Cloud Essentials+ retires on September 25, 2025

This makes the fourth CompTIA certification I've earned that has been retired.

Important Update: Cloud Essentials+ Certification Retirement

As part of CompTIA’s ongoing efforts to align our product offerings, the Cloud Essentials+ Certification will be permanently retired later this year.

The last day to take the Cloud Essentials+ Certification exam is September 25, 2025.

You must schedule and complete your exam before this date!
 
I'm assuming that they run the numbers on sales figures in the CompTIA store for vouchers and training to make decisions regarding ROI. The organization has retired several certifications over the years.

I'm adopting a "wait and see" approach to the new products. My concern is that I hope they do not dilute their brand with these offerings.
 
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I've always stuck with the most recognized certifications like A+, Network+, Server+, PenTest+, CySA+, and CASP+. Now, I just need to take SecurityX to renew. The only time I deviated from the standard, widely accepted certs was for the Healthcare IT certification—and we all know how that turned out. I have Cloud+ and Linux+ because they are required to teach at the University I work
 
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I've always stuck with the most recognized certifications like A+, Network+, Server+, PenTest+, CySA+, and CASP+. Now, I just need to take SecurityX to renew. The only time I deviated from the standard, widely accepted certs was for the Healthcare IT certification—and we all know how that turned out. I have Cloud+ and Linux+ because they are required to teach at the University I work
That Healthcare IT certification was the only crazy digression I made. It aged about as well as Internet Explorer lets face it. 😅 Cloud+ and Linux+ weren't particularly popular either they were simply requirements for university instruction. Right now I'm essentially gathering certificates like Pokémon but only the ones that HR is genuinely interested in.
 
I'm assuming that they run the numbers on sales figures in the CompTIA store for vouchers and training to make decisions regarding ROI. The organization has retired several certifications over the years.

I'm adopting a "wait and see" approach to the new products. My concern is that I hope they do not dilute their brand with these offerings.
yes - diluting the brand is my most concern.

thats 1 big issues vendor neutral certs face that vendor centric platforms and certs dont phase. exams can be retired but realignment is driven more because of technology and other important factors not acceptance or sales figure

My Thoughts
 
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That Healthcare IT certification was the only crazy digression I made. It aged about as well as Internet Explorer lets face it. 😅 Cloud+ and Linux+ weren't particularly popular either they were simply requirements for university instruction. Right now I'm essentially gathering certificates like Pokémon but only the ones that HR is genuinely interested in.
The three retired certifications that I earned were the i-Net+, CDIA+, and DHTI+.

The CompTIA i-Net+ certification was designed to validate the technical knowledge and skills needed for entry-level Internet and e-commerce roles. It focused on fundamental Internet concepts, including infrastructure, development, and security, and was a vendor-neutral certification. The i-Net+ exam was designed to help individuals enter the Internet industry and demonstrate their entry-level skills to potential employers.

The CompTIA CDIA+ (Certified Document Imaging Architect) certification was a globally recognized credential validating competency in document imaging and management. It demonstrated expertise in planning, designing, and specifying document imaging solutions, including enterprise content systems.

The CompTIA DHTI+ certification, formally known as the CEA-CompTIA Digital Home Technology Integrator certification, was a vendor-neutral credential validating a home technology professional's skills in configuring, integrating, maintaining, and troubleshooting electronic and digital home systems. It aimed to recognize expertise in areas like networking, audio/video, security, and home automation.
 
The three retired certifications that I earned were the i-Net+, CDIA+, and DHTI+.

The CompTIA i-Net+ certification was designed to validate the technical knowledge and skills needed for entry-level Internet and e-commerce roles. It focused on fundamental Internet concepts, including infrastructure, development, and security, and was a vendor-neutral certification. The i-Net+ exam was designed to help individuals enter the Internet industry and demonstrate their entry-level skills to potential employers.

The CompTIA CDIA+ (Certified Document Imaging Architect) certification was a globally recognized credential validating competency in document imaging and management. It demonstrated expertise in planning, designing, and specifying document imaging solutions, including enterprise content systems.

The CompTIA DHTI+ certification, formally known as the CEA-CompTIA Digital Home Technology Integrator certification, was a vendor-neutral credential validating a home technology professional's skills in configuring, integrating, maintaining, and troubleshooting electronic and digital home systems. It aimed to recognize expertise in areas like networking, audio/video, security, and home automation.
Honestly, you could probably list those on your résumé under "IT Archeology.".... 😄 I bow to your certification archaeology skills!
 
I can remember when the official A+ curriculum taught a lesson on the history of computers and technology.

John Napier, Charles Babbage, Alan Turing, Adm. Grace Hopper, Lady Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace., Atanasoff and Berry, Howard Aiken, John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, John von Neumann, and many others. Today, no one knows (or cares) about those pioneers in the field.
 
That Healthcare IT certification was the only crazy digression I made. It aged about as well as Internet Explorer lets face it. 😅 Cloud+ and Linux+ weren't particularly popular either they were simply requirements for university instruction. Right now I'm essentially gathering certificates like Pokémon but only the ones that HR is genuinely interested in.
I have to agree with that. I took the certification only because, at the time, I was working for a company that provided comprehensive HIPAA compliance assessments for healthcare providers, specifically focused on their IT infrastructure. They hired me on the condition that I would sit for the exam within six months, and they covered the cost. Otherwise, I doubt I would’ve ever considered it. As for my main certification track, it follows the typical CompTIA progression: A+, Network+, Security+ / Server+, Linux+, Cloud+ / CySA+, Pentest+, and CASP+ (Security X). This is largely because I currently work at a university that’s a full CompTIA academic partner—so it’s simple: you earn the cert, or you don’t teach the course. Plus, they pay for them, which makes the decision even easier.

Outside of that, I also hold the OSCP from Offensive Security and the CISM from ISACA—mainly because those two are favorites among HR departments. I’ve also completed Microsoft’s AZ-800 and AZ-801 exams for the Windows Server Hybrid Administrator certification. At this point, I only maintain my ISACA CISM because it automatically renews my Security X, which in turn renews several CompTIA certifications. Honestly, sometimes it feels like a money-making scheme by all these certification bodies. But as long as I'm not the one paying, I’ll keep taking them.
 
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