Exam comparison
SAA-C03
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
AZ-305
Azure Solutions Architect Expert (AZ-305)
SAA-C03 vs AZ-305: Cloud architect on AWS or Azure?
SAA-C03 (AWS Solutions Architect – Associate) and AZ-305 (Azure Solutions Architect Expert) both certify cloud architecture skills, but at different levels and platforms. SAA-C03 is an Associate-level AWS architecture credential covering core AWS services. AZ-305 is an advanced Microsoft Azure certification requiring prior Azure Administrator knowledge and focusing on large-scale infrastructure design.
In short: Choose SAA-C03 to start cloud architecture on AWS; choose AZ-305 if you already know Azure administration and need to design enterprise infrastructure solutions.
| SAA-C03 | AZ-305 | |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Code | SAA-C03 | AZ-305 |
| Role / Level | Solutions Architect – Associate | Solutions Architect – Expert |
| Duration | 130 minutes | Not published |
| Passing Score | 720/1,000 | 700/1,000 |
| Questions | 65 total (50 scored, 15 unscored) | Not published |
| Prerequisites | At least 1 year of hands-on experience designing cloud solutions that use AWS services (recommended) | Required: AZ-104 (Azure Administrator) certification |
| Platform | AWS | Microsoft Azure |
Architecture Domains
SAA-C03
- Design Secure Architectures 30%
- Design Resilient Architectures 26%
- Design High-Performing Architectures 24%
- Design Cost-Optimized Architectures 20%
AZ-305
- Design Infrastructure Solutions 30–35%
- Design Identity, Governance, and Monitoring Solutions 25–30%
- Design Data Storage Solutions 20–25%
- Design Business Continuity Solutions 15–20%
What Overlaps and What Differs
Overlap: Both exams test core architecture principles—security, availability, performance, and cost. Both assume you can evaluate trade-offs and justify design decisions.
Difference: SAA-C03 covers a broad set of AWS services (EC2, RDS, S3, load balancers, etc.) at the Associate level. AZ-305 assumes you already know Azure services from AZ-104 and focuses on enterprise-scale scenarios: multi-region deployments, hybrid identity, advanced networking, and business continuity.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose SAA-C03 if…
- You are building cloud skills on the AWS platform.
- You want an Associate-level architecture certification before the Professional level.
- Your organization or clients use AWS infrastructure.
Choose AZ-305 if…
- You already hold AZ-104 and work with Azure.
- You need to design large-scale, hybrid, or multi-region Azure solutions.
- Your organization is Microsoft-focused (Office 365, Dynamics, SQL Server on Azure).
- You seek an Expert-level credential beyond Associate knowledge.
How to Prepare
- For SAA-C03: read the official exam guide. For AZ-305: read the Azure study guide.
- SAA-C03: practice with AWS CloudFormation and architecture design labs. AZ-305: complete real Azure deployments (require a subscription or free trial).
- Use our SAA-C03 practice exam and AZ-305 practice exam to simulate test conditions. Review the study mode for detailed feedback.
Try both, free
Original questions, each answer explained with a link to the documentation. Study mode is free and needs no account.
Practice Exam SAA-C03: AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
25 free questions with explanations
Practice Exam AZ-305: Azure Solutions Architect Expert
25 free questions with explanations