How many questions are on the AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam?

The AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam has 65 questions, and the vendor's published description is: 65 questions (50 scored + 15 unscored), 170 minutes.

How long do you have to complete the AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam?

You get 170 minutes, which is about 157 seconds per question. The published format is: 65 questions (50 scored + 15 unscored), 170 minutes.

What score do you need to pass the AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam?

The passing score is 75% (750/1,000 scaled score).

What are the domains on the AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam?

There are 5 domains: Data Protection, Infrastructure Security, Identity and Access Management, Security Logging and Monitoring, Threat Detection and Incident Response. The official weights are Data Protection 22%, Infrastructure Security 26%, Identity and Access Management 20%, Security Logging and Monitoring 20%, Threat Detection and Incident Response 12%.

How should I use the domain weights when revising?

Weight by percentage, not by domain. 22% is the one where lost points cost you the most, and Certilum scores you per domain so you can see exactly where that is.

Does Certilum have practice questions for the AWS Certified Security – Specialty exam?

Yes: 65 questions in our bank for this certification, each tagged to the exam domain it belongs to, with the official domain weights applied.

Exam format

AWS Certified Security – Specialty Exam Format

SCS-C03

Everything the official exam blueprint specifies: question count, time limit, scoring and the weight each domain carries. The AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C03) exam validates advanced expertise in securing the AWS Cloud platform. It covers five critical domains: threat detection and incident response, security logging and monitoring, infrastructure security, identity and access management (IAM), and data protection. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to design and implement robust security architectures, automate security operations, and ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks. The exam emphasizes practical, scenario-based knowledge required for enterprise-grade cloud security roles. This certification is ideal for security architects, engineers, and analysts who design and operate secure AWS workloads. It validates deep understanding of AWS security services, best practices, and the ability to troubleshoot complex security issues. Passing this exam signifies mastery of cloud security principles and readiness to protect critical AWS environments against sophisticated threats.

65 questions

170 min

75% to pass

5 domains

certilum

Exam facts at a glance

The published specifications for this certification.

Specification	Value
Questions	65
Time limit	170 minutes (157s per question)
Passing score	75% — 750/1,000 scaled score
Domains	5
Level	Professional
Question bank here	65 questions
Published format	65 questions (50 scored + 15 unscored), 170 minutes
Source	Official exam specification, published by the vendor

Official domain weights

The percentage of the exam each domain carries. Weight your revision by these numbers, not by what you find hardest.

Domain	Weight	Topics	Practice Qs
Data Protection	22%	Design and implement data at rest encryption (KMS, CloudHSM, S3 default encryption) Design and implement data in transit encryption (TLS, Certificate Manager, VPN connections) Manage secrets and credentials with AWS Secrets Manager and Parameter Store +2 more	14
Infrastructure Security	26%	Design and implement network security controls (VPCs, security groups, NACLs, AWS WAF, AWS Shield) Manage operating system and application security (Amazon Inspector, Systems Manager Patch Manager) Design and implement edge security services (CloudFront, AWS Global Accelerator, Route 53) +2 more	17
Identity and Access Management	20%	Design and implement scalable authentication and authorization mechanisms Manage user and role-based access control with IAM policies and permission boundaries Implement federation with AWS Identity Center (SSO), Active Directory, and SAML 2.0 +2 more	13
Security Logging and Monitoring	20%	Design and implement monitoring and alerting solutions Configure and manage AWS CloudWatch Logs, VPC Flow Logs, and AWS Config rules Implement centralized logging across accounts using AWS Organizations +2 more	13
Threat Detection and Incident Response	12%	Design and implement incident response plans Automate incident analysis and response processes Configure and interpret AWS CloudTrail, Amazon GuardDuty, AWS Security Hub, and Amazon Detective logs +2 more	8

The heaviest domain is Data Protection at 22%, and that is where lost points cost you the most. Certilum scores you per domain so you can see the difference between a knowledge gap and a formatting problem.

Note from the vendor record: Current version; no SCS-C04 announced. Simplified Chinese, Spanish (Latin America) and Portuguese (Brazil) administrations retire after 2026-12-31. Official exam page