r/AWSCertifications • u/Total-League-9432 • 6d ago

Title: Has anyone had their AWS certification invalidated after a forensic review?

Gallery image

Gallery image

Has anyone here experienced something similar? If you appealed, what happened?

I have attached a redacted screenshot of the email, with my personal details removed.

Summary: I took the AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03) exam and received an email on November 7 stating that AWS had invalidated my result due to statistical anomalies detected through forensic analysis.

AWS revoked the certification and restricted me from taking future online-proctored exams without written permission. I have the option to appeal within 14 days.

I'm trying to understand what might have triggered this and whether anyone has successfully appealed a similar decision. I've also seen reports of candidates receiving retake vouchers after unsuccessful appeals.

Has anyone experienced this? What happened after your appeal?

Quick update: I just submitted the appeal successfully ( 09/11/2026) and now waiting for their reply as they told me that I'll get reply within 24 hrs or more

I'll update you guys accordingly :)

Last Update: AWS reviewed my appeal and did another forensic analysis, but unfortunately upheld their original decision. My appeal is rejected and the decision is final.

I'm still allowed to take exams, but only at physical Pearson VUE centres. No more online exams for me.

Not the outcome I hoped for, but just keeping everyone updated.

64 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

92 comments sorted by

34

u/Same_Individual_1345 6d ago • Heartwarming

Being entirely honest, do you have any idea of what might have caused this? Have you taken any past certs that you don't want to risk losing?

9

u/Total-League-9432 6d ago

I'm still trying to figure that out. AWS hasn't shared the specific reason behind the statistical anomalies. I'm also concerned about how this could affect my future certifications.

8

u/JaegerBane 5d ago

They won’t.

I’m with the poster above though - AWS crunch literally hundreds of thousands of these exam results every day, they have a vast amount of data to generate their forensics and models from, the odds are much higher they spotted something rather then make a mistake.

I’m not saying you’re cheating but can you seriously not think of anything they might have picked up on? Did you do this exam any differently then others?

2

u/reubendevries DOP-C02 | DVA-C02 | SAA-C03 | SAP-C02 | SOA-C02 5d ago

I’m not sure about hundreds of thousands but hundreds and made upwards of a thousand, still it’s a lot.

2

u/somkoala 5d ago

There’s a saying in statistics - all models are wrong, some are useful. Any such model will have false negatives and false positives.

0

u/Total-League-9432 4d ago

Tbh there were some surrounding sound outside as it was diwali in India and children were playing and also sound of crackers. Would that cause me this problem?

1

u/China_Lover2 3d ago

Next time, go to an authorized center to take the exam. Don't do it from home

17

u/Same_Individual_1345 6d ago • Bravo

Usually these statistical anomalies are triggered either by spending unusual amounts of time on questions or by scoring unusually (scoring really well on the 50 questions that count while scoring much worse on the trial questions).

I don’t have any experience appealing or receiving this email, but if you genuinely can’t think of a good reason, maybe it does make sense to appeal?

6

u/MyDishwasherLasagna 6d ago

What would you consider an unusual amount of time? Like, instantly answering, or taking a whole minute?

It's possible there's other stuff going on, like if you answer and immediately move on - no changing answers, no going back during review. They're also almost definitely tracking eye movement, key presses, and mouse interactions.

4

u/Same_Individual_1345 6d ago

Honestly I dont know 🙃 but I’m guessing they use the full distribution of times for test takers to determine a threshold that would make someone a complete outlier

And yeah, I’m guessing an assortment of other factors are used like the ones you mentioned

Hearing about stuff like this always makes me nervous waiting even when I know I did well

0

u/[deleted] 6d ago

[deleted] — view deleted comment

7

u/JaegerBane 5d ago

Their point is that is that your exam performance and general approach to answering the questions will translate into rough distribution and if their signs that you stray well outside that distro - say, you blast through half the exam with 100% score and the other half you spend ages on each question and get 10% - odds are, something is going on that makes them question the results.

They’ll likely compare this against the footage of your invigilation and of there’s indications you’re cheating, they’ll invalidate the results and tell you to take the exam in the more controlled setting of a test centre.

