AWSFoundational
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
Exam: CLF-C02
Optional. Gives you the AWS service vocabulary before DVA-C02. Skip if you already work on AWS.
~1 mo prepPractice questions
👨💻
Cloud Application Developer Certification Roadmap
Cloud application developers write code that runs on the cloud. This roadmap starts with the developer-focused associate cert for your chosen cloud, then adds the CI/CD, security, and platform skills that senior engineers need — all cross-vendor certs that travel with you.
5 phases · 16 certifications8–16 months
Cloud DeveloperSoftware EngineerBackend EngineerFull-Stack EngineerCloud-Native Developer
Filter by vendor
1
Phase 1 — Cloud Foundations
A light fundamentals cert before you specialize. Skip if you already build on the cloud daily.
After this phase: You can describe the core cloud services, IAM model, and pricing of your target cloud.
MicrosoftFundamentals
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals
Exam: AZ-900
Optional but often recommended before AZ-204. Establishes the Azure platform vocabulary.
~1 mo prepPractice questions
GoogleFoundational
Google Cloud Digital Leader
Exam: GCP-CDL
Optional for developers. More useful if you also interact with non-technical stakeholders.
~1 mo prepPractice questions
2
Phase 2 — Cloud Developer Associate
The developer-track associate cert for your cloud. This is the primary cert hiring managers look for in cloud developer roles.
After this phase: You can deploy, debug, and optimize cloud-native applications using SDKs, serverless, queues, and managed services.
AWSAssociate
AWS Certified Developer – Associate
Exam: DVA-C02
AWS's developer cert — heavy on Lambda, DynamoDB, CodePipeline, SDK, and API Gateway.
~3 mo prepPractice questions
MicrosoftAssociate
Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer Associate
Exam: AZ-204
Azure's developer cert — App Service, Functions, Container Apps, Cosmos DB, and Service Bus.
~3 mo prepPractice questions
GoogleProfessional
Google Professional Cloud Developer
Exam: GCP-PCD
GCP's developer cert — Cloud Run, GKE apps, Pub/Sub, Spanner, and Cloud Endpoints.
~3 mo prepPractice questions
3
Phase 3 — CI/CD & Infrastructure as Code
Vendor-neutral skills every cloud developer needs to ship reliably. These certs complement your cloud developer cert and are valued across all clouds.
After this phase: You can set up automated pipelines, provision cloud resources as code, and use AI coding tools in production.
GitHubAssociateCross-vendor
GitHub Actions
Exam: GH-200
GitHub Actions is the most widely used CI/CD tool. Essential for any developer who ships to a cloud.
~1 mo prepPractice questions
HashiCorpFoundationalCross-vendor
HashiCorp Certified: Terraform Associate
Exam: TA-004
Developers increasingly own infrastructure. Terraform is the most portable IaC tool.
~2 mo prepPractice questions
GitHubAssociateCross-vendor
GitHub Copilot
Exam: GH-300
Validates your ability to use AI code completion effectively and responsibly — increasingly expected.
~1 mo prepPractice questions
Linux FoundationFoundationalCross-vendor
Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate
Exam: KCNA
Developers on any cloud deploy to Kubernetes. KCNA gives you the platform vocabulary without hands-on ops.
~1 mo prepPractice questions
4
Phase 4 — Developer Security
Security is now a developer responsibility, not just an ops concern. These certs signal you write secure-by-default code.
After this phase: You can reason about OWASP risks, code securely in CI/CD pipelines, and use static analysis and secret scanning.
GitHubAssociateCross-vendor
GitHub Advanced Security
Exam: GH-500
Covers secret scanning, code scanning, and Dependabot — the developer-side of AppSec.
~1 mo prepPractice questions
CompTIABeginnerCross-vendor
CompTIA Security+
Exam: SY0-701
Optional but broadly respected vendor-neutral security cert. Useful if you're moving toward senior/security-aware roles.
~2 mo prepPractice questions
5
Phase 5 — Senior Developer / Architect
Add an architecture or DevOps cert to move into senior or tech lead roles.
After this phase: You can design cloud-native systems, own the CI/CD platform, and advise on cloud architecture decisions.
AWSAssociate
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
Exam: SAA-C03
Pairs with DVA-C02 for developers growing into architect territory.
~3 mo prepPractice questions
AWSProfessional
AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional
Exam: DOP-C02
The senior AWS cert for developers who also own the pipeline and platform.
~4 mo prepPractice questions
MicrosoftExpert
Microsoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert
Exam: AZ-400
The senior Azure cert for developers who want to own pipelines and platform engineering.
~4 mo prepPractice questions
GitHubAssociateCross-vendor
GitHub Agentic AI Developer
Exam: GH-600
Cutting-edge cert for developers building agentic AI applications — cloud-agnostic and in growing demand.
~2 mo prepPractice questions
Frequently Asked Questions
DVA-C02 or SAA-C03 — which AWS cert should a developer do first?
DVA-C02 if you write application code; SAA-C03 if you also design the infrastructure. Many developers do DVA-C02 first, then add SAA-C03 within 6 months.
Do I need the cloud fundamentals cert before the developer cert?
Only if you're brand new to the cloud. If you already ship code to AWS/Azure/GCP, skip straight to the developer associate cert.
Is GitHub Actions certification actually valued by employers?
Increasingly yes — as CI/CD becomes a developer responsibility rather than an ops one, demonstrating GitHub Actions proficiency is a real differentiator.
Related Roadmaps
⚙️
DevOps Engineer Certification Roadmap
A step-by-step path from cloud fundamentals to senior DevOps, covering AWS, Azure, GCP, Kubernetes, Terraform, and GitHub Actions.
🏛️
Cloud Architect Certification Roadmap
Become a cloud solutions architect on AWS, Azure, or GCP — with the cross-cloud and platform skills that get you to senior.
🛡️
Cloud Security Engineer Certification Roadmap
Move from general IT security into senior cloud security on AWS, Azure, or GCP — backed by vendor-neutral foundations.