Top CompTIA Certifications

CompTIA is one of the popular vendors among the IT specialists when their goal is to get certified in the networking or security sectors because it gives a great variety of options. To help you validate the skills you need, CompTIA provides all the interested candidates with the whole certification program consisting of several levels. The certificates it offers are vendor-neutral and align with the IT cybersecurity and infrastructure career paths. Some of them validate your knowledge of the core areas, while others grant you an opportunity to gain additional professional skills and obtain a certification.

CompTIA Certification Program Overview

The certification program is presented in several tracks and each of them has a list of options that you can go for. Each track has a different level of difficulty, so you can find the one that you want to verify your level of expertise. All in all, the program has the following options:

1. Core Level

This is the very first level that you can start your journey with and helps you gain the basic IT understanding as well as core knowledge of various core technologies from security and Cloud to data management and more. The certifications that you can obtain from this track include the following:

• CompTIA IT Fundamentals

  Also known as CompTIA ITF+, this path is for those individuals who want to introduce themselves to the basic IT knowledge and skills. It covers a range of various IT topics and provides you with a solid grounding in the technology concepts as well as practices that are used by the organizations today. CompTIA FC0-U61 is a qualification exam of this option, which evaluates your knowledge of IT terminology and concepts, database fundamentals, software development, security, and so on. Please note that no prior experience necessary for the test.

• CompTIA A+

  If you have some experience with the today’s technologies and want to start your career in the IT field to become an expert in the sector you are interested in, you can go for this path. This is an ideal starting point to prove that you are able to support today’s core technologies. However, it is recommended that you have at least 9 months of hands-on experience in the field. There are two exams that you should pass and they are known as CompTIA 220-1001 and CompTIA 220-1002. These tests verify your foundational-level IT skills across a variety of operating systems and devices. Thus, you will be able to show your knowledge of mobile devices, networking, hardware, security, virtualization, software troubleshooting, operating systems, and so on.

• CompTIA Network+

  As for this path, it validates the essential skills of the candidates that are needed to confidently design, manage, troubleshoot, and configure any wired or wireless device. It covers the details of troubleshooting, configuration, and management of networks. To obtain the certification, you should deal with the CompTIA N10-007 exam. This test proves your knowledge of network implementations, networking fundamentals, network troubleshooting, network operations, as well as network security. It is recommended that you hold the CompTIA A+ certificate and have about a year of networking experience.

• CompTIA Security+

  IT network and operational security are one of the fastest growing fields in IT, which is why this path is popular among the IT specialists. It provides all the interested candidates with a global benchmark for best practices in these sectors. The CompTIA SY0-601 exam covers the information about the possible vulnerabilities, attacks, and threats, operations and incident response, as well as architecture, design, and governance. It is recommended that you hold the CompTIA Network+ certificate and possess at least 2 years of experience in IT administration with a focus on the security sector.

2. Infrastructure Level

This certification track is all about infrastructure technologies, including Cloud, Linux, and so on. There are three options in total and they are the following:

• CompTIA Cloud+

  This certification path validates one’s skills, which are required to securely implement, utilize, as well as maintain Cloud technologies. This certificate shows that you possess the skills in deploying and automating the secure Cloud environments, which support high availability of business systems and data. CompTIA CV0-003 is a qualification exam that validates your knowledge of Cloud architecture and security, Cloud design and deployment, as well as Cloud operations, troubleshooting, and support. The vendor recommends that you have more than 2 years of experience in systems or networking administration as well as hold CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Server+.

• CompTIA Linux+

  This internationally recognized certificate validates the technical competencies, which are required for the junior-level Linux administrators. It proves that you are able to support Linux systems and know everything needed about hardware and system configuration, Linux diagnostics and troubleshooting, system operation, maintenance, as well as security. If you have CompTIA A+ and CompTIA Network+ as well as possess a year of experience administrating Linux, you will be eligible for the CompTIA XK0-004 test.

• CompTIA Server+

  The last path from this track helps you demonstrate your technical knowledge base and skillset as well as the ability to perform a variety of tasks on server platforms. Passing the CompTIA SK0-005 exam with flying colors shows that you know how to work in data centers or Cloud environments. To be eligible for the qualification test, a potential candidate needs to possess the CompTIA A+ certification and 2 or more years of hands-on experience working in a server environment.

