By Quick answer: Which IT certifications should I get in 2027, and in what order?
- First job — Google IT Support and CompTIA A+.
- Specialise — Network+ or CCNA for networks, Security+ for security, ITIL 4 for service management.
- Move to cloud — Microsoft AZ-104 or AWS Solutions Architect – Associate.
- Stay current — AWS AI Practitioner and Microsoft Learn's free paths.
Key takeaways
- Treat IT certifications as a ladder: one entry credential, one specialism, then cloud.
- Networking and security fundamentals make every later cloud certification easier.
- Hands-on practice (home labs, free cloud tiers) matters as much as the exams.
IT careers are built in steps. Most people start on a help desk, specialise in networks, security or systems, then move into cloud. The certifications follow the same path, and taking them in order makes each one easier. This list puts the ten most useful IT certifications for 2027 on that ladder, so you can see where you are, what to take next and which skills each step adds.
The IT certification ladder at a glance
Ordered as a career path, from first job to senior roles. Costs from official pages, checked 3 November 2026.
| # | Certification | Cost | Time | Prove it free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Google IT Support Professional CertificateGoogle / Coursera | $49/mo Coursera plan1 | 3–6 months at about 10 hours a week | Free test |
| 2 | CompTIA A+CompTIA | Two exams2 | 90 minutes and up to 90 questions per exam | Free test |
| 3 | CompTIA Network+CompTIA | Voucher price on the CompTIA store3 | 90 minutes | Free test |
| 4 | Cisco CCNACisco | Check the official page4 | Check issuer | Free test |
| 5 | CompTIA Security+CompTIA | Voucher price on the CompTIA store5 | V7 retiring; V8 adds AI-related risk | Free test |
| 6 | ITIL 4 FoundationPeopleCert / AXELOS | Check the official page6 | Check issuer | Free test |
| 7 | Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104)Microsoft | Exam priced by country7 | 100 minutes; renew free every 12 months | Free test |
| 8 | AWS Certified Solutions Architect – AssociateAmazon Web Services | $1508 | 130 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 9 | AWS Certified AI PractitionerAmazon Web Services | $1009 | 90 minutes, 65 questions | Free test |
| 10 | Microsoft Learn Free AI & Cloud TrainingMicrosoft | Free10 | Self-paced | 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.)
- 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 →
- CompTIA Network+ Practice TestPractise for CompTIA Network+ before you pay.Start free test →
- Cisco CCNA Practice TestPractise for Cisco CCNA before you pay.Start free test →
Each rung of the ladder
- CourseraGoogle IT Support Professional CertificateA first step with no experience$49/mo Coursera plan
- CompTIACompTIA A+Help-desk job filtersTwo exams
- CompTIACompTIA Network+Networking fundamentals, vendor-neutralVoucher price on the CompTIA store
Google IT Support Professional Certificate
- Cost
- $49/mo Coursera plan1
- Time
- 3–6 months at about 10 hours a week
The gentlest first rung: no experience needed, hands-on labs and a clear path to help-desk roles. Use it to learn; add CompTIA A+ when you apply.
Best fora first step with no experience
CompTIA A+
- Cost
- Two exams2
- Format
- 90 minutes and up to 90 questions per exam
- Entry
- CompTIA recommends 12 months of hands-on IT support
Two exams that prove you can support hardware, operating systems, networks and users. It's the credential help-desk job posts name most often, and CompTIA recommends around a year of hands-on experience.
Best forhelp-desk job filters
CompTIA Network+
- Cost
- Voucher price on the CompTIA store3
- Format
- 90 minutes
- Entry
- CompTIA recommends 9–12 months of networking experience
Vendor-neutral networking: addressing, routing, switching, wireless and troubleshooting, in a 90-minute exam. It's the bridge from support into network and systems roles. CompTIA's Network+ covers networking concepts, infrastructure, operations and troubleshooting in a 90-minute exam. It's vendor-neutral and ANAB-accredited; CompTIA recommends 9–12 months of networking experience.
Best fornetworking fundamentals, vendor-neutral
Cisco CCNA
- Cost
- Check the official page4
Cisco's associate certification for network engineering, more hands-on and vendor-specific than Network+. It's respected for network engineer roles and is a strong base for security and cloud networking later.
Best fornetwork engineering roles
CompTIA Security+
- Cost
- Voucher price on the CompTIA store5
- Format
- V7 retiring; V8 adds AI-related risk
The standard first security certification and a common requirement for security roles. Take it after networking fundamentals; it makes much more sense with them. CompTIA's vendor-neutral security exam covers threats, architecture, operations and governance, and the new version adds AI-related risk. It's listed in ANAB's ISO/IEC 17024 directory; voucher prices vary by country.
Best formoving into security
ITIL 4 Foundation
- Cost
- Check the official page6
The framework most IT service desks and operations teams use. ITIL 4 Foundation helps support analysts and team leads understand incident, change and service management, and it's often requested for IT operations roles.
