☁️ AWS Certified Advanced Networking
Specialty

🧠 1. Certification Name and Issuing Body

  • Full name: AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty

  • Issuing organization: Amazon Web Services (AWS)

  • Reputation and global recognition: Highly specialized and globally respected certification for cloud networking professionals managing hybrid and large-scale architectures

📚 2. Curriculum and Skills Covered

  • Covered domains:

    1. Design and implement hybrid IT network architectures at scale

    2. Design and implement AWS networks

    3. Automate AWS tasks for network deployments

    4. Configure network integration with application services

    5. Design and implement for security and compliance

    6. Manage, optimize, and troubleshoot network solutions

  • Depth of content: Advanced – strong technical focus, minimal managerial content

  • Technologies and tools included:

    • AWS services (VPC, Direct Connect, Route 53, Transit Gateway, Global Accelerator, PrivateLink)

    • Hybrid architectures, VPNs, BGP, DNS, TCP/IP, IPsec, SD-WAN concepts

  • Relevance in the current job market: Very high for network/cloud engineers and architects in hybrid or multi-cloud environments

  • Mapping to frameworks: NIST Cloud Security, AWS Well-Architected Framework

🧩 3. Prerequisites and Recommended Level

  • Prior experience required:

    • Recommended: 5+ years of networking experience

    • 2+ years of hands-on experience with AWS networking

  • Expected skill level: Advanced

  • Recommended knowledge: TCP/IP, subnetting, BGP, routing policies, DNS, cloud-native networking

🧪 4. Exam Format and Difficulty

  • Exam format:

    • Multiple choice and multiple response questions

    • Time: 170 minutes

    • Passing score: Varies (scaled score out of 1000, ~720 to pass)

  • Languages: English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean

  • Difficulty: Very high – requires deep knowledge of complex networking scenarios

💰 5. Cost and Renewal

  • Exam cost: $300 USD

  • Recertification: Every 3 years

  • CPEs required: AWS recommends continuous learning, though not formalized like (ISC)²

  • Renewal method: Reattempt latest version of the exam

💼 6. Industry Recognition and Job Roles

  • Global demand: Growing – highly sought in enterprise migration and hybrid network contexts

  • Recognized by: AWS partners, consulting firms, multinationals using hybrid/multi-region setups

  • Typical job roles:

    • Senior Network Engineer

    • Cloud Network Architect

    • AWS Solutions Architect (Networking Focus)

    • DevOps Engineer with Networking expertise

    • Infrastructure Engineer

💵 7. Salary Expectations

  • Europe: €80,000 – €120,000/year (average: €95,000)

  • USA: $130,000 – $170,000/year (average: $150,000)