• CIN will be sunsetting the official CIN app! The app will be turned off on Saturday, August 1st. Thank you to everyone who used the app to post updates. It just was not adopted as much as hoped. This is ONLY the mobile app. The CIN community is not being affected. :)

What Certifications Have You Added Alongside CompTIA?

I'm curious how other instructors have built their certification portfolios over the years.

CompTIA has always had a vendor-neutral philosophy, and I think that's one of its greatest strengths. It teaches concepts and skills that apply across technologies instead of focusing on a single vendor.

But many of us also teach courses or work with clients who use specific technologies. That got me wondering how everyone balances CompTIA with other certifications. Besides your CompTIA certifications, what other certifications do you currently hold? Are you pursuing anything new?

How do vendor certifications like Microsoft, AWS, Google Cloud, Cisco, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, or CrowdStrike fit into your portfolio? What about vendor-neutral certifications like ISC2 or ISACA? Or more specialized certifications from organizations like OffSec or GIAC?

When you're deciding what certification to earn next, what drives that decision? Customer demand? Personal interest? Better career opportunities? Something else?

I'm not looking for a right or wrong answer. I'm just interested in hearing how other CompTIA instructors think about professional development and how you've put together a certification portfolio that works for you.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Remote Security+ Instructor

I am looking to hire a security+ instructor. The instructor will teach two live online sessions per week, review practice questions, explain key exam objectives, and help students prepare confidently for the certification exam. Remote opportunity with the potential for ongoing cohorts.

Interested instructors, please send me an email at [email protected] with your experience, availability, and expected rate.

Thanks,

Unused vouchers received

Good afternoon, CINers!

I would like to know if there is any issue with not using most of the certification exam vouchers we received for participating in the TTT training sessions. I am proud to be a CIN member, and if it were up to me, I would have a wide range of CompTIA certifications in my portfolio! Unfortunately, however, due to time and availability constraints, it is not possible to stay up-to-date with all the certifications that interest me, as I have other professional commitments that prevent me from dedicating myself fully to them.

Currently, I watch the broadcast recordings and download the presentations primarily to learn and stay current with the latest IT technologies - something CIN has uniquely enabled me to do (even without taking the certification exams). That said, I do intend to obtain the other certifications within my reach in the not-too-distant future (if possible).

Best regards,

Exam Rules - BEWARE!

In the Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) Forums recently a trainer too us through the saga of his breaking the exam rules and being blocked from testing for a period of time (possibly two years). While this specific case was about Microsoft exams, I feel it is important that we all know the importance of following the exam rules... especially when we are taking Remote-Proctored exams instead of going into an testing centre.

I wrote this article about the incident: https://garvis.ca/2026/06/29/exam-rules/

Folks, the rules are clear, and when you register you will be told what they are. Whether this is your first or your hundredth exam, take the time to review the rules and make sure you can abide by them. For instance (a big one, and in this case the reason behind the issue): Touch screens are forbidden. Your proctor will see second monitors and make sure you disconnect them, but they will not see that your screen is a touch screen. That is on you to know.

I am happy that I have never been accused of breaking the rules... but I confess, when I heard about this incident I went back and reread the rules to be sure I did not accidentally do so. I have not taken a CompTIA exam since, but will do the same... every single time.

CIN TTT Series AI Fundamentals Session 1

I'm excited to share that this session was so awesome that I'm waiting for the recorded version so I ca watch it again! It's that valuable. If you haven't signed up for the course, do it now. You won't regret it. The presenter, Jill West, is top-notch. We are honored to have her at CIN.

Passed SecAI

I passed my SecAI exam, and immediately afterward I fell sick. My physiotherapist said it was due to heavy lifting. I was like, "How? I didn't lift anything!" 😂

This is based on a true story, but I'm recovering well, guys.
Thank you so much, Stephane, for the voucher, and thank you to our instructor for the course and all the support.

