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6.1.1. Exam Structure, Question Types, and Scoring

First Principle: A clear understanding of the exam's mechanics and cognitive objectives guides efficient study and tactical test-taking, maximizing your chances of success.

The AWS Certified Security - Specialty (SCS-C02) exam validates a candidate's advanced technical skills and experience in designing and implementing security solutions in the AWS Cloud.

Exam Format:
  • Primarily multiple-choice and multiple-response questions.
  • 65 questions in total.
  • 170 minutes to complete the exam.
  • Scaled score from 100-1,000, with a passing score of 750.
  • No penalty for incorrect answers.

Question Breakdown (as typically assessed by domain): Questions often present complex, real-world security scenarios. They assess your ability to:

  • Incident Response: Evaluate and implement incident response procedures.
  • Logging and Monitoring: Design and implement logging and monitoring solutions for security.
  • Infrastructure Security: Implement security controls for hosts, networks, and applications.
  • Identity and Access Management: Design and implement IAM and authentication mechanisms.
  • Data Protection: Implement data protection methods and encryption.
Key Exam Aspects:
  • Total Questions: 65.
  • Time: 170 minutes.
  • Format: Multiple-choice/response.
  • Passing Score: 750/1000.
  • No Penalty for Wrong Answers.
  • Focus: Designing, implementing, and troubleshooting security architectures in scenarios.

Scenario: You are taking a practice exam for the SCS-C02 certification. You notice questions are lengthy, complex scenarios involving multiple security controls and AWS services, often requiring you to select the best security design or troubleshooting steps.

Reflection Question: How does understanding the SCS-C02 exam's structure (number of questions, time limit) and its focus on "designing, implementing, and troubleshooting" security solutions fundamentally influence your preparation strategy, especially for pacing yourself through detailed security scenarios?