Amazon Web Services · DAS-C01 (retired)

AWS Data Analytics - Specialty

AWS DAS · DAS-C01

The AWS Certified Data Analytics - Specialty (DAS-C01) validated deep expertise across the AWS analytics stack — Kinesis, Glue, EMR, Redshift, Athena, OpenSearch, and QuickSight — for engineers building production data pipelines. AWS retired this exam on April 9, 2024 and now points new candidates to the Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) as its successor. If you already passed DAS-C01, your badge stays active for three years; if you are aiming for a current credential in this space, this page explains the legacy exam, the transition, and how we help you pass the AWS data exam you actually need.

180 Minutes
65 Questions
750 / 1000 to pass
Center or Online

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Exam Spec Sheet

Provider Amazon Web Services
Exam code DAS-C01
Status Retired Apr 9, 2024
Successor Data Engineer - Associate
Format Multiple choice / multiple response
Duration 180 minutes
Questions 65 (50 scored)
Scoring 100–1000 · 750 to pass
Fee $300 USD (when offered)
Proctoring Pearson VUE OnVUE
Validity 3 years
Languages EN, JP, KR, Simplified ZH
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EXAM FORMAT

How the AWS Data Analytics - Specialty (DAS-C01) was built — at a glance

65

Questions in 180 minutes

Multiple-choice (one correct answer) and multiple-response (two or more correct) items. 50 questions counted toward your score; 15 unscored pretest items were mixed in unmarked.

750

Scaled passing score

Results were reported on a 100–1000 scale with a fixed cut score of 750. The exam was compensatory — you did not need to pass each domain individually, only hit the total.

5

Weighted domains

Collection, Storage & Data Management, Processing, Analysis & Visualization, and Security — spanning the full lifecycle of an AWS analytics pipeline end to end.

Retired — read before you register

AWS retired DAS-C01 on April 9, 2024, and you can no longer schedule it. AWS designates the Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) as the replacement credential for this skill area. The specs on this page describe the legacy exam for reference and for the many professionals who hold or are renewing it.

Scenario-heavy, service-deep

Questions were long, real-world scenarios that asked for the most cost-effective, secure, or performant design across overlapping services. Choosing between Kinesis Data Streams and Firehose, Glue and EMR, or Redshift and Athena under specific constraints was the core skill the exam rewarded.

WHAT'S TESTED

Five domains — bars show each domain's official share of the DAS-C01 score

1

Collection

18%

Ingesting data at the right frequency and volume — Kinesis Data Streams and Firehose, Amazon MSK (Kafka), Database Migration Service, and choosing batch versus streaming collection.

2

Storage & Data Management

22%

Designing the data lake and warehouse layer — S3 storage classes and partitioning, Lake Formation, the Glue Data Catalog, DynamoDB, and lifecycle and cataloging strategy.

3

Processing

24%

The largest domain — transforming data with AWS Glue ETL, EMR (Spark, Hive, Presto), Lambda, and Step Functions, plus orchestration and optimizing job cost and performance.

4

Analysis & Visualization

18%

Querying and surfacing insight — Amazon Redshift and Spectrum, Athena, OpenSearch Service, and building dashboards and ML-driven insights in Amazon QuickSight.

5

Security

18%

Protecting the pipeline — IAM, KMS encryption at rest and in transit, Lake Formation permissions, VPC and network isolation, and auditing and compliance controls.

Moving to DEA-C01?

The successor exam reframes these same services into four domains: Data Ingestion & Transformation, Data Store Management, Data Operations & Support, and Data Security & Governance. The underlying AWS services overlap heavily.

Processing and Storage & Data Management together carried 46% of the score, so most prep time went into Glue, EMR, Redshift, and the data lake design patterns that connect them. Domain weights shown reflect the official DAS-C01 exam guide.

DELIVERY & PROCTORING

How AWS exams are delivered through Pearson VUE — and what test day looks like

At a Pearson VUE test center

You sit the exam in a quiet, monitored room at a Pearson VUE center. Staff verify your government-issued ID, store your belongings, and watch the room. AWS specialty exams were priced at $300 USD. You get an on-screen whiteboard and an erasable noteboard for scratch work.

Online via Pearson VUE OnVUE

AWS exams can be taken from home through OnVUE, monitored by a live online proctor over webcam. You run a system test in advance, do a 360° room scan, and show a valid ID. No scratch paper is allowed online — an on-screen whiteboard replaces it.

ID & identity check

A valid, unexpired government photo ID whose name matches your AWS Certification account exactly. The proctor captures your photo before the exam unlocks.