AI Simulations Stuck

Hello,
I have been going through AI Fundamentals CompCert course smoothly, then all of sudden, AI based activities/simulations stopped working, I enter a prompt, I takes forever to answer. I went on to skip the AI sim activities but everynext AI sim activity behaved the same, I reported the problem two days ago, but the issue the stills remains. Alternatives that I tried to resolve the issue are following:
> Tried changing broswers,
> Clear browser cache.
> Restart computer.
> close all running programs.
non of the above option worked, I am still stuck and course progress is at halt. I am attaching an error code attachment that might give some of you a hint to help me with the issue.
Thank you!!Screenshot 2026-07-27 155907.png

🎉 Excited to Share That I Passed the CompTIA SecAI+ exam with 900 score! 🎉

I am pleased to announce that I have successfully completed the CompTIA SecAI+ exam, achieving a score of 900. This achievement represents a meaningful milestone in my ongoing commitment to continuous learning and professional development in the rapidly evolving field of AI security.


I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the Train-the-Trainer (TTT) sessions, which provided invaluable insights and practical knowledge that significantly deepened my understanding of AI security concepts. The on-demand study materials were exceptionally well-structured and played a crucial role in my exam preparation.


A very special thank you to Stephen Schneiter for giving me the opportunity to participate in this program and for providing the exam voucher. Your support and commitment to helping learners succeed are truly appreciated.


I also appreciate CompTIA for developing a certification that addresses the growing importance of securing AI systems and applying AI responsibly in today's cybersecurity landscape.


I look forward to building on this achievement and applying these insights to real-world challenges at the intersection of AI and cybersecurity.


#CompTIA #SecurityAI #CompTIAAI #AISecurity #CyberSecurity #ArtificialIntelligence #GenerativeAI #ContinuousLearning #ProfessionalDevelopment #TTT #Certification #LifelongLearning

Looking for a Server+ Instructor for an onsite training session in the Philippines

EDIT: A trainer has been selected, according to our HR, so the application is now closed. Thank you to everyone who expressed interest.

Hi All,

As the post title suggests, my organization is looking for a Server+ instructor who will deliver a training session for us. I was contacted by our HR regarding this, so I don't have all the details yet, but the training is going to be conducted onsite, in our office along Ayala Avenue in Makati. The training will last 5 days, most likely from Monday to Friday (no exact dates yet). Interested parties may send me an e-mail at

[email protected]

So that I may then forward your information and any concerns you may have to our HR Team.

Thanks in Advance!

Def Con 34

Anyone heading to Las Vegas for Def Con August 6-9? If so, let's connect! I will be hanging around the Noob Village (https://www.noobvillage.org/) with @GingerHacker. I will actually be giving a workshop around SecAI+ on Friday at 12:00pm.

Be sure to reach out if attending! CINners unite!!


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  • Question
High School Teacher here...I have questions...

I have never used CompTIA for certifying my high school students. However, TestOut was good (in my opinion) so here I am. What are the pro's and con's for those of you with experience doing so with CompTIA? Does the training provided align with the certification exam? What is your typical pass rate? Do you have someone (like a Rep) I can contact for pricing? Or this there an online form to request a Quote? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

~Tiffany

  • Question
Exam Voucher got Expired

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Hi CIN CompTIA Team! I hope you are doing well.

I am currently waiting for my CySA+ exam voucher.
While checking my email for updates, I discovered that I had previously been issued an A+ exam voucher.
Unfortunately, I was not aware that I had received it, and I only noticed it after it had already expired last month.

I understand this was completely my oversight, and I'm sorry for missing it.
I know the voucher has already expired, and I completely understand if it can't be reissued.
I just wanted to ask if there might be any chance of renewing or reissuing it. I would greatly appreciate your consideration and any assistance you can provide.

Thank you so much!

Success Story -- SecurityX PASS!

So... I've had a CompTIA SecurityX exam voucher sitting in my account for quite a while. I must have rescheduled this test a dozen times because of work commitments, family schedules, not enough time to study, kids screaming in the background, and life in general.

Last night, while the kids were outside following the classic rule of "come home when the streetlights come on," I headed to my home office testing center and finally sat for the exam.

I felt calm, focused, and confident. But I knew that Linux simulation question was coming, the one you can't go back to. It showed up around question 10, and honestly... I completely botched it. At that moment, I was convinced the exam had beaten me. After all, it had defeated me back in February 2025 and my older version recently expired.

