- AEMSAM is Adobe's official exam AD0-E117, administered through the Adobe Customer Experience Certification Program.
- Solution design is the dominant domain at 44% of scored content, more than double any other area.
- The exam has 50 scored questions plus up to 10 unscored ones, all within a 100-minute window.
- Passing requires 29 of 50 scored questions correct, a 58% threshold.
What AEMSAM Actually Is
AEMSAM stands for Adobe Experience Manager Sites Architect Master, a credential issued by Adobe through the Adobe Customer Experience Certification Program. Its official exam identifier is AD0-E117, and "AEMSAM" is simply the shorthand used across this site to refer to that exam. If you've landed here after seeing the acronym attached to a completely different certification elsewhere, that's not what we're covering - everything on this page describes the Adobe-specific credential and only that one.
The certification is designed for practitioners who architect AEM Sites solutions at scale, not for beginners learning the platform for the first time. It validates the ability to translate business requirements into a technically sound AEM Sites architecture, covering everything from discovery conversations with stakeholders through to long-term maintenance of a live implementation. For a deeper breakdown of what "architect" actually means in this context, see the companion piece on AEMSAM Certification, which walks through the credential's purpose in more detail.
Exam Mechanics: Format, Fees, and Scoring
Understanding the exam's structure matters as much as understanding AEM itself. Adobe publishes a specific format for AD0-E117: 50 scored questions, with a passing score of 29 out of 50 (58%). Adobe's program policy also permits up to 10 additional unscored questions to be mixed into the same session for research purposes - you won't know which questions are scored, so every item deserves full attention. All of this happens within a single 100-minute time limit, which works out to roughly 100 seconds per question if unscored items are included.
The fee structure varies by region: USD 225 globally, with a reduced USD 150 rate in India. Adobe also extends a 33% discount to eligible partner employees and verified students. If you want the full pricing picture, including how these discounts stack and what documentation is typically needed, the AEMSAM Certification Cost 2026: Complete Pricing Breakdown article covers it in depth.
Key Takeaway
Budget for 100 minutes of focused, closed-book testing and know your exact regional fee before you register - the difference between the global and India rate is substantial, and partner or student discounts can lower it further.
For candidates who want the exact passing threshold spelled out without wading through general exam commentary, AEMSAM Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass isolates that single number and explains how it's calculated.
The Four AEMSAM Exam Domains
AD0-E117 is organized into four content domains, and the weighting between them is not even close to balanced. One domain alone accounts for nearly half of everything you'll be tested on.
Domain 1: Discovery (18%)
Covers the early-stage work of gathering business and technical requirements before any architecture decisions are made.
- Translating stakeholder needs into technical constraints
- Assessing existing systems and integration points
- Identifying risks and dependencies before design begins
Domain 2: Solution Design (44%)
By far the largest domain, this is where the exam concentrates most of its scored questions. Expect deep coverage of architecture decisions for AEM Sites deployments, including cloud-native patterns.
- Designing component, template, and content architecture
- Choosing between AEM as a Cloud Service and Adobe Managed Services patterns
- Planning integrations, security, and performance at scale
Domain 3: Implementation (22%)
Focuses on turning an approved design into a working solution, and on the practical judgment calls that arise during build-out.
- Applying architectural decisions during development
- Configuring environments across the deployment pipeline
- Validating that implementation matches the designed solution
Domain 4: Maintenance (16%)
Covers the lifecycle after go-live: keeping an AEM Sites solution healthy, current, and performant.
- Monitoring and troubleshooting production issues
- Planning upgrades and ongoing operational tasks
- Sustaining performance and content governance over time
Because Solution Design carries such disproportionate weight, candidates who under-invest time there tend to struggle regardless of how well they know Discovery or Maintenance. For a full walkthrough of every subtopic within each domain, see AEMSAM Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 4 Content Areas.
| Domain | Weight | Relative Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Discovery | 18% | Secondary |
| Solution Design | 44% | Primary |
| Implementation | 22% | Secondary |
| Maintenance | 16% | Supporting |
Who Takes AEMSAM and Why
This is not an entry-level credential. Adobe recommends candidates have at least 3 years of AEM Sites architecture experience, including hands-on work with Adobe Managed Services and AEM as a Cloud Service. In practice, that means the typical candidate is already working as (or moving into) a solution architect, technical lead, or senior developer role on AEM implementation projects, often at a systems integrator or Adobe partner organization.
