AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud certifications compared

AWS, Microsoft and Google each run a full cloud certification programme, from an entry-level exam up to senior architect credentials. They differ in level names, fees, question screens and, most of all, how long a certification lasts before you must renew it. This comparison uses the architect path on each cloud as the running example: CLF-C02, SAA-C03 and SAP-C02 on AWS; AZ-900, AZ-104 and AZ-305 on Azure; Cloud Digital Leader, Associate Cloud Engineer and Professional Cloud Architect on Google Cloud.

How the levels line up

AWS also lists a Business category. On Azure, expert certifications can carry a prerequisite: to become an Azure Solutions Architect Expert you must pass AZ-305 and also hold the Azure Administrator Associate certification. Google lists no prerequisites for ACE or PCA, though it recommends hands-on experience.

Nine exams at a glance

Details as of September 2026 — confirm on each provider's official exam page (linked in the table) before booking.

Notes on the table:

• Microsoft fees vary by country. Microsoft prices exams by the country or region where they are proctored. Its FAQ says associate and expert exams typically cost US$165, and each exam page shows the local price for the country you select. Google's fees are listed plus tax where applicable.
• Microsoft question counts are ranges. Microsoft does not publish a fixed count. Its exam-experience page says most exams contain 40 to 60 questions and that the number varies.
• SAP-C02 is retiring. Its last sitting is 17 November 2026, and registration for SAP-C03 opens on 27 October 2026. Check which version you will sit before you start studying.
• Scores are scaled. AWS reports a scaled score from 100 to 1,000; Microsoft reports 1 to 1,000 with 700 to pass and states that this may not equal 70% of the points. Google gives a pass or fail result and does not publish a passing score.

Our study guides carry the full detail for several of these: [CLF-C02](/blog/clf-c02-study-guide), [SAA-C03](/blog/saa-c03-study-guide), [AZ-900](/blog/az-900-study-guide), [AZ-104](/blog/az-104-study-guide), [AZ-305](/blog/az-305-study-guide), [CDL](/blog/cdl-study-guide), [ACE](/blog/ace-study-guide) and [PCA](/blog/pca-study-guide).

Question formats: the biggest day-to-day difference

AWS exams have traditionally used multiple choice (one correct answer of four) and multiple response (two or more correct of five or more); the SAA-C03 guide lists only these. In 2024 AWS announced three more types, first used on the AI Practitioner and Machine Learning Engineer exams: ordering (put steps in the right sequence), matching (pair prompts with responses) and case study (several questions about one scenario, each scored separately). Newer exam versions such as Security – Specialty (SCS-C03) include ordering and matching. AWS guides also note unscored questions (15 on SAA-C03) that you cannot identify, and no penalty for guessing.

Microsoft uses the widest range of screens. Its exam-experience page demonstrates multiple choice, drag and drop, hot area (selecting options within a table or diagram), build list, active screen, case studies and labs. Once you leave a case study you cannot go back to it. Microsoft does not publish which exams contain labs, because labs can be removed at short notice, and it gives role-based exams 100 minutes without labs or 120 minutes if they may contain them. During associate and expert exams (not fundamentals) you can also open Microsoft Learn in a split screen, though the clock keeps running while you search.

Google keeps it simplest. The ACE and PCA pages describe 50 to 60 multiple choice and multiple select questions. PCA adds two published case studies, which Google says make up 20 to 30% of the exam, so read them before exam day.

Microsoft's exam sandbox and AWS's exam demo through Pearson VUE let you try the screens before exam day.

Delivery and retakes

All three providers offer online-proctored exams from home or the office and in-person exams at a test centre. AWS and Microsoft schedule through Pearson VUE, and Google's test-centre sittings are also booked through Pearson VUE.

Retake rules differ:

• AWS: after a failed attempt you wait 14 calendar days.
• Microsoft: 24 hours after the first attempt; later waits vary under its retake policy.
• Google: 14 days after the first failed attempt, 60 days after the second and 365 days after the third.

Validity and renewal

AWS certifications are valid for three years. To renew for another three years you pass the latest version of the exam, and AWS puts a 50% discount voucher in your certification account for that. Cloud Practitioner holders have extra options: passing any associate or professional exam, or completing the free AWS Cloud Quest: Recertify Cloud Practitioner game within six months of expiry. For many associate, professional and specialty certifications, AWS also offers a one-year extension through AWS Skill Builder activities, which requires a paid subscription.

