TL;DR
- AWS is replacing the Certified Developer Associate exam (DVA-C02) with DVA-C03. Registration for DVA-C03 opens October 27, 2026, the last day to sit DVA-C02 is November 30, 2026, and DVA-C03 is generally available on December 1, 2026.
- The exam shell is the same: 65 questions (50 scored, 15 unscored), 130 minutes, $150, 720/1000 to pass. The content is not. DVA-C03 adds an AI Security task, spreads AI-assisted development across every domain, and brings Amazon Bedrock, Bedrock AgentCore, Amazon Q, and Kiro into scope.
- The domain weightings shift too, though several summaries online say they don’t. DVA-C02’s official guide lists 32% / 26% / 24% / 18%. Community breakdowns of DVA-C03 report 30% / 26% / 22% / 22%, which would mean Troubleshooting and Optimization rises from 18% to 22% while Development with AWS Services falls from 32% to 30%. Those DVA-C03 numbers are not yet confirmed in an official exam guide, which AWS lists for October 27.
- AWS draws a line around the AI content: prompt engineering, RAG design, model selection, and SageMaker AI are out of scope. They belong to the new Machine Learning Engineer exam (MLA-C02).
- Already hold DVA-C02? Nothing changes. It stays valid for 3 years from the day you earned it, and you recertify by passing the latest version.
Quick Facts: DVA-C02 vs DVA-C03
| DVA-C02 (current) | DVA-C03 (new) | |
| Questions | 65 (50 scored, 15 unscored) | 65 (50 scored, 15 unscored) |
| Duration | 130 minutes | 130 minutes |
| Cost | $150 | $150 |
| Passing score | 720/1000 scaled | 720/1000 scaled |
| Domain 1 | Development with AWS Services, 32% | Development with AWS Services, 30%* |
| Domain 2 | Security, 26% | Security, 26%* |
| Domain 3 | Deployment, 24% | Testing and Deployment, 22%* |
| Domain 4 | Troubleshooting and Optimization, 18% | Troubleshooting and Optimization, 22%* |
| Last day to test | November 30, 2026 | Registration opens October 27, 2026 |
| General availability | Already live | December 1, 2026 |
| Recommended experience | 1+ year developing and maintaining AWS applications | Confirm in the October 27 exam guide |
| Validity | 3 years | 3 years |
*DVA-C03 weightings come from community breakdowns that cite AWS material. The official DVA-C03 exam guide is due October 27, so treat them as likely, not final.
Sources: AWS Certified Developer Associate certification page, AWS DVA-C02 exam guide v1.3, AWS Training and Certification, September 2026 updates.
The Weighting Shift Most Summaries Miss
Several write-ups describe DVA-C03 as keeping the same domain weightings as DVA-C02. Put the official DVA-C02 guide next to the reported DVA-C03 figures and that doesn’t hold:
| Domain | DVA-C02 (official) | DVA-C03 (reported) | Change |
| Development with AWS Services | 32% | 30% | down 2 points |
| Security | 26% | 26% | no change |
| Deployment / Testing and Deployment | 24% | 22% | down 2 points |
| Troubleshooting and Optimization | 18% | 22% | up 4 points |
The likely explanation is that the summaries compared DVA-C03 against a remembered version of the old blueprint instead of the published guide. The practical takeaway is the same either way: if your study plan weights Troubleshooting and Optimization as the lightest domain (the right call for DVA-C02), that plan needs adjusting. Error analysis, performance tuning, and observability carry more of the score on the new exam, and AWS also adds AI-assisted error analysis and optimization suggestions to that domain.
Domain 3 also gets a new name. “Deployment” becomes “Testing and Deployment,” which fits the added test automation and regression testing content.
