The real cost of AWS Certified Security - Specialty: exam, training, and renewal
The exam is the down payment; training and renewal are the rest of the cost. Below is what each piece actually costs, every figure sourced and dated. The exam, the training, and the renewal are separate — a course is not the certification.
See the certification itself: AWS Certified Security - Specialty.
What it costs
| Cost | Amount | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exam fee (one-time) | $300 | 2026-06-08 | official |
| Renewal / maintenance | $0 per 3-year cycle | 2026-07-01 | official |
Keeping it current
This credential is valid for 3 years. Renewal model: Recertify by passing the current exam version or another qualifying AWS certification route.
A transparent 3-year estimate
Self-study route ≈ $300 — just the exam ($300), studying with free self-paced material (many vendors publish it).
These are illustrations from cited components, not quotes; they exclude retakes, study materials, and your time, and use the lowest published (commercial, non-discounted) training price. Your cost will differ.
Many certification vendors publish free self-paced training (for example AWS Skill Builder and Microsoft Learn), so the training line can be $0 if you self-study — see the training-options pages and the training providers hub.
Sources
- Exam fee: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-security-specialty/
- Renewal/maintenance: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/recertification/
Citation Ledger
| ID | Supports | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIT-01 | Exam fee $300 (as of 2026-06-08) | Official exam page | link |
| CIT-02 | Renewal/maintenance $0 (as of 2026-07-01) | Certifying-body page | link |