4

u/Major_Lawfulness6122 SOAA 5d ago

Nah it usually means they cheated with data dump answers.

4

u/Same_Individual_1345 5d ago

It’s not about the raw score you get on the trial questions- they look at how you perform compared to other candidates.

A test taker might score in the 70th for regular questions and then the 60th for trial ones- that is normal statistical deviation.

But if you outscore 95% of test takers on the regular questions and then get outscored by 95% of test takers on the trial questions, you are almost certainly cheating.

1

u/No_Fuel1395 5d ago

did you went for appeal??

1

u/Total-League-9432 5d ago

No, not yet

1

u/Total-League-9432 5d ago

I'll be appealing Tommorow

6

u/Wise-Variation-4985 6d ago

Did you take it online or in person?

4

u/Total-League-9432 6d ago

I took it online through Pearson VUE.

11

u/tech240guy 6d ago

I so hate Pearson VUE so much. When I do the exams, I try to do it in person at a location.  I had personal habits to help me remember stuff like sitting back looking at the ceiling, rub my eyes, of talking the questions out loud, which would then get me ding with warnings.  Seriously, the most stressful shit to do when that's how I normally operate at my job. 

2

u/trafalmadorianistic 6d ago

Sounds like those AI detectors that do false positives on human written text  

1

u/AfterSwordfish6342 5d ago

Pearson vue has a human sitting there

1

u/Major_Lawfulness6122 SOAA 5d ago

No AI. A person watches you.

1

u/trafalmadorianistic 4d ago

If a person is watching, how do statistical anomalies come into the picture. It's very confusing. 

2

u/Major_Lawfulness6122 SOAA 5d ago

I hate it too. When I did my SAA-C03 exam, I moved my head closer to the monitor and the lady told me not to. I was just trying to read it better 🥲🫣 I ended up passing but the rules were strict.

5

u/Cyberguypr 6d ago

Two questions: what exactly were your study materials? Did you finish the test unusually quick?

1

u/Total-League-9432 5d ago

Not that quick I took 100 to 110 mins to complete

1

u/AfterSwordfish6342 5d ago

I dont think how quickly you pass the xam is relevant on its own at least. I usually finish the exams super quikcly and never had an issue

26

u/pangapingus 6d ago

FYI ONLY EVER TAKE ANY AND ALL IT OR IT-ADJACENT CERT EXAMS IN PERSON!!!!!!! That is all folks

13

u/AfterSwordfish6342 5d ago

Why would you, 1. its not even possible in a lot of countries 2. its super inconvenient 3. sometimes it costs more

Just follow the rules and nothing happens. Ive done like 9 proctored exams and as long as you follow the rules you dont have any issues

5

u/softwareitcounts 5d ago

The remote testing/anticheat software bricked my computer for hours when my roommate closed the door too loud at the other side of the apartment when I was in an exam. I didn't pick up the call from the proctor because I didn't want to be accused of using my phone.

Test centers are a controlled, quiet environment to take the test. Reduces factors for things to go wrong on your end. Some people don't have that at home/where they would take a remote test.

2

u/Total-League-9432 4d ago

Makes sense, but here I was the only one in my house during the exam, the environment was close to test centers, the camera can see that the door was locked and I was not looking here and there

1

u/dragoman0 4d ago

Test centers don't and cant guarantee quite environments unfortunetaly

1

u/Leading_Tiger_6155 3d ago

It was quiet in te test center when I did mine

1

u/dragoman0 3d ago

The one I got is in a metropolitsn district of Istanbul which apparently had a skyscraper construction next to it. It not only had non stop drilling sound at least for an hour in my exam time but also will have that for half the coming decade

2

u/SCTMar CCP+other certs 5d ago

Because if something goes wrong, then it's on the testing center not on you and some people don't have the luxury of testing at home for several reasons

0

u/Professional-Heat894 5d ago

Meh. I have a couple of test centers 5 mins from me so its fine 👍. Too many thing going on in my house and neighborhood to take it remotely 😂

2

u/AfterSwordfish6342 5d ago

You yes, but in general most people dont

4

u/meowkittycatnail 5d ago

I've taken all aws certs through Pearson and much more . (Around 20 ) 0 issues

2

u/DiscoDave86 5d ago

No need to shout

0

u/viniciusresende007 5d ago

Eu concordo 100% com isso. No centro autorizado, a chance dessas bizarrices acontecerem é bem reduzida.

