Exam guide
How to Pass the AWS ANS-C01 in 2026: Format, Cost, Domains and Study Plan
Updated 12 Nov 2026 · 6 min read
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What the AWS ANS-C01 is and who it is for
The ANS-C01 is the exam behind the AWS Certified Advanced Networking - Specialty certification. AWS says it is intended for people who perform an AWS networking specialist's role, and that it validates your ability to design, implement, manage and secure AWS and hybrid network architectures at scale.
There are no formal prerequisites, because AWS says any of its certifications can be earned without completing specific prerequisites. The exam guide does describe the target candidate: 5 or more years of networking experience, with 2 or more years of cloud and hybrid networking experience.
AWS has announced that this exam is being retired. The last day to take the ANS-C01 is 31 December 2026. Certifications earned before the retirement remain active for the standard three-year period, and AWS says new Advanced Networking - Specialty certifications will not be issued after the retirement.
AWS ANS-C01 at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam code | ANS-C01 |
| Questions | 65, in multiple choice, multiple response and matching formats. 50 are scored and 15 are unscored |
| Time allowed | 170 minutes |
| Passing score | 750 on a scaled score of 100 to 1,000 |
| Exam fee | US$300. AWS lists local currency prices on its exam pricing information |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese |
| Where you sit it | Pearson VUE test centre or online proctored |
| Certification valid for | 3 years |
| Last day to take the exam | 31 December 2026 |
What is on the exam
AWS splits the scored content into four domains. The 15 unscored questions are not identified on the exam, so treat every question as if it counts. The exam uses compensatory scoring, which means you do not need to pass each section. You only need to pass overall.
Network design (30%). The heaviest domain, in six parts. Edge services such as CloudFront and Global Accelerator for global traffic, DNS design with Route 53 across public, private and hybrid setups, and load balancing at layers 3, 4 and 7. It also covers logging and monitoring requirements. The last two parts are routing strategy between on-premises networks and AWS, including Direct Connect, Site-to-Site VPN and BGP, and connectivity across accounts, Regions and VPCs with peering, Transit Gateway, PrivateLink and VPC sharing, including overlapping IP ranges.
Network implementation (26%). Building what the design domain describes. You implement routing and connectivity to on-premises networks, then across accounts, Regions and VPCs, including hub-and-spoke designs. Then come complex hybrid and multi-account DNS, with conditional forwarding, Route 53 Resolver endpoints and DNSSEC. The domain ends with automation: infrastructure as code with the AWS CDK and CloudFormation, and event-driven network functions.
Network management and operation (20%). Keeping a network healthy. You maintain routing and connectivity, including BGP over Direct Connect and the effect of quotas and limits. You monitor and troubleshoot with VPC Flow Logs, Traffic Mirroring, Reachability Analyzer and Transit Gateway Network Manager. You also optimise for performance, reliability and cost, from jumbo frames and network interface choices such as ENA and EFA to subnet sizing and secondary CIDRs.
Network security, compliance and governance (24%). Securing inbound, outbound and inter-VPC traffic with AWS WAF, AWS Shield, Network Firewall, Gateway Load Balancers, security groups and network ACLs. Then validating and auditing with CloudWatch, CloudTrail, flow logs and Firewall Manager. The last part is confidentiality of data in transit: IPsec, TLS, VPN over Direct Connect, DNSSEC and certificate management with ACM and AWS Private CA.
Why people fail it
Time and length come first. 65 questions in 170 minutes is about two and a half minutes each, and Specialty scenarios are long. A typical one describes an on-premises site, several VPCs, a routing problem and a requirement such as the lowest cost or the least operational effort. Often more than one option works, and only one meets the stated constraint best. Multiple response and matching questions give credit only when you get every part right, so partial knowledge does not help.
The second problem is that this exam is about how networks actually behave, not just which service exists. You need to follow a packet. Which route table applies, what BGP attributes decide the path, why traffic is dropped by a network ACL or a security group, or how a packet size mismatch breaks a connection. Candidates who know the service names but have never read a flow log struggle.
