◦ Study notes & exam intel
Expert guides, study strategies, and exam tips for IT certification success.
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35 head-to-head comparisons — CISSP vs CISM, Security+ vs CySA+ and more.
Showing 35 certification comparisons.
← All postsSC-500 is for engineers who build and harden Azure, hybrid and AI workloads. SC-200 is for analysts who detect, investigate and respond. How the two 2026 exams differ, where their objectives overlap, and which to take first.
Tom Ashford
24 Sept 2026
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
ReadSix 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
ReadThe IAPP runs five certifications that matter, and plenty of candidates buy the wrong one first. Here is how CIPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, CIPT and AIGP compare on exam format, cost and what they do for your salary in 2026.
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
ReadFour credentials now compete for the same AI governance job adverts, and they are not interchangeable. Here is what AIGP, ISACA AAIA, ISACA AAISM and the ISO 42001 Lead Auditor route actually cost, who can sit them, and which one matches your role.
21 Aug 2026
ReadNetwork+ vs CCNA is the first real fork in a networking career. One is vendor-neutral and published to the point; the other costs less, hits harder and changes completely in February 2027. Here is how to choose in 2026.
20 Aug 2026
ReadFour credentials dominate governance, risk and compliance hiring, and three of them will block you at the application stage if you lack the years. Here is what each GRC certification actually costs, what it tests, and the order to take them in.
20 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
ReadAI now handles most Tier 1 alert triage, and Security+ on its own no longer clears the bar. Here is the SOC analyst certification path that actually gets you hired in 2026, tier by tier, with real costs, current exam facts and an honest verdict on every option.
12 Aug 2026
ReadMS-900 retired on 31 March 2026 and you can no longer book it. Here is the official Microsoft statement, what AB-900 replaced it with, how AB-730 differs, and exactly which exam to sit instead depending on your role.
9 Aug 2026
ReadISC2's three advanced certifications stopped being CISSP concentrations, and all three got new exam outlines in August 2025. Here is how CISSP-ISSAP, ISSEP and ISSMP compare on domains, cost, eligibility and career payoff in 2026.
31 Jul 2026
ReadYou passed OSCP. Now what? A straight comparison of OSEP, CRTO, CRTP and CPTS on cost, exam format, difficulty and what hiring managers actually pay for, so you spend your next few thousand pounds in the right place.
27 Jul 2026
ReadDoD 8140 replaced the old 8570 baseline list with role based qualification, and most candidates still pick the wrong cert. Here is how to map your DCWF work role and proficiency level to a certification that actually counts in 2026.
26 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
ReadCompTIA CySA+ CS0-004 went live on 23 June 2026 and the older CS0-003 retires on 22 December 2026. Here is exactly what changed, whether your old study notes still count, and which version you should sit.
18 Jul 2026
ReadCISSP vs CCSP in 2026 compared on domains, cost, salary and difficulty. A clear verdict on which ISC2 certification to take first, plus how the 1 August 2026 CCSP update changes the maths.
11 Jul 2026
ReadCompTIA SecAI+ and ISACA AAISM are the two flagship AI security certifications of 2026, but they are built for very different people. Here is a clear breakdown of domains, cost, prerequisites and which one actually fits your role.
9 Jul 2026
ReadNew to IT and stuck between CompTIA Tech+ and A+? We compare cost, exam format, domains, difficulty and hiring value so you can pick the right entry-level certification to start with in 2026, and avoid wasting money on the wrong one.
3 Jul 2026
ReadOffSec split the OSCP into two credentials and scrapped the 10 bonus points. Here is exactly what OSCP vs OSCP+ means in 2026, how the Active Directory scoring changed, and whether the exam is now harder.
2 Jul 2026
ReadCisco moves the CCNP Security 350-701 SCOR core exam from v1.1 to v2.0 on 27 August 2026, and three concentration exams retire the same day. Here is exactly what is changing and whether you should test now or wait.
30 Jun 2026
ReadCompTIA Security+ SY0-801 is due in late 2026 with dedicated AI and LLM content. Here is exactly what changes from SY0-701, who should sit which version, and whether it is worth waiting for the new exam.
27 Jun 2026
ReadAZ-500 retired on 31 August 2026 and cannot be renewed. This guide covers what happens to an AZ-500 you already hold, how much of your AZ-500 study carries over to SC-500, and what SC-500 tests that AZ-500 never did.
22 Jun 2026
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