- Solution design is 44% of the AD0-E117 blueprint - study it before any other domain.
- You need 29 of 50 scored questions correct (58%) within a 100-minute window that may include unscored items.
- Fee is USD 225 globally, USD 150 in India, with 33% discounts for verified partners and students.
- Adobe recommends 3+ years of AEM Sites architecture experience, including AEM as a Cloud Service.
What the AEMSAM Exam Actually Tests
The Adobe Experience Manager Sites Architect Master credential - referenced by exam ID AD0-E117 and administered through Adobe's Customer Experience Certification Program - validates that you can architect enterprise-scale AEM Sites solutions, not just configure components. If you're still unclear on the fundamentals of the credential itself, start with What Is AEMSAM Certification? and AEMSAM Meaning before diving into blueprint details here.
This guide assumes you already know the acronym and want a concrete plan to pass AD0-E117 on your first attempt. Everything below maps directly to Adobe's published exam standard: 50 scored questions, a passing threshold of 29/50, and a 100-minute time limit that Adobe's program policy allows to include up to 10 additional unscored questions used for future exam calibration.
Registration, Fees, and Delivery Mechanics
AD0-E117 is delivered online through the Adobe Certification Portal in partnership with easyProctor, so you sit for it from your own workstation under closed-book, camera-monitored conditions. The exam is offered in English and Japanese. Pricing is straightforward but region-dependent:
- USD 225 - global standard fee
- USD 150 - India-specific pricing
- 33% discount - available to eligible partner employees and verified students
For a full pricing breakdown including how discount eligibility is verified, see AEMSAM Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown. If you're unsure whether your professional background meets Adobe's recommended prerequisites, AEMSAM Requirements 2026 walks through eligibility in detail - Adobe recommends at least 3 years of AEM Sites architecture experience, including work with Adobe Managed Services and AEM as a Cloud Service, though this is guidance rather than a hard gate to registration.
Key Takeaway
Before you pay the fee, confirm your remote-testing environment meets easyProctor's requirements: a working camera, a physical government-issued photo ID, the ability to share your entire screen, Process Tracker enabled, and a passed system check. Uninstall or disable Guardian Browser beforehand - it's known to conflict with the proctoring client.
Domain-by-Domain Breakdown
The AD0-E117 blueprint is organized into four domains. Weightings come from Adobe's official outline, preserved in the August 5, 2024 repository revision and reconfirmed against the active exam listing in September 2026.
| Domain | Weight | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | 18% | Requirements gathering, stakeholder alignment, current-state assessment |
| Solution design | 44% | Architecture patterns, integration design, content modeling, scalability |
| Implementation | 22% | Build decisions, component/template strategy, deployment approach |
| Maintenance | 16% | Ongoing governance, upgrades, performance tuning, monitoring |
For a granular walkthrough of every sub-topic within each of these four areas, pair this guide with AEMSAM Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas.
Discovery (18%)
Candidates must show they can translate vague business requirements into technical architecture inputs - before a single line of implementation planning happens.
- Identifying non-functional requirements (performance, availability, compliance)
- Mapping existing content and system landscapes to AEM Sites capabilities
- Recognizing when a requirement signals a need for AEM as a Cloud Service vs. other deployment models
Solution Design (44%)
This is the exam's center of gravity. Expect scenario-based questions asking you to choose between competing architectural approaches given constraints like multi-site management, personalization needs, or integration complexity.
- Content architecture and multi-site/multi-language structures
- Integration patterns with DAM, commerce, and third-party systems
- Dispatcher, caching, and replication topology decisions
- Designing for AEM as a Cloud Service constraints and deployment pipelines
Implementation (22%)
Questions here test judgment about how design decisions get executed - not hands-on coding syntax.
- Component, template, and editable-template strategy trade-offs
- Workflow and asset processing pipeline decisions
- Security model and permissions architecture
Maintenance (16%)
The smallest domain but still a fifth of the exam's weight in practical terms - don't skip it.
