AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C03) Practice Test
Use the free 20-question sets to find the AWS security topics that still slow you down. Five mixed tests cover all six SCS-C03 domains, and six domain tests let you isolate one area at a time. Each free test runs at the exam's 170-minutes-for-65-questions pace.
Mixed SCS-C03 practice tests
Twenty questions spread across the current six-domain blueprint. Use these first. A mixed score gives you the clue; the domain tests below tell you where the gap actually is.
Domain-wise SCS-C03 practice tests
One domain, 20 questions. These are for targeted repair after a mixed set exposes a weak area, not for replacing mixed practice altogether.
Twenty questions finds the weak spot.
Sixty-five questions tests whether your pace holds.
The free sets are built for diagnosis. When you need a full rehearsal, the paid SCS-C03 series runs 65 questions in 170 minutes across all six domains. Every paper uses the same fixed domain split, so you can compare one full-length result with the next.
| Free tests on this page | Full-length tests | |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 20 | 65 |
| Time limit | ~52 minutes | 170 minutes |
| Coverage | Mixed set or one domain | All six domains in every paper |
| Domain structure | Choose mixed or focused practice | 10 / 9 / 12 / 13 / 12 / 9 questions |
| Full-length question mix | Short practice format | 60 single-answer + 5 Select TWO |
| Number available | 11 | 10 |
| Price | Free | From $2₹99£1.47€1.70 a test |
How to use these tests
Keep the order simple. Diagnose first, drill what is weak, then switch to full-length practice when exam-day pacing becomes the problem.
Benchmark
Take two mixed sets before you start patching gaps. Look for the AWS decisions you repeatedly hesitate over, especially where two services both look plausible.
Start Practice Test 1 →Drill the gap
Move to the matching domain test. If IAM policy evaluation or KMS key behavior keeps costing you marks, stay there until the scenario stops feeling ambiguous.
Practice Identity and Access Management →Dress rehearsal
When the content is mostly in place, sit 65 questions under a 170-minute clock. That is where pacing, fatigue and second-guessing show up.
Get full-length tests →About the AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C03) exam
SCS-C03 has been the current Security – Specialty exam since 2 December 2025. AWS's current guide uses six content domains and a 750 passing standard.
Exam format
Exam code: SCS-C03.
Questions: 65 total. AWS says 50 affect your score and 15 are unscored evaluation items that are not identified during the exam.
Duration: 170 minutes.
Response types: Multiple choice, multiple response, ordering and matching are listed in the current SCS-C03 exam guide.
Passing score: 750 on a 100–1,000 scaled score. The model is compensatory, so there is no separate pass requirement for each domain.
Exam fee: $300 USD for the Specialty exam tier.
Testing: Pearson VUE testing center or online proctored exam.
Experience and renewal
Target candidate: The SCS-C03 guide describes someone with the equivalent of 3–5 years of experience securing cloud solutions.
Prerequisite certifications: None are required. AWS notes that candidates commonly earn Solutions Architect – Associate and/or Professional first, but it is not a gate.
Knowledge expected: Identity at scale, multi-account governance, vulnerability management, incident response, logging, encryption and security controls across layers 3–7.
Validity: AWS Certifications are valid for three years.
Recertification: For Security – Specialty, renew by passing the latest version of the Specialty exam. Active AWS Certification holders receive a 50% discount benefit for a future AWS Certification exam.
Retakes: After a failed attempt, AWS requires a 14-calendar-day wait. There is no attempt cap, and each attempt requires the registration fee.
SCS-C03 domain weights
AWS applies these percentages to scored content. Identity and Access Management is the largest domain at 20%; Infrastructure Security and Data Protection follow at 18% each.
| Domain | Topic | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Domain 1 | Detection | 16% |
| Domain 2 | Incident Response | 14% |
| Domain 3 | Infrastructure Security | 18% |
| Domain 4 | Identity and Access Management | 20% |
| Domain 5 | Data Protection | 18% |
| Domain 6 | Security Foundations and Governance | 14% |
How the practice tests are written
Built around decisions, not definitions. SCS-C03 expects you to choose between AWS controls that overlap. A useful question gives you a constraint such as least privilege, central governance, cross-account access or minimal operational overhead, then makes you decide which design fits it best.
Weighted mixed practice. The five mixed sets spread questions across all six domains instead of treating each domain equally. The six focused sets are there for repair work after the mixed tests show you where the problem is.
Timed at exam pace. The exam allows 170 minutes for 65 questions. The 20-question sets use roughly 52 minutes, so the short format keeps the same pace instead of giving you an unrealistically comfortable clock.
Current SCS-C03 scope. The question topics follow the six-domain structure introduced with SCS-C03, including separate Detection and Incident Response domains and the renamed Security Foundations and Governance domain.
SCS-C03 preparation tips
Study strategy
Use the exam guide as the boundary. Work through the task statements, then lab the services you can recognize but cannot configure confidently.
Spend extra time on IAM and data protection. IAM is 20% of scored content and Data Protection is 18%. Be comfortable with policy evaluation, permission boundaries, SCPs, cross-account access, KMS key policies and encryption design.
Practice service selection. GuardDuty, Security Hub, Macie, Config, WAF, Shield, Firewall Manager and Security Lake solve different parts of the security problem. The exam often turns on knowing where one service stops and another starts.
Test-taking strategy
Find the constraint before judging the answers. Least privilege, organization-wide enforcement, no public path, minimal management overhead or forensic preservation can change which otherwise-correct option is best.
Do not leave questions blank. AWS states that unanswered questions are scored incorrect and there is no penalty for guessing.
Use the full 170-minute runs late in preparation. Short sets are better for repair. Full-length practice is where you learn whether you can keep making clean decisions after an hour and a half.
Frequently asked questions
The exam has 65 questions and a 170-minute time limit. AWS says 50 questions affect your score and 15 are unscored evaluation items. The unscored questions are not identified during the exam.
The minimum passing score is 750 on AWS's 100–1,000 scaled score. SCS-C03 uses a compensatory model, so you pass the exam as a whole rather than passing each domain separately.
The current SCS-C03 exam guide lists multiple choice, multiple response, ordering and matching. AWS also states that unanswered questions are scored incorrect and there is no penalty for guessing.
AWS currently prices the Specialty exam tier at $300 USD. AWS also publishes local exam pricing for several currencies.
Three years. For AWS Certified Security – Specialty, recertification is done by passing the latest version of the Security – Specialty exam while the certification is still active.
AWS requires a 14-calendar-day wait after a failed attempt. There is no limit on the number of attempts, and you pay the registration fee for each one.
SCS-C03 became the current exam on 2 December 2025. Detection and Incident Response are now separate domains, Identity and Access Management rose to 20%, Infrastructure Security moved to 18%, and the former Management and Security Governance domain is now Security Foundations and Governance.
No. AWS does not require a prerequisite certification. Candidates commonly earn Solutions Architect – Associate and/or Professional first, but you can sit Security – Specialty without doing so.
Yes. The AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C03) full-length practice tests contain 65 questions each with a 170-minute practice window. There are 10 full-length papers, 650 questions in total, with the same fixed six-domain distribution in every paper. Prices start at $2₹99£1.47€1.70 for one test.
Yes. This page links to five free mixed tests and six free domain tests, each containing 20 questions.
Start short. Go full-length when pacing matters.
Use a free 20-question set to find the weak domain. When you are ready to test the whole blueprint under a 170-minute clock, move to a 65-question practice test.
