Choose an entry-level IT certification by the work you want to understand, the exam objectives and your total study budget. A certification can document learning, but it does not guarantee a job, a salary increase or a particular hiring decision. Compare a few relevant options before purchasing training.
Three different starting points
The following official pages were checked on 10 October 2026. The listed USD fees are exam prices shown by the vendors, not local quotations including every tax, currency conversion, training cost or retake. Confirm the final booking price in your country.
| Option | Scope to compare | Observed price | Starting expectations |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Cloud Practitioner | AWS cloud concepts and services. | USD100. | Foundational; prior cloud experience is not required. |
| Microsoft Azure Fundamentals | Cloud concepts, Azure architecture, services and governance. | Depends on the exam country or region. | Beginner level; Microsoft describes IT experience as useful background. |
| Cisco CCST IT Support | Support tasks, troubleshooting, documentation and user assistance. | USD125. | The CCST programme lists no formal prerequisites; study the relevant topics. |
A cloud foundations exam and a support exam answer different learning needs. A lower price does not make one a substitute for the other. Read the current objectives to see what you would still need to practise after passing.
Build a decision worksheet
- Write two or three target roles in your location.
- Read actual vacancies and record which skills and credentials they request.
- Compare these requests with the official exam objectives.
- Identify your existing skills and the gaps you can demonstrate in a lab.
- Calculate a budget for the complete path, including possible retries.
- Choose one first objective and a date to review progress.
Vacancy sampling is your own research, not a global ranking. Keep the links and dates and avoid counting duplicate advertisements as separate employers. A certificate requested by one employer may be optional at another.
Worked choice: support or cloud foundations?
Illustrative case: Maya wants a user-support role and enjoys diagnosing workstation problems. Her worksheet prioritizes support objectives and a small troubleshooting portfolio. Leo supports a sales team discussing AWS services; he starts with cloud vocabulary and shared responsibilities. Neither fictional choice establishes a universal best certification.
For each path, write a sample task that is useful beyond the exam. Examples include documenting a reproducible support issue or explaining which party configures access to a cloud resource. Use an authorized learning environment, inspect potential charges and remove temporary resources when finished.
Calculate total cost without invented returns
Budget = exam fee + preparation resources + lab charges + travel or equipment + an optional retake reserve. Keep study hours in a separate column. You can estimate the value of your time for your own decision, but do not treat that estimate as a fee charged by the vendor.
Check exam language, delivery mode, identification requirements, rescheduling terms and accessibility arrangements before payment. Free learning content does not automatically include a free examination or guarantee that hands-on resources have no charges.
What to do next
Save the official objectives for your chosen exam and produce a short gap list. Use the practice-error review method to turn mock results into tasks. For an AWS path, the CLF-C02 schedule provides a worksheet you can adapt to your starting knowledge.
Further reading
- Coursera
- ISC² Cybersecurity Workforce Study
- CyberSeek
- official CompTIA CertMaster
- Related reference — certpunch.com
- official CompTIA CertMaster Practice
- Related reference — certpunch.com
- Related reference — certpunch.com
- CCNA vs Network+ comparison
- Related reference — www.payscale.com
- Related reference — certpunch.com
- CompTIA — Official Certification Catalog
- Get CertPunch on the App Store
- Get CertPunch on Google Play