ray (tracing, service maps), and CloudWatch (Logs, Logs Insights, EMF). These services appear across all four exam domains.
How does DVA-C02 differ from the previous DVA-C01 version?
DVA-C02 (released February 2023) emphasizes modern serverless patterns, container-based development on ECS/Fargate, and updated CI/CD tooling. It includes more questions on Lambda layers and versions, DynamoDB single-table design and transactions, API Gateway HTTP APIs and WebSocket APIs, AWS SAM, EventBridge, and Step Functions compared to DVA-C01. The exam reduces emphasis on legacy services like Elastic Beanstalk and OpsWorks. Domain weightings changed: Security increased to 26%, Deployment was restructured to 24%, and Troubleshooting and Optimization became its own 18% domain. Overall difficulty remains similar, but DVA-C02 reflects AWS's 2022-2025 service evolution.
Can I retake the DVA-C02 exam if I fail?
Yes. AWS allows retakes after a 14-day waiting period. You pay the full $150 exam fee again. There is no limit on total attempts.