What’s New in DVA-C03
| Area | What’s new |
| AI security (new Task 2.3) | Access control for AI services, data privacy (VPC endpoints, keeping data out of model training), content filtering and prompt-injection defenses with Bedrock Guardrails, securing agent interactions, masking sensitive content in logs |
| AI-assisted development | Code generation and review (Domain 1), test automation and automated deployment approvals (Domain 3), error analysis and optimization suggestions (Domain 4) |
| Containers | Stronger coverage of building images in Amazon ECR and choosing between ECS, EKS, and Fargate |
| Newly in-scope services | Amazon Bedrock, Bedrock AgentCore (Gateway and Identity), Amazon Q, Kiro, Amazon Data Firehose, AWS PrivateLink |
AWS describes AI-assisted development as a core competency on this exam, not an optional add-on. For a developer exam, that means the questions are about how you use and secure AI tooling while building applications, not about building models.
Where the AI Line Sits: DVA-C03 vs MLA-C02
The easiest mistake in studying for DVA-C03 is going too deep on AI. AWS has said what is out of scope: prompt engineering, RAG design, model selection, SageMaker AI, and AI governance frameworks. Those belong to the Machine Learning Engineer Associate exam, which is also being refreshed (MLA-C02, with MLA-C01 retiring January 14, 2027).
A useful rule: if the question is about building, securing, deploying, or debugging an application that calls AI services, it is fair game for DVA-C03. If it is about choosing, tuning, or designing the model or retrieval pipeline itself, it is not.
What Got Smaller
Community breakdowns of the updated blueprint report that skills were consolidated into larger units:
- DynamoDB: 4 skills reduced to 1
- Security: 13 skills across two tasks reduced to 7 skills in one task
- Testing: 11 skills reduced to 5
- Observability: 8 skills reduced to 5
- Optimization: 9 skills reduced to 6
That consolidation count is an author’s observation drawn from the published task statements, not an official AWS summary, so read it as direction rather than exact scope. Fewer listed skills does not automatically mean fewer questions. It can mean broader skills tested through scenarios. It does suggest memorizing narrow DynamoDB or security details matters less than understanding how the pieces work together.
Should You Take DVA-C02 Now or Wait for DVA-C03?
- Exam booked before November 30 and practice scores are solid: keep your date. DVA-C02 is fully documented, your result is valid for 3 years, and the certification is the same credential to employers.
- Studying early, with a realistic date in December or later: study for DVA-C03. Preparing for DVA-C02 and then retargeting the new exam wastes weeks.
- Undecided: read the exam guide on October 27 before booking. It should confirm the weightings and task statements, and comparing it to your notes takes minutes.
- Heavy on DynamoDB and traditional serverless, light on AI tooling: DVA-C02 plays to your strengths and has a cleaner study path, but only if you can sit before November 30.
One thing the dates don’t change: the exam stays $150 and a failed attempt costs the same on either version.
Already Certified?
AWS lists the certification as valid for 3 years, and recertification is done by passing the latest version. A DVA-C02 certification does not expire early because DVA-C03 launched. AWS also gives holders of any active certification a 50% discount on their next exam, which makes the order of your next exams worth planning.
Career Impact and Salary
ZipRecruiter’s AWS Developer Associate data, as of August 2026, reports an average of $83,368 per year, with most roles between $62,000 (25th percentile) and $94,500 (75th percentile) and top earners around $130,000.
Two limits on that figure. Salary trackers group by job title and certification, not exam version, so there is no data on whether DVA-C03 holders earn more than DVA-C02 holders. DVA-C03 does not exist outside beta yet. And the range is wide because the certification sits across very different roles, from junior developers to engineers with a decade of experience.
What is reasonable to expect, though not yet measurable: job descriptions for developers working on AWS are starting to ask about AI-assisted development and securing AI integrations. A credential that tests exactly that is a better match for those postings, which could make DVA-C03 the more current signal on a resume over time.
What We Don’t Know Yet
- Official DVA-C03 domain weightings. The 30/26/22/22 figures come from community breakdowns. The exam guide due October 27 settles it.
- Recommended experience for DVA-C03. DVA-C02 recommends 1 or more years. Check the new guide.
