How Long Does It Take to Earn an IT Certification?

The amount of time you have to complete a task is often the amount of time the task takes to complete. That's particularly true with something as subjective as exam preparation. While we don't necessarily think Parkinson's law is the best approach to test preparation, it's also just how time works. If you give yourself a month to study for an exam, then that's how much time you have — whether you're ready or not.

It's important to give yourself enough time to be successful, but not enough time to overthink, burn out, or get bored. We've helped thousands of IT professionals prepare for IT certifications. In some cases, even helping them create study plans. There's a Goldilocks Zone for studying — and it's about three months per exam. Because most certifications require passing multiple exams, it's just a simple matter of multiplication to figure out the total study commitment for an exam.

Here's how long it typically takes to earn Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, AWS, and CompTIA certifications.

Certs that typically require less than three months

Preparing for an IT exam can be a long, arduous process, even with hands-on experience. Without hands-on experience, most entry-level certifications are out of reach for brand new or aspiring IT professionals. That 's why foundational exams exist. These exams are designed for people with zero to six months of experience in the field. But, they're typically attainable with fewer than 12 weeks of studying.

CompTIA IT Fundamentals CompTIA Cloud Essentials CompTIA Project+ vSphere 6 Foundations vSphere 6.5 Foundations AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Cisco Certified Technician (CCT)

Certs that typically require about three months

CBT Nuggets Accountability Coaches have helped thousands of IT professionals prepare for their certification exams. They tell learners that three months is enough time to study for most exams. There are outliers, however. For instance, you can prepare for the VCP6 in a nine-week sprint, but it'll be tight. So, why aren't there more certifications on this list? Many certification exams require passing multiple exams. These are the certifications that require just one exam to earn.

Cisco certifications that require about three months

Cisco CCENT/CCNA ICND1 100-205

AWS certifications that require about three months

AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate AWS Certified Developer – Associate AWS Certified SysOps Administrator – Associate AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Professional AWS Certified DevOps Engineer – Professional AWS Certified Security – Specialty AWS Certified Big Data – Specialty AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty

CompTIA certifications that require about three months

CompTIA Cloud+ CompTIA Linux+ CompTIA Server+ CompTIA Network+ CompTIA Security+

Microsoft certifications that require about three months

MCSE: Business Applications MCSE: Core Infrastructure MCSE: Data Management and Analytics MCSE: Mobility MCSE: Productivity

VMware certifications that require about three months

VCP 6 – Data Center Virtualization (VCP6-DCV) VCP 6.5 – Data Center Virtualization (VCP6.5-DCV) VCP – Data Center Virtualization 2019 (VCP-DCV 2019) VCP 6 – Network Virtualization (VCP6-NV) VCP – Network Virtualization 2019 (VCP-NV 2019) VCP 6 – Cloud Management and Automation (VCP6–CMA) VCP 7 – Cloud Management and Automation (VCP7-CMA) VCP – Cloud Management and Automation 2019 (VCP-CMA 2019) VCP Horizon 7.5 VCP 6 – Desktop and Mobility (VCP6-DTM) VCP – Desktop and Mobility 2018 (VCP-DTM 2018) VCP 7 – Desktop and Mobility (VCP7-DTM) VCP – Desktop and Mobility 2019 (VCP-DTM 2019) VCP – Digital Workspace 2018 (VCP-DW 2018) VCP – Digital Workspace 2019 (VCP-DW 2019)

Certs that typically require about four months

These are either single-exam advanced certifications or entry-level certifications with more exams. Most people should be able to earn these CompTIA, Microsoft, and (ISC)2 certifications in about four months.

CompTIA certifications that require about four months

In a recent poll, we found a nearly even split in study time for the two CompTIA A+ certifications. Half of the respondents said it took them less than two months to study for each exam. The other half spent more than two months. However, about 70 percent spent less than 12 weeks studying for each exam. That's why we're recommending the lower end for the A+, but you should give yourself longer if you're brand new to IT.

CompTIA A+ (two exams)

CompTIA is well known for its Core Series exams — A+, Network+ and Security+. It also has several advanced security exams. Looking at the /r/CompTIA subreddit, experienced professionals typically take between one and six months to pass these exams. They're certainly not easy, but they should be attainable in four months — with a good study plan.

