IT Certification Strategy & Comparisons
Real exam strategy, certification comparisons, and study guides from the NerdExam editorial team. Updated regularly.
- 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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