Microsoft role-based and specialty certifications last one year, and renewal is free. During a six-month window before expiry you take an online renewal assessment on Microsoft Learn. It is shorter than the exam, unproctored and open book, focuses on recent changes to the technology, and can be retaken as often as needed before the expiry date. Passing extends the certification by one year from its expiry date. Fundamentals certifications such as AZ-900 do not expire.

Google foundational and associate certifications are valid for three years; professional certifications for two. The standard route to renew is to pass the exam again during the renewal eligibility window. Some certifications have cheaper alternatives: ACE has a one-hour, 20-question renewal exam at US$75 and PCA a one-hour, 25-question renewal exam at US$100, and Google lists a continuing-education route in Google Skills, which adds one year, for Cloud Digital Leader, Associate Cloud Engineer, Professional Cloud Architect and Professional Data Engineer. A lapsed certification can still be renewed up to 30 days after it becomes inactive; after that you sit the standard exam at full price.

Put simply: Microsoft asks for the most frequent renewal but charges nothing for it; AWS and Google ask less often but usually mean another proctored exam.

How to decide

Start with the platform. An exam on the services you already use is easier to prepare for and tells an employer on that cloud what you can do. If you are not tied to one, count which cloud appears most in the job postings you want. Our guide on [how to choose a cloud certification](/blog/how-to-choose-a-cloud-certification) walks through this in more detail.

Then match the level to your experience. The entry exams (CLF-C02, AZ-900, CDL) are the natural starting point if you are new to cloud. The associate exams expect hands-on work: AWS recommends at least a year designing solutions on AWS for SAA-C03, and Google recommends six months or more on Google Cloud for ACE. The professional and expert exams assume several years; Google recommends three or more years of industry experience, including a year designing on Google Cloud, for PCA.

Finally, weigh upkeep: Microsoft's free annual assessment and Google's shorter renewal exams cost less than a full resit.

Whichever you choose, practise in the exam's real format. Every certification on CertifyCloudx has original practice questions, domain papers of up to 25 questions (60 minutes per 25) and full-length timed mock exams with the real exam's time limit, and the free plan includes practice sets for every certification with up to 10 questions a day and no card required. Browse the [certifications page](/certifications), and read [how to use practice exams effectively](/blog/how-to-use-practice-exams-effectively) before your first mock.

Frequently asked questions

Which cloud certification is easiest to start with?

AZ-900 is the shortest at 45 minutes and does not expire; CLF-C02 and Cloud Digital Leader are 90 minutes. All three are foundational, so pick the one for the cloud you are most likely to use.

Are Azure exams more expensive than AWS or Google exams?

At associate level, slightly, in US-dollar terms. Microsoft associate and expert exams typically cost US$165, but they are priced by the country or region where you sit them, so your local price may differ. AWS associate exams are US$150 and professional exams US$300, while Google associate exams are US$125 and professional exams US$200, plus tax where applicable.

Do I need an associate certification before a professional one?

For Azure Solutions Architect Expert, yes: you need the Azure Administrator Associate certification as well as a pass in AZ-305. Google lists no prerequisites for its Professional Cloud Architect exam, though it recommends three or more years of industry experience.

How long do AWS, Azure and Google Cloud certifications last?

AWS certifications last three years. Microsoft role-based and specialty certifications last one year and renew free through an online assessment, while fundamentals certifications do not expire. Google foundational and associate certifications last three years and professional certifications two years.

Can I take these exams from home?

Yes. AWS, Microsoft and Google all offer online-proctored exams as well as test-centre sittings.

Do Google Cloud exams include drag-and-drop questions?

Google's exam pages describe multiple choice and multiple select questions, and the Professional Cloud Architect exam adds case-study questions. Drag-and-drop and hot area screens are a feature of Microsoft exams, and some newer AWS exams include ordering and matching items.

CertifyCloudx is independent and not affiliated with Amazon Web Services, Google or Microsoft. AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud certification names are trademarks of their owners. All CertifyCloudx practice questions are original.