Simply Certified Blog

How hard is the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam: 65 questions, 90 minutes, 700 to pass on a 100 to 1,000 scale
How Hard Is the AWS Cloud Practitioner Exam? Scoring, Traps and Honest Odds
The CLF-C02 is AWS's entry-level exam, and people still fail it. Here is how the 700 scaled score actually works, why 15 of your 65 questions do not count, and... Read more...
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner CLF-C02: 65 questions in 90 minutes, four domains weighted 24, 30, 34 and 12 percent
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner: What It Is, Who It Is For, and What the Exam Asks
The Cloud Practitioner is the AWS exam that tests whether you can talk about the cloud, not build in it. Here is the format, the four domains and their weights,... Read more...
Is CompTIA A+ worth it: two exams, Core 1 220-1201 and Core 2 220-1202, US$548 in U.S. vouchers, valid three years
Is CompTIA A+ Worth It? What the Two-Exam Credential Buys You
A+ is two exams, two vouchers and one credential that lasts three years. Here is what that money actually buys, where the credential is formally recognized, and the situations where... Read more...
A+ Core 2 exam cost: U.S. voucher $274, Voucher Plus Retake Assurance $359, $548 for both A+ cores
A+ Core 2 Exam Cost: What You Pay, and When You Pay It
Core 2 costs the same voucher as Core 1, but the decisions around it are different. What one attempt costs, what a failed one adds, how booking works, and the... Read more...
A+ Core 2 practice questions: five worked 220-1202 scenarios across all four domains, every option explained
A+ Core 2 Practice Questions: Five 220-1202 Tickets, Worked Through
A clean boot, a shared laptop with two kinds of encryption, malware that never touches the disk, a suspicious certificate warning and a remote access request. Five 220-1202 scenarios, each... Read more...
How long to study for A+ Core 2: a six-week 220-1202 study plan across four domains and 36 objectives
How Long to Study for A+ Core 2: A Six-Week 220-1202 Plan Built on 70 Study Blocks
Seventy 45-minute blocks, sized by what each objective asks you to do, then fitted into five, six or seven weeks. The 220-1202 schedule, the order behind it, and where the... Read more...
A+ Core 2 requirements: no prerequisite to sit, then keep A+ for three years with 20 CEUs or a higher CompTIA certification
A+ Core 2 Requirements: Easy to Sit, Work to Keep
Getting into the 220-1202 exam takes a voucher and nothing else. Keeping the A+ it completes takes a plan, and the cheapest plan is usually your next certification. Read more...
A+ Core 2 domains and weights: Operating Systems 28%, Security 28%, Software Troubleshooting 23%, Operational Procedures 21%
A+ Core 2 Domains Explained: What the 36 Objectives Ask You to Do
Two domains tie at 28%, the smallest domain has only four objectives, and the newest objective is about AI. A plain-English tour of the 220-1202 syllabus and what each domain... Read more...
How hard is A+ Core 2: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, passing score 700 on a 100 to 900 scale
How Hard Is A+ Core 2? Where the 220-1202 Catches People
Core 2 trades Core 1's hardware trivia for judgment: which tool, which order, which rule wins. Here is where the 220-1202 gets hard, what its 700 passing score means, and... Read more...
CompTIA A+ Core 2 220-1202: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, 700 to pass on a 100 to 900 scale, four domains
What Is CompTIA A+ Core 2? The 220-1202 Exam, Explained
Core 2 is the operating systems, security and procedures half of CompTIA A+, and it asks for a higher score than Core 1. What 220-1202 covers, where its weight sits,... Read more...
A+ Core 1 vs Core 2: 220-1201 hardware and networking at 675, 220-1202 operating systems and security at 700
A+ Core 1 vs Core 2: What Each Exam Tests and Which to Take First
CompTIA A+ is two exams, and you can sit them in either order. Here is how 220-1201 and 220-1202 differ, why we would take Core 1 first, and how to... Read more...
A+ Core 1 exam cost: U.S. voucher $274, $548 for both cores, Voucher Plus Retake Assurance $359
A+ Core 1 Exam Cost: One Voucher, Half a Credential
Core 1 is one of two exams you pay for before you hold the A+. Here is what a voucher buys, when to buy the second one, what a failed... Read more...
