TL;DR: AWS’s own certification page says the last day to take the AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty exam (ANS-C01) is December 31, 2026. Certifications earned before then stay active for the standard three years, no new certifications will be issued after retirement, and the page names no replacement exam. An earlier retirement date of August 2026 was moved to December 31 after customer feedback, according to an AWS community roundup. If you hold the certification and need to renew, the decision turns on your expiry date: retaking the exam before December 31 gives a full three-year renewal, while AWS’s new Maintain program (in beta) extends eligible certifications by one year through Skill Builder activities. Whether ANS-C01 is on the Maintain list is not settled, because AWS’s June announcement does not list it and a September roundup says it applies. If you are a first-time candidate, you have 80 days from October 12, and a reported 14-day retake wait makes December 17 the last practical first attempt. This guide gives you the countdown, a renew, retake or let-it-lapse table, and alternatives.
The short version: this is a date-driven decision. Find your expiry date first, then use the table.
Quick Facts
| Item | What we found |
| Exam | AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty (ANS-C01) |
| Last day to take the exam | December 31, 2026 (AWS certification page) |
| Earlier date | August 2026, reported as delayed after customer feedback (AWS community roundup). One third-party blog still shows August 25 |
| Existing certifications | Stay active for the standard three-year period (AWS page) |
| New certifications | None issued after retirement (AWS page) |
| Replacement exam | None named (AWS page). It points to Skill Builder networking training |
| Exam format | 65 questions, multiple choice or multiple response, 170 minutes (AWS page) |
| Exam fee | US$300, plus possible foreign exchange costs (AWS page) |
| Delivery | Pearson VUE test center or online proctored (AWS page) |
| Languages | English, Japanese, Korean and Simplified Chinese (AWS page) |
| Validity | Three years. To recertify, you pass the latest version of the exam (AWS page) |
| Recommended experience | 5+ years of networking, with 2+ years of cloud and hybrid networking (AWS page) |
| Discount | 50% off your next exam after earning one AWS certification (AWS page) |
| Maintain program | Beta. Extends eligible certifications by one year through Skill Builder, if within 90 days of expiry (AWS blog, June 23, 2026) |
| Is ANS-C01 eligible for Maintain? | Not on AWS’s June list. A September community roundup says holders can use it. Unresolved |
| Passing score | Reported as 750 on a 100 to 1,000 scale (third party) |
| Domains | Reported as Network Design 30%, Network Implementation 26%, Network Management and Operation 20%, Network Security, Compliance and Governance 24% (third party) |
| Retake wait | Reported as 14 days after a failed attempt (third party) |
Items marked “third party” come from blogs and community posts, not from AWS’s pages. The AWS page we read did not list domains or weights, and the exam guide it links to carries them. Confirm them there before you book.
The December 31 Countdown
Most coverage of this news lists what changed. This guide starts with the calendar, because the date drives every option.
| Days left | Date | What to have done |
| 80 | October 12 | Find your certification expiry date in your AWS Certification account |
| About 60 | Late October | Decide whether you are renewing, retaking or letting it lapse |
| 49 | November 12 | If retaking, be at least halfway through your study plan |
| 31 | November 30 | Book your exam slot. Test centers and online slots fill near deadlines |
| 14 | December 17 | Last practical first attempt, if you want a retake before the cutoff |
| 0 | December 31 | Last day to take the exam |
How we built the retake row
The 14-day retake wait is reported by a third party and not stated on the AWS page we read. If it applies, a first attempt on December 17 allows a second on December 31. A first attempt after December 17 leaves no room for a retry. If you want a safety margin for scheduling problems, move the first attempt earlier. We also assume the 14 days count from the failed attempt. Confirm both in the AWS certification policies.
