AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02): Complete Study Guide

Build and deploy on AWS like a developer. DVA-C02 exam format, the four domains, the key services (Lambda, DynamoDB, API Gateway) and a focused study plan.

Practice 539 free AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) questions

Official exam page: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-developer-associate/

The AWS Certified Developer – Associate (DVA-C02) validates that you can develop, deploy and debug cloud-based applications using AWS. It is the natural next step for developers after the Cloud Practitioner, and complements the Solutions Architect path with a build-and-ship focus.

Exam at a glance

• Format: 65 questions (multiple choice and multiple response)
• Duration: 130 minutes
• Cost: 150 USD
• Passing score: 720 out of 1000 (scaled)
• Validity: 3 years

Exam domains

1. Development with AWS Services — 32%. Writing code for serverless and container apps, working with Lambda, DynamoDB, S3, API Gateway, SQS/SNS and event-driven patterns.
2. Security — 26%. IAM roles and policies, temporary credentials (STS), encryption with KMS, Secrets Manager and Parameter Store.
3. Deployment — 24%. CI/CD with CodePipeline, CodeBuild, CodeDeploy; deployment strategies; SAM and CloudFormation.
4. Troubleshooting and Optimization — 18%. X-Ray tracing, CloudWatch logs and metrics, caching, and performance tuning.

Services to master

• Compute: Lambda (limits, environment variables, layers, versions/aliases), Elastic Beanstalk
• Data: DynamoDB (partition/sort keys, GSIs/LSIs, capacity modes, DynamoDB Streams), S3, ElastiCache
• Integration: API Gateway, SQS, SNS, EventBridge, Step Functions
• Dev tooling: SAM, CloudFormation, CodeCommit/Build/Deploy/Pipeline
• Security: IAM, STS, Cognito, KMS, Secrets Manager

A study plan

• Weeks 1–2: Lambda and DynamoDB in depth — these dominate the exam.
• Week 3: API Gateway, messaging (SQS/SNS) and event-driven design.
• Week 4: CI/CD, SAM and deployment strategies.
• Week 5: Security, X-Ray, CloudWatch — then practice exams.

Exam-day tips

• Know DynamoDB cold: key design, capacity modes, and when to use a GSI vs LSI.
• Understand Cognito (user pools vs identity pools) and STS temporary credentials.
• Many questions hinge on the least-privilege or most cost-effective option.

Practice now

Drill the free DVA-C02 questions below, weighting your time toward Lambda, DynamoDB and API Gateway.