A+ Core 1 practice questions: five worked 220-1201 examples, one from each domain, with every option explained
A+ Core 1 Practice Questions: Five 220-1201 Scenarios, Taken Apart
Five original 220-1201 items, from a phone that cannot find itself indoors to a desktop that forgets the date every Monday. Each one is taken apart option by option, so... Read more...
How long to study for A+ Core 1: a six- or ten-week 220-1201 study plan across five domains and 27 objectives
How Long to Study for A+ Core 1: A Six- or Ten-Week 220-1201 Plan
Six weeks if you have already worked a support bench, ten if you have not. The 220-1201 schedule below follows the objectives in order and puts the hands-on work, the... Read more...
A+ Core 1 requirements: no prerequisites, pair with Core 2 from the same version, renew A+ every three years with 20 CEUs
A+ Core 1 Requirements: No Prerequisites, Two Exams, One Version
Nobody checks your background before you book 220-1201. The rules that bind you are about pairing it with Core 2 from the same version, and about keeping A+ alive once... Read more...
A+ Core 1 domains and weights: Mobile Devices 13%, Networking 23%, Hardware 25%, Virtualization and Cloud 11%, Troubleshooting 28%
A+ Core 1 Domains Explained: Weights, Objectives and Study Priorities
Troubleshooting is 28% of Core 1, and it quietly retests the hardware, networking and mobile domains. Here is what each of the five 220-1201 domains asks of you, and how... Read more...
How hard is A+ Core 1: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, passing score 675 on a 100 to 900 scale
How Hard Is A+ Core 1? What the 220-1201 Really Tests
Core 1 is rarely hard because of one difficult topic. It is hard because it asks about RAM notches, port numbers, printer kits and RAID levels in the same sitting,... Read more...
CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, 675 to pass on a 100 to 900 scale, five domains
What Is CompTIA A+ Core 1? 220-1201 Format, Domains and Cost
Core 1 is half of the CompTIA A+, and on its own it certifies nothing. Here is what the 220-1201 exam covers, how it pairs with Core 2, what it... Read more...
Is Network+ worth it: the CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+ ladder, with the $399 U.S. N10-009 voucher and three-year renewal
Is Network+ Worth It? Who Should Take It and Who Can Skip It
Network+ sits in the middle of CompTIA's A+, Network+, Security+ ladder, and for some people it is the most useful step of the three. Here is who it pays off... Read more...
Network+ exam cost: U.S. voucher $399, Voucher Plus Retake Assurance $519, $150 CE fee over three years
Network+ Exam Cost: What You Pay, and the Two Choices That Change It
The voucher is the easy part. Whether to pay $120 more for a retake, whether a bundle is cheaper than buying separately, and where to sit the exam are the... Read more...
Network+ practice questions: five worked N10-009 examples, one per domain, with every answer explained
Network+ Practice Questions: One Worked N10-009 Item per Domain
Five original N10-009 questions, one from each domain, worked through option by option. The answers matter less than the habits behind them: find the boundary, read the evidence, and know... Read more...
How long to study for Network+: an 8-week N10-009 study plan mapped to five domains, 25 objectives and timed practice
How Long to Study for Network+? 8 Weeks, Objective by Objective
Eight weeks at 8 to 10 hours a week if you already know A+-level material, twelve if you are starting cold. This post lays out the week-by-week N10-009 schedule, chapter... Read more...
Network+ requirements: no formal prerequisites, valid three years, renewed with 30 CEUs and a $150 CE fee
Network+ Requirements: Prerequisites, Experience and Renewal
Anyone can book Network+: the A+ and 9 to 12 months CompTIA mentions is advice, not a gate. This post covers what that experience gives you on the exam and... Read more...
Network+ domains for N10-009: Networking Concepts 23%, Network Implementation 20%, Network Operations 19%, Network Security 14%, Network Troubleshooting 24%
Network+ Domains Explained: What All 25 N10-009 Objectives Test
Five domains, 25 objectives, and one domain that quietly retests the other four. A plain-English tour of the N10-009 outline and where candidates tend to spend their study hours badly. Read more...
