DVA-C02 (AWS Developer Associate) and SOA-C03 (AWS SysOps Administrator) are two of the three AWS associate certifications — and they cover the same cloud from very different angles. DVA-C02 is the developer's view: building applications that run on AWS. SOA-C03 is the operator's view: keeping those applications and their infrastructure healthy. Here's how to choose.
Same AWS associate level, same exam cost — very different exam domains. Choose based on whether you build things or operate things.
| DVA-C02 | SOA-C03 | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | AWS Certified Developer Associate | AWS Certified SysOps Administrator Associate |
| Focus | Building and deploying applications — Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, CI/CD | Operating and monitoring infrastructure — CloudWatch, Systems Manager, backup, security |
| Best for | Backend developers, serverless engineers, DevOps (dev side) | SysAdmins, platform engineers, cloud ops teams |
| Key services covered | Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, SAM, CodePipeline, X-Ray, Cognito | CloudWatch, Systems Manager, CloudFormation, Config, GuardDuty, AWS Backup |
| Exam duration | 130 minutes | 130 minutes |
| Official exam cost | $150 | $150 |
| HandsOnCert price | $49 (5 projects, 8h) | $49 (5 projects, 8h) |
Both paths use real AWS resources and auto-commit evidence to your GitHub portfolio. Same price, same project count — different domain focus.
Build serverless applications on AWS — from Lambda functions to CI/CD pipelines.
Operate and monitor AWS infrastructure — from alerting to automation and backup.
If you write code that runs on AWS — Lambda functions, API Gateway integrations, DynamoDB queries — DVA-C02 maps directly to your work. The labs build real serverless applications using AWS SAM, the same toolchain used in production development roles.
If you monitor dashboards, respond to incidents, deploy infrastructure changes, and manage backup policies — SOA-C03 maps directly to your work. The labs build real CloudWatch runbooks, CloudFormation templates, and backup configurations used in operations roles.
At the same price and same exam difficulty, the right choice is almost always whichever one you'll actually use. Both build on SAA-C03 knowledge, and many people hold all three AWS associate certs — there's no penalty for taking both over time. If you're in a DevOps role that spans both development and operations, DVA-C02 first is slightly more common, but either is a solid starting point.
Should I take DVA-C02 or SOA-C03 after SAA-C03?
It depends on your role. If you're building applications on AWS — writing Lambda functions, working with DynamoDB, or setting up CI/CD pipelines — DVA-C02 (Developer Associate) is the more direct next step after SAA-C03. If your day-to-day involves monitoring, patching, automating deployments, and managing infrastructure health — SOA-C03 (SysOps Administrator) is the better fit. Both build on SAA-C03 knowledge from different angles.
Is DVA-C02 harder than SOA-C03?
They're roughly comparable in difficulty — both are AWS associate-level certifications with similar passing score requirements. DVA-C02 is more code-heavy (Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB access patterns, SDK usage), while SOA-C03 is more operations-heavy (CloudWatch, Systems Manager, CloudFormation, incident response). Most people find whichever domain matches their daily work to be easier.
What's the core difference between DVA-C02 and SOA-C03?
DVA-C02 (Developer Associate) focuses on building applications that run on AWS — serverless development with Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, and CI/CD pipelines. SOA-C03 (SysOps Administrator) focuses on operating the infrastructure those applications run on — monitoring, deployment automation, backup, incident response, and security operations. They're complementary perspectives on the same AWS environment.
Do I need SAA-C03 before DVA-C02 or SOA-C03?
Neither DVA-C02 nor SOA-C03 requires SAA-C03 as a formal prerequisite. However, AWS recommends one or more years of hands-on experience developing and maintaining AWS applications before DVA-C02, and similar experience for SOA-C03. SAA-C03 provides the architectural context that both build on, and most people find the path easier with SAA-C03 first.
Can I take both DVA-C02 and SOA-C03?
Yes, and holding all three associate certs (SAA-C03, DVA-C02, SOA-C03) gives you broad AWS coverage across architecture, development, and operations — a strong signal for DevOps and platform engineering roles. There's no rule against holding multiple associate certifications.
How much do DVA-C02 and SOA-C03 cost compared to HandsOnCert's labs?
Both official AWS exams cost $150 each. HandsOnCert's hands-on lab paths are separate from the exam fee — DVA-C02 is $49 for 5 projects (8 hours) and SOA-C03 is $49 for 5 projects (8 hours), each with Project 1 free.
Project 1 of either path is free — no credit card required. See exactly how the GitHub auto-commit works before you pay anything.
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