Environment scan

A clear desk, no second monitor, no phone or notes within reach, and a full webcam room scan. No one else may enter the room during the exam.

During the exam

Stay in frame and on-camera the whole time. There are no scheduled breaks on a 180-minute AWS exam. Leaving your seat, talking aloud, or dropping connection can flag the session.

WHO IT WAS FOR

DAS-C01 targeted experienced AWS data professionals

  • Data engineers building pipelines on AWS analytics services
  • Data analysts and BI developers moving workloads to the cloud
  • Solutions architects specializing in big-data and lake-house design
  • Professionals validating skills with Redshift, Glue, EMR, and Kinesis
  • New candidates should now target Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01)

PREREQUISITES & DIFFICULTY

No formal gate — but a high experience bar

  • No mandatory prerequisite certification — open to any candidate
  • AWS recommended ~5 years with data analytics technologies
  • At least 2 years of hands-on experience working on AWS
  • Working knowledge of SQL, data modeling, and pipeline design

Difficulty: DAS-C01 was widely rated one of the harder AWS specialty exams. Long scenarios, overlapping services, and tight cost-versus-performance trade-offs across Glue, EMR, Redshift, and Kinesis meant even seasoned engineers prepared deliberately. The successor DEA-C01 sits at the associate level but still demands real, hands-on familiarity with the same service families.

HOW EXAM ASSIST HELPS YOU PASS AWS DATA EXAMS

Whether you are renewing a legacy DAS-C01 path or sitting the current Data Engineer - Associate, AWS data exams are dense, service-heavy, and time-boxed. Exam Assist pairs you with a vetted AWS specialist and works on a pay-after-you-pass model — so the risk sits with us, not you. No upfront fee, guaranteed results: Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end, and you settle only after the verified result.

1

Share your exam details

Tell us which AWS exam you need — DAS-C01 recert, DEA-C01, or another track — plus your delivery method (OnVUE or center) and target date. Takes a couple of minutes over WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord.

2

Get an honest feasibility answer

We review your timeline and target and tell you plainly whether it's realistic — before any money is discussed. If it isn't a fit, we say so.

3

The sitting is handled

Exam Assist handles the sitting end to end. You're matched with an AWS analytics specialist who maps the work around the Pearson VUE OnVUE environment and the service domains you'll be tested on — discreetly and confidentially.

4

Settle after the verified result

You only pay once your passing result is confirmed on your official AWS Certification record. No verified result, nothing owed.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED

Straight answers about the AWS Data Analytics - Specialty exam

Is the AWS Certified Data Analytics - Specialty exam still available? +
No. AWS retired the DAS-C01 exam on April 9, 2024, and new candidates can no longer register for it. AWS positions the Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01) certification as the direct replacement. If you already hold the DAS-C01 credential, it stays valid for three years from the date you earned it.
What was on the AWS Data Analytics - Specialty (DAS-C01) exam? +
DAS-C01 had 65 questions over 180 minutes across five domains: Collection (18%), Storage and Data Management (22%), Processing (24%), Analysis and Visualization (18%), and Security (18%). It tested services such as Kinesis, MSK, Glue, EMR, Redshift, Athena, OpenSearch, QuickSight, and Lake Formation. Results were scaled 100 to 1000, with 750 needed to pass.
Should I take DAS-C01 or the new Data Engineer - Associate? +
DAS-C01 is no longer offered, so new candidates should target AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate (DEA-C01), which AWS launched as the successor. It is an associate-level exam covering data ingestion and transformation, data store management, data operations and support, and data security and governance on AWS. If your goal is a current, schedulable credential in this space, DEA-C01 is the path.
How hard was the AWS Data Analytics - Specialty exam? +
It was one of the tougher AWS specialty exams. AWS recommended around five years of experience with data analytics technologies and two years of hands-on AWS experience. Long scenario questions, deep service-specific knowledge of Redshift, Glue, EMR, and Kinesis, and tight cost and security trade-offs made it demanding even for working data engineers.
How long is an AWS specialty certification valid? +
AWS certifications, including specialty credentials like the legacy DAS-C01, are valid for three years from the date you earn them. You maintain an active certification by recertifying before it expires, or by earning a higher-level AWS certification that supersedes it.
Do I pay Exam Assist before or after I see my AWS result? +
You settle only after your verified passing result is confirmed. There is no upfront fee — you share your exam details, receive an honest feasibility answer, and decide before any money changes hands. We advertise a guaranteed pass with money back if you do not pass; we offer a transparent, results-first arrangement.
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