IT certifications
Vendor exams: the facts, and a preparation path that starts free
A vendor certificate says you passed a standardised exam: on Azure, AWS, networks, security, project management or software testing. It is not a degree and not an accredited qualification, but in a lot of IT hiring it is the line the job posting names. Each exam page states what the exam costs, how long it takes, which languages it comes in and how long the certificate stays valid, and lays out a preparation path: the vendor's free learning path first, then online courses, then a practice test in the exam format.
By vendor
- ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)1 credential
- AWS9 credentials
- CFA Institute1 credential
- CFP Board1 credential
- Cisco6 credentials
- CNCF1 credential
- CompTIA8 credentials
- Corporate Finance Institute1 credential
- Databricks1 credential
- EC-Council1 credential
- Fortinet1 credential
- freeCodeCamp6 credentials
- GitHub1 credential
- Global Association of Risk Professionals1 credential
- Google16 credentials
- Google Cloud2 credentials
- GPM / IPMA1 credential
- Harvard University1 credential
- HubSpot5 credentials
- IBM3 credentials
- IMA (Institute of Management Accountants)1 credential
- Intuit2 credentials
- ISACA2 credentials
- ISC21 credential
- ISTQB3 credentials
- LPI2 credentials
- Meta1 credential
- Microsoft22 credentials
- Oracle2 credentials
- PeopleCert2 credentials
- PMI2 credentials
- Red Hat1 credential
- Salesforce1 credential
- Scrum.org2 credentials
- Semrush2 credentials
- ServiceNow1 credential
- Xero1 credential
Free certificates
Credentials that cost nothing to earn: platform certifications, course-completion certificates and badges from the vendors themselves. Each page says what the assessment is, how long the certificate stays valid and what it does and does not prove. These links carry no commission.
- Semrush · Online exam, not proctoredAdvanced Content Marketing with Brian Deanvalid 1 year
- IBM · Course completionAI Fundamentals: Foundations for Understanding AInever expires
- Google · Online exam, not proctoredAI-Powered Shopping ads Certificationvalid 1 year
- AWS · Lab-based assessmentAWS Cloud Quest: Cloud Practitionernever expires
- AWS · Online exam, not proctoredAWS Knowledge: Cloud Essentialsnever expires
- AWS · Online exam, not proctoredAWS Knowledge: Serverlessnever expires
- freeCodeCamp · Online exam, not proctoredBack-End Development and APIs Certificationnever expires
- Semrush · Online exam, not proctoredContent-Led SEO with Brian Deanvalid 1 year
- Harvard University · Graded projectsCS50's Introduction to Computer Sciencenever expires
- IBM · Online exam, not proctoredCybersecurity Fundamentalsnever expires
- freeCodeCamp · Graded projectsData Analysis with Python Certificationnever expires
- IBM · Course completionData Fundamentalsnever expires
- freeCodeCamp · Online exam, not proctoredFront-End Development Libraries Certificationnever expires
- Google · Course completionFundamentals of Digital Marketingnever expires
- Google · Online exam, not proctoredGoogle Ads Display Certificationvalid 1 year
- Google · Online exam, not proctoredGoogle Ads Measurement Certificationvalid 1 year
- Google · Online exam, not proctoredGoogle Ads Search Certificationvalid 1 year
- Google · Online exam, not proctoredGoogle Ads Video Certificationvalid 1 year
- Google · Online exam, not proctoredGoogle Analytics Certificationvalid 1 year
- HubSpot · Online exam, not proctoredHubSpot AEO Fundamentals Certificationvalid 2 years
- HubSpot · Online exam, not proctoredHubSpot Content Marketing Certificationvalid 2 years
- HubSpot · Online exam, not proctoredHubSpot Email Marketing Certificationvalid 2 years
- HubSpot · Online exam, not proctoredHubSpot Inbound Marketing Certificationvalid 2 years
- HubSpot · Online exam, not proctoredHubSpot Social Media Marketing Certificationvalid 2 years
- Cisco · Online exam, not proctoredIntroduction to Cybersecuritynever expires
- freeCodeCamp · Online exam, not proctoredJavaScript Certificationnever expires
- Microsoft · Lab-based assessmentMicrosoft Applied Skills: Defend against cyberthreats with Microsoft Defender XDRnever expires
- Microsoft · Lab-based assessmentMicrosoft Applied Skills: Get started developing agents in Microsoft Foundrynever expires
- Microsoft · Lab-based assessmentMicrosoft Applied Skills: Get started with Azure management tasksnever expires
- Microsoft · Lab-based assessmentMicrosoft Applied Skills: Streamline business workflows with AI chatnever expires
- Cisco · Online exam, not proctoredNetworking Basicsnever expires
- Fortinet · Online exam, not proctoredNSE 1 in Cybersecurityvalid 2 years
- Oracle · 1Z0-1122-26Oracle Cloud Infrastructure AI Foundations Associatevalid 2 years
- Oracle · 1Z0-1085-26Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Foundations Associatevalid 2 years
- Cisco · Online exam, not proctoredPython Essentials 1never expires
- Intuit · Online exam, not proctoredQuickBooks Online Certification (ProAdvisor), Level 1valid 1 year
- freeCodeCamp · Online exam, not proctoredRelational Databases Certificationnever expires
- freeCodeCamp · Online exam, not proctoredResponsive Web Design Certificationnever expires
- Xero · Online exam, not proctoredXero Certified Associate (Level 1 Xero certification)valid 1 year
Cloud