CompTIA CySA+ CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner CompTIA PenTest+

(ISC)2 certifications that require about four months

(ISC)2 certifications only require one exam, but they are massive exams. CBT Nuggets trainer Keith Barker describes the CISSP as "a mile wide and two inches deep." With that said, (ISC)2 exams are typically taken by experienced security professionals. For that reason, it's possible to study for these exams in four to five months.

(ISC)2 CISSP (ISC)2 SSCP (ISC)2 CCSP

Microsoft certifications that require about four months

While it might seem ambitious to knock out two Microsoft exams in four months, the vast majority of polled IT professionals found two months enough to study for most MCSA exams. Since these Microsoft certifications have two exams, they should be attainable in four months.

MCSA: BI Reporting MCSA: Data Engineering and Azure (retires June 30, 2019) MCSA: Machine Learning (retires June 30, 2019) MCSA: Microsoft Dynamics 365 (retires April 30, 2019) MCSA: Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Operations MCSA: Office 365 (retires March 31, 2019) MCSA: SQL 2016 BI Development MCSA: SQL 2016 Database Administration MCSA: SQL 2016 Database Development MCSA: Universal Windows Platform MCSA: Windows 10 (retires March 31, 2019)

Certs that typically require about six months

These certifications are either two or three exams. Sticking with the assumption that it takes three months to study per exam, then these should be attainable in six months.

Cisco certifications that require about six months

These entry-level Cisco certifications all require two exams — one of which is the ICND1,  as a prerequisite, which should take about three months to study for and pass. The rest of the exams are a coin flip. Our polling suggests that Cisco exams are either considered easy or hard. With that said, six months should be enough time to earn any of these entry-level Cisco certifications.

Cisco CCNA 1CND2 200-205 CCDA CCNA Cloud CCNA Collaboration CCNA Cyber Ops CCNA Data Center CCNA Industrial CCNA Routing and Switching CCNA Security CCNA Service Provider CCNA Wireless

Microsoft certifications that require about six months

These Microsoft certifications each require three exams. The vast majority of respondents to our poll studied for the Microsoft exams in fewer than two months. At two months per exam, these certifications should take you about six months to earn.

MCSA: SQL Server 2012/2014 MCSA: Web Applications MCSA: Windows Server 2012 MCSA: Windows Server 2016

A note about these certifications: Microsoft exams are notoriously tough for beginners. There's a reason Microsoft recommends at least one year of experience before attempting an MCSA. Depending on your experience, you may need more time to earn these certifications, but two months is a good starting point.

Certs that typically require about nine months

Nine months might be a long time to study for one exam, but it's just enough time to study for three professional-level exams. We're still confident that three months is enough time to study, but that's assuming you have the recommended five to seven years of experience.

CCNP Routing and Switching CCDP

Certs that require longer than a year

A year may seem like a long time to study for a certification, but we aren't talking about entry-level exams. The professional-level certifications in this list have four exams that test advanced networking concepts. Cisco CCIE certifications have two parts — a written exam and then the lab. Most people spend a year studying for the lab portion — alone. So, to say that these exams take longer than a year to earn might be an understatement.

Professional-level Cisco certs with four exams:

CCNP Security CCNP Service Provider CCNP Wireless CCNP Cloud CCNP Collaboration CCNP Data Center

Expert-level Cisco certs:

CCDE CCIE Collaboration CCIE Data Center CCIE Routing and Switching CCIE Security CCIE Service Provider CCIE Wireless

How to know you're ready for an exam

Studying for certification exams gets both harder and easier as you progress from entry-level to expert. The exams test more advanced topics, but you're better equipped to handle those through experience. The exams also test more material, but you've passed enough exams to know manage your test time, how to study, and how long to study.

Again, studying for an exam is a highly individualized process. It requires knowing your strengths and weaknesses, both with the exam content and your study skills. If it's your first exam or you're new to IT, then you probably need a little more time than an experienced professional. But even then, don't be fooled. Some exams are harder than others. You might have passed your Network+ after only a few weeks, but that doesn't mean the CCNA or MCSA will be as easy.

It's important to know what to expect before scheduling an exam. You don't want to schedule too little time to study otherwise you'll be rushed. Three months is a good starting point to study for most exams. For the outliers, you'll have to feel your way through to make the right call. Good luck!