Choosing a first IT certification can feel harder than studying for one. The names overlap. Some certifications are broad. Others go deeper. A few make more sense after you have worked in the field.

Start with the gap that matters now. Do not choose only by prestige or by the salary attached to a job title.

A useful first certification should do at least one of these things:

  • Organize knowledge you are still missing
  • Support the next job or responsibility you want
  • Give you a clear study plan
  • Help an employer understand what you have learned

The quiz below compares six practical routes. It gives you one best starting point and one alternative. No email address or account is required.

Certification chooser

Find a practical first certification

Choose the answer closest to your current experience and goals. The quiz gives you one best starting point and one useful alternative.

Progress and results are saved in this browser tab.

Question 1 of 8

Which description is closest to your experience today?

Question 2 of 8

Which task would you rather practice?

Question 3 of 8

Which direction sounds closest to your next job goal?

Question 4 of 8

Which study session sounds most useful?

Question 5 of 8

What do you most want the certification to show?

Question 6 of 8

How comfortable are you with networking?

Question 7 of 8

Which credential style fits you best?

Question 8 of 8

Which project would you be most willing to do next?

What Your Result Means

Your best starting point is the route most aligned with your current experience and next goal. It is not a permanent label.

The also consider result is a reasonable alternative. It may fit better when an employer asks for a specific certification, when you already know more than the quiz can measure, or when the kind of practice matters more to you than the broader subject.

An employer requirement can override the quiz. So can cost, available study time, and the exam resources you can use. Read both result sections before deciding.

Build IT Foundations with CompTIA A+

CompTIA A+ is a practical starting route for someone who still needs broad, hands-on IT foundations.

The material covers common computer hardware, operating systems, software, mobile devices, basic networking, security, cloud concepts, and troubleshooting. The focus is close to the work performed in support and junior technical roles.

A+ may be useful when you cannot yet explain or troubleshoot several of these areas:

  • User accounts and permissions
  • Windows and other operating-system basics
  • Computer components and storage
  • Software installation and updates
  • Wi-Fi and basic Internet Protocol (IP) settings
  • Common printers and mobile devices
  • Malware symptoms and basic protective steps
  • A clear troubleshooting process

You do not have to earn A+ before every other certification. Someone who already supports users, builds computers, manages operating systems, and solves routine network problems may not need it.

Use the current A+ objectives as a checklist. Mark what you can explain and what you can perform without following a script. Large gaps may mean A+ is useful. A few small gaps may be better handled through focused study and labs.

A small project before deciding

Create a virtual machine. Install an operating system, create standard and administrative accounts, apply updates, configure networking, install software, and take a snapshot. Then break one setting at a time and practice finding the cause.

This project will not replace the full A+ scope. It will show whether you enjoy the kind of detailed support work the certification emphasizes.

CompTIA Network+

CompTIA Network+ provides a broad networking foundation without centering the exam on one vendor's equipment.

You study how devices communicate, how networks are designed, how services support users and applications, how networks are secured, and how problems are isolated. The current CertHappens material follows Network+ N10-009.

Network+ may be a good first certification when you already understand basic computers and operating systems but networking still feels fragmented. You may recognize terms such as router, switch, firewall, Domain Name System (DNS), and Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), but struggle to connect them during troubleshooting.

The certification can support several directions:

  • IT support
  • Network support
  • Systems and cloud administration
  • Cybersecurity
  • Technical assurance
  • Infrastructure operations

Network+ is not only for people who want a networking job. Security analysts, cloud administrators, and support technicians all make better decisions when they understand traffic flow, addressing, name resolution, segmentation, and common failure points.

A small project before deciding

Draw a home or lab network. Label the router, switches, wireless access points, devices, addresses, and services. Then choose one failure, such as a device that can reach a local server but not a website. List the checks you would perform in order.

The Network+ study guide and practice test can help you compare your current knowledge with the exam scope.

Cisco CCNA

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) goes deeper into networking. It includes more configuration and verification work than a broad introductory networking certification.

CCNA covers network fundamentals, network access, Internet Protocol connectivity, network services, security fundamentals, automation, and programmability. You should expect to read configurations, understand command output, and decide what to change when a network does not behave as intended.

Cisco does not list a formal prerequisite. Still, the learning curve is easier when you already understand basic addressing, protocols, devices, and troubleshooting.

Choose CCNA first when:

  • You want network administration or engineering work
  • You learn well through configuration labs
  • You want deeper routing and switching knowledge
  • Cisco equipment or Cisco-style commands appear in the jobs you are targeting
  • You are comfortable spending more time on one technical area

Choose Network+ instead when you want broader vendor-neutral coverage before going deeper.

Pay attention to the 2027 exam change

Cisco says the current CCNA v1.1 exam remains available through February 2, 2027. CCNA v2.0 begins February 3, 2027.

CertHappens currently provides CCNA 200-301 v2.0 study resources. Use the exam outline that matches your planned testing date. Do not combine objectives from two versions without knowing which exam you will take.

A small project before deciding

Build a lab with two switches, two networks, and a router. Configure addresses, virtual local area networks (VLANs), a trunk, and routing between the networks. Verify each step with commands instead of assuming the configuration worked.

CompTIA Security+

CompTIA Security+ is a broad security certification. It covers threats, weaknesses, controls, secure design, security operations, incident response, identity, governance, and risk-related decisions.

