Why recertify?

[Gregory Childers]

I've been a technical trainer for 25+ years. I've taken more than 16 different cert exams from CompTIA and re-certified in many of them two, three, four, five, or even six times. I've even re-certified in two CompTIA certs that were "good for life" certifications. Mostly, this was due to requirements from end clients who wanted me to hold the most recent version of the cert exam that they wanted me to teach. It doesn't matter that I've passed Security+ in 2005, 2010, 2019, 2021, and 2023. They don't trust that my 25+ years of technical training experience, list of certs, and continuing education make me qualified to teach the latest version of the exam. Because they think that the exam is different now, since the version number changed.

Honestly, I never studied for recertification exams. By teaching the courses on a regular basis, I drilled the information into my long-term memory. Every time an exam versions, only 10%-15% of the exam objectives change, mostly because they gradually add new content. But the evolution of the exams is extremely slow. There are lots of topics on my first Security+ exam that are still on the most recent Security+ exam.

It's strange because the same clients don't seem to care that I've only taken the ISC2 CISSP, ISC2 CCSP, ISACA CISM, or any other exam only one time each. They only seem concerned that I've passed THE MOST RECENT version of the CompTIA exam, apparently because passing a previous version doesn't matter in their eyes.

CompTIA doesn't print the version number on the certifications. And they don't care if you renew the cert by taking the new version, or by racking up CEUs, or by passing a different industry cert. That's what I've been doing the last few years.

Out of all my current active CompTIA certs, the one that expires the soonest is in 2027, and the one that expires the furthest out is 2031.

I really have to thank CompTIA for all the free certs and the free and discounted Beta exams over the years. Honestly, if it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't have taken as many exams as I have over the years. The costs add up quickly. Students complain nonstop about voucher costs, when CompTIA is one of the most affordable options on the market. Go check the cost of ISC2, ISACA, OffSec, and GIAC exams if you don't believe me.

I have chosen NOT to take new versions of the exam for certs I already hold. I don't learn anything new by studying for a cert that I've already passed multiple times. I'm completely fine renewing my certs by getting different certs or by racking up CEUs from webinars, conference attendance, and other educational opportunities.

I've got vouchers for Linux+. DataAI, and I'm still waiting on a voucher for Data+ (which I let expire). I'm attending the SecAI TTT, and am looking forward to taking a crack at that exam to see if there's anything new for me on that exam. Mostly, I'm looking for new challenges, not just repeating old challenges.

For those who choose to pass version after version of the CompTIA exams, I wish you the best. If that works for you, I will not disparage it. It just doesn't work for me any more.

 

[BrianFord]

Thanks for that post, Greg.

Reading this and your other postings, I believe you are (at least in my opinion) an alpha lifelong learner. I'm close, but I think you have me beat in terms of technical diversity. I see that Jason Eckert liked your post, and in my book, he's an alpha too.

I'm confident that the testing strategy you describe works for you, given where you are in your career. I'sd suggest that you describe a place where many CINers want to get to.

 

[Gregory Childers]

Meh, I'm just old. If you do anything long enough, it should get easier. But I still have occasional pangs of imposter syndrome to this day.

I've always been a voracious learner. Even in college, high school, and before that. I get bored if I'm not learning something new. My company just granted me access to CrowdStrike University, so I'm going to see if I can run the table on their certifications, in addition to the other vouchers I've acquired.

 

[Steve Linthicum]

Greg, I received 4 emails from Credly earlier this week, indicating my A+, Network+, Security+, and CySA+ are scheduled to expire in 60 days. Guess they can't take that Lifetime A+, Network+, and Security+ away from me <grin...>

​

 

[Peter Bagley]

I've been a technical trainer for 25+ years. I've taken more than 16 different cert exams from CompTIA and re-certified in many of them two, three, four, five, or even six times. I've even re-certified in two CompTIA certs that were "good for life" certifications. Mostly, this was due to requirements from end clients who wanted me to hold the most recent version of the cert exam that they wanted me to teach. It doesn't matter that I've passed Security+ in 2005, 2010, 2019, 2021, and 2023. They don't trust that my 25+ years of technical training experience, list of certs, and continuing education make me qualified to teach the latest version of the exam. Because they think that the exam is different now, since the version number changed.

