AWS Retires Security Specialty v2 and MLS Is Gone by March 2026 — What It Means for Your Cert Path

Security Specialty gets a harder passing bar

AWS flipped the Security Specialty exam overnight: SCS-C02 closed on December 1 2025 and SCS-C03 opened the following day. The new version raises the passing score from 720 to 750 out of 1000 — the same threshold as Professional and other Specialty exams. It also introduces 15 unscored pilot questions embedded in the exam (they look identical to scored ones), and adds new question formats including ordering and matching tasks.

What changed in the content

The domain breakdown shifted significantly. Identity and Access Management leads at 20%, followed by Infrastructure Security and Data Protection at 18% each, Detection at 16%, Incident Response at 14%, and the new Security Foundations & Governance domain at 14%. Notably, Generative AI security has been folded into the Infrastructure Security domain rather than getting its own section — meaning every security candidate now needs to understand AI threat models even if they have no ML background.

Machine Learning Specialty: last chance by March 31 2026

AWS has not announced a replacement for MLS-C01. The exam closes permanently on March 31 2026. Candidates who have already started studying face a hard deadline. If you are partway through preparation, prioritise scheduling over completeness — you can always deepen knowledge after passing. AWS has not confirmed whether a new ML-focused exam will launch, leaving the door open for the GenAI Developer – Professional certification to fill part of that gap.

What this means for SAA candidates

SAA-C03 itself is unchanged. But these retirements reveal a pattern: AWS is consolidating its specialty portfolio around AI and security while raising the bar on passing scores. For SAA candidates planning their next cert, the Security Specialty (SCS-C03) is the most common next step after Solutions Architect Associate — build that IAM and VPC depth early. The retiring MLS creates a gap that the GenAI Developer – Professional cert is expected to address once launched.

Key dates to track

• Dec 1, 2025 — SCS-C02 last exam date (already passed)
• Dec 2, 2025 — SCS-C03 available (passing score: 750/1000)
• March 31, 2026 — MLS-C01 final exam date
• TBD — AWS GenAI Developer Professional launch