- CLF-C02 · valid 3 yearsAWS Certified Cloud Practitioner100 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- SAA-C03 · valid 3 yearsAWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate150 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- SAP-C02 · valid 3 yearsAWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional300 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- Lab-based assessment · never expiresAWS Cloud Quest: Cloud PractitionerFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · never expiresAWS Knowledge: Cloud EssentialsFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · never expiresAWS Knowledge: ServerlessFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- CKA · valid 2 yearsCertified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)445 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- CV0-004 · valid 3 yearsCompTIA Cloud+399 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- ACE · valid 3 yearsGoogle Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer125 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- PCA · valid 2 yearsGoogle Cloud Professional Cloud Architect200 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- MS-102 · valid 1 yearMicrosoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert165 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- AB-900 · never expiresMicrosoft 365 Certified: Copilot and Agent Administration Fundamentalsprice on the vendor pagelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Lab-based assessment · never expiresMicrosoft Applied Skills: Get started with Azure management tasksFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- AZ-104 · valid 1 yearMicrosoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate165 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- AZ-900 · never expiresMicrosoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals99 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- AZ-305 · valid 1 yearMicrosoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert165 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- 1Z0-1085-26 · valid 2 yearsOracle Cloud Infrastructure Foundations AssociateFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
Cybersecurity
- 312-50 · valid 3 yearsCertified Ethical Hacker (CEH)1,199 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- CISM · valid 3 yearsCertified Information Security Manager (CISM)760 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- CISA · valid 3 yearsCertified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)760 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- CISSP · valid 3 yearsCertified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)749 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- CS0-004 · valid 3 yearsCompTIA CySA+439 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- PT0-003 · valid 3 yearsCompTIA PenTest+439 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- SY0-701 · valid 3 yearsCompTIA Security+439 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · never expiresCybersecurity FundamentalsFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Course completion · never expiresGoogle Cybersecurity Professional Certificate49 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · never expiresIntroduction to CybersecurityFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Lab-based assessment · never expiresMicrosoft Applied Skills: Defend against cyberthreats with Microsoft Defender XDRFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- SC-300 · valid 1 yearMicrosoft Certified: Identity and Access Administrator Associate165 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- SC-200 · valid 1 yearMicrosoft Certified: Security Operations Analyst Associate165 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- SC-900 · never expiresMicrosoft Certified: Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals99 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 2 yearsNSE 1 in CybersecurityFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
Networking
- 200-901 · valid 3 yearsCisco CCNA Automation (formerly DevNet Associate)300 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- 350-401 · valid 3 yearsCisco CCNP Enterprise (ENCOR core exam)400 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- 200-301 · valid 3 yearsCisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)price on the vendor pagelist price as of 12 September 2026
- N10-009 · valid 3 yearsCompTIA Network+399 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · never expiresNetworking BasicsFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
Data & AI
- Course completion · never expiresAI Fundamentals: Foundations for Understanding AIFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- AIF-C01 · valid 3 yearsAWS Certified AI Practitioner100 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- DEA-C01 · valid 3 yearsAWS Certified Data Engineer – Associate150 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- Graded projects · never expiresData Analysis with Python CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Course completion · never expiresData FundamentalsFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Data Engineer Associate · valid 2 yearsDatabricks Certified Data Engineer Associate200 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- Course completion · never expiresGoogle Advanced Data Analytics Professional Certificate49 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Course