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The CertCrush Blog

Expert guides, study strategies, and exam tips for IT certification success.

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Certification Deep Dives9 min

Microsoft AB-650 Exam Topics and Domain Weightings in 2026: The MS-102 Replacement, Now in Beta

AB-650 replaces MS-102 as Microsoft's tenant administration exam, and the weightings tell a different story. Security and governance take 40 to 45 percent, AI services take 35 to 40 percent, and classic tenant admin is down to a fifth of the exam.

15 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives8 min

Google Cloud Professional Agentic Architect Explained: Exam Guide, $120 Beta Cost and the 30 September 2026 Deadline

Google Cloud's Professional Agentic Architect certification is in open beta until 30 September 2026 at $120 instead of $200. Here are the five sections and their weights, the two-part exam format, and who should sit it now rather than wait for GA.

15 Sept 2026

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Exam Guides8 min

APM PMQ Exam Format and Pass Mark in 2026: 40 Questions, 90 Marks and No Fixed Pass Mark

The APM PMQ is no longer a three-hour essay paper and there is no longer a fixed 55% pass mark. Here is the current 40-question, 90-mark format, how the Angoff pass mark is set, and what the Competence Framework syllabus dropped.

14 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives9 min

CompTIA Data+ DA0-002 in 2026: What Changed From DA0-001, Exam Cost and Is It Worth It?

DA0-001 retired on 14 April 2026, so CompTIA Data+ DA0-002 is now the only version you can sit. The format is identical, but two of the five domains were rebuilt. Here is what changed, what it costs, and who should take it.

14 Sept 2026

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Study Tips9 min

How to Pass the OffSec OSWE (WEB-300) Exam in 2026: A 12-Week Study Plan for the 48-Hour White Box Challenge

The OSWE certification gives you 47 hours 45 minutes to break two web applications from source, and 85 of 100 points to pass. Here is a 12-week study plan built around code review, not tooling.

13 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives7 min

PL-400 Is Becoming AB-400 on 16 October 2026: What's Changing and Should You Sit PL-400 First?

Microsoft is renaming PL-400 to AB-400 on 16 October 2026, cutting six domains to four and adding agentic AI. Here is what changes, whether your PL-400 study material still works, and which exam to book.

13 Sept 2026

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Study Tips8 min

How to Pass the PJPT Exam in 2026: A Study Plan for the 48-Hour Active Directory Practical

The PJPT is a 48-hour internal Active Directory pentest with no flags and a mandatory report. Here is a week-by-week plan to compromise the domain controller and pass first time in 2026.

12 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives7 min

CompTIA AI Essentials Explained: Cost, Format and Is It Worth It in 2026?

CompTIA AI Essentials is a 2 to 3 hour self-paced course ending in a competency assessment, not a proctored exam. Here is what the CompCert badge actually is, what it costs, how it differs from AI Prompting Essentials and SecAI+, and who should buy it.

12 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives10 min

Google Cloud Generative AI Leader Certification in 2026: Cost, Exam Format, Difficulty and Is It Worth It?

The Google Cloud Generative AI Leader certification costs $99, runs 90 minutes and asks 50 to 60 multiple choice questions. Here is what the four domains actually cover, how hard it is, and the 2026 product rename that has made most study material wrong.

11 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives7 min

Salesforce Agentforce Specialist Certification in 2026: Cost, Pass Mark and the New Six-Domain Outline

The Agentforce Specialist certification is no longer free, the outline now has six domains aligned to Spring '26, and the pass mark is 72%. Here is what the exam actually tests, what it costs, and who should sit it.

11 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives11 min

CIPP Certification Cost in 2026: CIPP/US vs CIPP/E, Requirements and Is It Worth It?

The CIPP exam costs $550, but that is not the real number. Here is the full 2026 cost of getting and keeping an IAPP privacy certification, how CIPP/US and CIPP/E actually differ on the blueprint, and who should sit which one.

10 Sept 2026

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Exam Guides16 min

PMP Practice Questions: 25 Exam-Style Examples With Answers and Explanations (2026 ECO)

Twenty-five PMP exam practice questions written to the Exam Content Outline that took effect on 9 July 2026, weighted across People, Process and Business Environment. Every answer comes with an explanation of why the other options fail.

