DEA-C01
Is the AWS DEA-C01 Hard? Difficulty and What to Expect (2026)
Sep 25, 2026
The DEA-C01 is the hardest of the associate-level AWS exams for most people. Even experienced AWS pros say the data-engineering focus needs dedicated prep. Here’s why, and what it takes to pass.
Why it’s tougher than other associates
General AWS experience only gets you so far. The DEA-C01 goes deep on a specific toolset — Glue, Kinesis, Redshift, EMR, data formats, partitioning — and expects you to know when to use each and how they connect in a pipeline. If you haven’t worked with data services specifically, there’s real ground to cover.
What it takes
Passing score is 720/1000, the pass rate sits around 70%, and most candidates need six to eight weeks of dedicated study. Focus on Domain 1 (ingestion and transformation, 34% of the exam) and drill realistic scenario questions until the service trade-offs are second nature.
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