IT certification guides
Each guide says who the certification fits, what it requires, how hard it is and how to prepare, then gives the first-attempt cost at named providers with the date we checked and what it takes to keep it.
By certification body
- CompTIA: A+, Network+, Security+ and the advanced exams
- Cisco: CCNA, CCNP and the security and automation tracks
- Microsoft: Azure, security, data and AI after the 2026 retirements
- AWS: Cloud Practitioner, the associates and what comes after
- Google Cloud: Associate Cloud Engineer and Professional Cloud Architect
- ISC2: CC, SSCP, CISSP and CCSP
- ISACA: CISA, CISM and CRISC
- PMI: CAPM, PMP and PMI-ACP
Every certification guide
- PMP: whether you qualify, the 35 hours and the cost
- CAPM: who it is for, and when to go straight to PMP
- CCNA: who it suits, what it takes and how to prepare
- CISM: fit for security managers, experience and the exam
- CISA: requirements, exam areas and study routes
- CCSP: the five-year rule and the cloud security exam
- SSCP: the one-year ISC2 practitioner credential
- CRISC: whether IT risk work qualifies you
- Network+: the next step from support work?
- CompTIA A+: a first IT certification in two exams
- CySA+: are you ready, and which exam version?
- Security+ V7 or V8: which exam to study for now
- PenTest+ PT0-003 for people who already test
- SecurityX (formerly CASP+): the expert-level CompTIA exam
- CompTIA Cloud+ CV0-004 for multi-cloud admins
- Linux+ V8 (XK0-006) for working Linux admins
- Project+ or CAPM: the CompTIA project exam for IT staff
- CCNP Enterprise: moving past CCNA, two exams
- CCNP Security after the SCOR v2.0 update
- CCNA Cybersecurity (formerly CyberOps Associate)
- CCNA Automation (formerly DevNet Associate)
- CISSP: the experience rule, the exam and preparation
- AWS Cloud Practitioner: take it first or skip it?
- AWS Solutions Architect Associate: experience and prep
- AZ-900: who needs it and who can skip it
- AZ-104: the admin job it certifies and how to prepare
- ISC2 CC: who it helps now the free exam is gone
- OSCP: readiness, packages and keeping OSCP+
- CKA: does the Kubernetes admin exam match your work?
- Terraform Associate: what it adds to a cloud cert
- Google Associate Cloud Engineer: is Google Cloud your platform?
- Azure Solutions Architect Expert: AZ-104 first, then AZ-305
- AZ-204 retired: where Azure developers go now (AI-200)
- AZ-500 retired: the SC-500 route for security engineers
- SC-900: a security and identity primer for non-specialists
- SC-200: Sentinel, Defender XDR and KQL for SOC analysts
- Azure AI Fundamentals: AI-900 replaced by AI-901
- AZ-400 DevOps Engineer Expert: the prerequisite after AZ-204
- SC-300: the Entra ID identity and access exam
- AI-102 retired: Azure AI engineers now take AI-103
- MS-102 retires November 30: AB-650 for Microsoft 365 admins
- PL-300 Power BI Data Analyst: DAX and Power Query
- DP-900 Azure Data Fundamentals: a first data exam
- AWS AI Practitioner: AI literacy for people who work beside the builders
- AWS Developer Associate: DVA-C03 from December 1
- AWS Solutions Architect Professional: the SAP-C03 change
- AWS CloudOps Engineer Associate (formerly SysOps)
- AWS Security Specialty: SCS-C03 for security engineers
- Google Professional Cloud Architect: case studies and renewal
- ITIL 4 Foundation or Version 5: which Foundation to buy now
- PSM I or CSM: picking one Scrum Master certification
- PRINCE2 Foundation (Version 7): the exam and how it is sold
- CKAD: the Kubernetes developer exam and what to buy
- PMI-ACP: qualifying on agile experience and the 21 hours
- CEH v13: the experience route, official training and the voucher