- Full task statements. AWS lists more detail for October 27.
- How the consolidated skills translate into question counts. Fewer listed skills may mean broader scenario questions, not less content.
How to Prepare
- Check your date first. After November 30, you are studying for DVA-C03.
- Re-weight your study time. If you were treating Troubleshooting and Optimization as the lightest domain, give it equal footing with Testing and Deployment.
- Learn the AI security task as its own topic. Guardrails, prompt injection, VPC endpoints for AI services, agent authorization, and log masking are a defined set of skills.
- Learn the new services at the developer level. Know what Bedrock, AgentCore, Amazon Q, and Kiro do and how an application uses them. Skip model internals.
- Keep the fundamentals sharp. Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, IAM, CI/CD, and containers still carry most of the exam. CertEmpire’s SAA-C03 exam guide covers the Associate-level architecture baseline that makes developer scenarios easier to read.
- Practice reading scenarios. Multiple response questions give no partial credit, so train on spotting every correct option.
Common Mistakes
- Assuming the weightings did not change. The official DVA-C02 guide and the reported DVA-C03 figures differ in three of four domains.
- Studying RAG and model selection for this exam. AWS lists them out of scope for DVA-C03.
- Rushing to book before November 30 without being ready. A failed DVA-C02 attempt costs the same $150 as a failed DVA-C03 attempt.
- Quoting DVA-C03 numbers as final. Until the October 27 guide, they are reported figures.
- Skipping the discount. Any active AWS certification cuts the next exam’s cost in half.
Related Reading on CertEmpire
AWS is refreshing several exams at once. For the same pattern on the operations side, read SOA-C02 vs SOA-C03: Key Differences and Updated Exam Guide. To place the Developer Associate among other options, see Best Cloud Computing Certifications in 2026 and AZ-900 vs SAA-C03. If you build and ship software, Terraform Associate vs CKA and KCNA vs CKA cover the infrastructure and container side, and AI-103 vs AI-200 shows how Microsoft is handling its own developer-focused AI exams.
FAQS
When does DVA-C03 launch?
Registration opens October 27, 2026, and the exam is generally available December 1, 2026.
When is the last day to take DVA-C02?
November 30, 2026.
Do I need to retake the exam if I already passed DVA-C02?
No. Your certification stays valid for 3 years from the date you earned it. You recertify by passing the latest version.
Did the domain weightings change?
DVA-C02’s official guide lists 32%, 26%, 24%, and 18%. Community breakdowns report 30%, 26%, 22%, and 22% for DVA-C03, which would raise Troubleshooting and Optimization by 4 points. The official DVA-C03 guide, due October 27, will confirm it.
Is DVA-C03 harder than DVA-C02?
It is too early to say. Format, length, price, and passing score match, but the content now includes AI security and AI-assisted development. Treat it as broader, not confirmed harder.
How much does DVA-C03 cost?
$150, the same as DVA-C02.
What is the DVA-C03 passing score?
720 out of 1000, the same as DVA-C02.
What is the new AI Security task?
Task 2.3 covers access control for AI services, data privacy, content filtering and prompt-injection defenses, securing agent interactions, and masking sensitive content in logs.
Does DVA-C03 test prompt engineering or RAG?
No. AWS lists prompt engineering, RAG design, model selection, SageMaker AI, and AI governance as out of scope. Those belong to MLA-C02.
Which new services are in scope?
Amazon Bedrock, Bedrock AgentCore, Amazon Q, Kiro, Amazon Data Firehose, and AWS PrivateLink.
Should I take DVA-C02 now or wait for DVA-C03?
If you are ready and your date is before November 30, DVA-C02 is a sound choice. If your date is later, or you are early in your studying, prepare for DVA-C03. If unsure, read the October 27 exam guide first.
Is there a prerequisite for the Developer Associate exam?
No formal prerequisite. AWS recommends 1 or more years of hands-on experience developing and maintaining applications on AWS.