Organizations that build or maintain large-scale AEM Sites deployments - retail, financial services, media, and enterprise software companies among them - often look for this credential when hiring or promoting architects, because it signals someone can be trusted with design decisions that affect an entire platform, not just a single component or template. If you're evaluating whether the credential lines up with your career stage, AEMSAM Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify breaks down the experience expectations in more detail, and AEMSAM Jobs looks at the kinds of roles that reference it in job postings.
If you're weighing whether pursuing the certification is worth the time and fee against your current role and goals, Is the AEMSAM Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 and AEMSAM Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis both address that question from different angles.
How Registration and Delivery Work
AD0-E117 is delivered online through the Adobe Certification Portal in partnership with easyProctor, meaning you can test remotely rather than traveling to a physical test center. Delivery is closed-book and remotely proctored, which comes with a specific set of technical requirements:
- A working camera for identity verification and session monitoring
- A physical government-issued photo ID
- Whole-screen sharing enabled for the duration of the exam
- Process Tracker software running to detect prohibited applications
- A successful system check completed before the exam starts
One detail candidates frequently overlook: Guardian Browser must be removed from the testing machine before the session begins, or the system check can fail. The exam is offered in both English and Japanese, so confirm your preferred language when you schedule.
Because these logistics can trip up an otherwise well-prepared candidate, it's worth reviewing exact scheduling windows and deadlines in AEMSAM Exam Dates 2026: Testing Windows, Deadlines & Scheduling well before your target test date.
Preparing Around the Domain Weighting
Because Solution Design makes up 44% of the exam - more than Discovery and Maintenance combined - your preparation schedule should reflect that imbalance rather than treating all four domains equally. A simple way to structure the final weeks before your test date is to allocate study time roughly in proportion to domain weight, front-loading Solution Design early enough that you have time to revisit weak spots.
Discovery + Foundations
- Review requirement-gathering and stakeholder assessment scenarios
- Refresh AEM Sites fundamentals you'll build on later
Solution Design (the 44% domain)
- Work through cloud-native architecture patterns for AEM as a Cloud Service
- Compare Adobe Managed Services vs. cloud-native design trade-offs
- Practice component, template, and integration design scenarios
Implementation
- Map design decisions to build-time configuration choices
- Review pipeline and environment configuration scenarios
Maintenance + Full Review
- Cover monitoring, upgrades, and governance topics
- Take timed practice sessions to simulate the 100-minute limit
Adobe's official prep guide, referenced under code EPG-E117, is the primary reference point for topic coverage, and pairing it with structured practice questions tends to work better than reading alone, since the exam leans on scenario-based judgment rather than simple recall. For a complete week-by-week plan built specifically around this domain split, see AEMSAM Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt. You can also run full-length timed practice sessions on the practice test platform to get comfortable with the pacing before exam day.
If you're still trying to gauge how challenging the exam is relative to other Adobe certifications, How Hard Is the AEMSAM Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 and AEMSAM Pass Rate 2026: What the Data Shows both dig into that question using the available data rather than guesswork.
Validity and Renewal
Once earned, AEMSAM is valid for 2 years. Adobe opens the renewal window 180 days before expiration, and candidates are expected to complete whatever renewal requirements are assigned to them in the Adobe portal before the credential actually expires. Miss that window and there's no partial credit - an expired credential requires sitting the full paid exam again from scratch.
Given how specific this timeline is, it's worth setting a calendar reminder well ahead of the 180-day mark rather than waiting until an expiration notice arrives. For quick reference on every numeric detail covered in this article - fees, timing, scoring, validity - the AEMSAM Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts condenses it all onto a single page.
If you're still getting oriented with basic terminology around the acronym itself, related explainers like AEMSAM Meaning, What Does AEMSAM Stand For?, and What Is AEMSAM Certification? cover the naming and scope questions in more depth, while AEMSAM Training looks at formal preparation options beyond self-study. You can also start practicing with realistic scored questions any time on our practice exam site.
Frequently Asked Questions
AD0-E117. "AEMSAM" (Adobe Experience Manager Sites Architect Master) is the descriptive name used for this exam; AD0-E117 is Adobe's official identifier for it.
There are 50 scored questions, with up to 10 additional unscored questions possible, all within a single 100-minute time limit.
You need 29 out of 50 scored questions correct, which is a 58% passing threshold.
Solution Design, which makes up 44% of the exam - more than the other three domains combined (Discovery 18%, Implementation 22%, Maintenance 16%).
Two years from the date earned. The renewal window opens 180 days before expiration, and requirements assigned in the Adobe portal must be completed before the credential lapses, or a full retake is required.