How hard is Network+: up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, passing score 720 on a 100 to 900 scale
How Hard Is Network+? Where the N10-009 Exam Costs You Points
Network+ is an entry-level exam with a tight clock and a few topics that cost far more points than they should. This is where N10-009 gets hard, what the 720... Read more...
What is Network+ certification: N10-009, up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, 720 to pass on a 100 to 900 scale, five domains
What Is Network+ Certification? The N10-009 Exam in Plain English
Network+ is CompTIA's vendor-neutral networking certification, and N10-009 is the only version you can sit today. This guide covers what the exam tests, who it suits, what it costs, and... Read more...
SSCP vs CISSP compared: 7 domains and 1 year of experience against 8 domains and 5 years
SSCP vs CISSP: Which ISC2 Exam to Take, and in What Order
One asks for a year in the job, the other for five. Here is who should sit which ISC2 exam, in what order, and the one situation where the SSCP... Read more...
SSCP practice questions walkthrough: five worked multiple-choice questions with every answer explained
SSCP Practice Questions: Five Worked Examples, Every Option Explained
Five scenario questions from five SSCP domains, worked the slow way: the answer, the reasoning, and the exact reason each distractor fails. Most of the misses come from options that... Read more...
CISSP vs CISM compared: eight ISC2 domains of security practice against four ISACA security management domains
CISSP vs CISM: Which to Take, in Which Order, and Why
One credential covers eight domains of security practice, the other covers how a security program is run. Clear rules for picking between them, plus the waiver math if you want... Read more...
SSCP exam cost: U.S. $249, EUR 239.04 or GBP 201.69 per attempt, plus a $135 annual maintenance fee after you certify
SSCP Exam Cost in 2026: Fees, Retakes, and What Exam Day Costs You
Two hundred and forty-nine dollars gets you in the door. Here is the rest of the SSCP bill, from the cancellation fee that eats 40% of your exam to the... Read more...
CISSP exam cost: US$749, EUR 719.04 or GBP 606.69 per attempt, plus a US$135 annual maintenance fee
CISSP Exam Cost: The Fee, the Fine Print, and the Bill That Keeps Coming
US$749 gets you one seat at a Pearson VUE center and nothing else. Here is what the CISSP really costs across a pass, a fail, a reschedule and the years... Read more...
How long to study for SSCP: an eight-week study plan mapped to the seven ISC2 domain weights
How Long to Study for the SSCP: An 8-Week Plan by Domain Weight
Eight weeks at eight to ten hours a week is our default, but your starting domain matters more than the calendar. A week-by-week SSCP plan built on the official weights,... Read more...
CISSP practice questions worked through: five questions across five of the eight domains with every option explained
CISSP Practice Questions: 5 Worked Answers and the Traps Behind Them
Five questions, five domains, and a full autopsy of every wrong option. Most CISSP misses come from a handful of repeatable traps, and once you can name them you stop... Read more...
SSCP requirements: one year of full-time experience in one or more of the seven SSCP domains, or the Associate of ISC2 route
SSCP Requirements: The One-Year Rule, the Degree Pathway and the Associate Route
One year of experience sounds simple until you try to count part-time hours, an internship, or a computer science degree against it. Here is how ISC2 actually counts, with three... Read more...
How long to study for CISSP: a 12-week study plan mapped to the eight domain weights, from 16% for Security and Risk Management to 10% for Software Development Security
How Long to Study for the CISSP: A 12-Week Plan Built on the Domain Weights
Most working security people need about three months, not three weeks and not a year. Here is a week-by-week CISSP schedule that spends your hours where the exam spends its... Read more...
SSCP domains: seven exam domains weighted from 9 to 16 percent under the ISC2 outline effective October 1, 2025
SSCP Domains Explained: All Seven, Weighted and in Plain English
Six SSCP domains sit between 14 and 16 percent and one sits at 9. Here is what each of the seven actually tests, the trap hiding in each, and why... Read more...
CISSP requirements: five years of cumulative full-time experience in two or more of the eight domains, with up to one year waived
CISSP Requirements: Experience, Waivers, Endorsement and Upkeep
Five years sounds simple until you try to count it. How ISC2 actually measures CISSP experience, which degrees and credentials knock off a year, and what happens if you pass... Read more...