Renew, Retake or Let It Lapse: The Decision Table
If you hold ANS-C01, the right choice depends mainly on when your certification expires. The table below uses AWS’s stated rules, and it flags the points that are not settled.
| Your situation | Best option | Why |
| Certification expires before December 31, 2026 | Retake the exam, or use Maintain if you qualify | Retaking gives a full three-year renewal (AWS community roundup). Maintain adds one year. Check whether ANS-C01 is eligible, which is unresolved |
| Certification expires in 2027 or later and you want to hold it as long as possible | Retake before December 31 | A pass before the cutoff resets your three-year clock. After retirement, there is no later version of the exam to pass, so a later exam renewal looks unavailable |
| Certification expires in 2027 and you only need it until then | Do nothing now | It stays active for its standard period, per the AWS page |
| You rely on it for a job requirement or partner status | Retake before December 31 | It gives the longest remaining validity |
| You are within 90 days of expiry and want a cheaper path | Ask whether Maintain applies | Maintain requires being within 90 days of expiration, an active Skill Builder subscription, and a supported certification |
| You hold a Professional certification that cascades | Check what your higher certification renews | AWS says maintaining a certification extends related lower ones. Whether this reaches ANS-C01 is not stated |
| You have never held it and want it | Take it before December 31 | It is the last chance, and no replacement is named |
The arithmetic of the longest runway
If a pass before December 31, 2026 gives a three-year validity, the latest any ANS-C01 certification could run is around the end of 2029. That is our arithmetic on the reported rules, not an AWS statement. It also assumes AWS does not change the policy for specialty holders, and AWS has not said what happens at expiry beyond “no recertification route is described.” One third-party blog goes further and states that the credential “can never be renewed.” We treat that as an inference, not a fact.
The discount
AWS’s page offers 50% off your next exam after earning one certification. Our arithmetic: if it applies to ANS-C01, the US300feefallstoUS150. We do not know whether the discount covers a retake of an exam you already hold, so check your account for the voucher before you pay.
What the Maintain Program Is
AWS announced the Maintain program on June 23, 2026. Here is what AWS says.
| Item | Detail |
| What it does | Extends your certification by one year through curated Skill Builder courses and hands-on labs, instead of retaking the exam |
| Status | Open beta, with a feedback survey |
| Eligibility | Certification within 90 days of expiration, an active Skill Builder subscription (Individual or Team), and a supported certification |
| Supported at launch | Solutions Architect Associate, Developer Associate, CloudOps Engineer Associate (and SysOps Administrator Associate), DevOps Engineer Professional, Solutions Architect Professional |
| Coming later this year | Data Engineer Associate, Security Specialty, Machine Learning Engineer Associate |
| Associate requirement | 500 points, including at least one practical activity |
| Professional requirement | 700 points, including at least two practical activities |
| Cascade | Maintaining a certification extends related lower-level certifications that are active and expire within a year, to match |
| Cost | No separate fee beyond the Skill Builder subscription. The price is not stated |
| Not stated | Whether you can use Maintain more than once, and any beta end date |
Where ANS-C01 stands
AWS’s June announcement does not list ANS-C01 among the supported or upcoming certifications. A September community roundup says that anyone who previously passed ANS-C01 and needs to renew before the retirement date can use Maintain, which would extend the certification by one year. We could not find an AWS page that confirms it. The two statements conflict, and the roundup may reflect a later update. Check the Maintain page in Skill Builder for your own certification before you plan around it.
Maintain vs retaking
| Factor | Maintain (beta) | Retake before December 31 |
| Extension | One year | Three years |
| Cost | Skill Builder subscription | US$300 exam fee, possibly discounted |
| Effort | Courses and labs by points | One 170-minute exam |
| Timing | Within 90 days of expiry | Any time before December 31 |
| Risk | Eligibility for ANS-C01 unconfirmed | You might fail, and retry time is short |
| Best for | Holders near expiry who want a lower-effort bridge | Holders who want the longest runway |
Why Is AWS Retiring It?
AWS has not published a rationale on the page we read. One third-party blog infers that AWS is thinning its specialty tier, pointing to other retired specialties and new AI and role-based credentials, and argues that networking expectations are being folded into the Solutions Architect track and Skill Builder training. That is the blog’s reading, not an AWS statement, so treat it as context. What is stated is simple: AWS names no replacement and points to digital networking training.