10 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives9 min

CCNA v2.0 Goes Live on 3 February 2027: What's Changing and Should You Sit 200-301 v1.1 First?

Cisco published the CCNA v2.0 blueprint on 20 May 2026. The exam number stays 200-301, but six domains become five, a 10% AI domain arrives, and v1.1 stops on 2 February 2027. Here is what changed and which version to book.

9 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives8 min

PL-900 Exam Changes in 2026: New Copilot Studio Topics, Cost and Is It Still Worth It?

Microsoft rewrote the PL-900 exam on 24 July 2026. Power Pages is gone, a Copilot Studio agents domain worth 20 to 25 percent replaced it, and most study material still teaches the old outline. Here is what changed and whether the exam is still worth booking.

9 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives10 min

AWS Certified AI Business Strategist (AIB-C01) Explained: Domains, Cost and the $50 Beta Deadline in 2026

AWS has launched its first business-only certification. Here is what the AWS Certified AI Business Strategist (AIB-C01) tests, the four domain weightings, what the beta costs against the standard $100, and how it differs from AI Practitioner.

8 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives8 min

GCFE Certification in 2026: Cost, Exam Format, Salary and How It Compares to GCFA

The GCFE certification is GIAC's Windows forensics exam: 82 questions, three hours, 70% to pass, with hands-on CyberLive tasks. Here is what it costs in 2026, what it tests, what holders earn, and when GCFA is the better buy.

8 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives8 min

ISACA Cybersecurity Fundamentals Is Being Retired: What Replaces It and Should You Buy It Before 1 December 2026?

ISACA stops selling the Cybersecurity Fundamentals Certificate on 1 December 2026 and sunsets the programme on 1 June 2027. Here is what happens to the certificate you already hold, what the CCS replacement looks like, and whether buying the exam now is worth it.

7 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives8 min

Cisco DevNet Is Now CCNA Automation (200-901): Exam Topics, Cost and How It Differs From CCNA in 2026

Cisco retired the DevNet brand and renamed DevNet Associate to CCNA Automation. Same 200-901 exam number, new exam code, new track. Here are the six domains, the $300 price, and why CCNA Automation is not the CCNA.

7 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives9 min

Microsoft AI-500 Exam Topics, Cost and Domains: The New Multi-Agent AI Solutions Expert Certification (2026)

Microsoft AI-500 is a new expert-level exam covering production multi-agent AI systems. Here are the four domains and their weightings, what Microsoft has and has not published about cost and format, and who should sit it.

6 Sept 2026

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Study Tips8 min

GREM Certification in 2026: Cost, the 73% CyberLive Pass Mark and an 8-Week Study Plan

The GREM certification attempt costs $999 and needs 73% across 66 questions in three hours, including CyberLive labs. Here is the full fee breakdown, the 15 exam objectives, and an 8-week study plan built around the index you will actually use.

6 Sept 2026

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Study Tips9 min

GPEN Certification in 2026: Cost, 73% Pass Mark and an 8-Week Study Plan

The GIAC GPEN certification costs $999, runs 82 questions in 3 hours, and needs 73% to pass. Here is what CyberLive questions actually involve, the 16 topic areas, and an 8-week study plan with an index strategy that works.

5 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives7 min

The Dynamics 365 Certification Path in 2026: Which MB Exams Are Retired and What AB-210 Replaces

Six Dynamics 365 exams retired between December 2025 and July 2026, and most of them have no direct replacement. Here is which MB exams are gone, which six are still live, and where AB-210 and AB-100 fit.

5 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives8 min

MLA-C01 Is Being Replaced by MLA-C02 in 2026: Release Dates and Should You Sit It Before 28 September?

AWS closes MLA-C01 in English on 28 September 2026 and starts MLA-C02 beta delivery the next day, with general availability on 14 January 2027. Here are the confirmed dates, what actually changed, and which version to book.

4 Sept 2026

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Certification Deep Dives8 min

Okta Certification Path in 2026: Every Exam, Cost and What Replaced the Hands-On Configuration Exam

Okta retired the Professional Hands-On Configuration Exam on 6 July 2026 and moved candidates onto a live-environment Performance exam. Here is the full Okta certification path for 2026, what each exam costs, and which one to sit first.

4 Sept 2026

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