TL;DR: AWS has announced that the AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C01) exam is being retired. AWS’s own certification page says: “The last day to take the exam is December 31, 2026.” The same page names no replacement exam and points learners to digital training on AWS Skill Builder instead. If you want the credential, you have until the end of 2026 to pass ANS-C01. If you already hold it, your certification stays valid for its normal 3-year term. If you are only planning to study, ask yourself one question first: can you realistically pass a 170-minute, 65-question specialty exam before December 31? If yes, book soon and use the exam guide below. If no, the networking skills are still worth learning, but you will not be able to earn this credential after the deadline.
Quick Facts
| Item | ANS-C01 details |
| Full name | AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty |
| Status | Being retired |
| Last day to take the exam | December 31, 2026 |
| Replacement exam | None named on the AWS certification page |
| Exam fee | USD 300 |
| Length | 170 minutes |
| Questions | 65 (50 scored plus 15 unscored) |
| Question types | Multiple choice, multiple response, matching (per the exam guide) |
| Passing score | 750 on a scaled range of 100 to 1,000 |
| Scoring model | Compensatory (you only need to pass the overall exam) |
| Validity | 3 years |
| Recommended experience | 5 or more years of networking experience, with 2 or more years of cloud and hybrid networking experience |
| Delivery | Test center or online proctored |
Figures come from AWS’s certification page and the ANS-C01 exam guide, checked in November 2026. AWS can change policies, so confirm on the official page before you book.
Key Takeaways
- ANS-C01 can be taken until December 31, 2026. After that date it cannot be taken.
- AWS has not named a successor exam on its certification page. Treat any claim of a new “ANS-C02” as unconfirmed until AWS publishes it.
- The exam format, price and passing score are the same as other AWS specialty exams: 65 questions, 170 minutes, USD 300, 750 to pass.
- Domain weights are Network Design 30%, Network Implementation 26%, Network Management and Operation 20% and Network Security, Compliance, and Governance 24%.
- If you pass before the deadline, the credential is valid for 3 years from your pass date.
- The learning is not wasted if you miss the deadline. Hybrid connectivity, DNS, routing and network security are used in cloud roles every day.
Is the AWS Advanced Networking Specialty Retiring?
Yes. The AWS certification page for the Advanced Networking – Specialty carries a retirement notice: the exam is being retired and the last day to take it is December 31, 2026. The page lists no replacement exam and recommends AWS Skill Builder digital training for people who want to keep learning.
This is different from the version updates AWS has done for other exams. AWS replaced SAP-C02 with SAP-C03, DVA-C02 with DVA-C03 and MLA-C01 with MLA-C02. In those cases a new code takes over the same certification name. For the Advanced Networking Specialty, AWS has announced a retirement and has not announced a new version. We cover the version changes in our SAP-C02 vs SAP-C03 guide if you want to compare.
One note on sources. Several third-party blogs and posts repeat the December 31, 2026 date. Some of them do not link to AWS. The date used in this article comes from AWS’s own certification page. When a blog adds details that AWS does not state, treat them as unconfirmed.
What Happens After December 31, 2026?
Here is what the AWS page confirms and what it does not.
| Question | What we can say |
| Can I book ANS-C01 after December 31, 2026? | No. That date is the last day to take the exam. |
| Will AWS release a new Advanced Networking exam? | The AWS page names none. Check AWS announcements before you plan around one. |
| Does my existing certification stop working? | AWS certifications are valid for 3 years. Check the expiry date shown in your AWS Certification account. |
| Can I recertify after retirement? | If the exam is retired, there is no ANS exam left to retake. Check your AWS Certification account for the current recertification options. |
| Will unused vouchers still work? | A voucher can only be used for an exam that is still offered. Check the voucher terms before the deadline. |
If you hold the credential, the practical advice is simple: note your expiry date and decide whether to add another AWS credential before it ends.
Should You Take ANS-C01 Before It Retires?
Use this decision table.
| Your situation | Suggestion |
| You work with Direct Connect, Transit Gateway and Route 53 every week | Strong candidate. Book a date in the next 4 to 6 weeks and run timed practice. |
| You have general AWS experience but little hybrid networking | Possible, but you have limited time. Plan 8 weeks of focused study and be ready to accept that the deadline may be too tight. |
| You are new to AWS | Skip the specialty. Build associate-level knowledge first. See our AWS certification guide. |
| You already hold ANS-C01 | No action needed now. Track your expiry date. |
| You want a networking credential outside AWS | Consider a vendor-neutral or other vendor path. Our CCNA vs CCNP comparison is a starting point. |
| You want to prove cloud skills but do not need networking specifically | Look at the other AWS specialty and professional paths in our cloud certification roundup. |
Be realistic about time. At the date of writing there are roughly eight weeks left in 2026. The exam is aimed at people with 5 or more years of networking experience. If your networking background is thin, that is a hard sprint.