Best forservice desk and IT operations
Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104)
- Cost
- Exam priced by country7
- Format
- 100 minutes; renew free every 12 months
The Azure administrator credential for sysadmins in Microsoft-based organisations: identities, networking, storage, compute and monitoring. It's the natural cloud step for Windows administrators. 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 forsysadmins moving to cloud
AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate
- Cost
- $1508
- Format
- 130 minutes, 65 questions
The most recognised cloud architecture credential. It proves you can design secure, resilient, cost-aware systems on AWS, and it's the usual target for engineers moving fully into cloud.
Best forcloud engineering and architecture
AWS Certified AI Practitioner
- Cost
- $1009
- Format
- 90 minutes, 65 questions
AI is entering every IT workflow, from service desks to monitoring. AWS's AI Practitioner gives IT staff a structured understanding of AI and generative AI in a $100 exam.
Best forAI literacy for IT staff
Microsoft Learn Free AI & Cloud Training
- Cost
- Free10
Not a certification but the best free training platform for Microsoft technologies, with paths for every Azure and Microsoft 365 exam. Use it continuously to stay current between certifications.
Best forfree, continuous Microsoft training
Which rung are you on?
| If you are… | Take next |
|---|---|
| New to IT | Google IT Support, then CompTIA A+ |
| On a help desk | Network+ or CCNA |
| In networks or systems | Security+ or AZ-104 |
| A Windows sysadmin | AZ-104 |
| Moving into cloud engineering | AWS Solutions Architect – Associate |
| Leading a service desk | ITIL 4 Foundation |
Table: The next IT certification to take, by where you are now
Build a home lab alongside the exams
- A spare laptop or virtual machines — install Windows and Linux; practise user and permission tasks.
- A small network — a router, VLANs and a firewall in a simulator such as Cisco Packet Tracer.
- Free cloud tiers — deploy a small app on AWS or Azure within free limits.
- Write it up — a short post per lab becomes your interview evidence.
How we ranked these picks
We chose the most widely recognised IT certifications at each career stage and ordered them as a path, so each builds on the last. We favoured vendor-neutral credentials early and cloud credentials later, reflecting how IT careers commonly progress. Fees and formats come from official pages, checked 3 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best IT certification for beginners?
Google IT Support for learning from zero, and CompTIA A+ for the credential help-desk job posts name most often. Many beginners do both: the Google course for hands-on labs, then A+ to pass screening filters.
Which IT certification pays the most?
Cloud architecture and senior security credentials, such as AWS Solutions Architect and CISSP, are associated with the highest salaries in published surveys. Entry certifications such as A+ lead to lower starting pay but open the path to those roles.
Should I take Network+ or CCNA?
Network+ is vendor-neutral and a good general foundation; CCNA is Cisco-specific, more hands-on and more valued for network engineering roles. If you want a networking career, CCNA is usually worth the extra effort.
Is ITIL worth it in 2027?
Yes for service desk, IT operations and IT management roles, where ITIL practices are widely used. It's less useful for developers or pure engineers. ITIL 4 Foundation is the usual starting point.
How many IT certifications do I need?
One entry credential to get hired, one specialism to move up, then a cloud certification is a strong path. More than that matters less than hands-on experience and projects you can explain.
Sources
- Google — Google IT Support Professional Certificate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- CompTIA — CompTIA A+, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- CompTIA — CompTIA Network+, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Cisco — Cisco CCNA, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- CompTIA — CompTIA Security+, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- PeopleCert — ITIL 4 Foundation, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Microsoft — Microsoft Azure Administrator (AZ-104), official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Amazon Web Services — AWS Certified AI Practitioner, official page (checked 3 Nov 2026)
- Microsoft — Microsoft Learn Free AI & Cloud Training, 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.
Where to go from here
- The best online certifications of 2027 — the full top 10 across every field
- Best AI Certifications of 2027: 10 Ranked by Career Impact — related guide
- Science of Apps free certification catalogue — 1,200+ free tests
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The top certifications for IT support specialists in 2027: eight for moving up from the help deskThe 8 best certifications for IT support specialists in 2027: CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, AZ-104, AWS SAA, ITIL 4, CCNA and Microsoft Learn.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The IT certification roadmap for 2027: from beginner to expertAn IT certification roadmap for 2027: Google IT Support or A+, Network+ or CCNA, Security+ or a cloud exam, CKA or ITIL, then CISSP.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027IT certifications for beginners: seven best for 2027 if you're starting your first tech jobThe 7 best IT certifications for beginners in 2027: Google IT Support, CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, ISC2 CC, AWS Cloud Practitioner and AZ-900.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027Top 5 IT certifications to get hired in 2027: the ones IT job posts nameThe top 5 IT certifications to get hired in 2027: CompTIA A+, Security+, AWS Solutions Architect, Azure AZ-104 and Cisco CCNA, matched to IT job titles.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027Cybersecurity certifications for beginners: seven best for 2027 if you're starting from zeroThe 7 best cybersecurity certifications for beginners in 2027: Google Cybersecurity, ISC2 CC, CompTIA A+, Network+, Security+, Google IT Support and CCNA.
- Career guides by Science of Apps for 2027The networking certification roadmap for 2027: from beginner to expertA networking certification roadmap for 2027: Google IT Support or A+, Network+, CCNA, then Security+ and AWS SAA.
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