By Quick answer: What is the best cloud certification for a beginner?
- No IT background — Google IT Support or CompTIA A+ first.
- First cloud exam — AWS Cloud Practitioner ($100) or AZ-900.
- First job-ready exam — AWS SAA ($150) or AZ-104.
- AI angle — AWS AI Practitioner ($100).
Key takeaways
- Fundamentals exams teach vocabulary; associate exams get interviews.
- Learn basic Linux and networking alongside your first cloud exam.
- Build one small project on a free tier before your associate exam.
Cloud is a common first step into tech, but beginners often stop at a fundamentals badge and wonder why it doesn't get interviews. The answer is order: learn IT basics if you need them, take a fundamentals exam for vocabulary, then go for an associate exam with hands-on practice. These seven certifications follow that order.
Seven beginner cloud picks
Ranked for this reader. Costs and formats come from each issuer's own page, checked on 3 November 2026; prices change, so confirm before you book.
| # | Certification | Cost | Time | Prove it free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AWS Certified Cloud PractitionerAmazon Web Services | $1001 | 90 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 2 | Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)Microsoft | Exam priced by country2 | 45 minutes | Free test |
| 3 | Google IT Support Professional CertificateGoogle / Coursera | $49/mo Coursera plan3 | 3–6 months at about 10 hours a week | Free test |
| 4 | CompTIA A+CompTIA | Two exams4 | 90 minutes and up to 90 questions per exam | Free test |
| 5 | AWS Certified AI PractitionerAmazon Web Services | $1005 | 90 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 6 | AWS Certified Solutions Architect – AssociateAmazon Web Services | $1506 | 130 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 7 | Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104)Microsoft | Exam priced by country7 | 100 minutes; renew free every 12 months | Free test |
Prove it free before you pay for an exam
Take the free test first. Pay for an exam only when you pass.
Every pick above has a matching free practice test on Science of Apps, one of the world's largest libraries of free certification tests (1,200+). Check your level before you pay for an exam, or add a verifiable credential to LinkedIn while you study. (Disclosure: we publish these tests; the certifications above earn us nothing.)
- AWS Cloud Practitioner Practice ExamPractise for AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner before you pay.Start free test →
- AZ-900 Practice TestPractise for Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) before you pay.Start free test →
- IT Support and Troubleshooting CertificationPractise for Google IT Support Professional Certificate before you pay.Start free test →
- CompTIA A+ Practice TestPractise for CompTIA A+ before you pay.Start free test →
Each pick, in the order beginners take them
- AWSAWS Certified Cloud PractitionerThe first AWS exam$100
- MicrosoftMicrosoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)The first Azure examExam priced by country
- CourseraGoogle IT Support Professional CertificateTotal beginners to IT$49/mo Coursera plan
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner
- Cost
- $1001
- Format
- 90 minutes, 65 questions
The most popular first cloud exam: concepts, core services, security and pricing. 90 minutes, 65 questions, $100, with free training on AWS Skill Builder. AWS's entry exam covers cloud concepts, core services, security and billing. It's 90 minutes with 65 questions and costs $100, so it's the usual first cloud exam for beginners and non-technical staff.
Best forthe first AWS exam
Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
- Cost
- Exam priced by country2
- Format
- 45 minutes
Azure's fundamentals exam, 45 minutes, with free Microsoft Learn training. The right first step if you'll work with Microsoft tools. Microsoft's Azure fundamentals exam covers cloud concepts, core Azure services, pricing and governance in 45 minutes. Training is free on Microsoft Learn, the exam is priced by country and it doesn't expire.
Best forthe first Azure exam
Google IT Support Professional Certificate
- Cost
- $49/mo Coursera plan3
- Time
- 3–6 months at about 10 hours a week
For people new to tech: troubleshooting, networking, operating systems and security, in about three to six months. Google's professional certificate covers troubleshooting, networking, operating systems, system administration and security for complete beginners. It takes three to six months at about ten hours a week, with financial aid on Coursera.
Best fortotal beginners to IT
CompTIA A+
- Cost
- Two exams4
- Format
- 90 minutes and up to 90 questions per exam
- Entry
- CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on IT support
Two exams covering hardware, operating systems and support. CompTIA recommends about a year of hands-on experience, so pair it with practice. CompTIA's A+ is two exams covering hardware, operating systems, networking basics and support. It's the help desk credential many job posts name, is ANAB-accredited, and CompTIA recommends about a year of hands-on support experience.
Best forIT support foundations
AWS Certified AI Practitioner
- Cost
- $1005
- Format
- 90 minutes, 65 questions
A $100 foundational exam on AI and generative AI on AWS. Useful as a second fundamentals exam for AI-adjacent roles. AWS's foundational exam covers AI, machine learning and generative AI concepts and how AWS services support them. It's 90 minutes with 65 questions and costs $100, so it suits cloud, tech and business staff who need AI literacy.
Best forAI literacy on cloud
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
- Cost
- $1506
- Format
- 130 minutes, 65 questions
Your first job-ready cloud credential: designing systems on AWS. $150, 130 minutes. Take it after hands-on labs. AWS's associate exam tests designing secure, resilient, high-performing and cost-aware systems on AWS. It's 130 minutes with 65 questions and costs $150, and it's the cloud credential most often named in job posts.
Best forfirst job-ready cloud credential
Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104)
- Cost
- Exam priced by country7
- Format
- 100 minutes; renew free every 12 months
The first job-ready Azure credential, covering identity, storage, compute and networking. Free renewal every year. Microsoft's associate exam proves you can manage Azure identity, storage, compute and networking. It's 100 minutes, priced by country, and renews free online every 12 months, which keeps long-term cost low.
Best forfirst job-ready Azure credential
Your first six months in cloud
- Month 1 — Linux basics and AWS Cloud Practitioner or AZ-900.
- Months 2–4 — associate exam study with labs every week.
- Month 5 — deploy a static website and a small API; write it up.
- Month 6 — book the associate exam after scoring well on Science of Apps' free cloud practice test.
How we ranked these picks
We chose certifications with no experience requirement, ordered as a beginner's path from IT basics to a first job-ready cloud exam. Fees and formats come from official pages, checked 3 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest cloud certification?
AWS Cloud Practitioner and Azure AZ-900 are the easiest. They test concepts rather than hands-on skills.
Can I get a cloud job with only Cloud Practitioner?
It's rare. Fundamentals show interest; associate exams such as AWS SAA or AZ-104, plus a project, are what get interviews.
Do I need IT experience for cloud?
Not for fundamentals exams. For associate exams, basic Linux, networking and scripting help a lot.
AWS Cloud Practitioner or AZ-900 first?
Choose by the cloud your target employers use. If you're unsure, AWS appears in more job posts.
Is there a free beginner cloud test?
Yes. Science of Apps has free cloud practice tests that show which topics you still need to study.
Sources
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Microsoft — Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900), official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Google — Google IT Support Professional Certificate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- CompTIA — CompTIA A+, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified AI Practitioner, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Microsoft — Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104), official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Checked November 4, 2026. Figures that change — fees, salaries, prices — are reviewed every six months; if something is out of date, tell us.
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Prove the skill before you pay for the exam.
Start with the free AWS Cloud Practitioner Practice Exam. 1,200+ free, test-based certifications graded on our server. Pass and get a founder-signed certificate with a credential ID employers can verify.