The third is similar services. VPC peering, Transit Gateway and PrivateLink all connect things, but for different patterns and at different costs. Application, Network and Gateway Load Balancers each fit different jobs. The exam asks you to choose between them from a few lines of requirements.
A study plan that fits the exam
Because the last day to take the exam is fixed, work back from 31 December 2026 and choose your exam date first. Six weeks suits people who already work with AWS networking. The split follows the weights: two weeks on design, a week on implementation, a week on operations, a week on security and a final week of timed practice.
- Week 1: design, edge, DNS and load balancing. CloudFront, Global Accelerator, Route 53 record types and routing policies, private hosted zones, and when to choose each load balancer. End the week with the free ANS-C01 practice questions to see where you stand.
- Week 2: design, hybrid and multi-account connectivity. Direct Connect, Site-to-Site VPN, BGP path selection, VPC peering, Transit Gateway, PrivateLink, VPC sharing and overlapping CIDR blocks.
- Week 3: implementation. Configure hybrid routing, hub-and-spoke with Transit Gateway, Route 53 Resolver inbound and outbound endpoints, conditional forwarding and DNSSEC.
- Week 4: management and operation. VPC Flow Logs, Traffic Mirroring, Reachability Analyzer, Transit Gateway Network Manager, quotas and limits, jumbo frames, ENA and EFA, and subnet and IP address optimisation.
- Week 5: security, compliance and governance. AWS WAF, Shield, Network Firewall, Gateway Load Balancer inspection, security group and network ACL behaviour, Firewall Manager, IPsec and TLS, and certificate management.
- Week 6: timed runs. AWS suggests exam-style questions and flashcards through its Exam Prep Plan on AWS Skill Builder. Then work through the questions-only copy of the 306 questions in the ANS-C01 practice question pack in timed blocks of 65, and read the explanation for every miss.
On exam day
You sit the exam at a Pearson VUE test centre or online with a proctor. For an online exam you go through a self-check-in, providing your identification and completing a testing environment check, before a proctor connects. AWS says one primary ID is required for an online proctored exam and two IDs for a test centre. The first and last name on your ID must match your AWS Certification Account.
Scheduled breaks are not part of AWS exams. Online proctored exams permit no breaks at all, and at a test centre the timer keeps running during any unscheduled break. There is no penalty for guessing and unanswered questions are marked wrong, so answer everything. If English is not your first language and you sit in English, you can request an extra 30 minutes once, before you register. AWS posts final results to your AWS Certification Account within five business days.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I fail the ANS-C01?
You must wait 14 calendar days before you can retake it. AWS sets no limit on the number of attempts, but you pay the full registration fee each time. Because the last day to take the exam is 31 December 2026, a retake has to fit before that date as well.
Can I still use the certification after the exam retires?
Yes. AWS says certifications earned before the retirement remain active for the standard three-year period. What changes is that no one can earn a new one after the retirement.
Is the practice pack enough on its own?
No. The pack is practice, not a course. The 306 questions show you how AWS frames long networking scenarios and explain why each wrong option is wrong, but they do not replace building a Direct Connect or Transit Gateway design yourself. Learn the services hands-on first, then use the questions to test your judgement and your timing.
When you are ready to test yourself properly, get the ANS-C01 practice questions with full explanations.
Sources
The official pages the facts in this guide were checked against.
- aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-advanced-networking-specialty/
- docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/advanced-networking-specialty-01/advanced-networking-specialty-01.html
- aws.amazon.com/certification/policies/before-testing/
- aws.amazon.com/certification/exams/
- docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/advanced-networking-specialty-01/advanced-networking-specialty-01-domain1.html
- docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/advanced-networking-specialty-01/advanced-networking-specialty-01-domain2.html
- docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/advanced-networking-specialty-01/advanced-networking-specialty-01-domain3.html
- docs.aws.amazon.com/aws-certification/latest/advanced-networking-specialty-01/advanced-networking-specialty-01-domain4.html
- aws.amazon.com/certification/policies/during-testing/
- aws.amazon.com/certification/policies/after-testing/
