IT Certification Strategy & Comparisons
Real exam strategy, certification comparisons, and study guides from the NerdExam editorial team. Updated regularly.
- AzureJun 13, 2026
What's Actually Tested on AZ-305
The real AZ-305 domain split and where candidates lose points.
Read more - CompTIAJun 13, 2026
What's Actually Tested on CAS-005
The real CAS-005 domain split and where candidates lose points.
Read more - AWSJun 8, 2026
AWS Certified Developer Associate (DVA-C02): What's Actually Tested
The AWS Certified Developer Associate (DVA-C02) validates building and deploying apps on AWS. Real cost: $150. Real time: 130 minutes for 65 scenario questions on Lambda, DynamoDB, APIs, and CI/CD. Most candidates need 8 to 10 weeks. Here's the honest overview.
Read more - AzureJun 8, 2026
Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer (AZ-400): What's Actually Tested
The Microsoft Azure DevOps Engineer Expert (AZ-400) is an expert cert that needs AZ-104 or AZ-204 first. Real cost: $165. Real time: 100 minutes on CI/CD, Git, IaC, and monitoring. Most candidates need 8 to 12 weeks. Here's the honest overview.
Read more - SecurityJun 8, 2026
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v13, 312-50): What's Actually Tested
The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH v13, exam 312-50) is the best-known offensive security credential. Real cost: about $1,199 for the exam voucher. Real time: 4 hours for 125 questions across 20 hacking domains, now with AI woven in. Most candidates need 6 to 10 weeks.
Read more - CiscoJun 8, 2026
Cisco 350-401 ENCOR (CCNP Enterprise Core): What's Actually Tested
Cisco 350-401 ENCOR is the core exam for CCNP Enterprise and a CCIE Enterprise qualifier. Real cost: $400. Real time: 120 minutes for 90 to 110 questions on routing, SD-WAN, SD-Access, and automation. Most candidates need 10 to 14 weeks. Here's the honest overview.
Read more - SecurityJun 8, 2026
Cisco 350-701 SCOR (CCNP Security Core): What's Actually Tested
Cisco 350-701 SCOR is the core exam for CCNP Security and a CCIE Security qualifier. Real cost: $400. Real time: 120 minutes for 90 to 110 questions on firewalls, ISE, VPNs, cloud, and endpoint security. Most candidates need 10 to 14 weeks. Here's the honest overview.
Read more - CompTIAJun 8, 2026
CompTIA A+ 220-1102 (Core 2): What's Actually Tested
CompTIA A+ 220-1102 (Core 2) is the software, OS, and security half of A+, the top entry IT cert. Real cost: about $253. Real time: 90 minutes for up to 90 questions plus performance-based tasks. Most candidates need 6 to 10 weeks. Here's the honest overview.
Read more - AWSJun 5, 2026
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02): What's Actually Tested
The AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) is the most popular entry point into cloud certifications. Real cost: $100. Real time: 90 minutes for 65 questions. Most candidates need 2 to 6 weeks. Here's the honest overview.
Read more - AzureJun 5, 2026
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900): What's Actually Tested
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) is the entry point to the entire Azure cert path. Real cost: $99. Real time: 45 minutes for roughly 40 to 60 questions. Most candidates need 2 to 4 weeks. Here's the honest overview.
Read more - CiscoJun 5, 2026
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA 200-301): What's Actually Tested
The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA 200-301) is the foundation cert for almost every networking career. Real cost: $300. Real time: 120 minutes for about 100 questions, including live simulations. Most candidates need 10 to 16 weeks. Here's the honest overview.
Read more - SecurityJun 5, 2026
CISSP Certification: What's Actually Tested and How Hard It Really Is
The CISSP from (ISC)2 is the gold-standard credential for senior security roles. Real cost: $749. Real format: a 100 to 150 question adaptive exam in 180 minutes, 700 out of 1000 to pass. Most candidates need 3 to 6 months. Here's the honest overview, including the 5-year experience requirement most people miss.
