Study Skills & Careers Editor · 46 articles
Owen spent years as an IT trainer watching smart people fail exams they should have passed — usually because of how they studied, not what they knew. He writes about study technique, exam psychology, career strategy and the service-management certifications (ITIL, PRINCE2, APM). His articles are the ones to read before you open a single practice question.
Microsoft rewrote MD-102 on 24 July 2026. The exam has a new title, a fifth domain worth 10 to 15 percent, and Security Copilot agents in the objectives. Here is exactly what changed and which parts of your revision still count.
27 Aug 2026
ReadServiceNow scrapped exam vouchers, moved to Pearson VUE and introduced yearly Delta exams. Here is the current ServiceNow CSA certification blueprint, the six domains by weight, and a 6-week study plan built around them.
23 Aug 2026
ReadThe ISO 27001 Lead Auditor and Lead Implementer exams cost the same and share a pass mark, but they test opposite skills and carry different experience rules. Here is what each exam contains and which one to book.
22 Aug 2026
ReadThe PMP is worth it if you already lead projects in an industry that screens for it. If you are trying to break into project management, the eligibility bar alone rules you out. Here is the honest decision, with PMI's own requirements.
18 Aug 2026
ReadA PMP practice exam is a training tool, not a thermometer. Here is how to build one into a study plan, how to review wrong answers properly, and why PMI publishes no passing percentage for you to chase.
18 Aug 2026
ReadThe July 2026 PMP exam rewrote the domain weights, added two new question types and gave you ten more minutes. Here is what changed against the January 2021 outline, and what a candidate should do differently because of it.
18 Aug 2026
ReadCompTIA put its exam prices up on 1 June 2026, and Security+ now retails at $439. Here is every legitimate CompTIA exam voucher discount ranked by what it actually saves you, plus the coupon-site traps that void your voucher.
18 Aug 2026
ReadTwelve free CAPM practice questions written to the 2023 exam content outline, weighted across all four domains, each with a full explanation of why the tempting wrong answer fails.
17 Aug 2026
ReadA complete guide to the CAPM certification: eligibility, the 23 contact hours rule, the full cost breakdown, the four exam domains and how PMI actually scores you. Everything you need before you apply.
17 Aug 2026
ReadCAPM vs PMP compared on eligibility, cost, exam format and salary. PMI reweighted the PMP domains on 9 July 2026, which changes the calculation for anyone deciding between them this year.
17 Aug 2026
ReadPMI relaunched the PMP exam on 9 July 2026 with a new content outline and four eligibility tiers. Here is how CAPM vs PMP now compares on cost, requirements, difficulty and salary, and which one you should actually sit first.
17 Aug 2026
ReadSnowflake rebuilt the SnowPro Core certification in 2026. COF-C02 retired on 14 May and COF-C03 collapsed six domains into five, with Cortex AI and Apache Iceberg added. Here is the current blueprint and a 6-week plan that matches it.
13 Aug 2026
ReadISACA has launched the Certified Cybersecurity Specialist (CCS), a new vendor-neutral entry-level cyber certification. Here are the three domains, the US$199 beta price, the 26 August application deadline, and an honest verdict on whether it beats ISC2 CC or Security+.
13 Aug 2026
ReadJuniper retired JN0-105 in April 2026 and replaced it with JN0-106. Here is what the new JNCIA-Junos exam actually tests, what it costs, how hard it is next to CCNA, and who should sit it.
12 Aug 2026
ReadNVIDIA's Agentic AI Professional certification (NCP-AAI) is a $200, 120-minute exam covering ten domains. Here is the full blueprint, the experience you actually need, how it compares to NVIDIA's other AI exams, and an honest verdict on whether it is worth sitting.
9 Aug 2026
ReadThe PRINCE2 Foundation pass mark has risen from 55% to 60%, and the qualification was formally renamed in January 2026. Here is the current exam format, the full PRINCE2 7 syllabus and a realistic 4-week study plan.
8 Aug 2026
ReadCGEIT is ISACA's IT governance certification: 150 questions, four domains and a five-year experience rule that blocks most applicants. Here is the full breakdown of the domains, the 2026 cost, the salary data and an honest verdict on whether it is worth it.
4 Aug 2026
ReadThe CDPSE certification is ISACA's technical privacy credential, and it quietly moved from three domains to four. Here are the current domain weights, the real exam cost, the 450 pass mark and an honest verdict on whether it is worth it in 2026.
2 Aug 2026
ReadMD-102 was restructured on 24 July 2026 and now has five domains, including a brand new one on automation, monitoring and Security Copilot agents. Here is the full outline, the pass mark, and an 8-week study plan built for the current version.
1 Aug 2026
ReadThe Pentagon suspended CMMC Phase 2 on 13 July 2026, days before the 10 November deadline. Here is what it actually changes for the Certified CMMC Professional credential, and whether the CCP is still worth your money.
25 Jul 2026
ReadA week-by-week study plan to pass the AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate (DEA-C01) exam in 2026, covering all four domains, the services that carry the most marks, and how to beat the scenario questions.