3. Cybersecurity Level

The next level is even more advanced and covers all you need to know about the cybersecurity sector. All in all, there are 3 certifications and you should know the following information about them if you want to become a certified security professional:

• CompTIA CySa+

  If your goal is to become a cybersecurity analyst, this certification will be your perfect choice. After obtaining it, you will be able to show that you know how to apply behavioral analytics to the IT security field in order to improve the overall state of IT security. By passing the CompTIA CS0-002 exam, you can prove your skills in preventing, detecting, as well as combatting cybersecurity threats through continuous security monitoring.

• CompTIA PenTest+

  The path is ideal for the intermediate-level cybersecurity specialists who have to deal with penetration testing in order to manage vulnerabilities on a network. An individual interested in this option needs to have CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+, or an equivalent certification as well as possess more than 3 years of hands-on information security experience. CompTIA PT0-002 is a prerequisite exam that you have to pass to earn this certificate.

• CompTIA CASP+

  This is an advanced certification, which shows that a successful candidate possesses critical thinking as well as judgment across a spectrum of security disciplines in the complex environments. The path is ideal for the security architects as well as senior security engineers who know how to lead and improve the enterprise’s cybersecurity readiness. CompTIA CAS-004 is the only qualification exam that you need to pass to obtain this certificate. To be eligible for it and be able to understand the covered concepts, it is recommended that you have more than 10 years of general hands-on IT experience. Besides that, the students should possess more than 5 years of broad hands-on security experience.

4. Additional Professional Level

This is the last track available in the CompTIA certification program that offers three options. Each of the paths represents an additional professional area, which is not related to others in the program. The individuals can improve their skills and knowledge and validate them in such spheres as project management, instructor training, and Cloud essentials. Thus, you can go for the following certificates:

• CompTIA Project+

  This path validates your skills in initiating, managing, as well as completing projects or business initiatives on time and within the given budget. You will learn the basic concepts required for the successful management of the small-sized and medium-sized projects. It is recommended that you have a year of cumulative project management experience to proceed with the CompTIA PK0-004 exam. By dealing with this test, one proves his/her knowledge of the basics and constraints of projects, project documentation and tools, as well as communication management and change management.

• CompTIA CTT+

  This certification validates that you have the ability to use various tools and techniques that are necessary for successfully teaching. Those individuals who obtain it and become a certified trainer are able to work in any of today’s learning environments to bring the best experience to their students. To become a certified specialist, you need to pass the CompTIA TK0-201 exam, which verifies the essential knowledge of training. Besides that, you have to choose between CompTIA TK0-202 and CompTIA TK0-203 and take one of them to prove your skills in the classroom or virtual training.

• CompTIA Cloud Essentials+

  This certificate can be taken both by the IT professionals or non-technical specialists who want to have the essential business acumen. It is necessary in order to make the informed Cloud service decisions as well as recommendations. The CompTIA CLO-002 exam shows that you have an understanding of the foundational technical and business components included in the Cloud assessments. It is recommended that the learners possess more than 6 months of work experience as a business analyst in the IT environment as well as some experience of working with Cloud technologies.

Preparation Options

To earn any of the certificates available in the CompTIA certification program, you need to pass the qualification exams, so this means that you should have thorough preparation. Fortunately, any of the potential candidates can find many prep options for any of the CompTIA tests. The larger part of the resources can be found right on the official website. Thus you can find the following materials:

• Study guides for any of the exams in the program;
• Instructor-led training courses that can be taken virtually or in a classroom of a training center;
• Videos, flashcards, performance-based sample questions, and other options on the official eLearning platform;
• Video training course, which can be found in various sizes and types that may include additional resources;
• Virtual labs that help you check your practical skills.

The availability of these tools is almost endless because there are more options on the CompTIA website and some of the materials are available on the third-party platforms.

Career Opportunities

The CompTIA certification program is popular among the IT specialists for a reason because it grants the vendor-neutral certificates that can greatly enhance a career of a successful candidate. The certifications of this vendor give you the opportunity to find your place in the IT field and expect a higher income. Thus, depending on the path you choose, you can become a Field Service Technician, a Desktop Support Administrator, a Telecommunications Technician, a Service Desk Analyst, a Cloud Penetration Tester, a Cable Technician, a Data Center Support Technician, a System Administrator, a Security Administrator, a DevOps/Software Developer, a Training Consultant, and so on. If talking about the average annual salary that you can earn by choosing one of these positions, you can expect to have from about $53,149 to $96,500.