Evidence-backed certification decisions
Choose the right certification for the work you want.
Which certification is worth your money and time — or your team’s. We read what the vendors actually publish, quote it with the date we checked, and tell you plainly when the honest answer is to study free and skip the course.
Start with your decision
Where are you starting from?
Whether you need a certification at all, which one is actually the first rung, and what it really costs before you spend anything.
I’m already working in ITPlan the next moveStart from the experience you have and get a specific next credential — then decide whether it is worth paying for training or studying it yourself.
I’m deciding between twoSee the tradeoffHead-to-head on cost, exam shape, and the experience each vendor expects — or the Network+ / Security+ / CCNA three-way.
I’m planning training for a teamBuild a defensible planPer-seat cost, vendor-neutral ladders per role, compliance baselines where they apply, and the funding levers — including DoD 8140.
Featured security journey
Don’t choose by prestige. Choose by experience.
The useful sequence changes when work experience becomes a formal eligibility gate. Start at the rung that matches the evidence you already have.
- Starting outBuild the foundation
ISC2 CC has no experience requirement. Security+ recommends background, but does not gate registration.
- Hands-on practitionerUse SSCP at the one-year gate
Target SSCP when your work is operational and you can document one year in an SSCP domain.
- Experienced practitionerUse CISSP for broader scope
Target CISSP when your work spans at least two domains and you can satisfy its five-year experience gate.
Already working in security? Compare SSCP and CISSP directly →
Weighing a paid course? See what security training actually costs →
Have A+ and a year on a help desk? Network+ vs Security+ vs CCNA →
Check your readiness
Ready for the exam — or do you need to study first?
Pick a certification and see where you stand against its real, published exam domains — then get a curated official and independent free resources for the topics you’re shaky on. No pass-rate guesses, affiliate links, or generic AI course standing in for a real resource.
What the vendor actually requires
We quote the vendor — and link the page we read it on
“How hard is it?” usually gets answered with a number somebody invented. We answer it with the experience the vendor itself asks for, quoted, dated, and linked — and where a vendor says nothing, we say that instead of guessing. Here is a real one.
These are the requirements the vendor publishes, with the date each was checked — never a pass rate, a guarantee, or a prediction.
See the full breakdown & every source →Compare what every vendor asks for →- Recommended experienceCompTIA recommends about 12 months of hands-on experience in an IT support role (a recommendation, not a requirement).Source: CompTIA A+ official exam page
- Prerequisite depthNoneSource: CompTIA A+ official exam page
- Exam structure2 exams: 220-1201; 220-1202; Pearson VUESource: CompTIA A+ official exam page
- Renewal friction3-year validity; Upload CEUs / CertMaster CE / or retake; fee waived by passing a higher CompTIA cert; renewal fee $75Source: Blocked-claim policy
How we score
Built on sources you can check
Every figure traces to a logged, official source. Pay and outlook come only as occupation-level BLS and O*NET context; exam facts come from vendor and OEM pages. Where the evidence doesn’t support a claim, we say so instead of guessing.
Common questions
What RoleMath is — and isn’t
- What is RoleMath?
- RoleMath is a free, cited career-decision tool for people moving into tech. It scores roles and certifications against official sources — BLS and O*NET for pay and outlook, vendor pages for exam facts — and shows the cited source behind every figure.
- Is RoleMath free to use?
- Yes. RoleMath is free. You can browse every role, certification, comparison, and definition, and build a personalized plan, at no cost.
- Does RoleMath sell training or earn commissions on its recommendations?
- RoleMath does not currently sell courses. It curates official and independently reviewed free resources, its recommendations are never influenced by payment, and the full planner result is free.
- Where does RoleMath get its data?
- Every figure traces to a logged, official source. Pay and outlook come only as occupation-level context from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and O*NET; certification and exam facts come from vendor and OEM pages. Each page shows the source behind its numbers.
- Does RoleMath guarantee a job, salary, or pass rate?
- No. RoleMath uses official sources for planning context and does not promise salary, placement, pass rates, or job outcomes. Where the evidence does not support a claim, it says so instead of guessing.