How hard is the SSCP exam: 100 to 125 adaptive items in 2 hours, pass mark 700 of 1000 across seven domains
How Hard Is the SSCP Exam? What Actually Trips People Up
The SSCP is an entry-to-mid level exam, but an adaptive format that keeps you near 50% correct makes it feel harder than it is. Here is where the difficulty really... Read more...
The eight CISSP domains and their exam weights, from Security and Risk Management at 16% to Asset Security and Software Development Security at 10%
CISSP Domains Explained: All Eight, Weighted and in Plain English
Eight domains, 62 objectives, and weights between 10% and 16%. What each part of the CISSP outline actually asks of you, and the wrong answer it most likes to tempt... Read more...
How hard is the CISSP exam: 100 to 150 adaptive items, 3 hours, 700 out of 1000 to pass
How Hard Is the CISSP Exam? What Actually Trips People Up
The content is wide, but the real difficulty is the way the questions want you to think. What the adaptive format does to your nerves, what an early finish does... Read more...
What is SSCP certification: ISC2's seven-domain practitioner exam, 100 to 125 items in 2 hours, 700 of 1000 to pass
What Is the SSCP Certification? ISC2's Practitioner Credential, Explained
The SSCP is ISC2's credential for the people who actually run security controls. Here is what it covers, what the exam looks like, what it costs to earn and keep,... Read more...
What is CISSP certification: ISC2 credential with eight domains, a 100 to 150 item adaptive exam, and a 700 of 1000 pass mark
What Is the CISSP Certification? Exam, Domains, Cost and Requirements
The CISSP is the credential that asks you to prove five years of security work as well as pass an exam. Here is what it covers, how the adaptive test... Read more...
AAIA vs AAISM: ISACA's AI audit credential and AI security management credential compared
AAIA vs AAISM: Which ISACA AI Credential Is Yours?
For most people the prerequisite settles it: AAISM accepts only an active CISM or CISSP, while AAIA's list is much wider. For the CISM holder who does have a choice,... Read more...
AAISM exam cost: US$459 member, US$599 non-member, plus a US$50 application processing fee
AAISM Exam Cost: What You Pay to Sit It and Keep It
The headline fee is not the whole bill. What it costs to sit the AAISM, from the application fee almost nobody budgets for to the credential you have to keep... Read more...
AAISM practice questions: five worked answers across the 31/31/38 domains with every wrong option explained
AAISM Practice Questions: Five Worked Answers, and Why the Wrong Options Are Wrong
Every AAISM candidate already holds an active CISM or CISSP, which is why the question bank is built to punish a correct classical security instinct. Five questions worked through, including... Read more...
How long to study for AAISM: a 7-week plan weighted to the 31/31/38 domains with Domain 3 taking the most hours
How Long to Study for the AAISM? A 7-Week Plan for CISM Holders
Every AAISM candidate already holds an active CISM or CISSP, so week one should not be governance fundamentals you know by heart. This plan audits what transfers, then puts most... Read more...
AAISM requirements: active CISM or CISSP prerequisite, 10 CPE hours a year, 30 per three-year cycle
AAISM Requirements: Who Qualifies, and What Upkeep Costs
Only two credentials open the AAISM door, and CISA is not one of them. What ISACA asks for before you register, what it asks for after you pass, and why... Read more...
AAISM domains and weights: AI governance 31%, AI risk 31%, AI technologies and controls 38%
AAISM Domains: What Each One Actually Asks You to Know
Three domains, thirteen published sub-areas, and one seat you answer from. What AI governance, AI risk and AI technologies and controls each expect you to be able to decide, with... Read more...
How hard is the AAISM exam: 90 questions, 150 minutes, domains weighted 31/31/38, pass mark 450 of 800
How Hard Is the AAISM Exam? What the CISM Gate Changes
Every AAISM candidate already holds an active CISM or CISSP, so security management is not where this exam bites. The difficulty sits in Domain 3, the 38% on AI technologies... Read more...
What is AAISM certification: 90 questions, 150 minutes, three domains weighted 31/31/38
What Is the AAISM Certification? ISACA's AI Security Credential
ISACA's Advanced in AI Security Management launched in August 2025, and it is gated: you need an active CISM or CISSP to sit it. The format, the three domains, the... Read more...