How to Schedule the AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam: Your Account, Pearson VUE and Test Center or Online

AWS Certification exams have no eligibility requirements: AWS's Before Testing page says every certification "may be earned without completing specific prerequisites." Booking CLF-C02 is therefore an account-and-calendar task. The steps below follow AWS's own instructions as checked on October 27, 2026; the details that can cost you the appointment or the fee are the name match, the 24-hour window and late arrival.

Before you book: three things to settle

1. Your name, exactly as on your ID. AWS's During Testing page says test administrators must turn away a candidate whose first and last names on the ID and the AWS Certification Account are not identical. Only Roman (English) characters are supported; replace letters such as ü or ö with their plain equivalents. Middle names, titles and suffixes are optional. If you have only one name, AWS asks you to put a period (".") in the empty first or last name field.
2. ESL +30, if English isn't your first language and you'll test in English. AWS grants 30 extra minutes on request. You request it once, before registering, and it then applies to all future registrations.
3. Accommodations for a disability. These are arranged in advance with Pearson VUE, which handles the request directly and schedules approved candidates by phone. AWS says accommodations must be requested before scheduling each exam.

If your account name is wrong, change it at least two business days before your exam. AWS advises canceling an existing appointment before asking customer service to fix the name, then rescheduling once it is done.

Booking CLF-C02 step by step

From the Before Testing page:

1. Create your AWS Certification Account. Go to aws.training/Certification, choose Sign In and create an AWS Builder ID. This account is separate from any AWS account you use for cloud services. If you end up with two certification accounts, AWS's FAQ points to a Merge Accounts tool.
2. Start scheduling. Select Go to your Account, then Schedule New Exam.
3. Find the exam. Choose AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, then Schedule with Pearson VUE.
4. Choose delivery, date and time. On the Pearson VUE dashboard, pick a test center or online proctoring and a slot. To compare test centers near you, use Pearson VUE's locator.
5. Pay. Use a card (Visa, American Express, Mastercard or JCB) or a voucher code. The fee is 100 USD plus any taxes; the CLF-C02 cost guide lists local prices.
6. Read the confirmation email in full. AWS says it contains the policies and terms for your appointment, including what to bring.

You will also be asked to accept Pearson VUE's terms and the AWS Certification Program Agreement. With a date booked, you can match your remaining weeks to the planned per-domain CLF-C02 practice once full prep launches.

Test center or online for CLF-C02: a side-by-side

AWS says online proctoring is available for all its exams through Pearson VUE. The two options differ in ways that matter on the day:

Choose a test center if your home internet is unreliable, if you share your space, or if you might need a break. Choose online if travel is the bigger risk and you can count on a quiet, private room for the whole session, check-in included. AWS notes that you must communicate with a proctor to complete an online appointment.

CLF-C02 ID rules in detail

AWS defines the two ID types on its During Testing page:

• Primary ID: original (no photocopies or digital IDs), unexpired, government-issued, with your first and last name in Roman characters, a recent recognizable photo and your signature. AWS's examples are an international travel passport and a driver's license.
• Secondary ID: any ID with your name in Roman characters and either your signature or a recent recognizable photo.

If you are testing in a country that did not issue your primary ID, AWS requires a passport from your country of citizenship, in Roman characters. Expired, damaged, digital, photocopied and paper IDs are refused. The page lists country-specific exceptions, such as EU identity cards for EU candidates testing in the EU; check them if your ID is unusual.

Rescheduling and canceling a CLF-C02 appointment

• More than 24 hours before: reschedule or cancel in your account through Manage Pearson VUE Exams. Canceling refunds the fee you paid.
• Twice per appointment: a third change means canceling and booking again.
• Within 24 hours: no changes and no refund. For personal illness or emergencies, Pearson VUE can waive the fee with documentation.
• No-show: the fee is forfeited. AWS's FAQ says you can register again 24 hours after the missed time, and a missed exam is not recorded as a fail.

If a voucher paid for the exam, check its expiration before moving the date; AWS says voucher expiration dates cannot be extended. Because a late change costs the whole fee, pick a date you can keep, and if you buy prep later, choose a planned access period that ends after your CLF-C02 appointment.

Teens and CLF-C02 registration

Candidates must be at least 13 when they schedule. Under AWS's teen testing policy, candidates aged 13 to 17 need a parent or legal guardian, who creates the account in the teen's name, opens a customer-service case and submits a consent form. AWS responds about five to seven business days after it receives the form. The parent or guardian must accompany the teen to the test center with a government ID and the approved form, and the process repeats for every exam.

After you book CLF-C02

Your date sets the study window. The free CLF-C02 study planner turns your date and daily time into a plan weighted by the four domains, and the CLF-C02 study time guide helps you check that the window is long enough. Read the CLF-C02 exam format guide before test day so the exam screen holds no surprises.

The planned CLF-C02 prep runs in any browser on a computer, tablet or phone, which suits short sessions between now and your appointment once it launches.