completion · never expiresGoogle Business Intelligence Professional Certificate49 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Course completion · never expiresGoogle Data Analytics Professional Certificate49 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Lab-based assessment · never expiresMicrosoft Applied Skills: Get started developing agents in Microsoft FoundryFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- AI-901 · never expiresMicrosoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals99 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- DP-900 · never expiresMicrosoft Certified: Azure Data Fundamentals99 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- DP-700 · valid 1 yearMicrosoft Certified: Fabric Data Engineer Associate165 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- PL-300 · valid 1 yearMicrosoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst Associate165 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- 1Z0-1122-26 · valid 2 yearsOracle Cloud Infrastructure AI Foundations AssociateFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
Development & DevOps
- DVA-C02 · valid 3 yearsAWS Certified Developer – Associate150 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · never expiresBack-End Development and APIs CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Graded projects · never expiresCS50's Introduction to Computer ScienceFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · never expiresFront-End Development Libraries CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- GH-900 · never expiresGitHub Foundations99 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- Course completion · never expiresGoogle IT Automation with Python Professional Certificate49 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · never expiresJavaScript CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- AZ-400 · valid 1 yearMicrosoft Certified: DevOps Engineer Expert165 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · never expiresPython Essentials 1Freelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · never expiresRelational Databases CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · never expiresResponsive Web Design CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
Linux & open source
- XK0-006 · valid 3 yearsCompTIA Linux+399 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- 101-500 + 102-500 · valid 5 yearsLPIC-1: Linux Administrator400 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- 201-450 + 202-450 · valid 5 yearsLPIC-2: Linux Engineer400 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- EX200 · valid 3 yearsRed Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA)price on the vendor pagelist price as of 12 September 2026
Project management
- CAPM · valid 3 yearsCertified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)300 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
- Course completion · never expiresGoogle Project Management Professional Certificate49 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- IPMA Level D · valid 5 yearsIPMA Level D: Certified Project Management Associate699 EURlist price as of 12 September 2026
- PRINCE2 Foundation (Version 7) · valid 3 yearsPRINCE2 7 Foundation645 EURlist price as of 12 September 2026
- PMP · valid 3 yearsProject Management Professional (PMP)675 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
Agile & Scrum
IT service management
- 220-1201 + 220-1202 · valid 3 yearsCompTIA A+548 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- FC0-U71 · never expiresCompTIA Tech+129 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- Course completion · never expiresGoogle IT Support Professional Certificateprice on the vendor pagelist price as of 26 September 2026
- ITIL Foundation V5 · valid 3 yearsITIL Foundation (Version 5)644 EURlist price as of 12 September 2026
- CSA · never expiresServiceNow Certified System Administrator (CSA)300 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
Software testing
- CTAL-TA v4.0 · never expiresISTQB Advanced Level Test Analyst (CTAL-TA) v4.0price on the vendor pagelist price as of 12 September 2026
- CTAL-TAE v2.0 · never expiresISTQB Advanced Level Test Automation Engineering (CTAL-TAE) v2.0price on the vendor pagelist price as of 12 September 2026
- CTFL v4.0 · never expiresISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL) v4.0229 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
Finance & accounting
- Proctored exam · never expiresACCA Qualification160 GBPlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Proctored exam · valid 1 yearCertified Management Accountant (CMA®)545 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Proctored exam · never expiresCFA® Program Level I1,490 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Proctored exam · valid 1 yearCFP® certification (CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER®)925 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · never expiresFinancial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA®)347.9 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Proctored exam · never expiresFinancial Risk Manager (FRM®) Certification800 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Course completion · never expiresIntuit Academy Bookkeeping Professional Certificate39 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 1 yearQuickBooks Online Certification (ProAdvisor), Level 1Freelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 1 yearXero Certified Associate (Level 1 Xero certification)Freelist price as of 26 September 2026
