How many questions are on the SCS-C03 exam?

The AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C03) exam has 65 questions in 170 minutes. AWS exams include scored questions plus unscored pilot items.

How much does the SCS-C03 exam cost?

The SCS-C03 exam costs $300 USD. AWS typically includes a free retake option and 50% off your next exam after passing.

What is the passing score for SCS-C03?

SCS-C03 uses scaled scoring from 100 to 1000, with a passing score of 750. Raw percentages are not published; aim for consistent mock scores in the passing range.

How should I prepare for SCS-C03?

Start with the official exam guide and domain weights, study the core services per domain, drill topic practice questions, take timed mock exams, and re-attempt every missed question. 6 domains are weighted Detection 16%, Incident Response 14%, Infrastructure Security 18%, Identity and Access Management 20%, Data Protection 18%, Security Foundations and Governance 14%.

SCS-C03Specialty

AWS Certified Security – Specialty

For security engineers: threat detection, logging/monitoring, infrastructure protection, IAM depth, and data protection controls.

Start practicing free Read the exam guide

Exam questions: 65
Duration: 170 min
Exam cost: $300 USD
Passing score: 750/1000

20 reviewed practice questions live on this site · Official AWS certification page

Exam domains and weights

Domain 1: Detection16%

Threat detection, security findings, and detection-focused logging (GuardDuty, Security Hub, CloudTrail, Config).

Domain 2: Incident Response14%

Incident response plans, isolation, forensics, and recovery from compromises.

Domain 3: Infrastructure Security18%

VPC security, WAF/Shield, edge protection, and network-layer defenses.

Domain 4: Identity and Access Management20%

IAM policies, federation, permission boundaries, and cross-account access.

Domain 5: Data Protection18%

KMS, encryption patterns, secrets management, and data classification.

Domain 6: Security Foundations and Governance14%

Organizations/SCPs, multi-account governance, and compliance frameworks.

Practice topics

Detection & Response4

GuardDuty, Security Hub, incident response, and forensic workflows.

Logging & Audit2

CloudTrail, Config, centralized logging, and building audit trails for investigations.

IAM Deep Dive3

Policy evaluation, permission boundaries, federation, and cross-account access.

Encryption & Key Management2

KMS key policies, envelope encryption, CloudHSM, and secrets management.

Incident Response3

IR plans, isolation and forensics, credential invalidation, and recovery.

Infrastructure Security4

WAF/Shield, network segmentation, edge protection, and host hardening.

Security Governance2

SCPs, multi-account security baselines, and compliance frameworks.

How to prepare for SCS-C03

Learn the blueprint
Start with the domain weights above — they tell you exactly where exam points are concentrated.
Official exam page
Study the core services
Work through service-focused study guides for the services that appear most in this exam's questions.
Service study guides →
Practice by topic
Take focused question sets per topic, read every per-option explanation — including why wrong answers are wrong.
All practice topics →
Simulate the real exam
Take a timed mock exam at real pace (~2.6 min per question) and review every miss.
Mock exams →
Close the gaps
Use your domain breakdown to find weak areas, bookmark tricky questions, and re-drill them before exam day.
Build a study plan →

20 reviewed SCS-C03 questions available

Practice interactively, or browse every question with answers and explanations.

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