Price Index · October 2026 edition
IT Certification Price Index: October 2026
What an IT certification exam actually costs right now: one dated, citable picture computed from the 47 certifications in the registry, every underlying figure verified at its vendor.
Data verified through · list prices, USD, per exam attempt
- Median exam fee
- $300
- Entry-level median
- $199
- Advanced median
- $571.50
- Vendors tracked
- 19
Exam fees by vendor
List price per exam attempt across each vendor's certifications in the registry, highest median first. Ranges reflect the certifications we track, not a vendor's full catalog; each figure traces to a profile page and from there to the vendor's own published pricing.
| Vendor | Certs tracked | Lowest | Median | Highest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OffSec | 1 | $1,749 | $1,749 | $1,749 |
| EC-Council | 1 | $1,199 | $1,199 | $1,199 |
| GIAC (SANS) | 1 | $999 | $999 | $999 |
| ISACA | 2 | $760 | $760 | $760 |
| PeopleCert | 1 | $690 | $690 | $690 |
| ISC2 | 3 | $199 | $599 | $749 |
| Red Hat | 1 | $500 | $500 | $500 |
| CNCF (Linux Foundation) | 2 | $445 | $445 | $445 |
| CompTIA | 9 | $298 | $439 | $548 |
| PMI | 1 | $425 | $425 | $425 |
| Cisco | 2 | $300 | $300 | $300 |
| Databricks | 2 | $200 | $200 | $200 |
| Salesforce | 1 | $200 | $200 | $200 |
| Snowflake | 1 | $175 | $175 | $175 |
| Microsoft | 6 | $99 | $165 | $165 |
| Amazon Web Services (AWS) | 8 | $100 | $150 | $300 |
| Google Cloud | 3 | $99 | $125 | $200 |
| NVIDIA | 1 | $125 | $125 | $125 |
| HashiCorp | 1 | $70.50 | $70.50 | $70.50 |
Reading notes: GIAC's figure is the exam-only price (the optional SANS course costs several thousand dollars more); ITIL 4 Foundation's is PeopleCert's Exam Bundle (the exam voucher plus the official eBook), the cheapest way PeopleCert sells the exam to individuals; OffSec's is the PEN-200 course bundle, the standard way its exam is sold. The per-cert pages carry each nuance.
Recent verified changes
All 30 price watch entries →The newest entries from the price and version watch, each verified at its source on the date shown.
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· PMI
PMP 35 training hours: live classes restricted from December 1, 2026
PMI's PMP page states that starting 1 December 2026, live instructor-led classes (in person or online) count toward the required 35 training hours only when delivered by a China Registered Education Provider or an eligible, accredited higher education program. Self-paced, on-demand courses from any organization still qualify, and an active CAPM still waives the requirement.
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· Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS widens recertification routes: Skill Builder maintain for SAA, Security, and MLA; new auto-recert paths
AWS's recertification table now lists the paid Skill Builder maintain option (one year at a time, within 90 days of expiry) for Solutions Architect Associate, Security Specialty, and Machine Learning Engineer Associate. Generative AI Developer Professional now recertifies both AI Practitioner and Machine Learning Engineer Associate, and Cloud Practitioner can renew free through the AWS Cloud Quest recertification game. Every recertification exam can use the 50% voucher.
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· CompTIA
SecurityX voucher rises to $544
CompTIA's store now lists the SecurityX (CAS-005) voucher at $544, up from the $529 we recorded on July 10, 2026, and the voucher with Retake Assurance at $709. CompTIA did not publish an effective date, so this entry is dated to when we observed it.
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· CompTIA
Security+ V8 (SY0-801) dated for November 17, 2026; SY0-701 retires June 11, 2027
CompTIA now lists SY0-801 launching on or around November 17, 2026, keeping 90 questions, 90 minutes, and a 750 passing score. The current SY0-701 exam retires June 11, 2027 in English and August 13, 2027 in Japanese, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai.
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· HashiCorp
HashiCorp splits Terraform into a three-level ladder, adds Infrastructure Engineer Professional
HashiCorp now lists Terraform Associate (004), a new multiple-choice Terraform Infrastructure Engineer Professional (002) exam launching in October 2026 with price not yet published, and the lab-based Terraform Authoring and Operations Advanced exam ($295 with a free retake). Passing either higher exam extends a Terraform Associate's expiration, alongside retaking the $70.50 Associate exam.
How these figures are computed
Every number on this page is computed from the registry's per-certification records at build time: the list price of one exam attempt, in USD, as published by the vendor and verified by hand on the date each profile carries. Medians are computed across the certifications we track, so they describe this registry, not the entire certification market. Bundled course requirements, retakes, renewal fees, and multi-exam paths are deliberately excluded here; the true-cost calculator and each profile's renewal math cover them. The full per-certification dataset, with its BLS occupation joins, lives on the ROI Index and in the downloadable CSV. Methodology, sourcing rules, and the correction process are documented in the methodology.
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