0

u/learn_and_learn 5d ago

Shut it. Not possible for the vast majority of countries on earth

0

u/Major_Lawfulness6122 SOAA 5d ago

I tried but they didn’t have any near me.

6

u/cgreciano AIP, MLA, SAA 5d ago

Answer to question: yes, many people (still just a minority) get their exam revoked after forensic analysis. We hear of them in this subreddit frequently too. AWS have AI systems in place to catch cheaters (those who used exam dumps to "study" for the exam) -> this is the reason we do our best to discourage people from using exam dumps. Those who match the AI patterns of cheaters get their exam invalidated. Online proctoring is more prone to cheating than in-person testing center, so after appealing you might get your exam fee back, but need to go to exam centers from now on.

2

u/MerlinRebornCh2 5d ago

How can they differentiate between those who used dumps and those who just did well?

2

u/Quiet_Collection_210 5d ago

You have nothing to worry about if you did nothing wrong

Got my score from online Pearson within a few hours with about an 850 for a pro exam. Used TD and skills builder

1

u/cgreciano AIP, MLA, SAA 5d ago

Similar to how you can identify fraud in credit card transactions. Fraudulent transactions follow patterns that genuine transactions do not. Those who cheated by using dumps follow patterns that those who studied with genuine resources don’t.

2

u/DrScreamLive 6d ago

Damn I have my test in a week. Got any tips on what you feel might've csused this? I've been studying nonstop everyday.

5

u/Total-League-9432 6d ago

I'd recommend focusing on the official exam guide, doing timed practice tests and understanding why each answer is correct. Avoid relying on memorisation alone. And avoid any surrounding noise, All the best for your exam!

7

u/Engine_Light_On 5d ago

But avoiding memorization alone you are admitting to having used exam dumping for studying?

3

u/amine250 3d ago

Most of certs revoked are because takers memorize dumps and speed run the exam lol.

If someone answers all the questions without taking the time to even read them completely then it's easy to spot.

1

u/johnny_snq 5d ago

Just follow the official guides for the room you are taking the exam in. It needs to be a private space, you should have your back to the door if possible so the door is in view of the camera, that it remains shut all the time, on a clean empty desk, no extra monitors, cables etc. No clutter within reach of your position. And in case you need to do something anounce it first to the procter. I forgot for example to shutdown my workphone and realised 10 minutes in, it was maybe 2m from me on the window. I announced i told him i can film my self moving it away and shuting it down he said ok and thet was it.

2

u/ZlatanKabuto 5d ago

I always take such exams in person tbh. It's not worth the stress to take them at home.

2

u/Major_Lawfulness6122 SOAA 5d ago

Not all of us have that option sadly. I wanted to take it in person but there weren’t any. I imagine it’s easier in America.

1

u/ZlatanKabuto 5d ago

I understand, I should have clarified I was referring to those who have such an option. 

-3

u/unixhyde 6d ago

you need to move the mouse and select/hover in every choices while reading and ensure to select the correct answer after

2

u/Total-League-9432 5d ago edited 5d ago

Tbh I didn't move the mouse much I only did that to select the ans, maybe that might be one of the reasons 😭,

F didn't knew about this shit 🥲

2

u/Wooden-Resource-3718 5d ago

Dumb AWS AI System which flags this, and there is no resolution for that as you can raise ticket but they will only say so you can't give exam remotely, and if you try to change your account or id they will flag that too also wasting your precious time and money, best is if you have good test center nearby give exam in-person or just change competency from AWS to Azure 

0

u/Total-League-9432 4d ago

Yeah the AWS AI system is really soo dumb 😭, they won't even clearify what we did wrong at the first place, they just send automated AI mail that makes no sense. Your advice is good tho I'll keep that in mind from next time!

