The number is 750. The AWS Certified Solutions Architect - Professional exam reports your result as a scaled score between 100 and 1,000, and the official SAP-C02 exam guide sets the minimum passing score at 750.
That is higher than the associate bar, and it is the number candidates misread most often. It is not a percentage, it is not a count of correct answers, and it does not mean you can afford to miss a quarter of the paper. Here is what it does mean.
The Official Numbers
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Score range | 100 to 1,000, scaled |
| Minimum passing score | 750 |
| Questions delivered | 75 |
| Questions that affect your score | 65 |
| Unscored questions | 10, not identified on the exam |
| Time | 180 minutes |
| Scoring model | Compensatory, overall pass or fail |
| Results | Within 5 business days |
| Retake after a fail | 14 calendar days, no limit on attempts |
| Exam fee | 300 USD |
These figures come from the SAP-C02 exam guide, the SAP-C02 certification page, and the AWS Certification FAQ. Exam details change, so confirm them on aws.amazon.com when you book.
Why 750 Is Not 75 Percent
AWS runs several versions of the same exam at once, called forms, and no two forms are exactly equal in difficulty. Scaled scoring equates them. Your raw result is converted onto the 100 to 1,000 scale, and the conversion is tuned per form so a candidate who drew a harder set of questions is not penalized for it.
Two consequences follow. First, the same number of correct answers can produce different scaled scores on different forms. Second, AWS does not publish the conversion, and its certification FAQ notes that exam questions and passing scores are updated over time. The exam guide prints 750 for SAP-C02, and that is the only number worth planning against.
How Many Questions Can You Miss?
Everyone wants this number, and nobody outside AWS has it. Any exact figure you read online is a guess.
If you want a planning figure anyway, here is an honest one. Treat answering roughly three quarters of the scored questions correctly as the zone where passes begin. On 65 scored items, that is about 16 wrong answers. That is an estimate, not a rule, and it moves with the form you draw.
The practical conclusion is the same whatever the true figure is. If your practice results sit right on the line, a slightly harder form pushes you under it. Aim to be clear of 750, not level with it.
The 10 Questions That Do Not Count
Of the 75 questions you see, 10 are unscored. AWS uses them to collect performance data on new items before they become scored questions on future forms. They are mixed in with the rest and never marked, so you cannot recognize them and skip them.
The current HTML edition of the exam guide also lists an Emerging Topics section covering generative AI security and responsible AI controls. AWS states those items may appear as pretest questions and will not affect your score. You will not lose marks for missing them, but you will lose time if they rattle you. Answer, flag if you like, and move on.
So treat every question as scored. At 180 minutes for 75 items you have 2.4 minutes per question on average, and the long SAP-C02 stems use most of that.
Compensatory Scoring and What It Means for Study Time
SAP-C02 uses a compensatory model. There is no minimum per domain. You need one overall score of 750 or higher, and a strong domain can carry a weaker one.
The domains are weighted, though, so the trade is uneven:
- Design Solutions for Organizational Complexity, 26 percent of scored content
- Design for New Solutions, 29 percent
- Continuous Improvement for Existing Solutions, 25 percent
- Accelerate Workload Migration and Modernization, 20 percent
The smallest domain is still a fifth of the scored content. Candidates who give up on migration because it feels like a separate specialty are handing away marks that a week with the 7 Rs, AWS Application Migration Service, and AWS DMS would have earned. Our SAP-C02 migration strategies guide is a good place to close that gap.
Multiple Response Questions Are All or Nothing
The exam guide is explicit: on a multiple response question, you must select all the correct responses to receive credit. The question tells you how many to pick with a phrase such as “(Select TWO.)” or “(Select THREE.)”.
There is no partial credit. Picking two of the three correct options earns exactly what picking none earns. Professional level stems lean on these combination items, so if your practice tool gives you partial marks, rescore your results the strict way. Otherwise your practice numbers are flattering you.
Reading Your Score Report
The report shows pass or fail and your scaled score. It may also include a table classifying your performance in each section.
The exam guide attaches a warning to that table, and you should take it at face value: use caution when you interpret section level feedback. With 65 scored items spread across four domains, each section rests on somewhere around 13 to 19 questions. A weak classification on one section is a hint, not a diagnosis.
The reliable signal is a pattern across several full length attempts, where each domain has enough questions behind it to mean something.
Unanswered Questions and Guessing
Unanswered questions are scored as incorrect, and there is no penalty for guessing. Never leave an item blank.
Build that into your pacing. When a scenario is eating your clock, pick your best answer, flag it, and move on. A flagged question with an answer recorded costs you nothing if time runs out. A blank one costs you the mark for certain.
Turning 750 Into a Study Target
Practice on the same scale. A practice test that reports 81 percent tells you little about a scaled 750. Every mock exam in the Sailor.sh SAP-C02 bundle totals exactly 1,000 marks, with harder questions carrying more weight, and reports against the same 750 bar, so your practice number reads the way the real one does.
Build a margin. Book when several fresh papers in a row land clear of 750. Scores that hover on the line across your last two attempts are a signal to keep going, not to book.
Study your misses, not your hits. The fastest points on SAP-C02 come from understanding why the option you chose lost to the option you rejected. That usually turns on one phrase in the stem, such as LEAST operational overhead, a recovery time objective, or an account boundary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the SAP-C02 passing score really 750?
Yes. The official exam guide states that results are reported as a scaled score of 100 to 1,000 and that the minimum passing score is 750.
How many of the 75 questions are scored?
Sixty five. The other 10 are unscored questions used to evaluate new content, and they are not identified on the exam.
Do I need to pass every domain?
No. The model is compensatory, so only your overall score decides the result. Domain weights still tell you where your study time pays most.
How soon do I get my result?
AWS states results are available within 5 business days after the exam.
What happens if I fail?
You wait 14 calendar days and can sit again, with no limit on attempts. Each attempt costs the full 300 USD fee. With SAP-C03 arriving, check the timing in our SAP-C02 vs SAP-C03 guide before you plan a retake.
Next Steps
Start by finding your own number. The free 20-question SAP-C02 practice test is written at full exam depth, explains every option, and needs no signup. When you want the full rehearsal, the SAP-C02 mock exam bundle gives you 8 timed 180-minute mock exams of 75 questions each plus that free sample, 620 unique questions in total.
For more context, read SAP-C02 exam difficulty and pass rate and how to pass SAP-C02 on your first attempt.