If You Never Held It: Alternatives
If the exam is gone and you want to show networking depth, these paths are the closest options named in the sources we read.
| Option | What it shows | Source of the suggestion |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional | Architecture depth including hybrid connectivity and network design | A third-party blog |
| AWS Certified Security – Specialty (SCS-C03) | Security-driven networking work | A third-party blog |
| AWS Certified CloudOps Engineer – Associate | Operations and platform support | A third-party blog |
| AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate | A renewable foundation | A third-party blog |
| AWS Application Networking microcredential | Hands-on skills, free, timed, about two hours, multiple attempts | AWS community roundup |
| AWS Networking learning plan and ramp-up guide | Learning without an exam | A third-party blog |
For the retiring exam itself, our ANS-C01 exam questions can help you find weak domains. Our practice resources can also help you test yourself on the nearest renewable options: Security Specialty SCS-C03 exam questions and Solutions Architect Associate SAA-C03 exam questions. If your networking work leans security, our comparison of CCSP vs AWS Security Specialty shows how the security credentials compare.
Preparing for ANS-C01 in 11 Weeks
If you are taking the exam for the first time, or retaking it, this plan counts back from a first attempt around December 14 to keep a retake option open. It is ours, and AWS’s exam guide is the authority on topics. The weights below are reported by a third party and should be checked against the guide.
| Weeks | Dates | Focus | Output |
| 1 | October 12 to 18 | Download the exam guide. Take a baseline practice set | A gap list by domain |
| 2 to 4 | October 19 to November 8 | Network design (about 30%): VPC design, Transit Gateway, hybrid connectivity, DNS | Diagrams for three reference architectures |
| 5 to 6 | November 9 to 22 | Network implementation (about 26%): routing, Direct Connect, VPN, load balancing | Hands-on lab notes |
| 7 | November 23 to 29 | Management and operation (about 20%): monitoring, troubleshooting, flow logs | A troubleshooting checklist |
| 8 | November 30 to December 6 | Security, compliance and governance (about 24%): firewalls, inspection, encryption in transit | Policy sketches |
| 9 | December 7 to 13 | Timed practice: 65 questions in 170 minutes | Score by domain |
| 10 | December 14 to 17 | First attempt, no later than December 17 | A result |
| 11 | December 18 to 31 | If needed, retake after the waiting period | A pass before the cutoff |
If you have less time
Cut the plan from the middle. Keep the baseline, the two largest domains (design and implementation) and the timed practice. If you are already a working network engineer on AWS, your hands-on knowledge covers much of implementation and operation. Spend the saved time on security and governance questions, which are often the least familiar.
Hands-on is the real preparation
AWS recommends five or more years of networking experience, including two or more in cloud and hybrid. Reading alone is a weak plan for a specialty exam. Build a hub-and-spoke network, connect it to a simulated on-premises site, and break it on purpose.
Practice Scenarios
These are illustrations, not real people.
Scenario 1: A network engineer whose certification expires in November. He has seven weeks. He could retake the exam for a three-year renewal, or check whether Maintain applies to him. If Maintain does not list his certification, he retakes.
Scenario 2: A cloud architect whose certification expires in March 2027. She does not need to act for the expiry itself. But if she wants it past March, retaking before December 31 is the only reported route, because no exam exists afterward.
Scenario 3: A candidate who never took it. He wanted the credential for a job application. He has 80 days, a $300 fee (possibly discounted) and a December 17 target for a first attempt.
Scenario 4: A holder of Solutions Architect Professional. She asks whether her next Professional renewal also renews her specialty. AWS’s Maintain page describes cascading for lower-level certifications, and does not say anything about specialties. She should check her account after any renewal.
Scenario 5: A candidate who fails on December 10. If the 14-day wait applies, the earliest retake is December 24, which still falls before the cutoff. If she fails on December 20, no retake is possible before December 31.
