ANS-C01 Exam Guide: Cost, Format and Study Plan

The AWS Certified Advanced Networking - Specialty (ANS-C01) exam proves you can design, build and troubleshoot complex networks on AWS and connect them to on-premises sites. Plan on 8 to 12 weeks of study if you already work with AWS networking, and longer if you do not. Hands-on labs matter more than reading.

This guide covers what the exam tests, the format, the cost, a weekly plan, common mistakes and what happens after you pass.

What ANS-C01 proves and who should take it

This is a specialty certification. It is not an entry point. It targets people who already design or run networks and now need to do it on AWS.

Good fits include:

• Network engineers moving from data center or WAN work into cloud.

• Cloud architects who own hybrid connectivity, DNS and routing.

• Security engineers who design traffic inspection and segmentation.

AWS has commonly recommended several years of networking experience and some hands-on AWS time before this exam. If you have never built a VPC or read a BGP table, start with a broader cloud path first. Our Cloud Computing and Networking category pages list other options.

Exam format and skills measured

The exam is commonly described as about 65 questions in 170 minutes, with multiple-choice and multiple-response items. Scores are scaled from 100 to 1000, and the passing score is 750. Questions are mostly long scenarios where several answers look reasonable and only one meets every requirement. Check the current figures on the official AWS exam page before you book.

The four domains and their commonly published weights are:

In practice, these topics carry the exam:

• Connectivity: Transit Gateway, VPC peering, PrivateLink, Direct Connect, Site-to-Site VPN.

• Routing: BGP attributes, route propagation, route table priority, Direct Connect gateways and virtual interfaces.

• DNS: Route 53 public and private zones, Route 53 Resolver endpoints and rules.

• Edge and delivery: CloudFront, Global Accelerator, load balancer types.

• Security and visibility: security groups, network ACLs, AWS Network Firewall, VPC Flow Logs, Traffic Mirroring.

Use the official exam guide PDF from AWS as your checklist. If a topic is on it, you should be able to build it and break it.

What the exam costs and what our voucher includes

AWS has commonly listed specialty exams at $300 USD. Confirm the current price on the AWS Certification page, since AWS can change it and taxes may apply.

One voucher covers one exam attempt. Here is how our store handles delivery and refunds:

• The voucher code is emailed within 12 hours of payment. It also appears in your account.

• You can cancel an order for a full refund before delivery.

• A delivered code is non-refundable unless the test provider rejects it as invalid, already used or expired on first use.

• In that case, contact support within 14 days with your order number and a screenshot. We replace or refund the code.

Full terms are on our refund policy and delivery policy pages. If you are ready to book, here is the ANS-C01 voucher.

A 10-week study plan with weekly hours

This plan assumes about 8 to 10 hours per week and some AWS experience. Add two to four weeks if networking is new to you.

Pick one domain per week to build in your own account, even if the build is small.

A worked lab: isolate prod and dev behind one Transit Gateway

This scenario shows up in many forms on the exam. You have three VPCs: prod, dev and shared services. Prod and dev must both reach shared services but never each other.

1. Create one Transit Gateway with default route table association and propagation turned off.

2. Attach all three VPCs to the Transit Gateway.

3. Create two Transit Gateway route tables: one for spokes (prod and dev) and one for shared services.

4. Associate prod and dev attachments with the spoke table. Associate shared services with its own table.

5. Propagate only the shared services attachment into the spoke table. Propagate prod and dev into the shared table.

6. Update each VPC's subnet route tables. Add routes to the other VPCs' CIDRs with the Transit Gateway attachment as the target. Without these routes, traffic never reaches the Transit Gateway.

The result is that the Transit Gateway spoke table holds only the shared services route. Prod and dev cannot reach each other through it. Then verify it from the CLI:

aws ec2 describe-transit-gateway-attachments
aws ec2 get-transit-gateway-route-table-associations --transit-gateway-route-table-id tgw-rtb-0example
aws ec2 search-transit-gateway-routes --transit-gateway-route-table-id tgw-rtb-0example --filters Name=type,Values=propagated

The first command lists attachments. The second shows which attachments use each route table. The third shows learned routes. Run the last two against the spoke table and confirm that only the shared services CIDR appears. Replace the example route table ID with your own.

When you finish, delete the Transit Gateway and its attachments. They are billed hourly while they exist.

Common mistakes that cost points

• Memorizing service names instead of routing logic. Many questions ask which route wins or why traffic is dropped.

• Skipping hands-on work. Reading about Direct Connect VIF types is not the same as configuring them in a lab or reviewing a real setup.

• Ignoring DNS. Hybrid DNS with Resolver inbound and outbound endpoints is a frequent weak spot.

• Missing the cheapest requirement. Scenarios often add cost, latency or resilience constraints. Read the last sentence of each question first.

• Trusting exam dumps. They are often outdated or wrong, and they can breach exam rules. Use official docs, whitepapers and legitimate practice tests.

• Not managing time. With long scenarios, flag hard questions and return to them. Aim for roughly two minutes per question on the first pass.

After you pass

AWS certifications are commonly valid for three years, and you recertify by passing the current exam again or a qualifying higher-level one. Check your AWS Certification account for your exact expiry date.

Use the badge to back up real work: a hybrid connectivity redesign, a DNS migration or a centralized inspection project. If you want a security angle next, see our Cybersecurity category. Our Security+ study guide is also useful if you need stronger security fundamentals.

Sources

• ANS-C01 AWS Certified Advanced Networking - Specialty voucher

• Refund policy

• Delivery policy