Which CompTIA Exam Should I Take?

Not only can an information technology (IT) certification help you learn new skills, validate your professional experience, and enhance your credibility in your field, but many employers prefer you have one or more as they consider you for various IT positions. Skills-based hiring is on the rise, and 82 percent of respondents to CompTIA’s “Workforce and Learning Trends 2024” report indicate that certifications are a significant factor in hiring talent in technology [1].

Technology is a fast-paced industry with emerging innovations, advancements, and updates creating seemingly continual changes. IT certification can help you enter the field. In later stages of your career, it can also help demonstrate that you are staying informed and educated about the latest technology in your field and pushing yourself to improve and learn continuously. 

Certifications are so prevalent in IT that 93 percent of IT professionals hold at least one certification, and many pursue multiple credentials. The average professional in this field holds seven certifications [2].

 If you want to advance your career in IT, a certification from organizations in the IT industry, like CompTIA, can help you master new skills and take on positions with more responsibility. CompTIA certifications are among the IT industry’s most widely held and pursued credentials.

Learn the answer to the question, “Which CompTIA exam should I take?” by exploring the available CompTIA certification pathways and comparing your options to determine what will best fit your career goals and experience. 

What is CompTIA certification? 

CompTIA is a vendor-neutral certification organization that offers credentials for IT professionals to set a standard of industry skills and validate professional experience. The organization extends 18 credentialing options covering various topics and a range of expertise levels. Some of the most popular CompTIA certifications are CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA A+, which both rank in the top ten most widely held IT certifications in 2023 [2]. What’s more, the overall average salary for an IT professional with a CompTIA certification is $109,814 [2].

Which CompTIA exam should I take? 

Two of the biggest variables that can help you decide which CompTIA exam to take include your long-term professional goals and your current level of experience or IT knowledge. CompTIA does not require you to complete any specific education or experience prerequisites before taking any of their exams. However, the organization does offer recommendations and insight into the appropriate level of knowledge or experience you might want before taking the exam. These recommendations help create a pathway you can follow based on the career you’d like to have. 

For example, if you want to become a data analyst, you could start with the core skills pathway and earn your CompTIA A+ certification to learn the skills you need to begin an entry-level role as a business analyst. After gaining 18 to 24 months of experience, you might be ready to take your CompTIA Data+ certification exam, which could help you start working in your desired role as a data analyst. 

Or, to launch your cybersecurity career, you might consider earning the CompTIA Security+ credential, which helps establish your baseline skill set. After gaining four years of experience in a security operations center or in an incident response position, you might opt for the CompTIA CySA certification and, after 10 years of practical experience, the expert-level SecurityX credential. 

These pathways also give you a roadmap you can use to judge your current level of experience and knowledge. If you know which certifications to consider for the job you want, you can look at the course topics and details of each exam to estimate your current knowledge. You can also explore practice questions and study guides to help review the materials on the exam, gauge your readiness, and decide which exam is best for your current needs. 

CompTIA certifications translate into a vast number of careers, but the certification paths they lay out include: 

• Core skills

• Infrastructure

• Cybersecurity

• Data and analytics

• Professional 

Core skills

The core skills pathway is a series of four certifications that can help you build a foundation of broad IT skills. Other CompTIA certifications build on the fundamental topics you can learn in this pathway, so this pathway can be a good tool for you to learn the skills you need for more advanced certifications in an incremental way. 

CompTIA core skills certifications are: 

• CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+): Covers the basics; ideal for learners and those switching careers

• CompTIA A+: Baseline industry standard; ideal for IT and technical support or field service technicians

• CompTIA Network+: Essential networking skills; ideal for network support, administrators, and analysts

• CompTIA Security+: Foundational cybersecurity skills; ideal for security architects, engineers, specialists, administrators, and consultants

Infrastructure

The Infrastructure certification path can help you prepare for a role implementing and operating IT infrastructure, such as working in careers like cloud systems administration, web administration, or network administration. This learning path builds on the core skills pathway and includes:

• CompTIA Server+: Assesses your ability to work with on-site and cloud-based server technologies

• CompTIA Linux+: Validates your Linux skills related to web and mobile administration, cybersecurity, and the cloud 

• CompTIA Cloud+: Demonstrates your ability to manage solutions in secure cloud environments

For this certification path, you could choose to earn one or both of Linux+ and Server+ before completing certification with Cloud+. CompTIA recommends that you have the A+ certification or an equivalent amount of knowledge and experience, as well as two years of hands-on professional server experience. For Linux+, CompTIA recommends you have A+, Network+, and Security+ (or an equivalent knowledge base) and 12 months of experience working with Linux servers. For Cloud+, CompTIA recommends you have five years total experience working with IT and two to three years working specifically in a role like systems administrator or cloud engineer. 

Cybersecurity

The CompTIA Cybersecurity certification path can help you start and advance your career in cybersecurity in roles such as cybersecurity analyst, cybersecurity engineer, or penetration tester. CompTIA recommends you either earn the core skills certifications or gain an equivalent level of knowledge and experience before completing: 

• CompTIA PenTest+: Establishes your skills in exploiting vulnerabilities and managing weaknesses accordingly

• CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySa+): Demonstrates your security-related analytical skills

• CompTIA Security X: Validates that you have expert-level cybersecurity expertise 

You can start with CompTIA PenTest+ or CompTIA CySA+, which require three to four years of experience in addition to the core skills. You’ll need three to four years in penetration testing for PenTest+ and four years of experience as an incident response or security operations center analyst for CySA+. Then, after gaining more professional experience, you can take Security X. CompTIA recommends that you have 10 years of general IT experience with five years of hands-on experience in security. 

Data and analytics

The Data Analytics certification pathway can help you build career skills for a job role as a data analyst, reporting analyst, or business analyst. The organization recommends that you gain 18 to 24 months of experience working with data analysis in a business analyst or reporting role before you take this exam. In this certification program, you can validate your skills with data concepts, data visualization, data mining, data governance, and more. 

Professional

CompTIA also offers a certification path for professionals to develop their career skills in the form of two certifications: Project+ and Cloud Essentials+. For Project+, CompTIA recommends that you have six to 12 months of experience managing projects for IT. This certification can help you train for a role as a project coordinator or an IT project manager. You can also enroll in Cloud Essentials+, which can help you train for a role as a business development manager. CompTIA recommends that you have between six and 12 months of experience working as a business analyst in IT before you take Cloud Essentials+. 

What is the best CompTIA exam to take? 

The best CompTIA exam to take is the one that meets you at your current level of knowledge and experience and helps you take a step toward the career you want one day. Compare and contrast the various available CompTIA exam costs, potential careers you can pursue, and the average salary for exam holders. 

Prepare for your CompTIA certification on Coursera

CompTIA certification can help you learn new skills and validate your professional experience in technical fields, including cybersecurity, data analytics, IT infrastructure, and more. You can prepare for your chosen CompTIA certification with programs on Coursera that can help you build related skills and prepare directly for CompTIA exams. For example, you might consider the IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate for an opportunity to become CompTIA Security+ and CompTIA CySA+ exam-ready with study tips and rigorous exam-day preparation techniques, as well as develop the job-ready skills you need to get an entry-level position as a cybersecurity analyst in just four to six months.