AWS ML Engineer Exam Cost (MLA-C01/C02): Price, Passing Score, Retakes
The AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate exam costs 150 USD for MLA-C01. The MLA-C02 beta costs 75 USD, half price, with registration open since September 1, 2026 and delivery starting September 29, 2026. Both exam guides set the passing score at 720 on the 100 to 1,000 scale, a failed MLA-C01 attempt means a 14-day wait and another 150 USD, the beta allows one attempt only, and the credential is valid for 3 years.
There is a deadline attached to all of this. The English version of MLA-C01 is available through September 28, 2026. The version you sit and the price you pay depend on your exam date and language:
- Through September 28, 2026: MLA-C01 in English, Japanese, Korean or Simplified Chinese, 150 USD.
- From September 29, 2026 until the standard MLA-C02 launches: English candidates can take only the MLA-C02 beta (75 USD, one attempt) while it runs. MLA-C01 stays available in Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese.
- From January 14, 2027 (AWS’s stated plan): the standard MLA-C02 is scheduled to start in all languages and MLA-C01 retires everywhere. That date comes from AWS’s certification blog; the exam page still lists general availability as TBD, according to AWS’s September 2026 certification update.
List price
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| MLA-C01 exam (through September 28, 2026 in English) | 150 USD |
| MLA-C02 beta exam (delivery from September 29, 2026) | 75 USD |
| Each MLA-C01 retake | 150 USD (full fee) |
| MLA-C02 beta retake | Not allowed; you retake once the standard MLA-C02 is available |
| Standard MLA-C02 (scheduled from January 14, 2027) | Not yet listed; AWS prices associate-level exams at 150 USD |
| Official exam guide | Free |
| Other discounts | 50% voucher if you hold an active AWS certification |
The beta’s trade-off is the single attempt: fail it and you wait for the standard MLA-C02 to try again. Pass it and you earn the same AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate certification as an MLA-C01 passer, active for 3 years, with results typically in your AWS Certification Account within 5 business days. Separately, if you already hold an active AWS certification, AWS gives you a 50% discount voucher toward recertification or any other exam, which brings a 150 USD exam down to 75 USD.
Questions, time and passing score
| Exam fact | MLA-C01 | MLA-C02 beta |
|---|---|---|
| Questions | 65 (50 scored + 15 unscored) | 85 |
| Time limit | 130 minutes | 170 minutes |
| Passing score | 720 on 100 to 1,000 | 720 on 100 to 1,000 |
| Question formats | Multiple choice, multiple response, ordering, matching | Multiple choice, multiple response |
| Languages | English (through September 28, 2026), Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese | English only |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or online proctored | Pearson VUE test center or online proctored |
The MLA-C01 domains and weightings from the exam guide: Data Preparation for ML (28%), ML Model Development (26%), Deployment and Orchestration of ML Workflows (22%), and ML Solution Monitoring, Maintenance, and Security (24%). The target candidate has at least 1 year with Amazon SageMaker and other AWS ML services plus 1 year in a related role. MLA-C02 adds Amazon Bedrock to that target profile, which tells you where the new questions are coming from.
A side note for anyone reading the AWS exam page closely: the beta is listed under the exam code ME1-C02. That is not a typo. It is the beta’s own exam code; the standard version of the updated exam will be MLA-C02.
What a retake costs
For MLA-C01, a retake is the full 150 USD. The AWS after-testing policy applies:
- 14 calendar days minimum between a failed attempt and the next one.
- No cap on the number of attempts.
- Full registration fee each time.
- Beta exams (MLA-C02 beta) can be taken only once.
The 14-day rule matters around the cutover. If you fail English MLA-C01 on or after September 15, 2026, the wait runs past the September 28 cutoff, so there is no English MLA-C01 retake. Your next English attempt is MLA-C02, either the beta while it runs or the standard version, and both follow the updated C02 blueprint.
How long it stays valid
The certification is valid for 3 years from the pass date, and an MLA-C01 certification stays active for its full 3 years even after MLA-C01 retires. To renew, pass the latest version of the exam before your certification expires. AWS puts a 50% discount voucher in your AWS Certification Account for exam-based recertification, so budget half the standard exam price at the time you renew.
What you do not pay for
The official exam guide is free and is the closest thing to a syllabus, though AWS notes it is not a complete list of exam content. For MLA-C02, read the C02 exam guide rather than the C01 one; the new generative AI coverage (foundation models, RAG, agents and Amazon Bedrock) and the reweighted domains (28/24/24/24 instead of 28/26/22/24) are the visible differences. Our MLA-C02 exam guide walks through what changed. AWS requires no prerequisite certification for this exam.
Our free MLA practice questions follow the MLA-C01 domain weightings; the same four domains carry over to MLA-C02, but the new generative AI tasks are not in that bank.
How this compares
| Certification | Price | Questions | Time | Passing score | Valid for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS ML Engineer Associate (MLA-C01) | 150 USD | 65 | 130 min | 720 / 1,000 | 3 years |
| AWS ML Engineer Associate (MLA-C02 beta) | 75 USD | 85 | 170 min | 720 / 1,000 | 3 years |
| AWS AI Practitioner (AIF-C01) | 100 USD | 65 | 90 min | 700 / 1,000 | 3 years |
| NVIDIA NCA-GENL | 125 USD | 50 to 60 | 60 min | Not published | 2 years |
At 150 USD, MLA-C01 costs the most of these, and either version of the MLA exam runs the longest. The 75 USD beta halves the price, if you can live with one attempt.
Test yourself before you book.
Free AWS Machine Learning Engineer practice questions, weighted to the official blueprint, with a plain-English explanation on every one.
Keep reading: Study guide · MLS-C01 vs MLA-C01 · AWS AI Practitioner exam cost · All AI & cloud exam prep
HOW TO // AI is not affiliated with or endorsed by Amazon Web Services or NVIDIA. AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate and Amazon Web Services are trademarks of Amazon Web Services, Inc.; we reference them descriptively. All content is original. Exam details come from the official AWS and NVIDIA pages as of September 2026 and can change; check the official exam page before booking.
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Related guides
- AWS ML Engineer Associate (MLA-C01) Study Guide & Cheat Sheet
- Free AWS Machine Learning Engineer – Associate Practice Questions
- MLA-C02 Exam Guide: What’s Changing From MLA-C01
- MLS-C01 Is Retired: What Replaced AWS’s ML Specialty (and What to Take Now)
Frequently asked questions
How much does the AWS Machine Learning Engineer Associate exam cost?
MLA-C01 costs 150 USD. The MLA-C02 beta, delivered from September 29, 2026 in English only, costs 75 USD. AWS lists associate-level exams at 150 USD, so check the official exam page for the standard MLA-C02 price when it launches.
Can I still take MLA-C01 after September 28, 2026?
Not in English. September 28, 2026 is the last day for English MLA-C01. It stays available in Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese until the standard MLA-C02 launches, which AWS has scheduled for January 14, 2027, when MLA-C01 retires in all languages.
Is the 75 USD MLA-C02 beta a good deal?
It is half the MLA-C01 price, and a pass earns the full certification, valid for 3 years. The catch is one attempt only: if you fail, you wait for the standard MLA-C02 to retake. It is also longer, with 85 questions in 170 minutes versus 65 questions in 130 minutes for MLA-C01.
Do I pay the full fee again if I fail?
Yes. AWS charges the full registration fee for every attempt and makes you wait 14 calendar days after a failed exam. There is no limit on attempts for standard exams, but the beta can be taken only once.