Read more - CompTIAJun 5, 2026
CompTIA A+ 220-1101 (Core 1): What's Actually Tested
CompTIA A+ 220-1101 (Core 1) is the hardware and networking half of the most common entry-level IT certification. Real cost: $249 per exam. Real time: 90 minutes for up to 90 questions. Most candidates need 6 to 10 weeks. Here's the honest overview, including what changed when it retired.
Read more - CompTIAJun 5, 2026
CompTIA Network+ (N10-009): What's Actually Tested
CompTIA Network+ (N10-009) is the standard vendor-neutral networking cert and a common first rung after A+. Real cost: $369. Real time: 90 minutes for up to 90 questions including performance-based simulations. Most candidates need 6 to 10 weeks. Here's the honest overview.
Read more - AWSMay 14, 2026
AWS Solutions Architect Professional (SAP-C02): What's Actually Tested
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Professional (SAP-C02) is the natural follow-on after SAA-C03. It costs $300, runs 180 minutes, has 75 questions, and requires 750 out of 1000 to pass. Most candidates need 14-20 weeks of study even with SAA-C03 in hand.
Read more - AzureMay 14, 2026
AZ-104 Microsoft Azure Administrator: What's Actually Tested
AZ-104 (Microsoft Azure Administrator) costs $165, runs 100 minutes, has 40-60 questions, and requires 700 out of 1000 to pass. Most candidates need 8-12 weeks of focused study. Here's the honest breakdown of what's actually on the exam.
Read more - AzureMay 14, 2026
AZ-104 Study Guide: A 12-Week Plan for Microsoft Azure Administrator
The AZ-104 exam covers 5 Azure administration domains in 40-60 questions over 100 minutes. Most candidates need 8 to 12 weeks of focused study to pass on the first try. This is the week-by-week plan and the exam-day mistakes that cost people their $165 voucher.
Read more - CompTIAMay 14, 2026
CompTIA Security+ Exam Objectives (SY0-701): Domain-by-Domain Breakdown
CompTIA Security+ SY0-701 tests five domains. Security Operations carries 28% of questions, Threats/Vulnerabilities/Mitigations another 22%. The other three domains share the remaining 50%. Here's what each domain actually covers and where most candidates lose points.
Read more - CompTIAMay 14, 2026
CompTIA Security+ Exam Voucher: Cost, Discounts, and Where to Buy
CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) costs $404 USD direct from CompTIA. Bundles from Total Seminars and Get Certified Get Ahead drop the effective price to under $300. Student discounts shave another 10%. Here's every legitimate voucher source and which is worth it.
Read more - CompTIAMay 14, 2026
CompTIA Security+ Study Guide: A 10-Week Plan for SY0-701
The Security+ SY0-701 exam covers five domains in 90 questions over 90 minutes. Most candidates need 8 to 12 weeks of focused study to pass on the first attempt. This is the week-by-week plan and the exam-day mistakes that cost people their $404 voucher.
Read more - AWSMay 13, 2026
AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03): What's Actually Tested
The AWS Certified Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03) is one of the highest-paying entry cloud certifications. Real cost: $150. Real time: 130 minutes for 65 scenario-based questions. Most candidates need 8-12 weeks. Here's the honest overview.
Read more - GeneralMay 10, 2026
The 7 Most Common Reasons People Fail IT Certification Exams
After analyzing thousands of certification exam attempts, the same patterns emerge. Most failures aren't knowledge gaps - they're tactical mistakes. Here's what actually causes people to fail, and how to avoid each one.
Read more - AzureMay 10, 2026
AZ-900 vs AZ-104: Which Azure Certification Should You Take First?
AZ-900 is a 60-minute fundamentals exam. AZ-104 is a 150-minute technical exam. Most people benefit from taking AZ-900 first, but experienced cloud engineers can skip directly to AZ-104. Here's the decision guide.
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