AWS Developer Associate (DVA-C02)
Prove you can build, deploy, and debug cloud-native applications on AWS
Exam Quick Facts
Exam Code
DVA-C02
Questions
65
Duration
130 minutes
Passing Score
720/1000 (~72%)
Cost
$150 USD
Valid For
3 years
Last Updated
2023
Difficulty
Intermediate
AWS Certified Developer – Associate Cheat Sheet (DVA-C02)
Every Lambda limit, DynamoDB pattern, CI/CD service and IAM rule the DVA-C02 exam actually tests — organised the way developers build, not the way services are catalogued
Certification Overview
The AWS Certified Developer Associate (DVA-C02) validates your ability to build, test, deploy, and debug applications on AWS. It's the developer-focused counterpart to the Solutions Architect Associate — where the SAA tests architecture design, the DVA tests hands-on development skills with AWS services.
This certification focuses heavily on serverless development (Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, Step Functions), the AWS SDK, CI/CD pipelines, and application-level security. You'll encounter questions about writing Lambda functions, configuring API Gateway, designing DynamoDB schemas, and troubleshooting deployment failures.
The DVA-C02 was updated in 2023 to increase coverage of serverless patterns, container development, and modern deployment practices. It assumes you have at least one year of hands-on development experience building applications on AWS.
Who Should Take This Exam?
Software developers, backend engineers, and full-stack developers who build applications on AWS should pursue this certification. It's also valuable for DevOps-leaning developers who want to prove they understand both the application and operational aspects of their systems.
If you write code that interacts with AWS services — whether it's Lambda functions, ECS tasks, or SDK calls from an EC2-hosted application — this cert validates your skills. It's the most code-adjacent AWS certification and directly maps to the skills used in day-to-day development work.
Exam Domains
Development with AWS Services
The largest domain. Covers developing with AWS services including Lambda, API Gateway, DynamoDB, S3, SQS/SNS, Step Functions, and the AWS SDK. Includes writing code, handling events, and designing application architectures.
Security
Covers application-level security: IAM policies and roles for services, Cognito (user pools and identity pools), KMS encryption, Secrets Manager, and secure coding practices. Understanding how Lambda execution roles and API Gateway authorizers work is critical.
Deployment
Tests your knowledge of CI/CD with CodePipeline/CodeBuild/CodeDeploy, SAM and CloudFormation for serverless deployments, container deployments with ECS, and deployment strategies (blue/green, canary).
Troubleshooting and Optimization
Covers debugging with CloudWatch Logs and X-Ray, performance optimization (caching with ElastiCache and CloudFront, DynamoDB capacity planning), and identifying root causes of application errors.
Ready to test your DVA-C02 knowledge?
Practice with our free Developer Associate (DVA-C02) exam — 65 questions with detailed explanations. No signup required.
Start Free Practice ExamStudy Strategy
Build a real serverless application. Create an API Gateway backed by Lambda functions that read/write to DynamoDB, add authentication with Cognito, deploy it with SAM, and set up a CI/CD pipeline with CodePipeline. This single project covers most of what the exam tests.
Pay special attention to Lambda: cold starts, concurrency limits, execution roles, environment variables, layers, and dead letter queues. Lambda appears in nearly every domain of this exam. Similarly, DynamoDB design patterns (partition keys, GSIs, single-table design) come up frequently.
Practice reading code snippets and IAM policies. The exam often presents a policy document and asks what permissions it grants, or shows a Lambda function and asks what's wrong with it. Our free practice exam includes these question types. Budget 4-6 weeks of study with active development experience.
Key AWS Services to Know
- AWS Lambda — event-driven serverless compute
- Amazon API Gateway — REST and WebSocket APIs
- Amazon DynamoDB — NoSQL database design and access patterns
- Amazon S3 — presigned URLs, event notifications, SDK operations
- Amazon SQS — message queuing, visibility timeout, DLQ
- Amazon SNS — pub/sub messaging and fan-out patterns
- AWS Step Functions — workflow orchestration
- Amazon Cognito — user authentication and authorization
- AWS SAM — Serverless Application Model for deployments
- AWS X-Ray — distributed tracing and debugging
- Amazon ElastiCache — in-memory caching (Redis, Memcached)
- AWS CodePipeline/CodeBuild/CodeDeploy — CI/CD
Career Impact
The Developer Associate is the most practical AWS certification for working developers. It validates skills that directly map to daily work, making it highly valued in hiring. AWS-focused developer roles typically pay $110K-$160K for mid-level positions, with senior roles exceeding $180K.
This certification is also a strong foundation for the DevOps Engineer Professional certification, which builds on the CI/CD and operational concepts tested in the DVA. Many developers use the DVA → DOP path as their certification trajectory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to know how to code for the DVA-C02?
You won't write code during the exam, but you need to understand code snippets, SDK usage, IAM policies in JSON, and CloudFormation/SAM templates. Hands-on experience with Python, JavaScript, or Java is essential.
Developer Associate vs. Solutions Architect — which first?
If you write application code, DVA. If you design infrastructure, SAA. The DVA focuses on Lambda, DynamoDB, API Gateway, and SDK usage. The SAA focuses on VPC, EC2, and architectural patterns.
How should I prepare for the Developer Associate?
Build a serverless app with Lambda, API Gateway, and DynamoDB. Set up CI/CD with CodePipeline. Study IAM policies, KMS encryption, and caching. Practice exams help identify weak areas.
Ready to test your DVA-C02 knowledge?
Practice with our free Developer Associate (DVA-C02) exam — 65 questions with detailed explanations. No signup required.
Start Free Practice Exam