I pushed forward, finished the remaining questions, went back through my flagged items, and even had some fun working through the Performance Based Questions (PBQs).

Then came the infamous 13 question survey. If you've ever taken a CompTIA exam, you know exactly what I'm talking about! I clicked Submit, and unlike most CompTIA exams, there was no immediate pass or fail message. I walked away wondering where I stood.

This morning, I was texting my friend Nancy, who is a huge part of my Facebook community, and I was telling her all about my experience. I was convinced I hadn't passed.

Then... I received an email from CompTIA congratulating me and asking me to accept my digital badge.

Wait... what?!

I logged into the CompTIA portal, pulled up my score report, and there it was.

PASS!

The biggest lesson I took away from this experience is simple. Don't doubt yourself. One tough question, or even one tough exam experience, doesn't define the outcome. Set a goal, commit to it, and keep moving forward. Sometimes the biggest obstacle standing in your way is your own self-doubt.

SecurityX02.jpeg

PearsonVUE Test Center Rules -

So, we have PV Test Centers within our schools. The rules at https://www.comptia.org/en-us/resources/test-policies/proctor-policies/ stipulate the six-month rule that prevents anyone who has taken an exam in the last six months must wait before he/she can be a PV Test Administrator, and six months after resigning as a TA before taking another CompTIA exam. Makes sense to me.

However:

The latest TA guide from Pearson, however stipulates this in Section 2.2:

1783380816646.png
...which means if you hold a CompTIA cert, you can't proctor an exam.

Now, the latest guidance from Pearson came out on March 20. It could be that CompTIA hasn't got around to updating their policy page, but this might be a good question to ask any organization here on CIN that might also have their own Test Center.

Anyone from CompTIA want to kick this up the chain?

/r

Please Don't Distribute Copyrighted Materials

I wanted to give you all a heads-up. A person using the username kiranjadhav010407 has posted all the CompTIA-branded (still copyrighted) Security+ SY0-601 materials on LinkedIn. I reported it and asked that it be taken down, but there were over 350 comments: a mix of copyright warnings and thanks for posting.

When things like this happen, some people blame folks like us: instructors who have access to and use those copyrighted training materials.

Returning to Training After a Break - a couple of questions.

Hi all, like the title says, I'm going back to training after a break and have some questions.
1. I have the original A+ and Sec+ that never expire as well as other versions that did expire. I've taught both those classes over a couple dozen times each, do I need to take the latest exams?
2. I had the CTT+ which was discontinued, are there any Train the Trainer replacements needed?
3. I never took Net+ because my multiple MCSA, MCSE and MCITP certs were considered higher level and so Net+ wasn't required. I've taught that class countless times as well, will I need to pass the newest exam?

Want to get back on the horse, thanks for any information you can give.

  • Question
Looking for CompTIA CompCert Course Outlines (a+ Cyber, AI Prompting, etc.) — Where are they hosted?

Hi everyone,

I hope you’re all having a great week.

I am currently trying to map out some lesson plans for the new CompTIA CompCerts (Certificates of Competency) series, but I'm having trouble finding the official course outlines.

Specifically, I am looking for the detailed curriculum/syllabus outlines for:

  • a+ Cyber
  • AI Prompting Essentials
  • (And any other current Essentials / CompCert offerings)
I’ve done a search through the portal/website but haven't had any luck locating them yet.

Could anyone point me in the right direction or share the specific path/link where these are typically hosted?

Thanks in advance for the help!

  • Question
Did Not Receive CertMaster Codes for SecAI+ and CySA+

Hi everyone!

I was not able to receive the CertMaster voucher/access codes for both SecAI+ and CySA+.

For SecAI+, I attended the training through the on-demand sessions, and I saw that @Stephen Schneiter mentioned that learners should receive the access code after completing the first session, even for on-demand learners. I already completed the sessions, but I have not received the email yet.

For CySA+, I attended the first day live session, but I also have not received the CertMaster voucher/access code.

May I kindly ask if the voucher/access codes are sent automatically after attendance is recorded, or if they can be resent directly?

I would appreciate your help on this. Thank you!

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