Office & productivity
- Lab-based assessment · never expiresMicrosoft Applied Skills: Streamline business workflows with AI chatFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- PL-900 · never expiresMicrosoft Certified: Power Platform Fundamentals99 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- MO-210 · valid 5 yearsMicrosoft Office Specialist: Excel Associate (Microsoft 365 Apps)100 USDlist price as of 8 September 2026
- MO-211 · valid 5 yearsMicrosoft Office Specialist: Excel Expert (Microsoft 365 Apps)price on the vendor pagelist price as of 26 September 2026
- MO-310 · valid 5 yearsMicrosoft Office Specialist: PowerPoint Associate (Microsoft 365 Apps)price on the vendor pagelist price as of 26 September 2026
- MO-110 · valid 5 yearsMicrosoft Office Specialist: Word Associate (Microsoft 365 Apps)price on the vendor pagelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Platform Administrator · never expiresSalesforce Certified Platform Administrator200 USDlist price as of 12 September 2026
Marketing platforms
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 1 yearAdvanced Content Marketing with Brian DeanFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 1 yearAI-Powered Shopping ads CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 1 yearContent-Led SEO with Brian DeanFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Course completion · never expiresFundamentals of Digital MarketingFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 1 yearGoogle Ads Display CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 1 yearGoogle Ads Measurement CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 1 yearGoogle Ads Search CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 1 yearGoogle Ads Video CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 1 yearGoogle Analytics CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Course completion · never expiresGoogle Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate49 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 2 yearsHubSpot AEO Fundamentals CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 2 yearsHubSpot Content Marketing CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 2 yearsHubSpot Email Marketing CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 2 yearsHubSpot Inbound Marketing CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- Online exam, not proctored · valid 2 yearsHubSpot Social Media Marketing CertificationFreelist price as of 26 September 2026
- 100-101 · valid 2 yearsMeta Certified Digital Marketing Associate99 USDlist price as of 26 September 2026
Design & UX
Exam versions with an announced end date
- AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional (SAP-C02) last exam day 17 November 2026
- Microsoft 365 Certified: Administrator Expert (MS-102) last exam day 30 November 2026
- Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) (200-301) last exam day 2 February 2027
- CompTIA Security+ (SY0-701) last exam day 11 June 2027
How to read a vendor certificate
The facts on each exam page come from the vendor's own exam page, each with an as-of date; prices are list prices that differ by country and tax. Exam versions change roughly every three years, and each exam page names the current code. Course and practice-test links are affiliate links, and so is the discounted exam voucher Udemy sells for the CompTIA and AWS exams (each exam page says where it applies); the vendors' learning paths are free and linked without commission. The 115 exams are offered in 26 languages between them (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and more).
Affiliate disclosure: course and practice-test links on the exam pages are affiliate links; a purchase through them may earn Getting Digital a commission at no extra cost to the buyer. The vendors' free learning paths are linked without any commission.
Courses that prepare for these exams
From the IT certification, cloud and security course categories; each card leads to the course page with the provider link and the disclosure.
Concepts the exams build on
Hosting & Infrastructure
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is the model in which servers, storage and databases are created on demand through an API from a provider's pooled hardware and billed for the time they exist, rather than rented as a fixed box by the month.
Cloud Computing
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
IaaS is the layer of cloud computing where you rent raw infrastructure through an API, meaning virtual machines, disks and networks, and take responsibility for the operating system and everything you install above it.
Cloud Computing
Containers
A container is an application packaged together with the libraries and configuration it needs, run as an isolated process on a host that is already switched on, so the same package behaves the same way on a laptop, in a build pipeline and in production.
Hosting & Infrastructure
SSL/TLS
SSL/TLS is the protocol that encrypts the connection between a browser and a server and, by way of a certificate signed by a certificate authority, proves the server is entitled to answer for the domain in the address bar.
Last reviewed 3 October 2026 · Getting Digital