- Upgrade and patching strategy for long-lived implementations
- Performance monitoring and troubleshooting approach
- Governance models for ongoing content and code health
Why Solution Design Deserves Half Your Study Time
Because solution design carries a 44% weight - nearly half the entire exam - it is mathematically the single highest-leverage place to focus your preparation. A candidate who masters discovery and maintenance perfectly but is weak on solution design is still at serious risk of missing the 29/50 passing bar, since almost half the scored questions will draw from that one domain.
If you're trying to gauge how tough this exam actually feels in practice, How Hard Is the AEMSAM Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 discusses why the density of solution-design scenarios is the main driver of perceived difficulty, and AEMSAM Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass breaks down exactly how the 29-of-50 threshold interacts with the unscored-question buffer.
A Domain-Weighted Study Timeline
Generic study techniques like spaced repetition or timed review blocks only help if they're pointed at the right material in the right order. Below is a timeline built around AD0-E117's actual weighting rather than a generic four-week template.
Discovery + Baseline
- Review Adobe's official prep guide EPG-E117 to confirm current blueprint scope
- Practice translating sample business requirements into architecture-ready statements
- Self-assess AEM as a Cloud Service familiarity against Adobe's recommended experience level
Solution Design Deep Dive
- Work through multi-site and multi-language content architecture scenarios
- Study integration patterns for DAM, commerce, and external systems
- Practice dispatcher/caching/replication design trade-off questions repeatedly, since this domain is 44% of the exam
Implementation + Maintenance
- Review component/template strategy decisions and security models
- Study upgrade, monitoring, and governance approaches for live AEM implementations
- Run full-length timed practice sessions to build stamina for the 100-minute limit
Run practice questions under real exam conditions using our practice test platform so you get used to the pacing pressure of a 100-minute window that might include unscored filler questions. For a condensed reference you can review the night before, bookmark AEMSAM Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts.
Exam Day: Format and Proctoring Realities
AD0-E117 is closed-book and remotely proctored, which means the logistics matter almost as much as your content knowledge. Before your scheduled session:
- Confirm your camera and microphone pass easyProctor's system check well in advance - not five minutes before your slot.
- Have a physical government-issued photo ID ready; digital copies typically aren't accepted.
- Be prepared to share your entire screen and keep Process Tracker running for the full session.
- Remove Guardian Browser from your machine before testing - it's a known source of proctoring conflicts.
- Clear your desk and testing room to meet closed-book requirements, since even scratch paper can trigger a flag.
For a scheduling-specific breakdown of registration windows and how to plan around them, see AEMSAM Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling.
Key Takeaway
Technical proctoring failures - not content gaps - are one of the most preventable reasons candidates lose testing time. Do a full dry run of the system check the day before, not the day of.
After You Pass: Renewal and Career Moves
The AEMSAM credential is valid for 2 years from the date you pass. Adobe opens the renewal window 180 days before expiration, and you're expected to complete whatever renewal requirements are assigned to you in the Adobe portal before the credential lapses. If it expires without renewal, there's no shortcut - you have to sit the full paid exam again from scratch.
Once certified, most candidates start evaluating how the credential translates into hiring conversations. AEMSAM Jobs covers the kinds of architecture and solution-design roles that reference this credential in job postings, while AEMSAM Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis and Is the AEMSAM Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 go deeper into the return-on-investment question. If you want the full context on how this exam fits into the broader AEM certification landscape and what pass-rate data actually shows, AEMSAM Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows is the companion piece to this study guide.
Whichever week you decide to schedule your exam, spend meaningful time on practice tests that mirror the real question style before you commit to a date - it's the fastest way to confirm you're actually ready rather than just familiar with the material.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are 50 scored questions, and Adobe's program policy permits up to 10 additional unscored questions within the same 100-minute time limit, so you may see more than 50 items total.
You need 29 out of 50 scored questions correct, which is 58%. Unscored questions, if present, don't count toward this total.
Solution design, at 44% of the blueprint, is nearly half the exam. It should receive roughly double the study time of any other single domain.
The global fee is USD 225, with a reduced USD 150 rate in India. Verified partner employees and students can receive a 33% discount.
Adobe recommends at least 3 years of AEM Sites architecture experience, including exposure to Adobe Managed Services and AEM as a Cloud Service, though this is guidance rather than a strict registration requirement.