Coming soon: AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate (MLA-C02) update
AWS Certification updates the AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate exam. Registration for the beta version of the exam will be available in English starting September 1, 2026. The last date to take the current version of the exam (MLA-C01) in English is September 28, 2026. The current version of the exam (MLA-C01) remains available in Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese during the beta period.
The role of machine learning (ML) engineers is evolving. Today’s ML engineers do more than just build and deploy traditional models. They implement generative AI solutions, work with underlying models and large-scale language models (LLMs), orchestrate agent AI workflows, and operate AI at scale. To keep pace with this evolution, the updated exam (MLA-C02) includes generative AI, agent AI, and foundation model/LLM workloads in addition to traditional ML engineering. This certification validates your ability to build, deploy, maintain, and monitor ML and generative AI solutions on AWS using services such as Amazon SageMaker AI and Amazon Bedrock.
Who is this certification for?
The updated AWS Certified Machine Learning Engineer – Associate certification is designed for professionals who build and operate ML and generative AI solutions in production environments. The roles covered are:
- ML and MLOps engineers responsible for end-to-end ML lifecycle management
- LLMOps engineers operating foundational models and GenAI applications
- Data engineers who build and manage ML data pipelines
- Software developers integrating ML/GenAI capabilities into their applications
- Data scientists moving into ML engineering roles
- Machine learning architects and solution architects designing ML systems
Recommended experiences:
- At least 1 year of experience using Amazon SageMaker AI, Amazon Bedrock, and other AWS services for ML engineering.
- 1+ years of experience in a related role, such as a backend software developer, DevOps developer, data engineer, or data scientist.
- Experience with both traditional ML and generative AI
For employers and AWS partners: This certification gives ML and MLOps engineers confidence that their current skills across both traditional ML and generative AI are validated, ensuring their teams can deliver production-grade solutions that meet today’s business goals.
What has changed in MLA-C02 and why?
The domain structure of the exam remains unchanged. No new domains were added. However, the updated exam reflects important additions that align with how the role of ML engineers has expanded in practice.
- Implementing generative AI: Build and deploy a GenAI solution, fine-tune the underlying model, and implement a search augmentation generation (RAG) architecture.
- agent AI: Orchestrating complex workflows with AI agents
- Basic models and LLM: Large-scale language model selection, customization, and operationalization
- Amazon bedrock: Expanding the coverage of Amazon Bedrock features for generative AI workloads
- Responsible AI practices: Updated guidance for responsible AI implementation across both traditional ML and generative AI.
Existing task statements and skills have been updated to align with current industry practices while retaining the core ML engineering competencies that have always been validated through certification.
Note: A complete exam guide with detailed task descriptions will be available when beta registration opens on September 1, 2026.
important dates
September 1, 2026 – Beta registration begins (English only). Exam guide released
September 28, 2026 – Last day to take MLA-C01 in English (Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese remain available during beta)
September 29, 2026 – Beta launch begins
Beta exam details
Duration: 170 minutes
Number of questions: 85
Price: $75
Language: English only
Delivery: Pearson VUE (test center or online proctor)
Should I take MLA-C01 or MLA-C02?
If you are taking the exam in English, please consider the following:
- If you’re ready and want to get certified now, take MLA-C01 (until September 28, 2026). Credentials remain valid until their original expiration date.
- If you want a certification that certifies both traditional ML and GenAI skills, take advantage of the beta (registration begins September 1, 2026).
An updated standard version of the exam (MLA-C02) will be available in early 2027 for all exam languages.
Get started today
The role of the ML engineer is evolving, and this certification is evolving with it. Whether you’re building a recommendation system, fine-tuning a foundational model, or implementing an agent AI workflow, MLA-C02 validates that your skills reflect today’s industry demands.