What Does the ANS-C01 Exam Cover?
ANS-C01 has four content domains. The weights are the percentage of scored content.
| Domain | Weight |
| 1. Network Design | 30% |
| 2. Network Implementation | 26% |
| 3. Network Management and Operation | 20% |
| 4. Network Security, Compliance, and Governance | 24% |
Domain 1: Network Design (30%)
The biggest domain. AWS lists six tasks:
- Design edge network solutions that improve performance and traffic management for global architectures.
- Design DNS solutions for public, private and hybrid requirements, including Route 53 public and private hosted zones, Resolver endpoints and global traffic management.
- Design load balancing for availability, scalability and security, including choosing the right load balancer and integrating auto scaling.
- Define logging and monitoring requirements across AWS and hybrid networks, including baselines.
- Design routing and connectivity between on-premises networks and AWS: redundant Direct Connect and Site-to-Site VPN designs, BGP attributes to influence traffic (load sharing, active/passive) and SD-WAN integration such as Transit Gateway Connect.
- Design routing across multiple accounts, Regions and VPCs: VPC peering, Transit Gateway, PrivateLink, VPC sharing and handling IP overlaps with NAT, PrivateLink or Transit Gateway routing.
Domain 2: Network Implementation (26%)
Four tasks turn designs into working networks:
- Implement hybrid routing and connectivity, including physical requirements, static and dynamic routing, on-premises name resolution and testing connectivity.
- Implement routing across accounts, Regions and VPCs, including hub-and-spoke designs with Transit Gateway, third-party vendor connectivity and security between boundaries.
- Implement complex hybrid and multi-account DNS: conditional forwarding, DNSSEC on Route 53 and DNS monitoring and logging.
- Automate network infrastructure: repeatable configurations, event-driven networking and infrastructure as code.
Domain 3: Network Management and Operation (20%)
- Maintain routing and connectivity: routing protocols over Direct Connect and VPN, route tables, PrivateLink and route summarisation.
- Monitor and analyse traffic to troubleshoot: VPC Flow Logs, CloudWatch Logs, Transit Gateway Network Manager, VPC Traffic Mirroring and Reachability Analyzer, plus packet size mismatches.
- Optimise networks for performance, reliability and cost: throughput, network interface choice (ENA, EFA), multicast, subnet sizing and secondary CIDR, jumbo frames and Global Accelerator.
Domain 4: Network Security, Compliance, and Governance (24%)
- Implement and maintain network features to meet security and compliance needs: securing inbound, outbound and inter-VPC traffic and automating incident reporting.
- Validate and audit security with network monitoring and logging: flow logs, traffic mirroring, CloudWatch alarms and cross-account audits.
- Implement confidentiality of data and communications: IPsec and TLS, certificates with ACM and AWS Private CA and secure DNS.
AWS’s guide also describes the target candidate as someone who understands AWS networking nuances and how they integrate with other services, AWS security best practices and AWS compute and storage options.
What Question Types Appear on ANS-C01?
The exam guide lists multiple choice, multiple response and matching questions. Multiple response questions have two or more correct answers out of five or more options, and you must select all correct answers. Matching questions list 3 to 7 prompts, and you must match every pair correctly. Unanswered questions score as incorrect, and there is no penalty for guessing, so never leave a question blank.
15 of the 65 questions are unscored and are not marked. You cannot tell which ones they are, so give every question your full attention.
At 170 minutes for 65 questions you have about 2.6 minutes per question. Specialty-level scenarios are long. Flag hard items, move on and return.
Is the Advanced Networking Specialty Hard?
AWS does not publish difficulty ratings, so any claim is opinion. What the documents show is a demanding profile: a recommended 5 or more years of networking experience, long scenario questions and heavy weight on hybrid design (BGP, Direct Connect, Transit Gateway), DNS and multi-account routing. People who work with these services in production tend to have an advantage. People who studied only from slides often struggle with design trade-off questions.