A Quick Checklist for Current Holders
| Step | What to do | Why |
| 1 | Open your AWS Certification account and note the expiry date | Every option in this guide depends on it |
| 2 | Check for a 50% discount voucher | AWS lists 50% off your next exam after earning one certification |
| 3 | Open the Maintain page in Skill Builder and look for ANS-C01 | The sources disagree on eligibility, so your own account is the tiebreaker |
| 4 | Decide by expiry date using the decision table | Retake, Maintain or hold |
| 5 | If retaking, book a slot no later than late November | Slots near a retirement date are likely to tighten, though AWS does not say so |
| 6 | Save your digital badge and certificate details | The credential will not be issued again after retirement |
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Why it costs you | What to do instead |
| Waiting until the last week to book | A failed attempt leaves no retry time if the 14-day wait applies | Aim for a first attempt by December 14 |
| Assuming Maintain covers ANS-C01 | AWS’s June list does not include it | Confirm in Skill Builder before you plan around it |
| Assuming the certification disappears on December 31 | AWS says existing certifications stay active for their standard period | Check your own expiry date |
| Assuming a replacement is coming | AWS names none | Plan around the alternatives or Skill Builder training |
| Studying from an August-era blog | One blog still shows an August 25 last date | Use AWS’s certification page for dates |
| Treating domain weights as official | The weights here come from a third party | Check the AWS exam guide |
| Ignoring your higher certifications | Cascade rules may help or may not reach a specialty | Check your account after any renewal |
Where This Fits Among Cloud and Security Credentials
If you are rethinking your certification plan because of this retirement, these guides cover related decisions. Our best cybersecurity certifications guide places cloud security credentials next to the wider field, and our practice tests hub lists exam resources across the catalog. We could not find a source that isolates ANS-C01 holders in salary data, so we omit salary figures.
What We Don’t Know Yet
We would rather list gaps than guess.
- Whether ANS-C01 qualifies for Maintain. AWS’s June list omits it, and a September roundup says it applies.
- What happens at expiry after retirement. AWS says existing certifications stay active for three years and that you recertify by passing the latest version of the exam. After retirement there is no latest version, and AWS has not said what holders do next.
- Whether a higher-level certification renews ANS-C01. The sources do not say.
- Whether the retake wait is 14 days. A third party reports it. The AWS page does not state it.
- Whether the December 31 date will move again. It moved once, after customer feedback.
- Whether Maintain can be used more than once. AWS does not say.
- The Skill Builder subscription price. It is not stated in the announcement.
- Domain weights. The AWS page we read does not list them, and the figures here come from a third party.
- Whether the 50% discount applies to a retake. AWS says it applies to your next exam after earning one certification.
FAQS
When is the last day to take ANS-C01?
December 31, 2026, according to AWS’s certification page. An earlier August date was moved after customer feedback, according to an AWS community roundup.
Is there a replacement exam?
AWS names none. Its page points to digital networking training on Skill Builder.
Does my certification stop working on December 31?
No. AWS says certifications earned before retirement stay active for the standard three-year period.
Can I renew after the exam retires?
AWS says you recertify by passing the latest version of the exam, and after retirement there is none. AWS has not described another route for ANS-C01, so check your account.
What does retaking give me?
A full three-year renewal if you pass before December 31, according to an AWS community roundup.
What is the Maintain program?
An open beta, announced June 23, 2026, that extends eligible certifications by one year through Skill Builder courses and labs, if you are within 90 days of expiry.
Is ANS-C01 eligible for Maintain?
Unresolved. AWS’s June list does not include it, and a September community roundup says it applies. Check Skill Builder.
How much does the exam cost?
US$300, plus possible foreign exchange costs, per AWS. AWS also lists 50% off your next exam after earning one certification.
How long is the exam?
170 minutes, with 65 questions, per AWS.
How long should I wait between attempts?
A third party reports 14 days. Confirm in AWS’s certification policies.
What should I take instead?
Third-party suggestions include Solutions Architect Professional, Security Specialty, CloudOps Engineer Associate and the free Application Networking microcredential.
Where is the official information?
AWS’s Advanced Networking Specialty certification page carries the retirement notice and exam details.