Security+ may be a good first security certification when you already understand basic IT and networking. You do not need to be a network engineer. You should, however, be comfortable with users, devices, operating systems, addresses, ports, protocols, logs, and common administrative tasks.

Without that foundation, security terms can become isolated facts. You may memorize what a firewall or access-control list does without understanding where it belongs or what problem it solves.

Security+ may fit when:

  • You want a broad security foundation
  • The jobs you are targeting mention Security+
  • You already work in support, systems, networking, cloud, or another technical role
  • You want to understand both technical controls and organizational security decisions

The Security+ study guide and practice test cover the current CertHappens SY0-701 material.

A small project before deciding

Create a simple security review for one computer or virtual machine. Check accounts, authentication, updates, firewall settings, installed software, logging, backups, and screen locking. For each item, explain the possible harm if the control is missing.

ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity

ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) is an entry-level security certification. ISC2 states that no work experience is required.

The certification covers security principles, business continuity and incident response concepts, access controls, network security, and security operations. It can be a simpler security-first route for a student, recent graduate, or career changer who is not ready for a broader technical exam.

CC may fit when:

  • You want an introduction to cybersecurity
  • You have little or no security work experience
  • You prefer a smaller first step before Security+
  • You want to learn security language and basic responsibilities

CC does not remove the need for IT and networking knowledge. A junior security worker still needs to understand accounts, devices, networks, logs, and normal system behavior. Build those skills at the same time.

Check the exam outline before studying

ISC2 states that a new CC exam outline takes effect September 1, 2026. Confirm which outline applies to your test date before selecting study materials.

Build Experience Before CISSP

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is usually not a first certification.

The exam covers eight broad security domains. The credential is designed for professionals who already connect technical work with risk, architecture, operations, assessment, software security, identity, and organizational decisions.

ISC2 requires at least five years of cumulative full-time experience in two or more CISSP domains. An approved degree or credential may satisfy up to one year of that requirement. Part-time work and internships may also count under ISC2's rules.

A person without the required experience may pass the exam and become an Associate of ISC2 while gaining the required experience. That route exists, but it does not automatically make CISSP the best first exam.

Your time may be better spent on a certification that supports the work you can perform now. Build experience. Take on broader responsibility. Return to CISSP when the exam content connects to decisions you have seen in practice.

The CertHappens CISSP study guide can still help you explore the scope and identify areas you want to develop.

Network+ or CCNA?

Choose Network+ when you want broad networking knowledge across many types of equipment and environments.

Choose CCNA when you want more configuration depth and are comfortable learning through command output, routing, switching, and network-device labs.

A simple test is to ask what you want to do after studying:

  • Explain how a network works and troubleshoot common failures: Network+ may be enough.
  • Configure and verify enterprise network behavior: CCNA is the stronger fit.

Some learners earn Network+ and then CCNA. Others go directly to CCNA and fill small foundation gaps along the way. Both routes can work.

Network+ or Security+?

Choose Network+ first when networking is still a major weakness.

Choose Security+ first when you can already follow network traffic, understand common services, work with accounts and operating systems, and explain basic administrative tasks.

Security work depends on context. An unusual connection matters because you understand what normal traffic should look like. A suspicious login matters because you understand authentication, permissions, and account behavior.

You do not need perfect networking knowledge before Security+. You need enough foundation that the security concepts have somewhere to connect.

Certification Does Not Replace Hands-On Experience

A certification can organize your study and make your knowledge easier to describe. It can also help you meet a job requirement.

It does not prove that you can solve every real problem.

Add practical work while you study:

  • Build virtual machines
  • Configure a small network lab
  • Review logs
  • Troubleshoot broken settings
  • Write short incident or assessment notes
  • Explain what you changed and how you verified it

Small projects are useful when they force you to make decisions. Copying a finished lab is less valuable than explaining why each step is needed and what evidence shows it worked.

Build a Practical Study Sequence

A sequence should reflect your current skills, not a universal ladder.

Little hands-on IT experience: Build A+-level skills first. Earn A+ when the credential itself helps your job search or gives you needed structure.

Basic IT knowledge but weak networking: Start with Network+. Choose CCNA instead when you want deeper networking and configuration practice.

A solid IT and networking foundation with a security goal: Security+ is a practical broad starting point. ISC2 CC may be a smaller first step when you want a simpler introduction.

Several years of broad security responsibility: Review the CISSP experience requirement and decide whether the credential now matches your work.

Do not collect certifications without using the knowledge. After each one, identify the next project, responsibility, or job task that lets you apply it.

Official Certification Pages

Certification names, exam versions, and policies can change. Confirm the current details before buying an exam voucher or choosing study material.

Which Technology Career Path Fits You? Compare six broad technology directions before choosing a certification path. IT Support or Cybersecurity: Where Should You Start? See how support and security responsibilities overlap in real organizations. Which Cybersecurity Career Path Fits You? Compare six security directions after deciding that cybersecurity interests you.
Network+ resources Study networking concepts, use focused references, and practice with N10-009 questions. Security+ resources Review foundational security topics and practice with SY0-701 questions. CCNA resources Build deeper networking skills with Cisco-focused guides, references, and practice questions. CISSP resources Explore broad security domains for experienced professional and leadership roles.