A 6-Week Plan to Pass Before the Deadline
This is a suggested plan, not an AWS requirement. Adjust it to your background.
| Week | Focus | Output |
| 1 | Read the exam guide and all four domain pages. Rate yourself 1 to 5 on each task. | A gap list ranked by domain weight |
| 2 | Domain 1: hybrid connectivity, BGP attributes, Direct Connect and VPN redundancy, edge services | A hand-drawn redundant Direct Connect and VPN design |
| 3 | Domain 1 continued: DNS and Route 53, load balancer selection, multi-VPC patterns | A comparison sheet: VPC peering vs Transit Gateway vs PrivateLink |
| 4 | Domain 2: build a hub-and-spoke lab with Transit Gateway, Resolver endpoints and a DNSSEC zone | A working lab and a note on every issue you hit |
| 5 | Domains 3 and 4: Flow Logs, Traffic Mirroring, Reachability Analyzer, encryption in transit, ACM and Private CA | A troubleshooting checklist |
| 6 | Timed full-length practice and weak-area review | Two timed 65-question sets and a final review list |
If you have fewer than six weeks, compress weeks 2 and 3 and spend the saved time on practice sets.
What Should You Do If You Cannot Pass in Time?
Not every plan fits the deadline. If you are not ready, you have three practical options.
- Keep learning anyway. Hybrid networking, DNS, routing and network security remain core skills in cloud engineering whether or not the exam exists.
- Choose a different AWS credential. If networking is only part of your job, a different specialty or professional exam may fit better. Our AWS certification guide and CLF-C02 vs SAA-C03 comparison help you pick a path.
- Use Skill Builder. AWS’s page points to digital training on AWS Skill Builder for networking skills.
Is It Worth Taking a Retiring Certification?
It depends on what you need it for. A certification you pass before retirement stays on your record for its 3-year validity. Employers will still see the credential, but some may ask about current skills, and a retired exam cannot be renewed by retaking it. If you need the credential for a specific job, a promotion, or a customer requirement, passing before the deadline can make sense. If you want only the learning, you can skip the exam and still build the skills. Weigh the USD 300 fee, your study time and your current role. For cost planning, read our guide to AWS certification discount vouchers, and for career context our overview of AWS certification salary trends. Salary effects vary by employer and region, so check job listings in your market.
FAQS
Is the AWS Advanced Networking Specialty exam being retired?
Yes. AWS’s certification page states that the exam is being retired and that the last day to take it is December 31, 2026.
What is the last date to take ANS-C01?
December 31, 2026.
Is there a replacement for ANS-C01?
The AWS certification page names no replacement exam. It points to digital training on AWS Skill Builder. Treat any claim about a new version as unconfirmed until AWS announces it.
Will my existing Advanced Networking certification still be valid after the retirement?
AWS certifications are valid for 3 years. A credential earned before the retirement keeps its normal validity period. Confirm your expiry date in your AWS Certification account.
How much does the ANS-C01 exam cost?
USD 300, plus tax where applicable.
How many questions are on ANS-C01 and how long is the exam?
65 questions in 170 minutes. 50 are scored and 15 are unscored.
What is the passing score for ANS-C01?
750 on a scaled range of 100 to 1,000. The exam uses compensatory scoring, so you only need to pass overall.
What are the ANS-C01 exam domains and weights?
Network Design 30%, Network Implementation 26%, Network Management and Operation 20% and Network Security, Compliance, and Governance 24%.
What experience does AWS recommend for ANS-C01?
AWS recommends 5 or more years of networking experience, including 2 or more years of cloud and hybrid networking experience.
Which question types appear on the exam?
Multiple choice, multiple response and matching. Multiple response and matching questions need every correct item selected or paired to earn credit.
Can I recertify my ANS-C01 after the exam retires?
There is no exam left to retake once it is retired. Check your AWS Certification account for the current recertification options and your expiry date.
Should I take ANS-C01 before it retires?
If you work with hybrid networking and need the credential for a role, customer or promotion, passing before December 31, 2026 can make sense. If you are new to AWS networking and have limited time, building skills first may be a better use of your effort.
Is the AWS Advanced Networking Specialty worth it?
It can be a strong signal for network engineers moving into cloud roles, but its value depends on your employer and market. Review current job listings, and weigh the fee and study time against the remaining time before retirement.
Final Thoughts
The deadline is fixed, the exam is demanding and no successor has been named. That makes the decision simple. If you already work on hybrid and multi-account networking, plan a six-week sprint and book your slot soon. If you do not, the better move may be to build the skills through hands-on labs and pick a credential that will still be available next year. Check the current notice on AWS’s official Advanced Networking Specialty page before you book, since dates and policies can change.
