What Is AWS CLF-C02?
CLF-C02 is the exam code for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner. Here’s what it covers, how it’s built, and who it’s for.
AWS CLF-C02 is the exam code for the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification, AWS’s foundational-level credential. It’s a 65-question, 90-minute exam that checks your understanding of cloud concepts, core AWS services, security, and pricing. It costs $100 and requires a scaled score of 700 out of 1,000.
If you’ve seen “CLF-C02” on a course listing and wondered what the letters and numbers mean, it’s simple. “CLF” stands for Cloud Foundational, “C” marks the exam as certification content, and “02” is the version number. The earlier version was CLF-C01. AWS retired that one in September 2023 when CLF-C02 launched.
What the certification is
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner is the first rung of AWS’s certification ladder. It confirms that you have a solid, broad understanding of what AWS is, what it offers, and how it works at a high level. It’s not about building or operating anything. It’s about knowing the landscape.
There are no prerequisites. AWS suggests around six months of general exposure to AWS in any role, but anyone can sit for it.
Exam format at a glance
| Detail | CLF-C02 |
|---|---|
| Level | Foundational |
| Questions | 65 (50 scored, 15 unscored) |
| Time | 90 minutes |
| Passing score | 700 out of 1,000 (scaled) |
| Cost | $100 USD |
| Question types | Multiple choice and multiple response |
| Delivery | Testing center or online proctored |
| Validity | 3 years |
What the exam covers
CLF-C02 is organized into four content domains.
Cloud Concepts (24%). The value proposition of the cloud, the AWS Cloud Adoption Framework, the Well-Architected Framework, cloud economics, and design principles like high availability and elasticity.
Security and Compliance (30%). The shared responsibility model, IAM basics, security services such as GuardDuty and Inspector, encryption, compliance resources like AWS Artifact, and how to protect an account.
Cloud Technology and Services (34%). The largest domain. Compute, storage, database, and networking services, plus deployment methods and AI/ML basics. This is where service-selection questions live.
Billing, Pricing, and Support (12%). How AWS charges for services, the available pricing models, cost tools like Budgets and Cost Explorer, and the AWS Support plans.
What it doesn’t cover
It’s helpful to know what’s out of scope. You won’t be asked to write code, design a detailed network, configure IAM policies, or run command-line tools. AWS’s own exam guide includes a list of out-of-scope topics, and it’s worth reading so you don’t over-study.
Who takes it
The audience is deliberately wide. Aspiring cloud engineers take it as a first credential. Non-technical staff at cloud companies, such as sales, marketing, and project management, take it to speak the language. Students use it to show initiative. And plenty of working IT folks take it as a quick way to map the AWS landscape before they go deeper.
If you already work hands-on with AWS, it’s probably too basic, and you may prefer to go straight to an associate-level exam.
What you get when you pass
You receive a digital badge, a certificate, a three-year validity period, and a 50% discount voucher for your next AWS exam. The badge is the part that’s useful on LinkedIn and resumes, because it’s verifiable.
How it compares to other AWS exams
It’s the shortest, cheapest, and least technical. The associate-level exams, like Solutions Architect Associate, are longer and scenario-based. If you’re comparing options, our guide on which AWS certification to take first can help you decide whether CLF-C02 is the right start.
Where to start
Read the official exam guide, work through a good course, and use practice exams to find your gaps. Our CLF-C02 preparation guide lays out a plan, and our guide to passing covers the strategy.
Practice for the CLF-C02 with full-length exams
Six full-length CLF-C02 practice exams, 390 questions in all, built around the real exam blueprint. Run them timed to rehearse your pacing, or drill one domain at a time when you know where you are weak. You see how you did by domain after every attempt, so you know what to study next.
- 6 full-length exams, 65 questions each
- Timed exam mode and practice by domain
- Explanations to learn from your misses
- Results broken down by exam domain