24 Jul 2026
ReadA week-by-week study plan to pass the HTB CDSA exam in 2026, covering the 7-day practical lab, the make-or-break incident report, points threshold, prerequisites and the tools every blue team analyst needs.
24 Jul 2026
ReadA week-by-week OSCP study plan for the 2026 exam format. Covers the 23 hour 45 minute practical, the 40-point Active Directory set, the removal of bonus points, and the report that decides whether you actually pass.
23 Jul 2026
ReadThe PNPT gives you five days to compromise a corporate network, two days to write the report, and 15 minutes to defend it live. Here is an eight-week study plan that prepares you for all three stages, not just the hacking.
22 Jul 2026
ReadA week-by-week study plan for the Hack The Box CPTS exam in 2026. Learn how to clear the Penetration Tester path, capture 12 of 14 flags, and pass the professional report on the 10-day practical.
21 Jul 2026
ReadA plain-English breakdown of CrowdStrike's Falcon certifications. Compare CCFA, CCFR and CCFH on cost, format and career value, and see which Falcon cert is worth it in 2026.
19 Jul 2026
ReadLearn how to pass BTL1 in 2026 with a six-week study plan built for the 24-hour practical exam. Covers the five domains, Splunk and Autopsy prep, note-building and exam-day time management.
18 Jul 2026
ReadA week-by-week plan to pass the CEH v13 knowledge exam and the 6-hour Practical on your first attempt in 2026, with the exact domain weights, cut scores and AI tooling you need to know.
18 Jul 2026
ReadA straight answer on whether the ISC2 CGRC is worth it in 2026. We cover the seven domains and their weights, the $599 exam fee, the two-year experience rule, and the one question that decides it: do you work with US federal frameworks?
17 Jul 2026
ReadA week-by-week SC-300 study plan for 2026, covering all four Entra ID exam domains, Conditional Access, PIM and identity governance, so you pass the Microsoft Identity and Access Administrator exam first time.
16 Jul 2026
ReadThe IAPP AIGP is the leading AI governance certification. This guide breaks down the four exam domains, the full cost, salary data and exam format, then gives an honest verdict on whether the AIGP is worth it in 2026.
1 Jul 2026
ReadCompTIA has raised exam prices again, so is the trifecta (A+, Network+, Security+) still worth it in 2026, or should you take the cheaper CCNA plus Security+ route? Here is an honest cost and career breakdown.
21 Jun 2026
ReadThousands of people claimed a free Microsoft exam voucher from AI Skills Fest 2026. Here is how to pick the highest-value certification to spend it on before it expires, and how to actually pass it.
21 Jun 2026
ReadIs CompTIA PenTest+ worth it in 2026? Salary data, career paths, comparison with OSCP and CEH, and an honest verdict on the offensive security certification.
22 May 2026
ReadAWS Certified AI Practitioner (AIF-C01) costs $100, takes 30-40 hours to prepare for, and validates AI fluency on AWS. Here's whether it's worth your time in 2026.
22 May 2026
ReadIs CISM worth it in 2026? A complete look at the ISACA Certified Information Security Manager certification: salary, demand, total cost, and the career situations where CISM pays off.
22 May 2026
ReadIs CISSP worth it in 2026? An honest look at the salary uplift, total cost, study time, and the career situations where CISSP pays off versus where it does not.
22 May 2026
ReadA career-focused look at the jobs CompTIA SecAI+ unlocks in 2026: AI security engineer, MLSecOps, AI governance officer, and more. With salary ranges and progression paths.
22 May 2026
ReadA complete breakdown of CompTIA SecAI+ (CY0-001) covering all four domains, exam cost, salary data, and whether the industry's first AI security certification is worth your time.
22 May 2026
ReadA complete 4-week study plan for ITIL 5 Foundation beginners. Covers the syllabus, the four question types, and the practice strategy that consistently delivers first-attempt passes.
22 May 2026
ReadITIL 5 Foundation launched February 2026 with new AI governance content. Here's everything you need to know about cost, format, and whether the certification is worth it.
22 May 2026
ReadPassing a certification exam is only half the battle. Learn why employers look beyond credentials, what the certification trap really is, and how to turn your cert into job offers.
29 Apr 2026
ReadLearn the science-backed 48-hour cram strategy that maximises retention before your IT certification exam. Includes hour-by-hour plans, active recall drills, and sleep-based memory consolidation tactics proven to lift pass rates.
14 Apr 2026
ReadNearly half of IT certification candidates fail on their first attempt. Learn the seven reasons why, backed by data, and the proven study strategies that fix each one.
13 Apr 2026
ReadThe best IT certifications for 2026 span cybersecurity, cloud, AI, and service management. Here are the top picks ranked by salary, demand, and career impact.
10 Apr 2026
ReadITIL 5 launched in February 2026 with AI governance, a new 8-activity value chain, and a shift to digital product management. Here's what changed and what it means for your certification.
10 Apr 2026
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