Honestly, I never studied for recertification exams. By teaching the courses on a regular basis, I drilled the information into my long-term memory. Every time an exam versions, only 10%-15% of the exam objectives change, mostly because they gradually add new content. But the evolution of the exams is extremely slow. There are lots of topics on my first Security+ exam that are still on the most recent Security+ exam.

It's strange because the same clients don't seem to care that I've only taken the ISC2 CISSP, ISC2 CCSP, ISACA CISM, or any other exam only one time each. They only seem concerned that I've passed THE MOST RECENT version of the CompTIA exam, apparently because passing a previous version doesn't matter in their eyes.

CompTIA doesn't print the version number on the certifications. And they don't care if you renew the cert by taking the new version, or by racking up CEUs, or by passing a different industry cert. That's what I've been doing the last few years.

Out of all my current active CompTIA certs, the one that expires the soonest is in 2027, and the one that expires the furthest out is 2031.

I really have to thank CompTIA for all the free certs and the free and discounted Beta exams over the years. Honestly, if it weren't for them, I probably wouldn't have taken as many exams as I have over the years. The costs add up quickly. Students complain nonstop about voucher costs, when CompTIA is one of the most affordable options on the market. Go check the cost of ISC2, ISACA, OffSec, and GIAC exams if you don't believe me.

I have chosen NOT to take new versions of the exam for certs I already hold. I don't learn anything new by studying for a cert that I've already passed multiple times. I'm completely fine renewing my certs by getting different certs or by racking up CEUs from webinars, conference attendance, and other educational opportunities.

I've got vouchers for Linux+. DataAI, and I'm still waiting on a voucher for Data+ (which I let expire). I'm attending the SecAI TTT, and am looking forward to taking a crack at that exam to see if there's anything new for me on that exam. Mostly, I'm looking for new challenges, not just repeating old challenges.

For those who choose to pass version after version of the CompTIA exams, I wish you the best. If that works for you, I will not disparage it. It just doesn't work for me any more.

Greg, I can appreciate your view of this subject because you are saying what all of us feel. I like that you are just maintaining the CEUs for the certs I have and moving on to other certs from different organizations. The plus to our field is that there is always something to learn, and the minus is that there is always something to learn. It is a double-edged sword.

Peter

 

[Jose A Ruiz Marquez]

Your post is so spot on on so many points. Repeating the same certification exam version after version often adds limited professional value compared to expanding into adjacent or higher-level domains that strengthen both instructional capability and real-world effectiveness. Like you, I hold multiple CompTIA certifications — A+, Network+, Security+, Server+, Linux+, Cloud+, PenTest+, CySA+, and CASP+. In my case, those credentials are largely tied to instructional requirements: if you hold the certification, you are eligible to teach the course; if you do not, you are not.

Over the years, I have renewed my CompTIA portfolio by earning other industry certifications rather than repeatedly sitting for updated versions of the same exam. This January, I renewed all of my CompTIA certifications with CGEIT. In the coming years, I plan to pursue CISM, renew CGEIT, and in doing so maintain my CompTIA certifications as well.

Let’s also mention market perception. Experience and certifications are needed, but, Cloud+ sounds good on paper, but employers are not asking for it. They want AWS or Azure certifications. Vendor-neutral cloud theory does not compete with platform-specific credentials in hiring decisions. PenTest+ is even more disconnected from reality. You are not getting a serious offensive security role because you hold PenTest+. I have OSCP and OSCE, and those actually carry weight in the field. Yet the university I teach for required PenTest+. At that point, you do not know whether to laugh or cry and end up not questioning their real credential knowledge, for what?. And CASP+, while solid academically, does not carry the same weight in the real world as CISM or CISSP. At the enterprise and executive level, those are the certifications decision-makers recognize. CASP does not move the needle in the same way. The same with Network+, I have CCNA renewed with CCNA Voice and they made me take the CompTIA Network+ test. Thank god I don't have to pay a dime on Cert Master / Test Out courseware or vouchers because they have the full Academic Partnership

Also, there are situations where once you have a CompTIA certification, you are generally good to go from a teaching standpoint. I have fellow instructors who still hold lifetime A+, Network+, and Security+, and they continue to receive classes to teach without issue. That alone says a lot about how versioning is perceived at the university level.