I just booked my AWS AI Practitioner exam: the real cost from Brazil, the rescheduling rules and my study plan
What booking the AIF-C01 really cost me with a Brazilian credit card, what happens if you need to change the date, and the 4-week plan I'm following until exam day.
I finally did it: I booked my AWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01) exam. 🎉
Before clicking "buy", I had two questions nobody answered clearly for me: how much will this really cost in my currency, and what happens if I need to change the date? So here's everything I found, plus the study plan I'm following until exam day.
What it really cost me (paying from Brazil)
The exam costs USD 100. But when you pay with a Brazilian credit card, three things stack up, a bit like buying something in a foreign store:
- The exchange rate of the day (the price tag in another currency).
- The bank's spread: the bank buys the dollar cheaper and sells it to you a bit more expensive, like a currency exchange booth.
- IOF: a Brazilian tax of 3.5% on international card purchases, charged on top.
My real numbers:
- Purchase converted to reais: R$ 531.00
- IOF (3.5%): R$ 18.58
- Total: R$ 549.58
💡 Tip: check whether you can get a discount voucher before paying. AWS offers vouchers through programs and challenges from time to time, especially for students.
Can I change the date? Yes, with rules
This was my biggest fear, so I read the official policy:
- You can reschedule up to 24 hours before your appointment.
- Each appointment can be rescheduled up to two times. For a third change, you cancel and book again.
- If you cancel more than 24 hours before, the exam fee is refunded. Within 24 hours, or if you don't show up, you lose it.
- If you used a voucher, its expiration date doesn't move when you reschedule.
Think of it like a flight ticket with free changes: you can move it until the day before, but only a couple of times.
⚠️ One detail for those paying in another currency: if you cancel, the refund comes back in dollars, converted at a new rate, so it may not match exactly what you paid.
What the exam covers
The AIF-C01 has five domains. This is how I'm splitting my attention:
- Fundamentals of AI and ML (20%)
- Fundamentals of Generative AI (24%)
- Applications of Foundation Models (28%), the biggest one: RAG, prompt engineering, fine-tuning, model evaluation.
- Guidelines for Responsible AI (14%)
- Security, Compliance and Governance for AI Solutions (14%)
The passing score is 700 on a scale of 100 to 1,000.
My study plan
I'm studying in small loops: learn a concept, explain it with an everyday analogy, then test myself with questions. If I can't explain it simply, I don't understand it yet.
- Week 1: AI/ML fundamentals and generative AI basics (tokens, embeddings, foundation models, Bedrock vs SageMaker).
- Week 2: applications of foundation models: prompt engineering, RAG, fine-tuning and evaluation metrics.
- Week 3: responsible AI, security and governance (Guardrails, SageMaker Clarify, IAM, data privacy).
- Week 4: practice questions, review my weak spots, and rest before the exam.
My main resources: the official exam guide, AWS Skill Builder (including the free official practice question set), and writing these articles. Explaining each topic here is my favorite way to study. 😄
I'll share the journey
Every week I'll post one AIF-C01 concept explained with everyday life. If you're studying for the same exam, let's do it together.
Your turn
Have you taken the AIF-C01 or are you preparing for it? What was the hardest domain for you? And if you paid in a currency other than dollars, how much did it cost you? 📚
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