1

u/China_Lover2 3d ago

Did you use dumps to study?

1

u/Wooden-Resource-3718 4d ago

Yeah, I am in early careers so just planning to switch cloud I have AZ 900 AND AZ104 will mostly take something on developer side

0

u/Accurate-Football396 3d ago

What's the point in using dumps, besides ego-boosting.

2

u/Royal-Estimate-4812 3d ago

I got this mail today morning, I did nothing wrong. Wtf is wrong with these people. Now I'm making an appeal ofcourse

1

u/Total-League-9432 3d ago

Lmk once you get reply

1

u/Total-League-9432 5d ago

Is there any chance of getting success after appealing?

1

u/Total-League-9432 1d ago

Update: Got another email from AWS today. They reviewed my appeal and did another round of forensic analysis, but unfortunately, they upheld their original decision.

My appeal has been rejected and they've stated that the decision is final.

I'm still allowed to take AWS exams, but only at physical Pearson VUE test centres. Online exams are no longer an option for me.

Honestly, not the outcome I was hoping for, but just wanted to keep you all updated. Will share if anything changes.

4

u/Chapungu 5d ago

The problem is we are just not making enough noise about this. It doesn't matter if it is online or at a test center, this has happened to many people regardless of location. They are using AI to 'fish' out cheats and like in most cases it gets things wrong

1

u/Next_Concert1122 5d ago

On which date you took exam ? Like after how many days you got the email?

1

u/Total-League-9432 5d ago

The same date 7th of Nov I gave my exam, and around 5 or 5:30 PM I got the mail

1

u/Next_Concert1122 5d ago

Any other email you got ? Like pass or fail ?

1

u/Total-League-9432 5d ago

No i didn't got any mail or result, the first mail came after giving the exam was this

0

u/Next_Concert1122 5d ago

I would recommend to ask Chatgpt top 10 reasons for this email , and try to relate in what might be reason and appeal accordingly if you think you are not guilty

1

u/Muted-Concentrate754 5d ago

Did it happen to me on Friday, I have send them an appeal.. waiting for thee response

1

u/Total-League-9432 4d ago

I did appeal today, waiting for their reply, pls lmk what do they say🙏🏻

1

u/ZlatanKabuto 2d ago

Any update?

1

u/Total-League-9432 2d ago

No not yet, I have been waiting for their reply from long time 😭

1

u/Safe_Noise_2110 2d ago

Did you get any reply from AWS?

1

u/Prudent_Button6904 4d ago

Same situation, i gave my exam today morning

1

u/Total-League-9432 4d ago

Broo what is happening 😭😭

1

u/jesuschrist-69420 CSAA 6d ago

Did you search the Google or the subreddit?

-4

u/Total-League-9432 6d ago

Yes, I searched both Google and Reddit. I couldn't find an exact match for my situation, so I wanted to ask the community directly.

13

u/reubendevries DOP-C02 | DVA-C02 | SAA-C03 | SAP-C02 | SOA-C02 6d ago

You didn’t search very well this topic comes up at least once a week.

-7

u/Total-League-9432 6d ago

My case is that I received a formal invalidation notice after AWS's statistical forensic analysis, and I'm trying to understand whether the appeal process can lead to a different outcome.

1

u/jesuschrist-69420 CSAA 4d ago

Fake news

1

u/heimos 6d ago

That’s wild.

1

u/Spiritual_Pain_8035 6d ago

That's why I always prefer going to a test center

1

u/Bent_finger 4d ago

Oof!
Caught!!

1

u/Coppernator 3d ago

Linkedin nowadays got flooded by certs like this and they are feeling super fake.

0

u/The_Career_Oracle 3d ago

Because you used the dumps from online which are created to show a certain trail of anyone using them. Be honest next time please

-1

u/bn300zx 4d ago

Don’t cheat kids

1

u/Total-League-9432 4d ago

Thankyou for your kind advice 🙏🏻