Your AWS Journey

AWS Engineer Roadmap

This roadmap organizes AWS certifications into a practical cloud engineering sequence. It starts with optional cloud foundations, then separates architecture, operations, advanced architecture, and AI or machine learning specializations.

AWS recommends reviewing the exam guide, refreshing knowledge, practicing with exam-style questions, and assessing readiness. Use those steps with DotCreds practice pages to keep each certification lane focused.

Practice SAA-C03 Practice SOA-C03

CLF-C02 SAA-C03 SOA-C03 SAP-C02 AI/ML optional

DotCreds links

CLF-C02

SAA-C03

SOA-C03

SAP-C02

AIF-C01

MLA-C01

Reviewed sources

Built from 8 official source pages, reviewed on 2026-06-29, and drafted with Gemma 12B before human source review.

Quick answer

This roadmap suggests a progression through AWS certifications, starting with foundational knowledge and moving towards specialized areas like solutions architecture, operations, and AI/ML. AWS recommends a four-step exam prep plan including understanding the exam, reviewing knowledge, practicing, and assessing readiness.

Who this roadmap helps

Use this page to pick the next certification lane without treating optional credentials as required steps.

Aspiring AWS Engineers

This roadmap provides a clear sequence for learners building AWS cloud computing skills from foundation through associate and optional specialization steps.

Current IT Professionals

This roadmap helps IT professionals transition to AWS roles or expand their existing cloud skills.

Certification roadmap

The order below is a planning sequence from the reviewed source facts. Optional steps stay optional.

AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02 - Foundation

The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner validates overall knowledge of the AWS Cloud. The exam covers topics like the value of AWS Cloud, shared responsibility, security best practices, and AWS services.

Foundation

AWS Cloud Practitioner Practice Test

AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate SAA-C03 - Associate

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Associate validates the ability to design solutions based on the AWS Well-Architected Framework. This certification is a core step for many AWS engineers.

Associate

AWS SAA-C03 Practice Test

AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer - Associate SOA-C03 - Associate

The AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer - Associate validates the ability to deploy, manage, and operate workloads on AWS, adhering to the AWS Well-Architected Framework.

Associate

AWS CloudOps Engineer Associate Practice Test

AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional SAP-C02 - Professional

The AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional validates advanced technical skills and experience designing optimized AWS solutions based on the AWS Well-Architected Framework.

Professional

AWS Solutions Architect Professional Practice Test

AWS Certified AI Practitioner AIF-C01 - Optional

The AWS Certified AI Practitioner validates foundational understanding of AI concepts and AWS AI tools, with a focus on practical business applications of AI.

Optional

AWS AI Practitioner Practice Test

AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate MLA-C01 - Specialty

The AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer - Associate exam covers AWS services relevant to machine learning engineers.

Specialty

AWS Machine Learning Engineer Associate Practice Test

Skills to build

These are the work areas the official certification pages and study guides keep bringing back into the path.

AWS Cloud foundations

CLF-C02 validates overall AWS Cloud knowledge, including the value of AWS Cloud, shared responsibility, security best practices, AWS services, billing, economics, and support.

Well-Architected design

SAA-C03 and SAP-C02 both connect to designing AWS solutions based on the AWS Well-Architected Framework.

Operations and workload management

SOA-C03 validates deploying, managing, operating, supporting, and maintaining workloads on AWS using AWS operations tools.

Suggested study sequence

Turn the roadmap into a practical sequence: read the official guide, learn the domain, practice, then check readiness.

Phase 1

Preparation Phase

Review the exam guide for your chosen certification and familiarize yourself with the exam objectives. Utilize official AWS practice question sets to understand the exam format.

Phase 2

Practice Phase

Take practice exams and focus on areas where you need improvement. Leverage DotCreds practice tests for targeted preparation.

Learn by practicing

Use DotCreds for practice pages and guided courses that already exist. No nonexistent course links are added here.

Targeted Practice

DotCreds offers practice tests and explanations to help you focus on specific areas of the AWS certification exams.

Available pages

AWS Cloud Practitioner Practice Test DotCreds page exists for the optional foundation step. AWS SAA-C03 Practice Test DotCreds page exists for the core associate architecture step. AWS CloudOps Engineer Associate Practice Test DotCreds page exists for AWS operations specialization. AWS Solutions Architect Professional Practice Test DotCreds page exists for advanced architecture progression. AWS AI Practitioner Practice Test DotCreds page exists for optional AI foundation specialization. AWS Machine Learning Engineer Associate Practice Test DotCreds page exists for optional ML engineering specialization. AWS Practice Tests Existing AWS provider hub.

FAQ

Short answers for the decisions learners usually need to make before choosing the next page.

What is the order of AWS certifications?

This roadmap treats Cloud Practitioner as an optional foundation, then separates Solutions Architect Associate, CloudOps Engineer Associate, Solutions Architect Professional, and optional AI or ML paths. AWS does not make Cloud Practitioner a required step before SAA-C03 in the source facts used here.

How long are AWS certifications valid?

AWS certifications are valid for three years and require recertification to remain active.